Predictors of student success in entry-level science courses

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Mamta K.

Although the educational evaluation process is useful and valuable and is supported by the Higher Education Act, a strong research base for program evaluation of college entry-level science courses is still lacking. Studies in science disciplines such as, biology, chemistry, and physics have addressed various affective and demographic factors and their relationships to student achievement. However, the literature contains little information that specifically addresses student biology content knowledge skills (basics and higher order thinking skills) and identifies factors that affect students' success in entry-level college science courses. These gate-keeping courses require detailed evaluation if the goal of an institution is to increase students' performance and success in these courses. These factors are, in fact, a stepping stone for increasing the number of graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors. The present study measured students' biology content knowledge and investigated students' performance and success in college biology, chemistry, and physics entry-level courses. Seven variables---gender, ethnicity, high school Grade Point Average (GPA), high school science, college major, school financial aid support, and work hours were used as independent variables and course final performance as a dichotomous dependent variable. The sample comprised voluntary student participants in entry-level science courses. The study attempted to explore eight research questions. Content knowledge assessments, demographic information analysis, multiple regression analysis, and binary logistic regression analysis were used to address research questions. The results suggested that high school GPA was a consistently good predictor of students' performance and success in entry-level science courses. Additionally, high school chemistry was a significant predictor variable for student success in entry-level biology and chemistry courses

A Survey of Computer Science Capstone Course Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Dugan, Robert F., Jr.

2011-01-01

In this article, we surveyed literature related to undergraduate computer science capstone courses. The survey was organized around course and project issues. Course issues included: course models, learning theories, course goals, course topics, student evaluation, and course evaluation. Project issues included: software process models, software…

Transforming Elementary Science Teacher Education by Bridging Formal and Informal Science Education in an Innovative Science Methods Course

Science.gov (United States)

Riedinger, Kelly; Marbach-Ad, Gili; McGinnis, J. Randy; Hestness, Emily; Pease, Rebecca

2011-01-01

We investigated curricular and pedagogical innovations in an undergraduate science methods course for elementary education majors at the University of Maryland. The goals of the innovative elementary science methods course included: improving students' attitudes toward and views of science and science teaching, to model innovative science teaching…

Adding a Bit More History to Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

DeBuvitz, William

2011-01-01

The usual science course is not meant to be a history course and the usual science book is not meant to be a history book. However, most science books do include some historical information. Unfortunately, the history part is usually so brief that it is far from interesting and often so oversimplified that it is totally wrong. Introductory physics…

Integrating Inquiry-Based Science and Education Methods Courses in a "Science Semester" for Future Elementary Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Madsen, J.; Fifield, S.; Allen, D.; Brickhouse, N.; Dagher, Z.; Ford, D.; Shipman, H.

2001-05-01

In this NSF-funded project we will adapt problem-based learning (PBL) and other inquiry-based approaches to create an integrated science and education methods curriculum ("science semester") for elementary teacher education majors. Our goal is to foster integrated understandings of science and pedagogy that future elementary teachers need to effectively use inquiry-based approaches in their classrooms. This project responds to calls to improve science education for all students by making preservice teachers' experiences in undergraduate science courses more consistent with reforms at the K-12 level. The involved faculty teach three science courses (biology, earth science, physical science) and an elementary science education methods course that are degree requirements for elementary teacher education majors. Presently, students take the courses in variable sequences and at widely scattered times. Too many students fail to appreciate the value of science courses to their future careers as teachers, and when they reach the methods course in the junior year they often retain little of the science content studied earlier. These episodic encounters with science make it difficult for students to learn the content, and to translate their understandings of science into effective, inquiry-based teaching strategies. To encourage integrated understandings of science concepts and pedagogy we will coordinate the science and methods courses in a junior-year science semester. Traditional subject matter boundaries will be crossed to stress shared themes that teachers must understand to teach standards-based elementary science. We will adapt exemplary approaches that support both learning science and learning how to teach science. Students will work collaboratively on multidisciplinary PBL activities that place science concepts in authentic contexts and build learning skills. "Lecture" meetings will be large group active learning sessions that help students understand difficult

Earth Systems Science in an Integrated Science Content and Methods Course for Elementary Education Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Madsen, J. A.; Allen, D. E.; Donham, R. S.; Fifield, S. J.; Shipman, H. L.; Ford, D. J.; Dagher, Z. R.

2004-12-01

With funding from the National Science Foundation, we have designed an integrated science content and methods course for sophomore-level elementary teacher education (ETE) majors. This course, the Science Semester, is a 15-credit sequence that consists of three science content courses (Earth, Life, and Physical Science) and a science teaching methods course. The goal of this integrated science and education methods curriculum is to foster holistic understandings of science and pedagogy that future elementary teachers need to effectively use inquiry-based approaches in teaching science in their classrooms. During the Science Semester, traditional subject matter boundaries are crossed to stress shared themes that teachers must understand to teach standards-based elementary science. Exemplary approaches that support both learning science and learning how to teach science are used. In the science courses, students work collaboratively on multidisciplinary problem-based learning (PBL) activities that place science concepts in authentic contexts and build learning skills. In the methods course, students critically explore the theory and practice of elementary science teaching, drawing on their shared experiences of inquiry learning in the science courses. An earth system science approach is ideally adapted for the integrated, inquiry-based learning that takes place during the Science Semester. The PBL investigations that are the hallmark of the Science Semester provide the backdrop through which fundamental earth system interactions can be studied. For example in the PBL investigation that focuses on energy, the carbon cycle is examined as it relates to fossil fuels. In another PBL investigation centered on kids, cancer, and the environment, the hydrologic cycle with emphasis on surface runoff and ground water contamination is studied. In a PBL investigation that has students learning about the Delaware Bay ecosystem through the story of the horseshoe crab and the biome

An analysis of high-performing science students' preparation for collegiate science courses

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Karen

This mixed-method study surveyed first year high-performing science students who participated in high-level courses such as International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and honors science courses in high school to determine their perception of preparation for academic success at the collegiate level. The study used 52 students from an honors college campus and surveyed the students and their professors. The students reported that they felt better prepared for academic success at the collegiate level by taking these courses in high school (pstudent GPA with honors science courses (n=55 and Pearson's r=-0.336), while AP courses (n=47 and Pearson's r=0.0016) and IB courses (n=17 and Pearson's r=-0.2716) demonstrated no correlation between perception of preparation and GPA. Students reported various themes that helped or hindered their perception of academic success once at the collegiate level. Those themes that reportedly helped students were preparedness, different types of learning, and teacher qualities. Students reported in a post-hoc experience that more lab time, rigorous coursework, better teachers, and better study techniques helped prepare them for academic success at the collegiate level. Students further reported on qualities of teachers and teaching that helped foster their academic abilities at the collegiate level, including teacher knowledge, caring, teaching style, and expectations. Some reasons for taking high-level science courses in high school include boosting GPA, college credit, challenge, and getting into better colleges.

Problem-based learning in a health sciences librarianship course.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitroff, A; Ancona, A M; Beman, S B; Dodge, A M; Hutchinson, K L; LaBonte, M J; Mays, T L; Simon, D T

1998-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been adopted by many medical schools in North America. Because problem solving, information seeking, and lifelong learning skills are central to the PBL curriculum, health sciences librarians have been actively involved in the PBL process at these medical schools. The introduction of PBL in a library and information science curriculum may be appropriate to consider at this time. PBL techniques have been incorporated into a health sciences librarianship course at the School of Library and Information Science (LIS) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to explore the use of this method in an advanced Library and Information Science course. After completion of the course, the use of PBL has been evaluated by the students and the instructor. The modified PBL course design is presented and the perceptions of the students and the instructor are discussed. PMID:9681169

Science News of the Year.

Science.gov (United States)

Science News, 1983

1983-01-01

Highlights important 1983 news stories reported in Science News. Stories are categorized under: anthropology/paleontology; behavior; biology; chemistry; earth sciences; energy; environment; medicine; physics; science and society; space sciences and astronomy; and technology and computers. (JN)

Redesigning a General Education Science Course to Promote Critical Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Rowe, Matthew P.; Gillespie, B. Marcus; Harris, Kevin R.; Koether, Steven D.; Shannon, Li-Jen Y.; Rose, Lori A.

2015-01-01

Recent studies question the effectiveness of a traditional university curriculum in helping students improve their critical thinking and scientific literacy. We developed an introductory, general education (gen ed) science course to overcome both deficiencies. The course, titled Foundations of Science, differs from most gen ed science offerings in that it is interdisciplinary; emphasizes the nature of science along with, rather than primarily, the findings of science; incorporates case studies, such as the vaccine-autism controversy; teaches the basics of argumentation and logical fallacies; contrasts science with pseudoscience; and addresses psychological factors that might otherwise lead students to reject scientific ideas they find uncomfortable. Using a pretest versus posttest design, we show that students who completed the experimental course significantly improved their critical-thinking skills and were more willing to engage scientific theories the general public finds controversial (e.g., evolution), while students who completed a traditional gen ed science course did not. Our results demonstrate that a gen ed science course emphasizing the process and application of science rather than just scientific facts can lead to improved critical thinking and scientific literacy. PMID:26231561

Student-Centered Learning in an Earth Science, Preservice, Teacher-Education Course

Science.gov (United States)

Avard, Margaret

2009-01-01

In an effort to get elementary teachers to teach more science in the classroom, a required preservice science education course was designed to promote the use of hands-on teaching techniques. This paper describes course content and activities for an innovative, student-centered, Earth science class. However, any science-content course could be…

Science Academies' Refresher Course in Experimental Physics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2017-12-18

Dec 18, 2017 ... laws and principles and yield reasonably accurate results. The Refresher Course is jointly spon- sored by the Indian Academy of Sciences, ... Selected participants will be provided local hospitality during the Course in addition to course material. Outstation participants will be given three-tier A/c train fare.

Ten Decades of the Science Textbook: A Revealing Mirror of Science Education Past and Present.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, Paddy P.; Strube, Paul D.

1985-01-01

Indicates that trends in science education can be examined by examining science textbook content. Suggests that a historical overview is important and pertinent to contemporary thinking and contemporary problems in science education. (Author/JN)

Science Education Notes.

Science.gov (United States)

School Science Review, 1982

1982-01-01

Discusses: (1) the nature of science; (2) Ausubel's learning theory and its application to introductory science; and (3) mathematics and physics instruction. Outlines a checklist approach to Certificate of Extended Education (CSE) practical assessment in biology. (JN)

NOTES. A Course Relating Agronomy and Science to Society.

Science.gov (United States)

McIntosh, Marla S.

1993-01-01

Describes a course designed to teach the relationship between science, agronomy, and society. Includes course and class description, course content, and evaluation of the course. (11 references) (MCO)

Assessing Gains in Science Teaching Self-Efficacy after Completing an Inquiry-Based Earth Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Kyle

2017-01-01

Preservice elementary teachers are often required to take an Earth Science content course as part of their teacher education program but typically enter the course with little knowledge of key Earth Science concepts and are uncertain in their ability to teach science. This study investigated whether completing an inquiry-based Earth Science course…

Evaluation of Life Sciences and Social Sciences Course Books in Term of Societal Sexuality

Science.gov (United States)

Aykac, Necdet

2012-01-01

This study aims to evaluate primary school Life Sciences (1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades) and Social Sciences (4th, 5th, and 6th grades) course books in terms of gender discrimination. This study is a descriptive study aiming to evaluate the primary school Life Sciences (1st, 2nd, 3rd grades) and Social Sciences (4th, 5th, and 6th grades) course books…

Road Safety Education in a Science Course: Evaluation of "Science and the Road."

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Paul L.

1989-01-01

A traffic safety instructional package--"Science and the Road"--was assessed. It was designed by the Road Traffic Authority of Victoria (Australia) for use in tenth-grade science courses. Evaluation findings resulted in revision of the unit and implementation of more inservice courses for teachers lacking relevant biology and physics…

Development of a Bi-Disciplinary Course in Forensic Science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stacey L. Raimondi

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Forensic science programs and courses have traditionally been housed within chemistry departments at the college/university level, largely because the pioneers of the field were chemists who applied technology that was more chemical than biological in nature. However, with the development of such areas of study as DNA analysis, anatomical studies, and forensic entomology, it is becoming more and more important for forensic science students to have a strong biological background as well as a chemical background. Furthermore, while biology students are typically required to have extensive chemistry training as part of their major, the converse is not true for chemistry students. Therefore, it is possible that a student interested in forensic science could complete a major in chemistry and never have taken a biology class, leaving them woefully under-prepared for any type of masters program or career in forensic science immediately following graduation. Indeed, an examination of available positions in forensic science shows a large number of positions for DNA analysts for which the typical chemistry student would not be prepared without extensive biology training (http://www.aafs.org. Furthermore, positions for medical examiners or pathologists require extensive training in biology in addition to the continued medical training and residency programs. Therefore, it seems imperative that introductory forensic science courses adapt to these needs and be taught with a more bi-disciplinary approach in order to educate students on the whole field rather than one aspect. To that end, a new bi-disciplinary Forensic Science course was developed at Elmhurst College. This course was team-taught by a biology and a chemistry professor so that students would obtain a thorough understanding of the field and techniques used by both biologists and chemists. A description of this new version of a forensic science course follows, focusing on the addition of biology

Teaching Critical Thinking through a course on Science and Religion

Science.gov (United States)

Shipman, H. L.; Jordan, J. J.

2004-12-01

The relationship between science and religion is, according to the public debate, rather stormy. It doesn't have to be this way. Since 1998, an astronomer (Shipman) and a philosopher (Jordan) have team-taught a course with a more constructive approach. This course has a recognized role in the University's General Education program and in the philosophy major. As overall course goals, we hope that our students will be able to: - exhibit critical thinking skills in being able to tell the difference between good arguments and bad arguments in this area - recognize that the relationship between science and religion is not necessarily an antagonistic one. We accomplish these goals by focusing the course on four major issues, namely: - Does Big Bang Cosmology leave room for a Creator? - Can a rational person believe in miracle reports? - In the light of modern science, what does it mean to be human? - Can a theist, someone who believes in God, rationally accept the scientific theory of biological evolution? We have evidence in the course to evaluate student progress towards our goals. Student responses to a pre- and post-testing methodology, where they responded to the same assignment at the beginning and at the end of the course, were classified as seeing the relationship between science and religion as confrontational, distinct, convergent, or transitional between distinct and convergent. Preliminary analysis of the student responses shows a significant shift away from a confrontational position and towards a more convergent position. The development of this course was supported by the John Templeton Foundation's Science and Religion course program. H.L.S.'s scholarly work integrating science research and science education research is supported by the National Science Foundation's Distinguished Teaching Scholars Program. DUE-0306557),

Graduate Experience in Science Education: the development of a science education course for biomedical science graduate students.

Science.gov (United States)

Markowitz, Dina G; DuPré, Michael J

2007-01-01

The University of Rochester's Graduate Experience in Science Education (GESE) course familiarizes biomedical science graduate students interested in pursuing academic career tracks with a fundamental understanding of some of the theory, principles, and concepts of science education. This one-semester elective course provides graduate students with practical teaching and communication skills to help them better relate science content to, and increase their confidence in, their own teaching abilities. The 2-h weekly sessions include an introduction to cognitive hierarchies, learning styles, and multiple intelligences; modeling and coaching some practical aspects of science education pedagogy; lesson-planning skills; an introduction to instructional methods such as case studies and problem-based learning; and use of computer-based instructional technologies. It is hoped that the early development of knowledge and skills about teaching and learning will encourage graduate students to continue their growth as educators throughout their careers. This article summarizes the GESE course and presents evidence on the effectiveness of this course in providing graduate students with information about teaching and learning that they will use throughout their careers.

