About Karl

Growing up in the potato fields of northern Maine, Karl developed an appreciation for hard work, nature, and rocks.  He earned a bachelor's degree in geology from Beloit College, and then completed Masters and PhD dissertations (field sites in the Amazonia region and Brooks Range of Alaska, respectively) at Cornell University.  Much of his professional career was spent at Macalester College in Minnesota, where he taught and conducted research for more than 30 years; he entered a phased retirement program in 2021.  Trained as a geochemist, he used chemical data from rocks to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth’s crust and mantle, and to address a wide range of geological questions.  As an educator, he also investigated metacognition, self-assessment, motivation, and undergraduate research experiences in support of best practices in teaching and learning.  He currently co-directs the NSF-supported Keck Geology Consortium REU which seeks to broaden participation in the sciences and to improve undergraduate research experiences through improved mentoring practices.   Karl previously served as the Associate Director of the Jan Serie Center for Scholarship and Teaching, he was a councilor of the National Association of Geology Teachers, an active contributor to the Science Education Resource Center (SERC), and an invited panelist on metacognition for the Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development (OECD) Center for Curriculum Redesign in Paris.  He has also offered numerous workshops for institutions and organizations across the US and abroad on topics ranging from metacognition and self-assessment to learning management systems, active learning pedagogies, course design, critical thinking, reflection, and the evaluation of teaching.  As a long-term advocate of the oceans, Karl is also a SCUBA instructor, underwater photographer, and coral reef researcher.  Now, with a bit more time, he is also a passionate birder and bird photographer.

Resources for SDL 2025 Workshops in South Africa

• Download a copy of the knowledge survey of undergraduate research (KS-URE) in pdf format

• Download slides from SDL presentation on knowledge surveys

• Download slides from the SDL Conference AI workshop

• Link to Paul & Elder model of Critical Thinking

• Link to custom GPT that quizzes students on their understanding of plate tectonics (Learning Tectonics with SDL)

• Link to custom GPT that tutors students on how to read and learn from scientific articles (SciReaderCompanion)

• Link to custom GPT that summarizes a scientific paper (ArticleSummarizer)

Resources for SDL 2023 Presentations in South Africa

• Keynote Address

• Ethical and Effective Use of AI Handout

• AI Prompts for Keynote Handout

• AI Prompts for Workshop Handout

Recent and Upcoming Conference Presentations

Rose, E., Lujan, D.T., Schurr, A., Baz-Aguilar, A., Hinkle, M.A., Wirth, K.R., Johnson, E.A., Therrien, K., Greer, L., 2025, From Macro to Micro: Abundance, Sequestration, and Characterization of Microplastics in Marine Sediment from Rocky Point, Belize: GSA 2025 National Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.

Schurr, A., Baz-Aguilar, A., Lujan, D., Rose, E., Wirth, K.R., Falls, E. Greer, L., 2025, Collapse of a Coral Refugium: Taphonomic Succession of Acropora cervicornis Skeletons in Coral Gardens, Belize: GSA 2025 National Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.

Lujan, D.T., Rose, E,, Baz-Aguilar, A., Schurr, A., Wirth, K.R., Das, R., Foad, H., and Greer, L., 2025, Corals from space: Multispectral detection and validation of surviving Acropora corals in Belize: GSA 2025 National Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.

Baz-Aguilar, A.A., Schurr, A.C., Lujan, D.T., Greer, L., Rose, E., Wirth, K.R., 2025, Post-Collapse Reef Dynamics at Coral Gardens, Belize: Assessing pH, Algal and Survivor shifts: GSA 2025 National Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.

Foad, H., Das, R., Greer, L., Wirth, K.R., 2025, Tracking Coral Loss at a Refugium in Belize:  A Multitemporal Satellite Assessment:  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, vol. 57, No. 2, doi: 10.1130/abs/2025SE-408369

 Gonzalez, A., Baz-Aguilar, A., Schurr, A., Wirth, K.R., Pfaff, D., Brown, M., Greer, L., 2025, Potential Impacts of Acropora Cervicornis Mortality on Carbonate Production and Sequestration at Coral Gardens, Belize:  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, vol. 57, No. 2, doi: 10.1130/abs/2025SE-408877.

 Therrien, K., Hinkle, M.A., Greer, L., Schurr, A., Baz-Aguilar, A., Krone, A., Gonzalez, A., Strubel Iram, A., Garza, S., Wentz, C., and Wirth, K.R., 2025, Characterization and Quantification of Microplastics at Coral Gardens and Rocky Point, Belize:  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 2, doi: 10.1130/abs/2025SE-408830.

Greer, L., Wirth, K.R., Therrien, K., Wentz, C., Gonzalez, A., Garza, S., Krone, A., Strubel Iram, A., Rawn, E., Baz-Aguilar, A., Ver Ploeg, A., Bundy, E., Schurr, A., and Groom, E., 2024, Death of a Coral Refugium After the 2023 Marine Heatwave and What Remains of Coral Gardens Belize:  Annual Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, 09-13 December, 2024, Washington, DC, Abstracts With Programs.

