Undergraduate Creative Inquiry Research Opportunities in Soil Science at Clemson University.

Clemson University formed the Creative Inquiry Task Force in 2005 to provide opportunities for students and faculty to engage in creative inquiry experiences. We have developed and used a highly-successful innovative course in Creative Inquiry at the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (FRN 470: Applications of Soil Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems).  The course has been jointly taught by faculty from soil science, statistics, and geographic information systems fields for the past five years.  Each student enrolled in this course selected a research topic that springs from their own curiosity, from a professor's challenge or from pressing needs of the world around them. Students collected field samples, analyzed them in the laboratory, and summarized the results using statistical methods in the form of posters and research articles. Posters were presented at the “Focus on Creative Inquiry Poster Forum.” Overall, student responses to the questionnaire about their experience in FNR 470 course were positive, indicating that a new course can enhance undergraduate soil science education.