A Course in Science and Pseudoscience

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Richard

2009-04-01

A new course at Hockaday, Science and Pseudoscience, examines what we know, how we know it, and why we get fooled so often and so easily. This is a course in which we measure things we thought we understood and use statistical analysis to test our understanding. We investigate extraordinary claims through the methods of science, asking what makes a good scientific theory, and what makes scientific evidence. We examine urban myths, legends, bad science, medical quackery, and plain old hoaxes. We analyze claims of UFOs, cold fusion, astrology, structure-altered water, apricot pit cures, phlogiston and N-rays, phrenology and orgonomy, ghosts, telekinesis, crop circles and the Bermuda Triangle -- some may be true, some are plainly false, and some we're not really sure of. We develop equipment and scientific techniques to investigate extra-sensory perception, precognition, and EM disturbances.

Physics Myth Busting: A Lab-Centered Course for Non-Science Students

Science.gov (United States)

Madsen, Martin John

2011-01-01

There is ongoing interest in how and what we teach in physics courses for non-science students, so-called "physics for poets" courses. Art Hobson has effectively argued that teaching science literacy should be a key ingredient in these courses. Hobson uses Jon Millers definition of science literacy, which has two components: first, "a basic…

Science Academies' Refresher Course on Theoretical Structural ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 22; Issue 8. Science Academies' Refresher Course on Theoretical Structural Geology, Crystallography, Mineralogy, Thermodynamics, Experimental Petrology and Theoretical Geophysics. Information and Announcements Volume 22 Issue 8 August 2017 ...

A Guide to Undergraduate Science Course and Laboratory Improvements.

Science.gov (United States)

Straumanis, Joan, Ed.; Watson, Robert F., Ed.

Reported are activities carried out at colleges and universities during 1976-1980 with support from the National Science Foundation's Local Course Improvement (LOCI) and Instructional Scientific Equipment Program (ISEP). It is intended as a reference for persons interested in current course and laboratory developments in the sciences at the…

Science Academies Refresher Course on Crustal Strength ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2017-05-26

May 26, 2017 ... Sponsored by Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru. Indian National Science ... Only 25 outstations and 10 Local ... a brief statement (between 250 and 500 words) as to why they think the Course will help to improve their.

Redesigning a General Education Science Course to Promote Critical Thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Rowe, Matthew P; Gillespie, B Marcus; Harris, Kevin R; Koether, Steven D; Shannon, Li-Jen Y; Rose, Lori A

2015-01-01

Recent studies question the effectiveness of a traditional university curriculum in helping students improve their critical thinking and scientific literacy. We developed an introductory, general education (gen ed) science course to overcome both deficiencies. The course, titled Foundations of Science, differs from most gen ed science offerings in that it is interdisciplinary; emphasizes the nature of science along with, rather than primarily, the findings of science; incorporates case studies, such as the vaccine-autism controversy; teaches the basics of argumentation and logical fallacies; contrasts science with pseudoscience; and addresses psychological factors that might otherwise lead students to reject scientific ideas they find uncomfortable. Using a pretest versus posttest design, we show that students who completed the experimental course significantly improved their critical-thinking skills and were more willing to engage scientific theories the general public finds controversial (e.g., evolution), while students who completed a traditional gen ed science course did not. Our results demonstrate that a gen ed science course emphasizing the process and application of science rather than just scientific facts can lead to improved critical thinking and scientific literacy. © 2015 M. P. Rowe, B. M. Gillespie, et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Impact of SCALE-UP on science teaching self-efficacy of students in general education science courses

Science.gov (United States)

Cassani, Mary Kay Kuhr

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of two pedagogical models used in general education science on non-majors' science teaching self-efficacy. Science teaching self-efficacy can be influenced by inquiry and cooperative learning, through cognitive mechanisms described by Bandura (1997). The Student Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) model of inquiry and cooperative learning incorporates cooperative learning and inquiry-guided learning in large enrollment combined lecture-laboratory classes (Oliver-Hoyo & Beichner, 2004). SCALE-UP was adopted by a small but rapidly growing public university in the southeastern United States in three undergraduate, general education science courses for non-science majors in the Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 semesters. Students in these courses were compared with students in three other general education science courses for non-science majors taught with the standard teaching model at the host university. The standard model combines lecture and laboratory in the same course, with smaller enrollments and utilizes cooperative learning. Science teaching self-efficacy was measured using the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument - B (STEBI-B; Bleicher, 2004). A science teaching self-efficacy score was computed from the Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PTSE) factor of the instrument. Using non-parametric statistics, no significant difference was found between teaching models, between genders, within models, among instructors, or among courses. The number of previous science courses was significantly correlated with PTSE score. Student responses to open-ended questions indicated that students felt the larger enrollment in the SCALE-UP room reduced individual teacher attention but that the large round SCALE-UP tables promoted group interaction. Students responded positively to cooperative and hands-on activities, and would encourage inclusion of more such activities in all of the

Bridging the Gap: Embedding Communication Courses in the Science Undergraduate Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Jandciu, Eric; Stewart, Jaclyn J.; Stoodley, Robin; Birol, Gülnur; Han, Andrea; Fox, Joanne A.

2015-01-01

The authors describe a model for embedding science communication into the science curriculum without displacing science content. They describe the rationale, development, design, and implementation of two courses taught by science faculty addressing these criteria. They also outline the evaluation plan for these courses, which emphasize broad…

Science Academies' Refresher Course on Quantum Mechanics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 21; Issue 7. Science Academies' Refresher Course on Quantum Mechanics. Information and Announcements Volume 21 Issue 7 July 2016 pp 669-670. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

Science Academies' Refresher Course in Developmental Biology

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 20; Issue 8. Science Academies' Refresher Course in Developmental Biology. Information and Announcements Volume 20 Issue 8 August 2015 pp 756-756. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

Utilization of recombinant Trichoderma reesei expressing Aspergillus aculeatus β-glucosidase I (JN11) for a more economical production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Treebupachatsakul, Treesukon; Shioya, Koki; Nakazawa, Hikaru; Kawaguchi, Takashi; Morikawa, Yasushi; Shida, Yosuke; Ogasawara, Wataru; Okada, Hirofumi

2015-12-01

The capacity of Trichoderma reesei cellulase to degrade lignocellulosic biomass has been enhanced by the construction of a recombinant T. reesei strain expressing Aspergillus aculeatus β-glucosidase I. We have confirmed highly efficient ethanol production from converge-milled Japanese cedar by recombinant T. reesei expressing A. aculeatus β-glucosidase I (JN11). We investigated the ethanol productivity of JN11 and compared it with the cocktail enzyme T. reesei PC-3-7 with reinforced cellobiase activity by the commercial Novozyme 188. Results showed that the ethanol production efficiency under enzymatic hydrolysis of JN11 was comparable to the cocktail enzyme both on simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) or separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) processes. Moreover, the cocktail enzyme required more protein loading for attaining similar levels of ethanol conversion as JN11. We propose that JN11 is an intrinsically economical enzyme that can eliminate the supplementation of BGL for PC-3-7, thereby reducing the cost of industrial ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Physics Course for Non-Physical Science Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Cottle, Paul D.

1997-11-01

A two semester introductory physics sequence exclusively for undergraduates and graduate students in science education who were not seeking certification in physics was taught at Florida State for the first time in 1996-97. The course emphasized building understanding in both qualitative and quantitative aspects of physics through group learning approaches to laboratories and written problem assignments, assessments which required detailed written explanations, and frequent interactions between the instructor and individual students. This talk will briefly outline the structure of the course and some of the more interesting observations made by the group of science education graduate students and faculty who evaluated aspects of the course.

Introductory life science mathematics and quantitative neuroscience courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Duffus, Dwight; Olifer, Andrei

2010-01-01

We describe two sets of courses designed to enhance the mathematical, statistical, and computational training of life science undergraduates at Emory College. The first course is an introductory sequence in differential and integral calculus, modeling with differential equations, probability, and inferential statistics. The second is an upper-division course in computational neuroscience. We provide a description of each course, detailed syllabi, examples of content, and a brief discussion of the main issues encountered in developing and offering the courses.

The Impact of Agricultural Science Education on Performance in a Biology Course

Science.gov (United States)

Ernest, Byron L.

The lack of student achievement in science is often cited in U.S. educational reports. At the study site, low student achievement in science has been an ongoing concern for administrators. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the impact of agricultural science education on student performance in a Biology course. Vygotsky's constructivist theory and Gardner's multiple intelligences theory provided the framework for the study. The quantitative research question examined the relationship between the completion of Fundamentals of Agriculture Science and Business course and student performance in Biology I. Teacher perceptions and experiences regarding the integration of science and agricultural curriculum and traditional science curriculum were examined qualitatively. A sequential explanatory design was employed using 3 years of data collected from 486 high school students and interviews with 10 teachers. Point-biserial correlation and chi square tests revealed statistically significant relationships between whether or not students completed Fundamentals of Agriculture Science and Business and Biology I course performance, as measured by the end of course assessment and the course grade. In the qualitative sequence, typological and inductive data analyses were applied to the interview data, and themes of student impact and teacher experience emerged. Social change implications may be possible through improved science education for students in this program. Agriculture science courses may be used to facilitate learning of complex science concepts, designing teacher collaboration and professional development for teaching science in a relevant context, and resultant improved student performance in science.

Communicating the Benefits of a Full Sequence of High School Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas, Catherine Marie

High school students are generally uninformed about the benefits of enrolling in a full sequence of science courses, therefore only about a third of our nation's high school graduates have completed the science sequence of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The lack of students completing a full sequence of science courses contributes to the deficit in the STEM degree production rate needed to fill the demand of the current job market and remain competitive as a nation. The purpose of the study was to make a difference in the number of students who have access to information about the benefits of completing a full sequence of science courses. This dissertation study employed qualitative research methodology to gain a broad perspective of staff through a questionnaire and document review and then a deeper understanding through semi-structured interview protocol. The data revealed that a universal sequence of science courses in the high school district did not exist. It also showed that not all students had access to all science courses; students were sorted and tracked according to prerequisites that did not necessarily match the skill set needed for the courses. In addition, the study showed a desire for more support and direction from the district office. It was also apparent that there was a disconnect that existed between who staff members believed should enroll in a full sequence of science courses and who actually enrolled. Finally, communication about science was shown to occur mainly through counseling and peers. A common science sequence, detracking of science courses, increased communication about the postsecondary and academic benefits of a science education, increased district direction and realistic mathematics alignment were all discussed as solutions to the problem.

Science Academies' Refresher Course in Chemistry

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2017-10-25

Oct 25, 2017 ... Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce. Ganeshkhind, Pune ... API scores for career advancement. Applications are invited from teachers experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in chemistry ...

Science self-efficacy of African Americans enrolled in freshman level physical science courses in two historically black institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Prihoda, Belinda Ann

2011-12-01

Science education must be a priority for citizens to function and be productive in a global, technological society. African Americans receive fewer science degrees in proportion to the Caucasian population. The primary purposes of this study were to determine the difference between the pretest and posttest science self-efficacy scores of African-American nonscience majors, the difference between the pretest and posttest science self-efficacy scores of African-American science majors, the relationship between science self-efficacy and course grade, the relationship between gender and science self-efficacy score, and the relationship between science self-efficacy score and course withdrawal. This study utilized a Likert survey instrument. All participants were enrolled in freshman level courses in the physical sciences at a historically black institution: a college or university. Participants completed the pretest survey within two weeks after the 12th class day of the semester. Initially, 458 participants completed the pretest survey. The posttest was administered within two weeks before the final exam. Only 245 participants completed the posttest survey. Results indicate that there is a difference in science self-efficacy of science majors and nonscience majors. There was no significant difference between the pretest and posttest science self-efficacy scores of African-American science majors and nonscience majors. There was no significant relationship between science self-efficacy and course grade, gender and science self-efficacy score, and course withdrawal and science self-efficacy score.

Courses in Modern Physics for Non-science Majors, Future Science Teachers, and Biology Students

Science.gov (United States)

Zollman, Dean

2001-03-01

For the past 15 years Kansas State University has offered a course in modern physics for students who are not majoring in physics. This course carries a prerequisite of one physics course so that the students have a basic introduction in classical topics. The majors of students range from liberal arts to engineering. Future secondary science teachers whose first area of teaching is not physics can use the course as part of their study of science. The course has evolved from a lecture format to one which is highly interactive and uses a combination of hands-on activities, tutorials and visualizations, particularly the Visual Quantum Mechanics materials. Another course encourages biology students to continue their physics learning beyond the introductory course. Modern Miracle Medical Machines introduces the basic physics which underlie diagnosis techniques such as MRI and PET and laser surgical techniques. Additional information is available at http://www.phys.ksu.edu/perg/

Contextualizing Earth Science Professional Development Courses for Geoscience Teachers in Boston

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, R. F.; Pelletier, P.; Dorsen, J.; Douglas, E. M.; Pringle, M. S.; Karp, J.

2009-12-01

Inquiry-based, hands-on, graduate content courses have been developed specifically for Boston Public School middle school teachers of Earth Science. Earth Science I: Weather and Water and Earth Science II: The Solid Earth--Earth History and Planetary Systems have been taught a total of seven times to over 120 teachers. Several key attributes to these successful courses have been identified, including co-instruction by a university professor and a high school and a middle school teacher that are familiar with the Boston curriculum, use of hands-on activities that are closed related to those used in the Boston curriculum, pre- and post-course local field trips, and identification of key learning objectives for each day. This model of professional development was developed over several years in all disciplines (Earth Science, Physics, Biology, Chemistry) by the Boston Science Partnership (BSP), an NSF-funded Math Science Partnership program. One of the core strategies of the BSP is these Contextualized Content Courses (CCC), graduate level, lab-based courses taught at either UMass Boston or Northeastern University during summer intensive or semester formats. Two of the eleven courses developed under the grant are Earth Science I & II. This presentation shares the model of the CCC, the impact on teacher participants, the value of these courses for the professor, and lessons learned for successful professional development. Findings about the courses’ impact and effectiveness come from our external evaluation by the Program Evaluation Research Group (PERG). The combination of content and modeling good instructional practices have many positive outcomes for teachers, including increased self-efficacy in science understanding and teaching, positive impacts on student achievement, and teacher shifts from more traditional, more lecture-based instructional models to more inquiry approaches. STEM faculty members become involved in science education and learn and practice new

Refresher Course on Frontier in Atomospheric Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

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This course will include lectures by eminent scientists and visits to the state-of-art computer and instrumentation facilities. It will provide an excellent opportunity to get an insight into the latest developments and modern outlook of atmospheric science for students who plan to make their careers in atmospheric sciences or for ...

Science Academies Refresher Course on Traditional and Modern

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 17; Issue 9. Science Academies Refresher Course on Traditional and Modern Approaches in Plant Taxonomy'. Information and Announcements Volume 17 Issue 9 September 2012 pp 921-921 ...

Early Childhood Pre-Service Teachers' Self-Images of Science Teaching in Constructivism Science Education Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Go, Youngmi; Kang, Jinju

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, it investigates the self-images of science teaching held by early childhood pre-service teachers who took constructivism early childhood science education courses. Second, it analyzes what aspects of those courses influenced these images. The participants were eight pre-service teachers who took these…

Tested Tools You Can Use: Evaluating Earth System Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, S. P.; Prakash, A.; Reider, D.; Baker, D.

2006-12-01

Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century (ESSE 21) has created a public access on-line evaluation resource available at http://esse21.usra.edu/evaltoolkit in collaboration with the ESSE 21 institutions, PIs, and evaluators. The purpose of the ESSE toolkit is to offer examples of how evaluation and assessment are/have been used in Earth System Science courses and programs. Our goal is to help instructors recognize different types of assessment and evaluation tools and uses that have proved useful in these courses and provide models for designing assessments in new courses. We have included actual examples of evaluations used by ESSE institution faculty in their own courses. This is not a comprehensive toolkit on educational evaluation and assessment, but it does provide several examples of evaluations that have been used successfully in Earth System Science courses and links to many good web resources on course evaluation. We have provided examples of assessments that are designed to collect information from students before, during and after courses. Some, presented in different formats, are designed to assess what students learn, others are designed to provide course instructors with information they can use to revise their courses. These assessments range from content tests to portfolios, from feedback forms to interviews, and from concept maps to attitude surveys.

