Francis Jones
Lecturer
Geophysicist and geoscience educator; my role tends more towards "development" than "research", although publications, presentations, workshops and other scholarly contributions do emerge from our work. Areas of development and research include the following. Click the CV tab for a list of career activities that have led me to this place. My work at UBC is largely project based and internal grant-funded. Some recent activities include:
- Assessing current curriculum and establishing recommended pathways forward for enhancing quantitative geoscience degree programs.
- Coordinator and development with the OCESE and QuEST projects within UBC's Dep't of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences.
- Project coordinator: curriculum development for the Earth and Environmental Sciences BSc at the University of Central Asia's Khorog Tajikistan campus; https://blogs.ubc.ca/eescourses/.
- Developing interactive open-source resources and activities for learning and exploring the geosciences.
- Improving in-person and online courses, curriculum and instructional practices using proven and experimental pedagogies; http://blogs.ubc.ca/eoassei/
- Measuring geoscience learning and scientific thinking in undergraduate courses.
- As acting director of the Pacific Museum of Earth (PME), development of learning strategies and resources for schools and public; https://pme.ubc.ca/
- Using EOAS courses and the PME to increase science literacy among non-science students.
- Transfer technology from geophysics research into industry and educational practice.
2021 - 2023: Coordinator and developer with the QuEST project in UBC's Department of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences.
2020 - 2023: Coordinator and developer for the OCESE project, a large TLEF funded initiative within UBC's Department of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences.
2019 - 2020: Acting director, Pacific Museum of Earth (PME).
2017 - 2020: Project coordinator, the UBC - UCA partnership in curriculum and course development for Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Central Asia, Khorog Tajikistan campus. See also the EEScourses blog.
2014 - present: Science Education Specialist, f2f and DE education development projects and support, primarily on grant-based funding. See also EOAS-SEI.
2014 - present: Lecturer, Dep't EOAS: course scheduling & time tabling; program curriculum planning & review; teaching & learning support & development; departmental outreach.
Prior to 2014
2007-2014: Science Teaching & Learning Fellow with CWSEI in the Dep't Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (including acting EOAS project director for 2011-2012).
1996-2007: Lecturer in geophysics & research scientist / outreach coordinator with the UBC-GIF, Dep't of Earth and Ocean Sciences, UBC.
1990-1996: Consultant and instrumentation development; mineral exploration, engineering & environmental geophysics.
1988-1990: Geophysical instrumentation development engineer (multichannel full waveform DC/IP receiver), White Geophysical Ltd.
1983-1987: M.Sc. student, UBC Dep't of Geophysics and Astronomy, in glaciology and instrumentation.
1981-1983: Oil and gas well-logging engineer, Computalog Gearhart Ltd., Calgary, Alta.
1978-1981: Electrical engineering student, including ~18mths experience in electronics manufacturing, testing and QC.
Qualifications:
- M.Sc., (Geophysics and Glaciology), 1987, University of British Columbia.
- B.Eng., (Electrical) 1980, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- P.Eng, registered professional engineer in British Columbia.
- UBC Faculty Certificate on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (2002).
2018
Jones, F. 2017.Comparing student, instructor, classroom and institutional data to evaluate a seven-year department-wide science education initiative, in Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education Vol. 43 , Iss. 2,2018 .
2017
Jones F. 2017. Impact assessment of a department-wide science education initiative using students’ perceptions of teaching and learning experiences. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 42 , Iss. 5, 2017.
2013
Jolley, A., F. Jones, S. Harris. "Measuring Student Knowledge of Landscapes and their Formation Timespans", Journal of Geoscience Education, Vol. 61, No. 2, May 2013: 240-251.
Smith M.K, Jones F, Gilbert S.L, Wieman C.E. 2013. The Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS): A New Instrument to Characterize University STEM Classroom Practices. Cell Biology Education. 12:618–627.
2012
Jones F. 2012. Industry Input Contributes to Geology Curriculum Review. Innovation, the Journal of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC. :16–17.
Jones F, Harris S. 2012. Benefits and Drawbacks of Using Multiple Instructors to Teach Single Courses. College Teaching. 60:132–139.
1999
Jones, F. and D. Oldenburg, "Geophysical Inversion: New Ways of Seeing the Earth's Subsurface", in Innovation, the Journal of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC, October, 1999.
Also reprinted in the PEGG - Vol. 28, No. 3, of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta.
1989
F.H.M. Jones, B.B. Narod, and G.K.C. Clarke. 1989. "Design and operation of a Portable, Digital Impulse Radar", Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 35, No.119