Implementing and evaluating a practice-based hybrid teaching model for geoscience education: Lessons from university seminars

The world today is changing at an ever-increasing pace, and higher education is under pressure to keep up with the latest trends in science and the labor market. Currently, attention is increasingly shifting to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration, which is essential for tackling urgent and complex tasks. Therefore, educating experts who can effectively transfer knowledge and collaborate across disciplines is crucial.

This contribution discusses and evaluates individual components of a practice-based hybrid model developed and implemented in university-level geoscience seminars. The model is grounded in Supervisor-PhD-Student knowledge exchange process combining traditional lectures, practised-based research-oriented tasks, one-to-one supervision and interactive workshops.

The module simulates work in a scientific environment in which students:

• Develop their critical thinking skills through research reviews and the identification of research gaps.
• Train themselves to be able to provide explanations to those who do not have the same background as them by collaborative research exercises.
• Gain knowledge and practise-based skills by receiving input from tutors and working on partial research projects.

We present the structure of the hybrid model, examples of implemented activities, and reflections on student engagement and learning outcomes. The experience highlights how hybrid teaching formats can enhance motivation, critical thinking, and sustainability awareness. The presented model offers a transferable framework for interdisciplinary geoscience education aligned with the goals of educating future sustainability professionals.