Science Academies' Refresher Course on Hydrology of Floods

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 22; Issue 10. Science Academies' Refresher Course on Hydrology of Floods. Information and Announcements Volume 22 Issue 10 October 2017 pp 978-978. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

Introductory Life Science Mathematics and Quantitative Neuroscience Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Duffus, Dwight; Olifer, Andrei

2010-01-01

We describe two sets of courses designed to enhance the mathematical, statistical, and computational training of life science undergraduates at Emory College. The first course is an introductory sequence in differential and integral calculus, modeling with differential equations, probability, and inferential statistics. The second is an…

Incorporating Primary Literature in Undergraduate Crop Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Lori K.; Simmons, Steve R.

2006-01-01

Primary literature is an underutilized learning resource for undergraduate courses in crop science. Reading assignments from scientific journals were utilized in an undergraduate University of Minnesota crop physiology course at Southwest Minnesota State University from 2002 to 2004. The subjects of the articles corresponded to the lecture topics.…

Science Academies' Refresher Course on Modern and Ancient ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Sengupta, AvH Fellow, F.A.Sc., F.N.A (pulaksg@gmail.com). It may be noted that UGC regulations include Refresher Courses in API scores for career advancement. Applications are invited from teachers with experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Earth Science. Motivated research scholars ...

Science Academies Refresher Course on Traditional and Modern ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Admin

The National Academy of Sciences, India, Allahabad. In collaboration with. Botanical Garden & Herbarium, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore from 15 to 29 November. 2012. A Refresher Course on Traditional and Modern Approaches in Plant Taxonomy for postgraduate college/university teachers and research ...

Research and Teaching: Reenvisioning the Introductory Science Course as a Cognitive Apprenticeship

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Meredith M.; Pastorino, Lucia; Lee, Star; Lipton, Paul

2016-01-01

Introductory science courses play a critical role in the recruitment and retention of undergraduate science majors. In particular, first-year courses are opportunities to engage students in scientific practices and motivate them to consider scientific careers. We developed an introductory course using a semester-long series of established…

Assessment of an On-Line Earth System Science Course for Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Shuster, R. D.; Grandgenett, N.

2009-12-01

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) has been offering on-line Earth System Science coursework to in-service teachers in Nebraska since 2002 through the Earth Systems Science Education Alliance (ESSEA). The goal of this course is to increase teacher content knowledge in Earth Science, introduce them to Earth System Science, and have them experience cooperative learning. We have offered three different ESSEA courses, with nearly 200 students having taken ESSEA courses at UNO for graduate credit. This effort represents a close collaboration between faculty and students from the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Education, with periodic assistance of the local schools. In a follow-up study related to ESSEA coursework, UNO examined the perceptions of teachers who have taken the course and the potential benefits of the ESSEA courses for their own educational settings. The study was descriptive in design and included an online survey and a focus group. The results of these assessments indicated that the teachers felt very positive about what they learned in these courses, and in particular, how they could incorporate cooperative learning, inquiry based activities, and Earth System Science interconnections in their own classrooms. Problems identified by the teachers included a perceived lack of time to be able to integrate the learned material into their science curriculua and a lack of computer and/or technological resources in their educational settings. In addition, this Fall, we will conduct two teacher case studies, where we will interview two teachers, visit their classrooms, acquire work samples and talk with students. All of the results of our survey and focus group will be presented.

Prospective Science Teachers' Attitudes and Views of Using Journal Writing in the "Methods of Teaching Science" Course

Science.gov (United States)

Ambusaidi, Abdullah

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of prospective science teachers at Sultan Qaboos University towards and their views about using journal writing in the Methods of Teaching Science course. Twenty-six prospective science teachers were asked to write about each topic in the course in their journal to show their understanding of…

A Course in Earth System Science: Developed for Teachers by Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, K.; Read, K.; Charlevoix, D.; Tomkin, J.; Hug, B.; Williams, M.; Pianfetti, E.

2008-12-01

ESES 202 is a new general education course in physical science at the University of Illinois's School of Earth, Society and Environment, designed for pre-service K-8 teachers. The goal of the course is to help future classroom teachers become confident with teaching earth science content. The designers of this course include a faculty expert in earth system science, a pre-service teacher and a former middle school science teacher. The goal of the in the curriculum design was to utilize the unique perspectives and experiences of our team. Our poster will highlight the unique nature of the curriculum development outlining the challenges and successes of designing the course. The general format of the class will be a combination of discussions, hands on experiences, and opportunities for students to design their own lessons. Class meetings will be once per week in a three-hour block, allowing students to immediately transfer new content knowledge into classroom activities. The end goal is that they can use these same activities with their students once they are practicing teachers. The content of the course shall be taught using an earth systems approach by showing the relationships among the four spheres: biosphere, hydrosphere, atmospheric, and anthrosphere. There are five units in the course: Introduction to Earth Systems, Carbon Cycle, Water Quality, El Niño and Climate Change. In addition to the science portion of the course, students will spend time reflecting on the classroom activities from the perspective of future educators. Activities will be presented at a late elementary school level; however, time will be devoted to discussing methods to adapt the lesson to different grade levels and differentiation needs within a classroom. Additionally, students in this course will be instructed on how to utilize a multitude of resources from stream tables to science education databases to prepare them for the dynamic nature of the classroom. By the end of the class

A complex molecular interplay of auxin and ethylene signaling pathways is involved in Arabidopsis growth promotion by Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Josefina Poupin

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Modulation of phytohormones homeostasis is one of the proposed mechanisms to explain plant growth promotion induced by beneficial rhizobacteria (PGPR. However, there is still limited knowledge about the molecular signals and pathways underlying these beneficial interactions. Even less is known concerning the interplay between phytohormones in plants inoculated with PGPR. Auxin and ethylene are crucial hormones in the control of plant growth and development, and recent studies report an important and complex crosstalk between them in the regulation of different plant developmental processes. The objective of this work was to study the role of both hormones in the growth promotion of Arabidopsis thaliana plants induced by the well-known PGPR Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN. For this, the spatiotemporal expression patterns of several genes related to auxin biosynthesis, perception and response and ethylene biosynthesis were studied, finding that most of these genes showed specific transcriptional regulations after inoculation in roots and shoots. PsJN-growth promotion was not observed in Arabidopsis mutants with an impaired ethylene (ein2-1 or auxin (axr1-5 signaling. Even, PsJN did not promote growth in an ethylene overproducer (eto2, indicating that a fine regulation of both hormones signaling and homeostasis is necessary to induce growth of the aerial and root tissues. Auxin polar transport is also involved in growth promotion, since PsJN did not promote primary root growth in the pin2 mutant or under chemical inhibition of transport in wild type plants. Finally, a key role for ethylene biosynthesis was found in the PsJN-mediated increase in root hair number. These results not only give new insights of PGPR regulation of plant growth but also are also useful to understand key aspects of Arabidopsis growth control.

A Module-Based Environmental Science Course for Teaching Ecology to Non-Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Geoffrey R.

2010-01-01

Using module-based courses has been suggested to improve undergraduate science courses. A course based around a series of modules focused on major environmental issues might be an effective way to teach non-science majors about ecology and ecology's role in helping to solve environmental problems. I have used such a module-based environmental…

External Science Courses: The Practicals Problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Kember, David

1982-01-01

Describes three methods for offering practical work for external science courses: residential sessions on campus, local centers, and use of home laboratory kits. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed and examples of each in operation are given. A 21-item bibliography is provided. (EAO)

Science Academies' 83rd Refresher Course on Experimental Physics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

A Science Academies' Refresher Course in “Experimental Physics” will be held in the Department of Physics,. College of Arts, Science and Humanities, Mody University of Science and Technology, Lakshmangarh, District. Sikar (Rajasthan), from 29 December 2016 to 13 January 2017 for the benefit of faculty involved in ...

Effects of the plant growth-promoting bacterium Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN throughout the life cycle of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Josefina Poupin

Full Text Available Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR induce positive effects in plants, such as increased growth or reduced stress susceptibility. The mechanisms behind PGPR/plant interaction are poorly understood, as most studies have described short-term responses on plants and only a few studies have analyzed plant molecular responses under PGPR colonization. Here, we studied the effects of the PGPR bacterial model Burkholderiaphytofirmans PsJN on the whole life cycle of Arabidopsis thaliana plants. We reported that at different plant developmental points, strain PsJN can be found in the rhizosphere and also colonizing their internal tissues. In early ontogeny, strain PsJN increased several growth parameters and accelerated growth rate of the plants. Also, an Arabidopsis transcriptome analysis revealed that 408 genes showed differential expression in PsJN-inoculated plants; some of these genes are involved in stress response and hormone pathways. Specifically, genes implicated in auxin and gibberellin pathways were induced. Quantitative transcriptional analyses of selected genes in different developmental stages revealed that the beginning of these changes could be evidenced early in development, especially among the down-regulated genes. The inoculation with heat-killed bacteria provoked a more severe transcriptional response in plants, but was not able to induce plant growth-promotion. Later in ontogeny, the growth rates of inoculated plants decreased with respect to the non-inoculated group and, interestingly, the inoculation accelerated the flowering time and the appearance of senescence signs in plants; these modifications correlate with the early up-regulation of flowering control genes. Then, we show that a single inoculation with a PGPR could affect the whole life cycle of a plant, accelerating its growth rate and shortening its vegetative period, both effects relevant for most crops. Thus, these findings provide novel and interesting aspects

Implementation of an Online Climate Science Course at San Antonio College

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, R.; Strybos, J.

2016-12-01

San Antonio College (SAC) plans to incorporate an online climate science class into the curriculum with a focus on local weather conditions and data. SAC is part of a network of five community colleges based around San Antonio, Texas, has over 20,000 students enrolled, and its student population reflects the diversity in ethnicity, age and gender of the San Antonio community. The college understands the importance of educating San Antonio residents on climate science and its complexities. San Antonio residents are familiar with weather changes and extreme conditions. The region has experienced an extreme drought, including water rationing in the city. Then, this year's El Niño intensified expected annual rainfalls and flash floods. The proposed climate science course will uniquely prepare students to understand weather data and the evidence of climate change impacting San Antonio at a local level. This paper will discuss the importance and challenges of introducing the new climate science course into the curriculum, and the desired class format that will increase the course's success. Two of the most significant challenges are informing students about the value of this class and identifying the best teaching format. Additionally, measuring and monitoring enrollment will be essential to determine the course performance and success. At the same time, Alamo Colleges is modifying the process of teaching online classes and is officially working to establish an online college. Around 23% of students enrolled in SAC offered courses are currently enrolled in online courses only, representing an opportunity to incorporate the climate science class as an online course. Since the proposed course will be using electronic textbooks and online applications to access hyperlocal weather data, the class is uniquely suited for online students.

Introduction of a Science Policy Course at the University of Oklahoma

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, S.; Parsons, D.

2012-12-01

In modern society, science and policy are two processes that have a symbiotic relationship to each other; wherein policy dictates the direction of science while science shapes the future of policy. Although the policy side is often ignored in scientific environments, the rate of scientific advancement is heavily influenced by policy. Science policy is very different from the conduct of science itself and future scientists need to be aware of the issues and factors that dictate the present and future direction of science. Based on the intricate relationship between science and policy, it is essential to introduce an overview of the policy process to future scientists and decision makers. In the context of climate change, policy implications are extensive and critical owing to their large socio-economic impacts. Hence, knowledge of the policy process is even more relevant to earth scientists. In this regard, the proposal to start an introductory course in science policy is currently being discussed in the department of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. If such a course is approved, an interactive graduate level class will be introduced for students pursuing a career in science. Such a course will be cross- disciplinary and will be offered to a wide audience across the university. Since the American Meteorological Society's (AMS) Summer Policy Colloquium has been a very successful program in educating scientists about the policy process, a format similar to the colloquium may be adopted. The primary topics will include the understanding of policy fundamentals, effective communication, ethics and integrity in the conduct of scientific research, executive leadership in science and the responsibilities of a scientific leader, impact of science on globalization and international diplomacy, etc. The AMS policy program office will be consulted to help design the course curriculum. An overview of the steps involved in introducing the class will be presented at the

Communicating the Benefits of a Full Sequence of High School Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas, Catherine Marie

2014-01-01

High school students are generally uninformed about the benefits of enrolling in a full sequence of science courses, therefore only about a third of our nation's high school graduates have completed the science sequence of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The lack of students completing a full sequence of science courses contributes to the deficit…

Information visualization courses for students with a computer science background.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerren, Andreas

2013-01-01

Linnaeus University offers two master's courses in information visualization for computer science students with programming experience. This article briefly describes the syllabi, exercises, and practices developed for these courses.

Assessing Attitudes Towards Science During an Adaptive Online Astrobiology Course: Comparing Online and On-Campus Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Perera, Viranga; Mead, Chris; Buxner, Sanlyn; Horodyskyj, Lev; Semken, Steven; Lopatto, David; Anbar, Ariel

2016-10-01

General-education Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses are accepted as essential to a college education. An often cited reason is to train a scientifically literate populace who can think critically and make informed decisions about complex issues such as climate change, health care, and atomic energy. Goals of these STEM courses, therefore, go beyond content knowledge to include generating positive attitudes towards science, developing competence in evaluating scientific information in everyday life and understanding the nature of science. To gauge if such non-content learning outcomes are being met in our course, an online astrobiology course called Habitable Worlds, we administered the Classroom Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) survey to students. The survey was administered before and after completion of the course for three semesters starting with the Fall 2014 semester and ending with the Fall 2015 semester (N = 774). A factor analysis indicated three factors on attitudes: toward science education, toward the interconnectedness of science with non-science fields, and toward the nature of science. Here we present some differences between students enrolled in online degree programs (o-course) and those enrolled in traditional undergraduate programs (i-course). While mean course grades were similar, changes in attitudes toward science differ significantly between o-course and i-course students. The o-course students began the course with more positive attitudes across all three factors than the i-course students. Their attitudes toward science education improved during the course, while the i-course students showed no change. Attitudes toward the other two factors declined in both populations during the course, but declines were smaller among o-course students. These differences may indicate lesser intrinsic motivation among the i-course students. The CURE survey has not been used before in an online course; therefore, we will

Referesher Course on Recent Advances in Chemical Science and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 15; Issue 9. Referesher Course on Recent Advances in Chemical Science and Its Technological Applications. Information and Announcements Volume 15 Issue 9 September 2010 pp 860-861 ...

Social Science Boot Camp: Development and Assessment of a Foundational Course on Academic Literacy in the Social Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Eaton, Judy; Long, Jennifer; Morris, David

2018-01-01

We developed a course, as part of our institution's core program, which provides students with a foundation in academic literacy in the social sciences: how to find, read, critically assess, and communicate about social science research. It is not a research methods course; rather, it is intended to introduce students to the social sciences and be…

Evidence of The Importance of Philosophy of Science Course On Undergraduate Level

Science.gov (United States)

Suyono

2018-01-01

This study aimed to describe academic impact of Philosophy of Science course in change of students’ conceptions on the Nature of science (NOS) before and after attending the course. This study followed one group pretest-posttest design. Treatment in this study was Philosophy of Science course for one semester. Misconception diagnostic tests of the NOS had been developed by Suyono et al. (2015) equipped with Certainty of Response Index (CRI). It consists of 15 concept questions about the NOS. The number of students who were tested on Chemistry Education Program (CEP) and Chemistry Program (CP) respectively 42 and 45 students. This study shows that after the learning of Philosophy of Science course happened: (1) the decrease of the number of misconception students on the NOS from 47.47 to 19.20% in CEP and from 47.47 to 18.18% in CP and (2) the decrease in the number of concepts that understood as misconception by the large number of students from 11 to 2 concepts on the CEP and from 10 to 2 concepts on CP. Therefore, the existence of Philosophy of Science course has a positive academic impact on students from both programs on undergraduate level.