Bundy, E., Ver Ploeg, A., Rawn, E., Gonzalez, A., Krone, A., Greer, L., and Wirth, K.R., 2024, Was a Year Like No Other:  Different Stories from In-Situ and Satellite Data at Coral Gardens, Belize:  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, vol. 56, No. 5, doi: 10.1130/abs/2024AM-403715.

Groom, E., Wentz, C., Garza, S., Strubel Iram, A., Baz-Aguilar, A., Therrien, K., Schurr, A., Ver Ploeg, A., Bundy, E., Wirth, K.R., and Greer, L., 2024, Death of a coral refugium in a warming world and looking for survivors at Coral Gardens Reef, Belize:  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, vol. 56, No. 5, doi: 10.1130/abs/2024AM-403947.

Schurr, A., Baz-Aguilar, A., Krone, A., Gonzalez, A., Strubel-Iram, A., Garza, S., Rawn, E., Wentz, C., Groom, E., Therrien, K., Wirth, K.R., Greer, L., 2024, Macro and microplastics at Rocky Point and Coral Gardens Belize:  Spatial Distribution and Abundance:  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, vol. 56, No. 5, doi: 10.1130/abs/2024AM-403993.

MacGregor, K., Myrbo, A., Wirth, K.R., and Davidson, C., 2023, Fostering science identity through research experiences in a National Park: stories from a Keck REU Gateway project:  Annual Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, 11-15 December, 2023, San Francisco, CA, Abstracts With Programs.

Wirth, K.R., 2023, Enhancing and Leveraging Self-Directed Learning:  The Bidirectional Synergy of AI, Critical Thinking, and Reflection: 6th Self-Directed Learning Conference, 01-03 November, 2023, Hartbeespoort, South Africa.

Wirth, K.R., and Davidson, C., 2023, Building Blocks of a Geoscience Professional: A Handbook on Identity Formation for Students and Mentors:  Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, 15-18 October 2023, Pittsburgh, PA, Abstracts with Programs.

Foad, H., Tuke, A., Wang, M.S., Therrien, K., Carne, L., Faux, V., Pfaff, D., Curran, H.A., Wirth, K., and Greer, L., 2023, A Coral Refugium in a Warming World:  Nature vs. Nurture at Coral Gardens Reef, Belize:  Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, 15-18 October 2023, Pittsburgh, PA, Abstracts with Programs.

Therrien, K., Wang, M.S., Tuke, A., Foad, H., Greer, L., and Wirth, K., 2023, Hurricanes and Heatwaves: The Implications of Storms and Warming Oceans to Coral Health at Coral Gardens, Belize:  Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, 15-18 October 2023, Pittsburgh, PA, Abstracts with Programs.

Fleisher, S., Nuhfer, E., Wirth, K., and Gaze, E., 2023, Students can Self Assess Their Knowledge and Skill.  Don’t Presume They Cannot:  Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, 15-18 October 2023, Pittsburgh, PA, Abstracts with Programs.

Nuhfer, E., Fleisher, S., and Wirth, Karl R., 2023, Assessing Educational Quality Through Paired Measures of Metacognitive and Cognitive Growth Across Institutions' Undergraduate Ranks:  Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, 15-18 October 2023, Pittsburgh, PA, Abstracts with Programs.

Nuhfer, E., Scharff, Lauren, Fleisher, S., Wirth, K., Watson, R., 2022, What upside results when we value self-assessment enough to teach it:  2022 GlobalMindED Conference, Denver Colorado, 22-24 June 2022.

Greer, Lisa, Gallegos Reyes, A., Portwood, A., Sjovold, E., Sullivan, L., Wirth, K., Johnson, G. and Curran, H. Allen, 2022, Coral Gardens, Belize: Quantifying Acroporid Coral Survivors:  Geological Society of America, 09-12 October 2022, Abstracts with Programs, Vol 54, No. 5.  doi: 10.1130/abs/2022AM-379550.

Wirth, K., Nuhfer, E., Scharff, L., Fleisher, S., and Watson, R., 2022, Engaged Self-Assessment for Self-Directed Learning:  A Developmental Approach to Enhancing Self-Assessment Using Knowledge Surveys:  5th International Self-Directed Learning (SDL) Conference (virtual), Research Unit on Self-Directed Learning, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa, 31 October – 02 November, 2022.

Davidson, C. and Wirth, K.R., 2021, The Keck Geology Consortium: A Continuing Legacy o Reinhard (Bud) Wobus: Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, 10-13 October 2021, Portland, OR, Abstracts with Programs, Vol 53, No. 6, 2021.  doi: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-369898.

Fleisher, S., Nuhfer, E., Wirth, K., Watson, R., Cogan, C., and Scharff, L., 2021, The Value of Paired Cognitive and Affective Self-Assessment Measures as Assessments of Students' Intellectual Development: A PERSPECTIVE FROM PSYCHOLOGY: Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, 10-13 October 2021, Portland, OR, Abstracts with Programs, Vol 53, No. 6, 2021.  doi: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-370632.

