(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2011) Bryant, Nancy Lee; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.
In order for high school students to appreciate environmental science, they must observe how science affects them personally. This study explored the relationship between online discussion of current environmental topics and the students' motivation to integrate environmental knowledge into their daily lives. Four different types of prompts were posed to Advanced Placement Environmental Science students to discover how various types of prompts affected participation, integration of science topics into daily conversation, and enjoyment of discussion. Students were surveyed and interviewed, discussion comments were reviewed, and student reflections were evaluated to collect data concerning the effectiveness of each type of prompt. Collected data suggests that online discussion increased communication of environmental science content between students and peers outside of the school day. Online prompts incorporating local events as well as those prompts giving students a choice in their responses encouraged more participation.