The Structure and Assessment of a Unique and Popular Interdisciplinary Science Course for Nonmajors

Science.gov (United States)

Train, Tonya Laakko; Gammon, David E.

2012-01-01

Science Without Borders is a unique interdisciplinary science course that uses group and active-learning strategies and is in high demand among nonscience majors at a masters-level university. Registrar data showed that nonscience majors were far more likely to choose this course compared with other, discipline-based science courses. In an…

Successful Massive Open Online Climate Course on Climate Science and Psychology

Science.gov (United States)

Nuccitelli, D. A.; Cook, J.

2015-12-01

In 2015, the University of Queensland and edX launched a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), 'Making Sense of Climate Science Denial.' The MOOC debunked approximately 50 common climate myths using elements of both physical science and psychology. Students learned how to recognise the social and psychological drivers of climate science denial, how to better understand climate change, how to identify the techniques and fallacies that climate myths employ to distort climate science, and how to effectively debunk climate misinformation. Contributors to the website Skeptical Science delivered the lectures, which were reinforced via interviews with climate science and psychology experts. Over 15,000 students from 167 countries enrolled in the course, and student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. This MOOC provides a model for effective climate science education.

Learning the 'grammar of science': The influence of a physical science content course on teachers' understanding of the nature of science

Science.gov (United States)

Hanuscin, Deborah L.

This research examined the development of practicing K--8 teachers' views of the nature of science (NOS) within a physical science content course. Reforms in science education have called for the teaching of science as inquiry. In order to achieve the vision of the reforms, teachers must understand science, both a body of knowledge and as a process, but also the very nature of science itself-or the values and assumptions inherent in the construction of scientific knowledge. NOS has been deemed a critical component of scientific literacy, with implications for making informed decisions about scientific claims. Research has indicated that despite the emphasis of reforms, teachers generally do not possess accurate views of NOS. Recent work in science education has led to the recommendation that efforts undertaken within teacher education programs to improve teachers' understanding of NOS can be enhanced through relevant coursework in other academic areas, including the sciences. The purpose of this dissertation was to provide an empirical basis for this recommendation, by examining the development of teachers' views of NOS within a physical science content course. To this end, the researcher employed qualitative methodology including participant observation, interview, document analysis, and questionnaire to assess teacher participants' views of the nature of science and the impact of their experience in the content course on these views. As a result of this research, implications for both the course design and science teacher education have been described. In addition, various aspects of the community of practice that characterizes the classroom that inhibit the development of understandings about the nature of science are identified. It is argued that instruction in NOS should be approached from the perspective that builds bridges between the communities of practice of learners and of scientists.

Preparing Science Teachers: Strong Emphasis on Science Content Course Work in a Master's Program in Education

Science.gov (United States)

Ajhar, Edward A.; Blackwell, E.; Quesada, D.

2010-05-01

In South Florida, science teacher preparation is often weak as a shortage of science teachers often prompts administrators to assign teachers to science classes just to cover the classroom needs. This results is poor preparation of students for college science course work, which, in turn, causes the next generation of science teachers to be even weaker than the first. This cycle must be broken in order to prepare better students in the sciences. At St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida, our School of Science has teamed with our Institute for Education to create a program to alleviate this problem: A Master of Science in Education with a Concentration in Earth/Space Science. The Master's program consists of 36 total credits. Half the curriculum consists of traditional educational foundation and instructional leadership courses while the other half is focused on Earth and Space Science content courses. The content area of 18 credits also provides a separate certificate program. Although traditional high school science education places a heavy emphasis on Earth Science, this program expands that emphasis to include the broader context of astronomy, astrophysics, astrobiology, planetary science, and the practice and philosophy of science. From this contextual basis the teacher is better prepared to educate and motivate middle and high school students in all areas of the physical sciences. Because hands-on experience is especially valuable to educators, our program uses materials and equipment including small optical telescopes (Galileoscopes), several 8-in and 14-in Celestron and Meade reflectors, and a Small Radio Telescope installed on site. (Partial funding provided by the US Department of Education through Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program grant P120A050062.)

Students' conceptions of evidence during a university introductory forensic science course

Science.gov (United States)

Yeshion, Theodore Elliot

Students' Conceptions of Science, Scientific Evidence, and Forensic Evidence during a University Introductory Forensic Science Course This study was designed to examine and understand what conceptions undergraduate students taking an introductory forensic science course had about scientific evidence. Because the relationships between the nature of science, the nature of evidence, and the nature of forensic evidence are not well understood in the science education literature, this study sought to understand how these concepts interact and affect students' understanding of scientific evidence. Four participants were purposefully selected for this study from among 89 students enrolled in two sections of an introductory forensic science course taught during the fall 2005 semester. Of the 89 students, 84 were criminal justice majors with minimal science background and five were chemistry majors with academic backgrounds in the natural and physical sciences. All 89 students completed a biographical data sheet and a pre-instruction Likert scale survey consisting of twenty questions relating to the nature of scientific evidence. An evaluation of these two documents resulted in a purposeful selection of four varied student participants, each of whom was interviewed three times throughout the semester about the nature of science, the nature of evidence, and the nature of forensic evidence. The same survey was administered to the participants again at the end of the semester-long course. This study examined students' assumptions, prior knowledge, their understanding of scientific inference, scientific theory, and methodology. Examination of the data found few differences with regard to how the criminal justice majors and the chemistry majors responded to interview questions about forensic evidence. There were qualitative differences, however, when the same participants answered interview questions relating to traditional scientific evidence. Furthermore, suggestions are

Development and Implementation of an Integrated Science Course for Elementary Eduation Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Gunter, Mickey E.; Gammon, Steven D.; Kearney, Robert J.; Waller, Brenda E.; Oliver, David J.

1997-02-01

Currently the scientific community is trying to increase the general populationapos;s knowledge of science. These efforts stem from the fact that the citizenry needs a better understanding of scientific knowledge to make informed decisions on many issues of current concern. The problem of scientific illiteracy begins in grade school and can be traced to inadequate exposure to science and scientific thinking during the preparation of K - 8 teachers. Typically preservice elementary teachers are required to take only one or two disconnected science courses to obtain their teaching certificates. Also, introductory science courses are often large and impersonal, with the result that while students pass the courses, they may learn very little and retain even less.

Science Academies' Refresher Course on Advanced Quantum ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

2016-10-10

Sponsored by Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru. Indian National ... brief statement (between 250 and 500 words) as to why they think the Course will help to improve their classroom ... Last date for receipt of applications: October 10, 2016.

Rethinking the Elementary Science Methods Course: A Case for Content, Pedagogy, and Informal Science Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Janet

2000-01-01

Indicates the importance of preparing prospective teachers who will be elementary science teachers with different methods. Presents the theoretical and practical rationale for developing a constructivist-based elementary science methods course. Discusses the impact student knowledge and understanding of science and student attitudes has on…

Living in a material world: Development and evaluation of a new materials science course for non-science majors

Science.gov (United States)

Brust, Gregory John

This study was designed to discover if there is a difference in the scientific attitudes and process skills between a group of students who were instructed with Living in a Material World and groups of students in non-science majors sections of introductory biology, chemistry, and geology courses at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). Each of the four courses utilized different instructional techniques. Students' scientific attitudes were measured with the Scientific Attitudes Inventory (SAI II) and their knowledge of science process skills were measured with the Test of Integrated Process Skills (TIPS II). The Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT) was also administered to determine if the cognitive levels of students are comparable. A series of four questionnaires called Qualitative Course Assessments (QCA) were also administered to students in the experimental course to evaluate subtle changes in their understanding of the nature and processes of science and attitudes towards science. Student responses to the QCA questionnaires were triangulated with results of the qualitative instruments, and students' work on the final project. Results of the GALT found a significant difference in the cognitive levels of students in the experimental course (PSC 190) and in one of the control group, the introductory biology (BSC 107). Results of the SAI II and the TIPS II found no significant difference between the experimental group and the control groups. Qualitative analyses of students' responses to selected questions from the TIPS II, selected items on the SAI II, QCA questionnaires, and Materials that Fly project reports demonstrate an improvement in the understanding of the nature and processes of science and a change to positive attitude toward science of students in the experimental group. Students indicated that hands-on, inquiry-based labs and performance assessment were the most effective methods for their learning. These results indicate that science

A Composite Self-Report: Reasons for Taking Science Courses as Given by Cocoa High School Science Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Louwerse, Frances H.

A self-report instrument (questionnaire/reaction scale) was developed and administered to students in grades 9-12 to: (1) determine the number of science courses taken by each grade level; (2) estimate the number of science courses requested for future years and indicate where recruitment efforts would be needed; (3) examine other-directed reasons…

Student Buy-In to Active Learning in a College Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanagh, Andrew J.; Aragón, Oriana R.; Chen, Xinnian; Couch, Brian; Durham, Mary; Bobrownicki, Aiyana; Hanauer, David I.; Graham, Mark J.

2016-01-01

The benefits of introducing active learning in college science courses are well established, yet more needs to be understood about student buy-in to active learning and how that process of buy-in might relate to student outcomes. We test the exposure–persuasion–identification–commitment (EPIC) process model of buy-in, here applied to student (n = 245) engagement in an undergraduate science course featuring active learning. Student buy-in to active learning was positively associated with engagement in self-regulated learning and students’ course performance. The positive associations among buy-in, self-regulated learning, and course performance suggest buy-in as a potentially important factor leading to student engagement and other student outcomes. These findings are particularly salient in course contexts featuring active learning, which encourage active student participation in the learning process. PMID:27909026

A case-based, small-group cooperative learning course in preclinical veterinary science aimed at bridging basic science and clinical literacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoeman, J P; van Schoor, M; van der Merwe, L L; Meintjes, R A

2009-03-01

In 1999 a dedicated problem-based learning course was introduced into the lecture-based preclinical veterinary curriculum of the University of Pretoria. The Introduction to Clinical Studies Course combines traditional lectures, practical sessions, student self-learning and guided tutorials. The self-directed component of the course utilises case-based, small-group cooperative learning as an educational vehicle to link basic science with clinical medicine. The aim of this article is to describe the objectives and structure of the course and to report the results of the assessment of the students' perceptions on some aspects of the course. Students reacted very positively to the ability of the course to equip them with problem-solving skills. Students indicated positive perceptions about the workload of the course. There were, however, significantly lower scores for the clarity of the course objectives. Although the study guide for the course is very comprehensive, the practice regarding the objectives is still uncertain. It is imperative to set clear objectives in non-traditional, student-centred courses. The objectives have to be explained at the outset and reiterated throughout the course. Tutors should also communicate the rationale behind problem-based learning as a pedagogical method to the students. Further research is needed to verify the effectiveness of this course in bridging the gap between basic science and clinical literacy in veterinary science. Ongoing feedback and assessment of the management and content are important to refine this model for integrating basic science with clinical literacy.

Integrating Climate Change Science and Sustainability in Environmental Science, Sociology, Philosophy and Business Courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Boudrias, M. A.; Cantzler, J.; Croom, S.; Huston, C.; Woods, M.

2015-12-01

Courses on sustainability can be taught from multiple perspectives with some focused on specific areas (environmental, socio-cultural, economic, ethics) and others taking a more integrated approach across areas of sustainability and academic disciplines. In conjunction with the Climate Change Education Program efforts to enhance climate change literacy with innovative approaches, resources and communication strategies developed by Climate Education Partners were used in two distinct ways to integrate climate change science and impacts into undergraduate and graduate level courses. At the graduate level, the first lecture in the MBA program in Sustainable Supply Chain Management is entirely dedicated to climate change science, local and global impacts and discussions about key messages to communicate to the business community. Basic science concepts are integrated with discussions about mitigation and adaptation focused on business leaders. The concepts learned are then applied to the semester-long business plan project for the students. At the undergraduate level, a new model of comprehensive integration across disciplines was implemented in Spring 2015 across three courses on Sustainability each with a specific lens: Natural Science, Sociology and Philosophy. All three courses used climate change as the 'big picture' framing concept and had similar learning objectives creating a framework where lens-specific topics, focusing on depth in a discipline, were balanced with integrated exercises across disciplines providing breadth and possibilities for integration. The comprehensive integration project was the creation of the climate action plan for the university with each team focused on key areas of action (water, energy, transportation, etc.) and each team built with at least one member from each class ensuring a natural science, sociological and philosophical perspective. The final project was presented orally to all three classes and an integrated paper included

A Short Course in Problems in Applied Science and Engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholson, H. W.

1987-01-01

Provides a description of a concentrated four-week term course that provided students with opportunities of association with applied science and engineering professionals. Reviews the program's organizational structure, project requirements, and summarizes students reactions to the course. (ML)

Darwinism in Context: An interdisciplinary, highly contextualized course on nature of science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kostas Kampourakis

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In this article, we describe a course, titled Darwinism in Context, which focuses on the social, cultural and scientific influences on the development of Darwin's theory. This was an interdisciplinary, highly contextualized nature of science course that aimed to help students learn about a core nature of science aspect: that there are historical, cultural and social influences on the practice and directions of science. For this purpose, the course was based on a well-documented historical case study: the development of Darwin's theory. The course consisted of five classes that focused on: (a Victorian society, (b the views and beliefs of scholars that had an impact on Darwin's thinking (historical influences, (c aspects of Darwin's personal and social life that influenced the publication of his theory (social influences, (d the reception of Darwin's theory and the relationship between religion and science (cultural influences and (e the relationship between science and literature. In all cases, teaching included presentations of the historical events but was mostly based on the analysis and discussion of excerpts from the respective original writings. During the classes only a few examples were presented; students were motivated to study further the original writings and identify some key concepts and ideas after the classes. It is concluded that this kind of highly contextualized nature of science instruction can provide students with a more authentic view of science.

Science Academies' Refresher Course on Theoretical Structural ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

A course on Theoretical Structural Geology, Crystallography, Mineralogy, Thermodynamics, Exper- imental Petrology and Theoretical Geophysics will be conducted in the Jallahalli Campus under the aegis of Indian Academy of Sciences during 20th November to 4th December, 2017. University lec- turers, Research ...

Science, Technology, and Society: Some Philosophical Reflections on a Grade 11 Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Paul L.

1993-01-01

Speculates on factors that may influence the lack of status of a "Science and Technology" course for grade 11 in British Columbia. Suggests that Aristotelian conceptions of the superiority of pure science over practical knowledge affect the status of school subjects. Questions the course's portrayal of the nature of technology and…

Comparisons Between Science Knowledge, Interest, and Information Literacy of Learners in Introductory Astronomy Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Buxner, Sanlyn; Impey, Chris David; Formanek, Martin; Wenger, Matthew

2018-01-01

Introductory astronomy courses are exciting opportunities to engage non-major students in scientific issues, new discoveries, and scientific thinking. Many undergraduate students take these courses to complete their general education requirements. Many free-choice learners also take these courses, but for their own interest. We report on a study comparing the basic science knowledge, interest in science, and information literacy of undergraduate students and free choice learners enrolled in introductory astronomy courses run by the University of Arizona. Undergraduate students take both in-person and online courses for college credit. Free choice learners enroll in massive open online courses (MOOCs), through commercial platforms, that can earn them a certificate (although most do not take advantage of that opportunity). In general, we find that undergraduate students outperform the general public on basic science knowledge and that learners in our astronomy MOOCs outperform the undergraduate students in the study. Learners in the MOOC have higher interest in science in general. Overall, learners in both groups report getting information about science from online sources. Additionally, learners’ judgement of the reliability of different sources of information is weakly related to their basic science knowledge and more strongly related to how they describe what it means to study something scientifically. We discuss the implications of our findings for both undergraduate students and free-choice learners as well as instructors of these types of courses.