Nuhfer, E., Fleisher, S., Wirth, K., Watson, R., Cogan, C., and Scharff, L., 2021, Paired Cognitive and Affective Self-Assessment Measures Seem to Render Solely Cognitive Assessment Instruments Archaic: Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, 10-13 October 2021, Portland, OR, Abstracts with Programs, Vol 53, No. 6, 2021.  doi: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-370303.

Greer, L., Wirth, K., Johnson, G., Jontz, J., Nguyen, A., Petsinger, L., Curran, H.A., 2021, A Reef That Works: Assessing the Health of Acropora cervicornis at Coral Gardens, Belize: Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, 10-13 October 2021, Portland, OR, Abstracts with Programs, Vol 53, No. 6, 2021.  doi: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-369040.

Wirth, K., Davidson, C., and Nuhfer, E., 2021, Assessing Undergraduate Research Experiences Using Knowledge Surveys: Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, 10-13 October 2021, Portland, OR, Abstracts with Programs, Vol 53, No. 6, 2021.  doi: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-369940.

Recent Publications

Greer, L., Das, R., Foad, H., and Wirth, K.R., in review, Documenting decline and searching for survivors:  A remote sensing approach to finding Acropora spp. coral in Belize: submitted to Nature, Coral Reef Ecology and Restoration, 40 p. 

Du Toit-Brits, C., Blignaut, J.H., and Wirth, K.R., 2024, Cultivating self-authorship through self-directed learning environments: in Du Toit-Brits, C, Blignaut, JH, Vos, E (eds.), Self-Directed Learning: Curriculum implementation, praxis and scholarship in context, NWU Self-Directed Learning Series, vol. 14, p. 21-37, AOSIS Books, Cape Town. 

Greer, L., Curran, H.A., Wirth, K., Humston, R., Johnson, G., McManus, L., Stefanic, C., Clark, T., Lescinsky, H., and Forman-Castillo, K., 2023, Coral Gardens Reef, Belize: An Acropora spp. refugium under threat in a warming world: PLoS ONE 18(2), e0280852. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0280852

Wirth, K.R., Nuhfer, E.B., Watson, R.M., Fleisher, S.C. & Bailey, R., 2021, Knowledge surveys: Supporting students along pathways to self-directed learning with self-assessment: in E. Mentz, D. Laubscher & J. Olivier (eds.), Self-directed learning: An imperative for education in a complex society, NWU Self-Directed Learning Series Volume 6, pp. 127–164, AOSIS, Cape Town. https://doi.org/10.4102/aosis.2021.BK279.06

Teklay, M., Wirth, K.R., Mezger, K., and Thole, J., 2020, Picrites of the Jungfrau and Sargdeckel, Central Namibia: Relative Roles of Mantle and Crust in the Southern Etendeka Large Igneous Province, Lithos, 354, 17 (doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2019.105283)

Greer, L., Clark, T., Waggoner, T., Busch, J., Guilderson, T., Wirth, K., Zhao, J.X., and Curran, H.A., 2020, Coral Gardens Reef, Belize: A refugium in the face of Caribbean-wide Acropora spp. Decline: PLOS One, 15(9): e0239267. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239267.

Watson, R.M., Nuhfer, E., Moon, K.N., Fleisher, S., Walter, P., Wirth, K., Cogan, C., Wangeline, A., and Gaze, E., 2019, Paired Measures of Competence and Confidence Illuminate Impacts of Privilege on College Students: Numeracy, v. 12, iss. 2, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5038/1936-4660.12.2.2.

Nuhfer, E., Fleisher, S., Cogan, C., Wirth, K.R., and Gaze, E., 2017, How Random Noise and a Graphical Convention Subverted Behavioral Scientists' Explanations of Self-Assessment Data: Numeracy Underlies Better Alternatives: Numeracy, v. 10, iss. 1, article 4 (34 p).

Irwin, A., Greer, L., Humston, R., Devlin-Durante, M., Cabe, P., Lescinsky, H., Wirth, K., Curran, H.A., and Baums, I.B., 2017, Age and intraspecific diversity of resilient Acropora communities in Belize: Coral Reefs, p. 1-10, 
DOI 10.1007/s00338-017-1602-9.

Nuhfer, E., Cogan, C.B., Fleisher, S., Gaze, E., and Wirth, K.R., 2016, Random Number Simulations Reveal How Random Noise Affects the Measurements and Graphical Portrayals of Self-Assessed Competency: Numeracy, v. 9, iss. 1, article 4 (27 p).

Busch, J., Greer, L., Harbor, D., Wirth, K.R., Lescinsky, H., Curran, H.A., 2016, Quantifying exceptionally large populations of Acropora spp. corals in Belize using sub-meter satellite imagery classification. Bulletin of Marine Science, v.92, pp. 265-283. http://dx.doi.org/10.5343/bms.2015.1038