In the Trenches
Latest Article
Creating time and space for change: The impact of NAGT’s 2025-26 Traveling Workshops Program
Posted: Sep 24 2026 by
Introduction
If you work at an institution of higher education, you are likely part of a department or similar academic unit. Your department (or program, or academic unit) has some control over the courses and degree programs it offers, teaching assignments, and review and promotion of faculty. Academic departments and programs have distinct cultures, policies, and practices (Reinholz, Matz, et al., 2019) and are widely recognized as a key unit for change in higher education (Lee et al., 2007; Quan et al., 2019; Reinholz, Ngai, et al., 2019). A department's culture acts as a "stabilizing feature," and thus acknowledging, working within, and addressing cultural change directly is required for any lasting change to occur. Making change happen from within that culture can be challenging, however. In their case study describing the factors that make a department "ready" for change, Lee et al. (2007) indicate several points at which external facilitation provided critical support, including in the development of programmatic learning outcomes and incorporating active learning strategies. More
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About ITT
Cheryl Manning (OrbWeaver Consulting, LLC), Editor
In the Trenches (ITT) is an interactive online publication designed to provide a venue for NAGT members to learn about and discuss teaching strategies and resources, the work of NAGT committees, sections, and divisions, and other ideas relevant to Earth educators and education researchers. Articles are published online as they are finished, and each article includes a threaded discussion board and the opportunity to comment, ask questions of the author(s), and interact with other NAGT members. Access to the full articles and interactive discussions is a benefit of membership in the organization. Become a NAGT member today!
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In the Trenches seeks contributions about resources for teaching and learning, effective teaching strategies, successful advocacy efforts, professional development programs and opportunities, book reviews, profiles of geoscience educators and students, and other articles that would be of interest to our members. The online-native format allows for photos, videos, interactive visualizations and simulations, and links to external resources. The threaded discussions allow readers to comment on articles, and we ask authors to lead and participate in these discussions when their article is published.
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