Reforming an Undergraduate Environmental Science Course for Nonscience Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Kazempour, Mahsa; Amirshokoohi, Aidin

2013-01-01

This article discusses the key components of a reform-based introductory undergraduate environmental science course for nonscience majors and elementary teacher candidates as well as the impact of such components on the participants. The main goals for the course were to actively engage the students in their learning and, in doing so, to enhance…

A Comprehensive Course Introducing Environmental Science : Case Study of “Introduction to Environmental Science” as a Common Course in the Graduate School of Environmental Science

OpenAIRE

山中, 康裕; 三井, 翔太

2017-01-01

The course “Introduction to Environmental Science” was designed and held during the academic year 2015-2016 for new masterʼs course students at the Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University. The course was designed in accord with societal needs such as consensus building for environmental conservation and associated scientific evidence, bringing together a large number of students from various disciplines. The course was composed of six modules in which multipl...

Student Buy-In to Active Learning in a College Science Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanagh, Andrew J; Aragón, Oriana R; Chen, Xinnian; Couch, Brian; Durham, Mary; Bobrownicki, Aiyana; Hanauer, David I; Graham, Mark J

2016-01-01

The benefits of introducing active learning in college science courses are well established, yet more needs to be understood about student buy-in to active learning and how that process of buy-in might relate to student outcomes. We test the exposure-persuasion-identification-commitment (EPIC) process model of buy-in, here applied to student (n = 245) engagement in an undergraduate science course featuring active learning. Student buy-in to active learning was positively associated with engagement in self-regulated learning and students' course performance. The positive associations among buy-in, self-regulated learning, and course performance suggest buy-in as a potentially important factor leading to student engagement and other student outcomes. These findings are particularly salient in course contexts featuring active learning, which encourage active student participation in the learning process. © 2016 A. J. Cavanagh et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Contextualizing Earth Science Professional Development Courses for Geoscience Teachers in Boston: Earth Science II (Solid Earth)

Science.gov (United States)

Pringle, M. S.; Kamerer, B.; Vugrin, M.; Miller, M.

2009-12-01

Earth Science II: The Solid Earth -- Earth History and Planetary Science -- is the second of two Earth Science courses, and one of eleven graduate level science Contextualized Content Courses (CCC), that have been developed by the Boston Science Partnership as part of an NSF-funded Math Science Partnership program. A core goal of these courses is to provide high level science content to middle and high school teachers while modeling good instructional practices directly tied to the Boston Public Schools and Massachusetts science curriculum frameworks. All of these courses emphasize hands-on, lab-based, inquiry-driven, student-centered lessons. The Earth Science II team aimed to strictly adhere to ABC (Activity Before Concept) and 5E/7E models of instruction, and limited lecture or teacher-centered instruction to the later “Explanation” stages of all lessons. We also introduced McNeill and Krajick’s Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) model of scientific explanation for middle school classroom discourse, both as a powerful scaffold leading to higher levels of accountable talk in the classroom, and to model science as a social construct. Daily evaluations, dutifully filled out by the course participants and diligently read by the course instructors, were quite useful in adapting instruction to the needs of the class on a real-time basis. We find the structure of the CCC teaching teams - university-based faculty providing expert content knowledge, K-12-based faculty providing age appropriate pedagogies and specific links to the K-12 curriculum - quite a fruitful, two-way collaboration. From the students’ perspective, one of the most useful takeaways from the university-based faculty was “listening to experts model out loud how they reason,” whereas some of the more practical takeaways (i.e., lesson components directly portable to the classroom?) came from the K-12-based faculty. The main takeaways from the course as a whole were the promise to bring more hands

A case-based, small-group cooperative learning course in preclinical veterinary science aimed at bridging basic science and clinical literacy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.P. Schoeman

2009-05-01

Full Text Available In 1999 a dedicated problem-based learning course was introduced into the lecture-based preclinical veterinary curriculum of the University of Pretoria. The Introduction to Clinical Studies Course combines traditional lectures, practical sessions, student self-learning and guided tutorials. The self-directed component of the course utilises case-based, small group cooperative learning as an educational vehicle to link basic science with clinical medicine. The aim of this article is to describe the objectives and structure of the course and to report the results of the assessment of the students' perceptions on some aspects of the course. Students reacted very positively to the ability of the course to equip them with problem-solving skills. Students indicated positive perceptions about the workload of the course. There were, however, significantly lower scores for the clarity of the course objectives. Although the study guide for the course is very comprehensive, the practice regarding the objectives is still uncertain. It is imperative to set clear objectives in non-traditional, student-centred courses. The objectives have to be explained at the outset and reiterated throughout the course. Tutors should also communicate the rationale behind problem based learning as a pedagogical method to the students. Further research is needed to verify the effectiveness of this course in bridging the gap between basic science and clinical literacy in veterinary science. Ongoing feedback and assessment of the management and content are important to refine this model for integrating basic science with clinical literacy.

Teaching for Conceptual Change in Elementary and Secondary Science Methods Courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Marion, Robin; Hewson, Peter W.; Tabachnick, B. Robert; Blomker, Kathryn B.

1999-01-01

Describes and analyzes two science methods courses at the elementary and secondary levels for how they addressed four ideas: (1) how students learn science; (2) how teachers teach science to students; (3) how prospective science teachers learn about the first two ideas; and (4) how methods instructors teach prospective science teachers about the…

Redesigning Introductory Science Courses to Teach Sustainability: Introducing the L(SC)2 Paradigm

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, J. D.; Campbell-Stone, E.; Massey, G.

2008-12-01

Modern societies consume vast quantities of Earth resources at unsustainable levels; at the same time, resource extraction, processing, production, use and disposal have resulted in environmental damage severe enough to threaten the life-support systems of our planet. These threats are produced by multiple, integrative and cumulative environmental stresses, i.e. syndromes, which result from human physical, ecological and social interactions with the environment in specific geographic places. In recent decades, recognition of this growing threat has lead to the concept of sustainability. The science needed to provide the knowledge and know-how for a successful sustainability transition differs markedly from the science that built our modern world. Sustainability science must balanced basic and applied research, promote integrative research focused on specific problems and devise a means of merging fundamental, general scientific principles with understanding of specific places. At the same time, it must use a variety of knowledge areas, i.e. biological systems, Earth systems, technological systems and social systems, to devise solutions to the many complex and difficult problems humankind faces. Clearly, sustainability science is far removed from the discipline-based science taught in most U.S. colleges. Many introductory science courses focus on content, lack context and do not integrate scientific disciplines. To prepare the citizens who will confront future sustainability issues as well as the scientists needed to devise future sustainability strategies, educators and scientists must redesign the typical college science course. A new course paradigm, Literacies and Scientific Content in Social Context (L(SC)2), is ideally suited to teach sustainability science. It offers an alternative approach to liberal science education by redefining and expanding the concept of the interdisciplinary course and merging it with the integrated science course. In addition to

The Roots of Science in Ancient China.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Arthur

1982-01-01

A 45-year-old research project (culminating in the multivolume "Science and Civilization in China") is examining major scientific innovations in ancient China and attempting to explain why, although the Chinese gained a technological edge in the past, they did not make the forward leap into modern science. (JN)

Predictors of Student Success in Entry-Level Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Mamta K.

2009-01-01

Although the educational evaluation process is useful and valuable and is supported by the Higher Education Act, a strong research base for program evaluation of college entry-level science courses is still lacking. Studies in science disciplines such as, biology, chemistry, and physics have addressed various affective and demographic factors and…

Preservice Science Teacher Beliefs about Teaching and the Science Methods Courses: Exploring Perceptions of Microteaching Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

McLaury, Ralph L.

2011-01-01

This study investigates beliefs about teaching held by preservice science teachers and their influences on self-perceived microteaching outcomes within interactive secondary science teaching methods courses. Hermeneutic methodology was used in cooperation with seven preservice science teachers (N = 7) to infer participant beliefs about teaching…

Ausubel's Theory of Learning and its Application to Introductory Science Part II--Primary Science: An Ausubelian View.

Science.gov (United States)

McClelland, J. A. G.

1982-01-01

In part 1 (SE 532 193) an outline of Ausubel's learning theory was given. The application of the theory to elementary school science is addressed in this part, clarifying what elementary science means and indicating how it relates to what may be expected to be already known by elementary school children. (Author/JN)

Science Credit for Agriculture: Perceived Support, Preferred Implementation Methods and Teacher Science Course Work.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Donald M.

1996-01-01

Arkansas agriculture teachers (213 of 259 surveyed) expressed support for granting science credit for agriculture (88.8%); 65.6% supported science credit for a limited number of agriculture courses. Blanket endorsement for all certified agriculture teachers was favored by 71.5%; 56.6% preferred endorsement only for certified teachers completing an…

Charting a Course to Earth System Science Literacy

Science.gov (United States)

Karsten, J. L.; Koch, L.; Ridky, R.; Wei, M.; Ladue, N.

2008-12-01

Public literacy of fundamental ideas in Earth System Science (ESS) is immensely important, both because of its relevance to the daily lives of individual citizens and the role played by informed policy decisions related to water, energy, climate change, and hazards in securing our Nation's well-being and prosperity. The National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996) argued that topics which comprise ESS also have tremendous value in providing context and meaning for the teaching of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics concepts and their applications, thereby serving the goals of the America COMPETES Act. Yet, as documented in the 2006 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, the U.S. continues to lag significantly behind other developed nations in science literacy. A major obstacle to improving public ESS literacy, specifically, and strengthening science literacy, in general, is the fact that fewer than 30% of students in U.S. high schools take any courses related to ESS. Often, these courses are taught by teachers with limited preparation in this content area. A new grass-roots movement within the geoscience research and education communities, fueled by interagency collaboration, is seeking to overcome these obstacles and steer a new course for ESS education in the Nation. The Earth System Science Literacy Initiative (ESSLI) builds on recent efforts within portions of the geosciences community to reach consensus on what defines scientific literacy within their fields. Individual literacy frameworks now exist for the ocean, atmospheric science, Earth science, and climate topic areas, and others are under development. The essential principles and fundamental concepts articulated in these frameworks provide consistent core messages that can be delivered and reinforced not only through formal education channels, but also through informal education activities and the media, thereby avoiding the inherent obstacles of the formal education setting

Exploration of offering photoelectric experimental general elective courses for college students of science and technology

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Shen; Sun, Binchao

2017-08-01

The necessity of offering photoelectric experiment general elective courses, such as the experiments of modern optical and innovational photoelectric design for non optic-electric's science and engineering students were discussed based on the analysis of the status quo and problems in experimental general elective course in science and engineering colleges of our country. And the characters of photoelectric disciplines, the goal of science and engineering quality-oriented education and the reform of science education at home and abroad were also considered. The instructional objectives, contents and characteristics of the courses were investigated. The specific methods, the CDIO (conceive, design, implement and operate) mode in the general courses has been proposed; the experiences and practical effects of offering these courses were concluded.

The General Philosophy Behind the New Integrated and Co-ordinated Science Courses in N.S.W. and the Science Foundation for Physics Textbook Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Messel, H.; Barker, E. N.

Described are the science syllabuses and texts for the science courses written to fulfill the aims of the new system of education in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The science course was developed in two stages: (1) A four year integrated science syllabus for grades 7-10, and (2) separate courses in physics, chemistry, and biology with…

Profiles of Motivated Self-Regulation in College Computer Science Courses: Differences in Major versus Required Non-Major Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Shell, Duane F.; Soh, Leen-Kiat

2013-12-01

The goal of the present study was to utilize a profiling approach to understand differences in motivation and strategic self-regulation among post-secondary STEM students in major versus required non-major computer science courses. Participants were 233 students from required introductory computer science courses (194 men; 35 women; 4 unknown) at a large Midwestern state university. Cluster analysis identified five profiles: (1) a strategic profile of a highly motivated by-any-means good strategy user; (2) a knowledge-building profile of an intrinsically motivated autonomous, mastery-oriented student; (3) a surface learning profile of a utility motivated minimally engaged student; (4) an apathetic profile of an amotivational disengaged student; and (5) a learned helpless profile of a motivated but unable to effectively self-regulate student. Among CS majors and students in courses in their major field, the strategic and knowledge-building profiles were the most prevalent. Among non-CS majors and students in required non-major courses, the learned helpless, surface learning, and apathetic profiles were the most prevalent. Students in the strategic and knowledge-building profiles had significantly higher retention of computational thinking knowledge than students in other profiles. Students in the apathetic and surface learning profiles saw little instrumentality of the course for their future academic and career objectives. Findings show that students in STEM fields taking required computer science courses exhibit the same constellation of motivated strategic self-regulation profiles found in other post-secondary and K-12 settings.

The Importance of Attendance in an Introductory Textile Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Marcketti, Sara B.; Wang, Xinxin; Greder, Kate

2013-01-01

At Iowa State University, the introductory textile science course is a required 4-credit class for all undergraduate students enrolled in the Apparel, Merchandising, and Design Program. Frustrated by a perceived gap between students who easily comprehended course material and those who complained and struggled, the instructor implemented an…

Science Academies' Refresher Course on Multiomic Applications in ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

and epigenetics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics and data analysis. Applications are invited from teachers with experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Life Sciences, Agriculture and Technology. Applications from highly motivated Research. Scholars will also be considered.

Science ethics education part II: changes in attitude toward scientific fraud among medical researchers after a short course in science ethics.

Science.gov (United States)

Vuckovic-Dekic, L; Gavrilovic, D; Kezic, I; Bogdanovic, G; Brkic, S

2012-01-01

To determine the impact of the short science ethics courses on the knowledge of basic principles of responsible conduct of research (RCR), and on the attitude toward scientific fraud among young biomedical researchers. A total of 361 attendees of the course on science ethics answered a specially designed anonymous multiple- choice questionnaire before and after a one-day course in science ethics. The educational course consisted of 10 lectures: 1) Good scientific practice - basic principles; 2) Publication ethics; 3) Scientific fraud - fabrication, falsification, plagiarism; 4) Conflict of interests; 5) Underpublishing; 6) Mentorship; 7) Authorship; 8) Coauthorship; 9) False authorship; 10) Good scientific practice - ethical codex of science. In comparison to their answers before the course, a significantly higher (pscience ethics as sufficient after the course was completed. That the wrongdoers deserve severe punishment for all types of scientific fraud, including false authorship, thought significantly (pscience ethics had a great impact on the attendees, enlarging their knowledge of responsible conduct of research and changing their previous, somewhat opportunistic, behavior regarding the reluctance to react publicly and punish the wrongdoers.

Practicing the practice: Learning to guide elementary science discussions in a practice-oriented science methods course

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Ashima Mathur

University methods courses are often criticized for telling pre-service teachers, or interns, about the theories behind teaching instead of preparing them to actually enact teaching. Shifting teacher education to be more "practice-oriented," or to focus more explicitly on the work of teaching, is a current trend for re-designing the way we prepare teachers. This dissertation addresses the current need for research that unpacks the shift to more practice-oriented approaches by studying the content and pedagogical approaches in a practice-oriented, masters-level elementary science methods course (n=42 interns). The course focused on preparing interns to guide science classroom discussions. Qualitative data, such as video records of course activities and interns' written reflections, were collected across eight course sessions. Codes were applied at the sentence and paragraph level and then grouped into themes. Five content themes were identified: foregrounding student ideas and questions, steering discussion toward intended learning goals, supporting students to do the cognitive work, enacting teacher role of facilitator, and creating a classroom culture for science discussions. Three pedagogical approach themes were identified. First, the teacher educators created images of science discussions by modeling and showing videos of this practice. They also provided focused teaching experiences by helping interns practice the interactive aspects of teaching both in the methods classroom and with smaller groups of elementary students in schools. Finally, they structured the planning and debriefing phases of teaching so interns could learn from their teaching experiences and prepare well for future experiences. The findings were analyzed through the lens of Grossman and colleagues' framework for teaching practice (2009) to reveal how the pedagogical approaches decomposed, represented, and approximated practice throughout course activities. Also, the teacher educators

Advanced placement math and science courses: Influential factors and predictors for success in college STEM majors

Science.gov (United States)

Hoepner, Cynthia Colon

President Obama has recently raised awareness on the need for our nation to grow a larger pool of students with knowledge in science mathematics, engineering, and technology (STEM). Currently, while the number of women pursuing college degrees continues to rise, there remains an under-representation of women in STEM majors across the country. Although research studies offer several contributing factors that point to a higher attrition rate of women in STEM than their male counterparts, no study has investigated the role that high school advanced placement (AP) math and science courses play in preparing students for the challenges of college STEM courses. The purpose of this study was to discover which AP math and science courses and/or influential factors could encourage more students, particularly females, to consider pursuing STEM fields in college. Further, this study examined which, if any, AP math or science courses positively contribute to a student's overall preparation for college STEM courses. This retrospective study combined quantitative and qualitative research methods. The survey sample consisted of 881 UCLA female and male students pursuing STEM majors. Qualitative data was gathered from four single-gender student focus groups, two female groups (15 females) and two male groups (16 males). This study examined which AP math and science courses students took in high school, who or what influenced them to take those courses, and which particular courses influenced student's choice of STEM major and/or best prepared her/him for the challenges of STEM courses. Findings reveal that while AP math and science course-taking patterns are similar of female and male STEM students, a significant gender-gap remains in five of the eleven AP courses. Students report four main influences on their choice of AP courses; self, desire for math/science major, higher grade point average or class rank, and college admissions. Further, three AP math and science courses were

Understanding Science and Technology Interactions Through Ocean Science Exploration: A Summer Course for Science Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Baldauf, J.; Denton, J.

2003-12-01

In order to replenish the national supply of science and mathematics educators, the National Science Foundation has supported the formation of the Center for Applications of Information Technology in the Teaching and Learning of Science (ITS) at Texas A&M University. The center staff and affiliated faculty work to change in fundamental ways the culture and relationships among scientists, educational researchers, and teachers. ITS is a partnership among the colleges of education, science, geosciences, agriculture and life science at Texas A&M University. Participants (teachers and graduate students) investigate how science is done and how science is taught and learned; how that learning is assessed, and how scholarly networks among all engaged in this work can be encouraged. While the center can offer graduate degrees most students apply as non-degree seekers. ITS participants are schooled on classroom technology applications, experience working on project teams, and access very current research work being conducted by scientists. ITS offers a certificate program consisting of two summer sessions over two years that results in 12 hours of graduate credit that can be applied to a degree. Interdisciplinary project teams spend three intense weeks connecting current research to classroom practices. During the past summer with the beginning of the two-year sequence, a course was implemented that introduced secondary teachers to Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) contributions to major earth science themes, using core and logging data, engineering (technology) tools and processes. Information Technology classroom applications were enhanced through hands-on laboratory exercises, web resources and online databases. The course was structured around the following objectives. 1. Distinguish the purpose and goals of the Ocean Drilling Program from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program and describe the comparable science themes (ocean circulation, marine sedimentation, climate history

Effects of a Science Content Course on Elementary Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy of Teaching Science

Science.gov (United States)

Bergman, Daniel J.; Morphew, Jason

2015-01-01

The preparation of elementary teachers to successfully teach science in their classrooms is a central issue in science education. The teacher preparation program at a large Midwestern university was modified to include a new science content course aimed at this need. A pre-/postassessment research model involved participants (N = 154) completing a…

Connecting Past with Present: A Mixed-Methods Science Ethics Course and its Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Semendeferi, Ioanna; Tsiamyrtzis, Panagiotis; Dcosta, Malcolm; Pavlidis, Ioannis

2016-02-01

We present a graduate science ethics course that connects cases from the historical record to present realities and practices in the areas of social responsibility, authorship, and human/animal experimentation. This content is delivered with mixed methods, including films, debates, blogging, and practicum; even the instructional team is mixed, including a historian of science and a research scientist. What really unites all of the course's components is the experiential aspect: from acting in historical debates to participating in the current scientific enterprise. The course aims to change the students' culture into one deeply devoted to the science ethics cause. To measure the sought after cultural change, we developed and validated a relevant questionnaire. Results of this questionnaire from students who took the course, demonstrate that the course had the intended effect on them. Furthermore, results of this questionnaire from controls indicate the need for cultural change in that cohort. All these quantitative results are reinforced by qualitative outcomes.

An Investigation of Science and Technology Teachers’ Views on the 5th Grade Science Course

OpenAIRE

İkramettin Daşdemir

2014-01-01

This study was conducted to explore the science and technology teachers’ views on the implementation of 5th grade science course. Open-ended questions were used as a data collection tool. The study sample consisted of 28 science and technology teachers working in Erzurum in 2012-2013 education year. The data gathered were analysed via content analysis method. According to the results obtained from the open-ended questions, a great majority of science and technology teache...

Exploring the development of science self-efficacy in preservice elementary school teachers participating in a science education methods course

Science.gov (United States)

Gunning, Amanda M.

The demands of society's increasing dependence on science and technology call for our students to have a solid foundation in science education, starting in the earliest grades. However, elementary school teachers often lack the necessary experiences to deliver that education. This qualitative study seeks to explore the development of six preservice elementary teachers in a semester-long science methods course. The course consisted of many components; one in particular was a microteaching experience, which emerged as especially significant. The participants' experiences throughout the semester were studied primarily through the lens of self-efficacy, but were also examined considering learning theories and mental models. It was found that two participants in particular were self-directed learners and were able to construct for themselves a self-selected cognitive apprenticeship. Other findings include the significance of a microteaching experience on development of self-efficacy in science teaching and the role mental models may or may not play in development of self-efficacy in the science methods course. This study has implications both for preservice elementary education in science and in general.

Prioritizing Active Learning: An Exploration of Gateway Courses in Political Science

Science.gov (United States)

Archer, Candace C.; Miller, Melissa K.

2011-01-01

Prior research in political science and other disciplines demonstrates the pedagogical and practical benefits of active learning. Less is known, however, about the extent to which active learning is used in political science classrooms. This study assesses the prioritization of active learning in "gateway" political science courses, paying…

Building confidence: an exploration of nurses undertaking a postgraduate biological science course.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Wissen, Kim; McBride-Henry, Karen

2010-01-01

This study aimed to explore the impact of studying biological science at a postgraduate level and how this impacted on nursing practice. The term biological sciences in this research encompasses elements of physiology, genetics, biochemistry and pathophysiology. A qualitative research study was designed, that involved the dissemination of a pre- and post-course semi-structured questionnaire for a biological science course, as part of a Master of Nursing programme at a New Zealand University, thus exploring the impact of undertaking a postgraduate biological sciences course. The responses were analysed into themes, based on interpretive concepts. The primary themes revealed improvement in confidence as: confidence in communication, confidence in linking nursing theoretical knowledge to practice and confidence in clinical nursing knowledge. This study highlights the need to privilege clinically-derived nursing knowledge, and that confidence in this nursing knowledge and clinical practice can be instilled through employing the model of theory-guided practice.

Students' Attitudes towards Interdisciplinary Education: A Course on Interdisciplinary Aspects of Science and Engineering Education

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Gero, Aharon

2017-01-01

A course entitled "Science and Engineering Education: Interdisciplinary Aspects" was designed to expose undergraduate students of science and engineering education to the attributes of interdisciplinary education which integrates science and engineering. The core of the course is an interdisciplinary lesson, which each student is…

Syllabus for Weizmann Course: Earth System Science 101

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Wiscombe, Warren J.

2011-01-01

This course aims for an understanding of Earth System Science and the interconnection of its various "spheres" (atmosphere, hydrosphere, etc.) by adopting the view that "the microcosm mirrors the macrocosm". We shall study a small set of microcosims, each residing primarily in one sphere, but substantially involving at least one other sphere, in order to illustrate the kinds of coupling that can occur and gain a greater appreciation of the complexity of even the smallest Earth System Science phenomenon.

Gregor Mendel's classic paper and the nature of science in genetics courses.

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Westerlund, Julie F; Fairbanks, Daniel J

2010-12-01

The discoveries of Gregor Mendel, as described by Mendel in his 1866 paper Versuche uber Pflanzen-Hybriden (Experiments on plant hybrids), can be used in undergraduate genetics and biology courses to engage students about specific nature of science characteristics and their relationship to four of his major contributions to genetics. The use of primary source literature as an instructional tool to enhance genetics students' understanding of the nature of science helps students more clearly understand how scientists work and how the science of genetics has evolved as a discipline. We offer a historical background of how the nature of science developed as a concept and show how Mendel's investigations of heredity can enrich biology and genetics courses by exemplifying the nature of science. © 2010 The Authors.

The impact of science methods courses on preservice elementary teachers' science teaching self-efficacy beliefs: Case studies from Turkey and the United States

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Bursal, Murat

Four case studies in two American and two Turkish science methods classrooms were conducted to investigate the changes in preservice elementary teachers' personal science teaching efficacy (PSTE) beliefs during their course periods. The findings indicated that while Turkish preservice elementary teachers (TR sample) started the science methods course semester with higher PSTE than their American peers (US sample), due to a significant increase in the US sample's and an insignificant decline in the TR sample's PSTE scores, both groups completed the science methods course with similar PSTE levels. Consistent with Bandura's social cognitive theory, describing four major sources of self-efficacy, the inclusion of mastery experiences (inquiry activities and elementary school micro-teaching experiences) and vicarious experiences (observation of course instructor and supervisor elementary teacher) into the science methods course, providing positive social persuasion (positive appraisal from the instructor and classmates), and improving physiological states (reduced science anxiety and positive attitudes toward becoming elementary school teachers), were found to contribute to the significant enhancement of the US sample's PSTE beliefs. For the TR sample, although some of the above sources were present, the lack of student teaching experiences and inservice teacher observations, as well as the TR samples' negative attitudes toward becoming elementary school teachers and a lack of positive classroom support were found to make Turkish preservice teachers rely mostly on their mastery in science concepts, and therefore resulted in not benefiting from their science methods course, in terms of enhancing their PSTE beliefs. Calls for reforms in the Turkish education system that will include more mastery experiences in the science methods courses and provide more flexibility for students to choose their high school majors and college programs, and switch between them are made. In

Early Childhood: Fall Harvest and Science.

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Science and Children, 1982

1982-01-01

Provides instructional strategies for using fall fruits/vegetables in science lessons, including activities related to melons, pumpkins, grapes, pears, squash, and yams. Suggests extending the activities over a month or more to allow children time to explore and investigate. (JN)

Building Political Participation: The Role of Family Policy and Political Science Courses

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Parrott, Emily

2017-01-01

This mixed-methods study examined the long-term associations between two kinds of politics courses--required political science courses and required family policy courses--and the political participation, knowledge, skill, efficacy, and politically engaged identity of child and family studies alumni. Two special cases were examined: those who…

College Student Perceptions of Psychology as a Science as a Function of Psychology Course Enrollment

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Pettijohn, Terry F., II; Pettijohn, Terry F.; Brenneman, Miranda M.; Glass, Jamie N.; Brito, Gabriela R.; Terranova, Andrew M.; Kim, JongHan; Meyersburg, C. A.; Piroch, Joan

2015-01-01

College students (N = 297) completed a perceptions of psychology as a science survey before and after completion of psychology courses. Psychology as a science scores increased significantly from the beginning to the end of the research methods courses, but scores in introductory psychology courses did not change and scores for students in…

Comparing the Impact of an Astronomy Course and a Science and Society Seminar on Undergraduate Students' Attitudes toward Science

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Flohic, Hélène M. L. G.

2017-01-01

A common challenge among university professors is how to best design undergraduate courses to successfully enhance students' attitudes. To compare which curriculum was more efficient at fostering a positive attitude towards science in general, I studied the impact of two different general education science courses on the attitudes of college…

Noise Pollution--An Overlooked Issue in the Science Curriculum.

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Treagust, David F.; Kam, Goh Ah

1985-01-01

Discusses the need for including noise pollution in the science curriculum and describes 10 activities for improving students' awareness and understanding of and concern for noise and its effects. (Author/JN)

Acid Precipitation Awareness Curriculum Materials in the Life Sciences.

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Stubbs, Harriett S.

1983-01-01

Provides an outline of course content for acid precipitation and two acid rain activities (introduction to pH and effects of acid rain on an organism). Information for obtaining 20 additional activities as well as an information packet containing booklets, pamphlets, and articles are also provided. (JN)

Assessing Student Attitudes Towards Science in an Adaptive Online Astrobiology Course: Comparing Online and On-Campus Undergraduates

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Buxner, S.; Perera, V.; Mead, C.; Horodyskyj, L.; Semken, S. C.; Lopatto, D.; Anbar, A. D.

2016-12-01

General-education Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses are considered essential to a college education, in part, to train students to think critically and to make informed decisions about complex scientific issues such as climate change and public health. Therefore, the goals of these STEM courses go beyond content knowledge to include generating positive attitudes towards science, developing competence in evaluating scientific information in everyday life, and understanding the nature of science. The Classroom Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) survey is frequently used to measure these attitudes, but it has not previously been used in an online, general education course. In this work, we administered the CURE survey for three semesters (N = 774) before and after completion of an online astrobiology course called Habitable Worlds. We compare students taking this course as part of fully-online degree programs (o-course) with those taking it as part of traditional undergraduate programs (i-course). More females and older students were among the o-course group, while overall the course had more white students than the Arizona State University average. Mean course grades were similar between the two groups but attitudes toward science differred significantly. O-course students began the course with more positive attitudes than i-course students, and o-course students also showed more positive changes at the end of the course. These differences suggest lesser intrinsic motivation among the i-course students. Additionally, pre-course attitudes correlated with final course grade for o-course students, but not for i-course students, which implies that success among o-course students is influenced by different factors than i-course students. Thus, effective student support strategies may differ for online-only students. Future work will include student interviews to better calibrate the CURE survey to online science courses.

Using "Making Sense of Climate Science Denial" MOOC videos in a college course

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Schuenemann, K. C.; Cook, J.

2015-12-01

The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) "Denial101x: Making Sense of Climate Science Denial" teaches students to make sense of the science and respond to climate change denial. The course is made up of a series of short, myth-debunking lecture videos that can be strategically used in college courses. The videos and the visuals within have proven a great resource for an introductory college level climate change course. Methods for using the videos in both online and in-classroom courses will be presented, as well as student reactions and learning from the videos. The videos introduce and explain a climate science topic, then paraphrase a common climate change myth, explain why the myth is wrong by identifying the characteristic of climate denial used, and concludes by reinforcing the correct science. By focusing on common myths, the MOOC has made an archive of videos that can be used by anyone in need of a 5-minute response to debunk a myth. By also highlighting five characteristics of climate denial: fake experts, logical fallacies, impossible expectations, cherry picking, and conspiracy theories (FLICC), the videos also teach the viewer the skills they need to critically examine myths they may encounter in the real world on a variety of topics. The videos also include a series of expert scientist interviews that can be used to drive home points, as well as put some faces to the science. These videos are freely available outside of the MOOC and can be found under the relevant "Most used climate myths" section on the skepticalscience.com webpage, as well as directly on YouTube. Discover ideas for using videos in future courses, regardless of discipline.

Path Not Found: Disparities in Access to Computer Science Courses in California High Schools

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Martin, Alexis; McAlear, Frieda; Scott, Allison

2015-01-01

"Path Not Found: Disparities in Access to Computer Science Courses in California High Schools" exposes one of the foundational causes of underrepresentation in computing: disparities in access to computer science courses in California's public high schools. This report provides new, detailed data on these disparities by student body…

Hazardous Asteroids: Cloaking STEM Skills Training within an Attention-Grabbing Science/Math Course

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Ryan, Eileen V.; Ryan, William H.

2015-11-01

A graduate-level course was designed and taught during the summer months from 2009 - 2015 in order to contribute to the training and professional development of K-12 teachers residing in the Southwest. The teachers were seeking Master’s degrees via the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology’s (NMT’s) Masters of Science Teaching (MST) program, and the course satisfied a science or math requirement. The MST program provides opportunities for in-service teachers to enhance their content backgrounds in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET). The ultimate goal is to assist teachers in gaining knowledge that has direct application in the classroom.The engaging topic area of near-Earth object (NEO) characterization studies was used to create a fun and exciting framework for mastering basic skills and concepts in physics and astronomy. The objective was to offer a class that had the appropriate science rigor (with an emphasis on mathematics) within a non-threatening format. The course, entitled “Hazardous Asteroids”, incorporates a basic planetary physics curriculum, with challenging laboratories that include a heavy emphasis on math and technology. Since the authors run a NASA-funded NEO research and follow-up program, also folded into the course is the use of the Magdalena Ridge Observatory’s 2.4-meter telescope so participants can take and reduce their own data on a near-Earth asteroid.In exit assessments, the participants have given the course excellent ratings for design and implementation, and the overall degree of satisfaction was high. This validates that a well-constructed (and rigorous) course can be effective in receptively reaching teachers in need of basic skills refreshment. Many of the teachers taking the course were employed in school districts serving at-risk or under-prepared students, and the course helped provide them with the confidence vital to developing new strategies for successful teaching.

A Science Faculty's Transformation of Nature of Science Understanding into His Teaching Graduate Level Chemistry Course

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Aydin, Sevgi

2015-01-01

This is an interpretive case study to examine the teaching of an experienced science faculty who had a strong interest in teaching undergraduate and graduate science courses and nature of science specifically. It was interested in how he transformed knowledge from his experience as a scientist and his ideas about nature of science into forms…

A Survey of Introductory Statistics Courses at University Faculties of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Japan.

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Matsumura, Mina; Nakayama, Takuto; Sozu, Takashi

2016-01-01

A survey of introductory statistics courses at Japanese medical schools was published as a report in 2014. To obtain a complete understanding of the way in which statistics is taught at the university level in Japan, it is important to extend this survey to related fields, including pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing. The current study investigates the introductory statistics courses offered by faculties of pharmaceutical sciences (six-year programs) at Japanese universities, comparing the features of these courses with those studied in the survey of medical schools. We collected relevant data from the online syllabi of statistics courses published on the websites of 71 universities. The survey items included basic course information (for example, the course names, the targeted student grades, the number of credits, and course classification), textbooks, handouts, the doctoral subject and employment status of each lecturer, and course contents. The period surveyed was July-September 2015. We found that these 71 universities offered a total of 128 statistics courses. There were 67 course names, the most common of which was "biostatistics (iryou toukeigaku)." About half of the courses were designed for first- or second-year students. Students earned fewer than two credits. There were 62 different types of textbooks. The lecturers held doctoral degrees in 18 different subjects, the most common being a doctorate in pharmacy or science. Some course content differed, reflecting the lecturers' academic specialties. The content of introductory statistics courses taught in pharmaceutical science programs also differed slightly from the equivalent content taught in medical schools.

Emphasizing Astrobiology: Highlighting Communication in an Elective Course for Science Majors

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Offerdahl, Erika G.; Prather, Edward E.; Slater, Timothy F.

2004-01-01

The project described here involved the design, implementation, and evaluation of an upper level, undergraduate elective course for science majors. Specific course goals were to help students gain an appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of astrobiology, understand key ideas in astrobiology, and develop the skills necessary to communicate…

In Defense of Societal Issues as Organizers for School Science.

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Yager, Robert E.

1983-01-01

Offers a defense of societal issues as organizers for school science programs in response to criticisms of this thesis discussed in SE 534 649. Indicates that there appears to be no evidence that using nontraditional topics as organizers will make science more subject to manipulation and perversion. (JN)

Modeling the Activities of Scientists: Prospective Science Teachers' Poster Presentations in An STS Course

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Dogan, Alev; Kaya, Osman Nafiz; Kilic, Ziya; Kilic, Esma; Aydogdu, Mustafa

2004-01-01

In this study, prospective science teachers' (PSTs) views about their poster presentations were investigated. These posters were developed through PSTs' online and library research and scientific mini-symposiums in chemistry related topics in the framework of science, technology and society course (STS). During the first four weeks of STS course,…

"I am Not a Statistic": Identities of African American Males in Advanced Science Courses

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Johnson, Diane Wynn

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (2010) expects new industries to generate approximately 2.7 million jobs in science and technology by the year 2018, and there is concern as to whether there will be enough trained individuals to fill these positions. A tremendous resource remains untapped, African American students, especially African American males (National Science Foundation, 2009). Historically, African American males have been omitted from the so called science pipeline. Fewer African American males pursue a science discipline due, in part; to limiting factors they experience in school and at home (Ogbu, 2004). This is a case study of African American males who are enrolled in advanced science courses at a predominantly African American (84%) urban high school. Guided by expectancy-value theory (EVT) of achievement related results (Eccles, 2009; Eccles et al., 1983), twelve African American male students in two advanced science courses were observed in their science classrooms weekly, participated in an in-depth interview, developed a presentation to share with students enrolled in a tenth grade science course, responded to an open-ended identity questionnaire, and were surveyed about their perceptions of school. Additionally, the students' teachers were interviewed, and seven of the students' parents. The interview data analyses highlighted the important role of supportive parents (key socializers) who had high expectations for their sons and who pushed them academically. The students clearly attributed their enrollment in advanced science courses to their high regard for their science teachers, which included positive relationships, hands-on learning in class, and an inviting and encouraging learning environment. Additionally, other family members and coaches played important roles in these young men's lives. Students' PowerPoint(c) presentations to younger high school students on why they should take advanced science courses highlighted these

"Two Cultures" Topics for General Studies Science Courses.

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Larson, James H.

1982-01-01

Theses proposed in C. P. Snow's book "The Two Cultures," including uncommunicative scientific and literary groups, gap between rich and poor, overpopulation, and nuclear war remain viable topics. Discusses the scientific and literary cultural gap and what can be done in general studies science courses to ameliorate the condition.…

Laboratory Development and Lecture Renovation for a Science of Food and Cooking Course

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Miles, Deon T.; Borchardt, Adrienne C.

2014-01-01

Several years ago, a new nonscience majors course, The Science of Food and Cooking, was developed at our institution. The course covered basic scientific concepts that would normally be discussed in a typical introductory chemistry course, in the context of food and food preparation. Recently, the course has been revamped in three major ways: (1)…

A Portable Bioinformatics Course for Upper-Division Undergraduate Curriculum in Sciences

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Floraino, Wely B.

2008-01-01

This article discusses the challenges that bioinformatics education is facing and describes a bioinformatics course that is successfully taught at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, to the fourth year undergraduate students in biological sciences, chemistry, and computer science. Information on lecture and computer practice…

Getting the Word Out.

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Brandou, Julian R.

1982-01-01

Suggests public relations strategies which science educators can adopt to spread the word about the importance of good science teaching. These include preparing a fact sheet summarizing a project/course/organization, tips on creating a newsworthy event (awards, displays at a mall, and others), and what to submit to the news media. (Author/JN)

The Art of Astronomy: A New General Education Course for Non-Science Majors

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Pilachowski, Catherine A.; van Zee, Liese

2017-01-01

The Art of Astronomy is a new general education course developed at Indiana University. The topic appeals to a broad range of undergraduates and the course gives students the tools to understand and appreciate astronomical images in a new way. The course explores the science of imaging the universe and the technology that makes the images possible. Topics include the night sky, telescopes and cameras, light and color, and the science behind the images. Coloring the Universe: An Insider's Look at Making Spectacular Images of Space" by T. A. Rector, K. Arcand, and M. Watzke serves as the basic text for the course, supplemented by readings from the web. Through the course, students participate in exploration activities designed to help them first to understand astronomy images, and then to create them. Learning goals include an understanding of scientific inquiry, an understanding of the basics of imaging science as applied in astronomy, a knowledge of the electromagnetic spectrum and how observations at different wavelengths inform us about different environments in the universe, and an ability to interpret astronomical images to learn about the universe and to model and understand the physical world.

Principles of formation of the course of computer science for engineering specialities

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Валерий Евгеньевич Жужжалов

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The article describes the principles of computer science courses. The advantages and disadvantages of functional programming and importance of the Lisp language in teaching computer science are reflected in the article.

Science Café Course: An Innovative Means of Improving Communication Skills of Undergraduate Biology Majors

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Anna Goldina

2013-12-01

Full Text Available To help bridge the increasing gap between scientists and the public, we developed an innovative two-semester course, called Science Café. In this course undergraduate biology majors learn to develop communication skills to be better able to explain science concepts and current developments in science to non-scientists. Students develop and host outreach events on various topics relevant to the community, thereby increasing interactions between budding scientists and the public. Such a Science Cafe course emphasizes development of science communication skills early, at the undergraduate level and empowers students to use their science knowledge in every day interactions with the public to increase science literacy, get involved in the local community and engage the public in a dialogue on various pressing science issues. We believe that undergraduate science majors can be great ambassadors for science and are often overlooked since many aspire to go on to medical/veterinary/pharmacy schools. However, science communication skills are especially important for these types of students because when they become healthcare professionals, they will interact with the public as part of their everyday jobs and can thus be great representatives for the field.

Science Academies' 82nd Refresher Course on Experimental Physics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

A Refresher Course in Experimental Physics will be held at Department of Physics, ... the participants to gain hands on experience with set of new experiments developed as a low cost kit by the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, Indian ...

Exploring impacts of the EED 420 science methods course on pre-service elementary teachers’ views regarding the nature of science

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EunJin Bang

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This study explores the impact of a semester-long science methods course examining pre-service elementary teachers’ views on the nature of science (NOS. Also examined were NOS characteristics that pre-service teachers incorporated into their science lesson plans and peer teachings, during the course. Data used for this study were obtained from 21 pre-service teachers who participated in the pre/post card exchange game, pre/post VNOS interviews, 5E lesson plans, and peer teaching performances. The results of the study showed that some changes were made as a result of EED 420— such as starting to view science as a data-gathering experimental endeavor, rather than just a theorydriven endeavor. None of the groups explicitly designed or taught their lesson’s NOS aspects. The study posits that a mere one semester-long science method’s course is insufficient to adequately improve understanding of the NOS, and to establish a sufficiently robust desire in pre-service teachers for them to implement NOS into their lessons.

Exploring Impacts of the EED 420 Science Methods Course on Pre-service Elementary Teachers’ Views Regarding the Nature of Science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

EunJin BANG

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This study explores the impact of a semester-long science methods course examining pre-service elementary teachers’ views on the nature of science(NOS. Also examined were NOS characteristics that pre-service teachers incorporated into their science lesson plans and peer teachings, during the course. Data used for this study were obtained from 21 pre-service teachers who participated in the pre/post card exchange game, pre/post VNOS interviews, 5E lesson plans, and peer teaching performances. The results of the study showed that some changes were made as a result of EED 420—such as starting to view science as a data-gathering experimental endeavor, rather than just a theory-driven endeavor. None of the groups explicitly designed or taught their lesson’s NOS aspects. Thestudy posits that a mere one semester-long science method’s course is insufficient to adequately improve understanding of the NOS, and to establish a sufficiently robust desire in pre-service teachersfor them to implement NOS into their lessons.

Making Connections to Students' Lives and Careers Throughout a General Education Science Course

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LaDue, D. S.

2014-12-01

The University of Oklahoma's general education lecture course Severe & Unusual Weather, taught in two sections each fall and spring, covers about nine topics. The sections are taught by different instructors, each of whom has flexibility to employ a variety of instructional strategies and choose specific topics to cover while meeting the requirement that general education courses in the natural sciences help students understand the importance of the science for appreciating the world around them. Students enrolled have been approximately 6-10% returning adult students, some of whom were veterans or active duty military, and about 10% members of racial or ethnic groups. Their majors are mostly in the humanities (theater, photography) and social sciences (education, English, journalism, sociology), with some natural science majors (psychology, aviation). For the past two years, Section 001 has been designed with adult and active learning concepts in mind, using deliberate connections between course content and students' lives and careers to motivate meaningful learning. Students were grouped in teams according to similar majors and assigned group presentations connecting course content to topics that should interest them, such as economic impacts of weather, societal and personal impacts of severe weather, risks to aviation, media coverage of weather, and psychological and sociological responses to weather risks. Students learn about the peer review process for scientific papers while also exploring a connection of course content to their future career or life interests through papers that are run through a mock peer review process. Public policy is discussed in several sections of the course, such as hurricane building codes, wind-resistant construction in tornado alley, and the disproportionate impacts of weather and climate on certain socioeconomic groups. Most students deeply appreciate the opportunity to explore how course content intersects with their lives

Evaluation of an ESP Course of Qur'anic Sciences and Tradition

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Salehi, Hadi; Davari, Ameneh; Yunus, Melor Md

2015-01-01

Evaluation is defined as matching process that matches the needs to available solutions. The present study is an attempt to evaluate English for specific purposes (ESP) course book on "the ESP Course of Qur'anic Sciences and Tradition" taught at some universities in Iran. To achieve this goal, a researcher-made questionnaire and an…

Music and the mind: a new interdisciplinary course on the science of musical experience.

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Prichard, J Roxanne; Cornett-Murtada, Vanessa

2011-01-01

In this paper the instructors describe a new team-taught transdisciplinary seminar, "Music and Mind: The Science of Musical Experience." The instructors, with backgrounds in music and neuroscience, valued the interdisciplinary approach as a way to capture student interest and to reflect the inherent interconnectivity of neuroscience. The course covered foundational background information about the science of hearing and musical perception and about the phenomenology of musical creation and experience. This two-credit honors course, which attracted students from eleven majors, integrated experiential learning (active listening, journaling, conducting mini-experiments) with rigorous reflection and discussion of academic research. The course culminated in student-led discussions and presentations of final projects around hot topics in the science of music, such as the 'Mozart Effect,' music and religious experience, etc. Although this course was a two-credit seminar, it could easily be expanded to a four-credit lecture or laboratory course. Student evaluations reveal that the course was successful in meeting the learning objectives, that students were intrinsically motivated to learn more about the discipline, and that the team-taught, experiential learning approach was a success.

The Impact of a Curriculum Course on Pre-Service Primary Teachers' Science Content Knowledge and Attitudes towards Teaching Science

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Murphy, Cliona; Smith, Greg

2012-01-01

Many primary school teachers have insufficient content and pedagogical knowledge of science. This lack of knowledge can often lead to a lack of confidence and competence in teaching science. This article explores the impact of a year-long science methodology (curriculum science) course on second year Bachelor of Education (BEd) students'…

Science for the Home: New Products Tackle Such Weighty Subjects as Immunology, Chemistry.

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Mace, Scott

1984-01-01

Discusses trends in science software for home and educational use. Examples of software on various science topics are provided, including packages which revolve around such television shows as "Nova" and "Voyage of the Mimi" and those produced by the Human Engineering Software. (JN)

Laboratory animal science course in Switzerland: participants' points of view and implications for organizers.

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Crettaz von Roten, Fabienne

2018-02-01

Switzerland has implemented a mandatory training in laboratory animal science since 1999; however a comprehensive assessment of its effects has never been undertaken so far. The results from the analysis of participants in the Swiss Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA) Category B compulsory courses in laboratory animal science run in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 showed that the participants fully appreciated all elements of the course. The use of live animals during the course was supported and explained by six arguments characterized with cognitive, emotional and forward-looking factors. A large majority considered that the 3R (replacement, reduction and refinement) principles were adequately applied during the course. Responses to an open question offered some ideas for improvements. This overall positive picture, however, revealed divergent answers from different subpopulations in our sample (for example, scientists with more hindsight, scientists trained in biology, or participants from Asian countries).

Integrating international relations and environmental science course concepts through an interactive world politics simulation

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Straub, K. H.; Kesgin, B.

2012-12-01

During the fall 2012 semester, students in two introductory courses at Susquehanna University - EENV:101 Environmental Science and POLI:131 World Affairs - will participate together in an online international relations simulation called Statecraft (www.statecraftsim.com). In this strategy game, students are divided into teams representing independent countries, and choose their government type (democracy, constitutional monarchy, communist totalitarian, or military dictatorship) and two country attributes (industrial, green, militaristic, pacifist, or scientific), which determine a set of rules by which that country must abide. Countries interact over issues such as resource distribution, war, pollution, immigration, and global climate change, and must also keep domestic political unrest to a minimum in order to succeed in the game. This simulation has typically been run in political science courses, as the goal is to allow students to experience the balancing act necessary to maintain control of global and domestic issues in a dynamic, diverse world. This semester, environmental science students will be integrated into the simulation, both as environmental advisers to each country and as independent actors representing groups such as Greenpeace, ExxonMobil, and UNEP. The goal in integrating the two courses in the simulation is for the students in each course to gain both 1) content knowledge of certain fundamental material in the other course, and 2) a more thorough, applied understanding of the integrated nature of the two subjects. Students will gain an appreciation for the multiple tradeoffs that decision-makers must face in the real world (economy, resources, pollution, health, defense, etc.). Environmental science students will link these concepts to the traditional course material through a "systems thinking" approach to sustainability. Political science students will face the challenges of global climate change and gain an understanding of the nature of

Perceptions of psychology as a science among university students: the influence of psychology courses and major of study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartels, Jared M; Hinds, Ryan M; Glass, Laura A; Ryan, Joseph J

2009-10-01

The goal was to examine the relationship between the number of psychology courses students have taken and their perceptions of psychology as a science. Additionally, differences in perceptions of psychology among psychology, education, and natural science majors were examined. Results indicated that students who had taken four or more psychology courses had more favorable perceptions of psychology as a science compared to those who had taken no courses or one course and those who had taken two to three courses. No significant differences in overall perceptions of psychology emerged among students in the three majors.

Educational Status of Dental Basic Science Course and its Correlation with Students' Educational Background in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences

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Mozafar Khazaei

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Basic science course plays a pivotal role in the academic achievement of the students. The scientific background and educational performance of the students are also influential in this period. The aim of the present study was to investigate the educational status of dental basic science course in the first three admissions (2009-2011 and its association with students’ educational background in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, all dental students admitted to school of dentistry in 2009-2011 years were included. The students’ academic background (scores, grade point average, score of comprehensive basic sciences examination (CBSE were recorded. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16 using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA and independent t-test. Results: Kermanshah dental students admitted to university in 2009-2011 were mostly female (59.2%, belonged to regions 2 and 3 (81.6% of university entrance exam, had sciences diploma (89.8% and their grade point average of diploma was nearly 18. There was a significant difference between the three groups of students admitted to university in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Arabic, English language and Theology lessones of entrane exam (P<0.05. The students’ failure rate was 1.5% in university coureses. They all (100% passed CBSE and were ranked second nationally in the year. There was no significant difference between male and female students in terms of age, diploma grade point average, grade point average of basic sciences and score of CBSE. Conclusion: Basic science courses of dentistry in Kermanshah enjoyed a rather constant status and students had a good academic level in these courses.

Green Chemistry and Sustainability: An Undergraduate Course for Science and Nonscience Majors

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Gross, Erin M.

2013-01-01

An undergraduate lecture course in Green Chemistry and Sustainability has been developed and taught to a "multidisciplinary" group of science and nonscience majors. The course introduced students to the topics of green chemistry and sustainability and also immersed them in usage of the scientific literature. Through literature…

At the Crossroads of Art and Science: A New Course for University Non-Science Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Blatt, S. Leslie

2004-03-01

How much did Seurat know about the physics, physiology, and perceptual science of color mixing when he began his experiments in pointillism? Did Vermeer have a camera obscura built into his studio to create the perfect perspective and luminous effects of his canvases? Early in the 20th century, consequences of the idea that "no single reference point is to be preferred above any other" were worked out in physics by Einstein (special and general relativity), in art by Picasso (early cubism), and in music by Schoenberg (12-tone compositions); did this same paradigm-shifting concept arise, in three disparate fields, merely by coincidence? We are developing a new course, aimed primarily at non-science majors, that addresses questions like these through a combination of hands-on experiments on the physics of light, investigations in visual perception, empirical tests of various drawing and painting techniques, and field trips to nearby museums. We will show a few examples of the kinds of art/science intersections our students will be exploring, and present a working outline for the course.

The relationship between competencies acquired through Swiss academic sports science courses and the job requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlesinger, T; Studer, F; Nagel, S

2016-01-01

In view of the changes in and growing variety of sports-related occupations, it is highly relevant for educational institutions to know how well the educational contents of their sport science courses meet the professional requirements. This study analyses the relationship between the competencies acquired through academic sports science courses and the requirements of the relevant jobs in Switzerland. The data for this empirical analysis were drawn from a sample of n = 1054 graduates of different academic sport science programmes at all eight Swiss universities. The results show that academic sport science courses primarily communicate sports-specific expertise and practical sports skills. On the other hand, most graduates consider that the acquisition of interdisciplinary competencies plays a comparatively minor role in sport science education, even though these competencies are felt to be an important requirement in a variety of work-related environments and challenges.

Increasing Scientific Literacy about Global Climate Change through a Laboratory-Based Feminist Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

George, Linda A.; Brenner, Johanna

2010-01-01

The authors have developed and implemented a novel general education science course that examines scientific knowledge, laboratory experimentation, and science-related public policy through the lens of feminist science studies. They argue that this approach to teaching general science education is useful for improving science literacy. Goals for…

The impact of a curriculum course on pre-service primary teachers' science content knowledge and attitudes towards teaching science

OpenAIRE

Murphy, Clíona; Smith, Greg

2012-01-01

Many primary school teachers have insufficient content and pedagogical knowledge of science. This lack of knowledge can often lead to a lack of confidence and competence in teaching science. This article explores the impact of a year-long science methodology (curriculum science) course on second year Bachelor of Education (BEd) students' conceptual and pedagogical knowledge of science and on their attitudes towards teaching science in the primary classroom. A questionnaire, containing closed ...

Using AN Essea Earth Systems Science Course in a Web-Enhanced Setting for Pre-Service Middle School Teachers

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Slattery, W.

2003-12-01

The ESSEA Middle School course was originally designed as an asynchronous on-line tool for teacher professional development. The ESSEA course uses real world events such as deforestation, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes to develop content understandings of Earth systems processes and to model pedagogical best practices appropriate for middle school students. The course is structured as multiple three-week learning cycles. During week one of each cycle, participants are formed into Sphere groups to study the impact of the event under consideration on the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, or lithosphere. During week two, Event teams are formed to include members from each of the previous week's Sphere groups. Together they develop interactions between the different spheres and the event. During week three, teachers develop classroom applications and post them on-line for other participants to comment upon. On-going assessment suggests that in-service teacher participants of the on-line course are more likely to infuse inquiry-based science instruction into their classroom settings and to teach science as a subject integrating Physical science, Life science, and Earth/Space science in their own classrooms It is imperative to develop such characteristics in pre-service teachers as well. Wright State University's undergraduate Middle School teacher preparation program requires that undergraduates seeking Middle Childhood Licensure by the State of Ohio take a course in Earth Systems science that is aligned with the national and state science education standards. Towards this end the ESSEA course has been adapted for use in a web-enhanced setting. Weeks one and two (Sphere and Event study) of the ESSEA Middle School course are used as an integral component of this Earth Systems science course. In this way content knowledge and pedagogical strategies are modeled just as they are in the fully on-line course. Questions raised on-line are the topic of research or

The Effect of Enrollment in Middle School Challenge Courses on Advanced Placement Exams in Social Studies and Science

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Glaude-Bolte, Katherine

Educators seek to guide students through appropriate programs and courses that prepare them for future success, in more advanced coursework and in other challenges of life. Some middle schools offer Challenge, or honors, courses for students who have demonstrated high ability. High schools often offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which are taught at the college level. This study examined the correlation between enrollment in middle school Challenge courses and subsequent AP exam category scores in social studies and science in a suburban school district. The independent variables were the number of years of enrollment in middle school social studies or science Challenge courses. The dependent variables were the AP exam category scores in the eight social studies AP courses or the six science AP courses. The sample sizes were limited to the number of students who took an AP social studies or science exam and also attended the middle school of study. The null hypothesis was that there was no relationship between the two variables. This study included eight social studies AP courses and six science AP courses. A significant positive correlation was indicated in only two of the courses, U.S. Government and Comparative Government, supporting the claim that enrollment in middle school Challenge social studies was correlated with success, at least on these two AP exams. In the remaining 12 courses, there was not enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, enrollment in middle school Challenge science and social studies courses generally did not seem to correlate with AP exam category scores. Results of this study call into question the validity of the claim by the district that enrollment in Challenge courses helps prepare students for rigorous coursework in high school. Several factors, including student readiness, teacher training, familiarity with course content, and previous AP experience may contribute more to a student's AP exam category score

Factors associated with staff development processes and the creation of innovative science courses in higher education

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Hodges, Jeanelle Bland

1999-11-01

The purpose of the study was to determine factors associated with staff development processes and the creation of innovative science courses by higher education faculty who have participated in a model staff development project. The staff development program was designed for college faculty interested in creating interdisciplinary, constructivist-based science, mathematics, or engineering courses designed for non-majors. The program includes workshops on incorporating constructivist pedagogy, alternative assessment, and technology into interdisciplinary courses. Staff development interventions used in the program include grant opportunities, distribution of resource materials, and peer mentoring. University teams attending the workshops are comprised of faculty from the sciences, mathematics, or engineering, as well as education, and administration. A purposeful and convenient sample of three university teams were subjects for this qualitative study. Each team had attended a NASA Opportunities for Visionary Academics (NOVA) workshop, received funding for course development, and offered innovative courses. Five questions were addressed in this study: (a) What methods were used by faculty teams in planning the courses? (b) What changes occurred in existing science courses? (c) What factors affected the team collaboration process? (d) What personal characteristics of faculty members were important in successful course development? and (e) What barriers existed for faculty in the course development process? Data was collected at each site through individual faculty interviews (N = 11), student focus group interviews (N = 15), and classroom observations. Secondary data included original funding proposals. The NOVA staff development model incorporated effective K--12 interventions with higher education interventions. Analysis of data revealed that there were four factors of staff development processes that were most beneficial. First, the team collaborative processes

A New Coherent Science Content Storyline Astronomy Course for Pre-Service Teachers at Penn State

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Palma, Christopher; Plummer, Julia; Earth and Space Science Partnership

2016-01-01

The Earth and Space Science Partnership (ESSP) is a collaboration among Penn State scientists, science educators and seven school districts across Pennsylvania. One of the ESSP goals has been to provide pre-service teachers with new or improved science course offerings at Penn State in the Earth and Space Science domains. In particular, we aim to provide students with opportunities to learn astronomy content knowledge through teaching methods that engage them in investigations where they experience the practices used by astronomers. We have designed a new course that builds on our research into students' ideas about Solar System astronomy (Plummer et al. 2015) and the curriculum our team created for a professional development workshop for in-service teachers (Palma et al. 2013) with this same theme. The course was offered for the first time in the spring 2015 semester. We designed the course using a coherent science content storyline approach (see, e.g., Palma et al. 2014), which requires all of the student investigations to build towards a big idea in science; in this case, we chose the model for formation of our Solar System. The course led pre-service teachers through a series of investigations that model the type of instruction we hope they will adopt in their own classrooms. They were presented with a series of research questions that all tie in to the big idea of Solar System formation, and they were responsible for collecting and interpreting their own data to draw evidence-based conclusions about one aspect of this model. Students in the course were assessed on their astronomy content knowledge, but also on their ability to construct arguments using scientific reasoning to answer astronomy questions. In this poster, we will present descriptions of the investigations, the assessments used, and our preliminary results about how the course led this group of pre-service teachers to improved understanding of astronomy content and the practices astronomers use in

Design Principles for "Thriving in Our Digital World": A High School Computer Science Course

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Veletsianos, George; Beth, Bradley; Lin, Calvin; Russell, Gregory

2016-01-01

"Thriving in Our Digital World" is a technology-enhanced dual enrollment course introducing high school students to computer science through project- and problem-based learning. This article describes the evolution of the course and five lessons learned during the design, development, implementation, and iteration of the course from its…

Stem Cells and Society: An Undergraduate Course Exploring the Intersections among Science, Religion, and Law

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Pierret, Chris; Friedrichsen, Patricia

2009-01-01

The intersection of science and our society has led to legal and ethical issues in which we all play a part. To support development of scientific literacy, college science courses need to engage students in difficult dialogues around ethical issues. We describe a new course, Stem Cells and Society, in which students explore the basic biology of…

Learning Science by Engaging Religion: A Novel Two-Course Approach for Biology Majors

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Eisen, Arri; Huang, Junjian

2014-01-01

Many issues in science create individual and societal tensions with important implications outside the classroom. We describe one model that directly addresses such tensions by integrating science and religion in two parallel, integrated courses for science majors. Evaluation of the goals of the project--(1) providing students with strategies to…

Polymerization Simulator for Introductory Polymer and Material Science Courses

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Chirdon, William M.

2010-01-01

This work describes how molecular simulation of polymerization reactions can be used to enrich introductory polymer or material science courses to give students a deeper understanding of free-radical chain and stepwise growth polymerization reactions. These simulations have proven to be effective media for instruction that do not require material…

Developing Earth System Science Courses and Programs at Minority Serving Institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, D. R.; Jackson, C.; Ruzek, M.

2004-12-01

In the current NASA/USRA ESSE21 Program, emphasis is placed on the development of Earth System Science courses and degree offerings in Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Of the 18 colleges/universities being supported by NASA through USRA, 10 colleges/universities are MSIs. While there is recognition of the need for Earth system science courses, minors and degree programs by NASA and other agencies, within MSIs, a central challenge is how to provide a vision of the future opportunities in ESS and STEM disciplines that attracts and motivates students to these studies. Students need career guidance, role models and mentoring to encourage entry into STEM in general, and Earth system science in particular. Then there is the question of how to bring interested faculty together in institutions to form a critical mass that would forego the breadth and depth of disciplinary interests to undertake the development of multi/cross and interdisciplinary courses, minors and degree programs in ESS. Within the ESSE21 Diversity Working Group, the question has been raised as to how will MSIs ever be mainstream participants in ESS without teaching and engaging in research in remote sensing, modeling of the Earth's climate system and other like endeavors. Two other related questions raised within the Working Group are what are the long-term objectives of MSI adoption of ESS and what course corrections are needed to make ESS viable at MSIs. Within these considerations there are unresolved questions concerning the need and availability of resources from NASA, other agencies and local institutions. Apart from these larger considerations, efforts are underway within the ESSE21 Program that provide for sharing of resources among participants, organization of and access to materials that already exist, online resources, course outlines and successful listings for online resources by topics for particular courses and subject areas. The Lesson Learned Working Group, as well as the program

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Readiness: Ethno-linguistic and gender differences in high-school course selection patterns

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Adamuti-Trache, Maria; Sweet, Robert

2014-03-01

The study examines science-related course choices of high-school students in the culturally diverse schools of the province of British Columbia, Canada. The analysis employs K-12 provincial data and includes over 44,000 students born in 1990 who graduated from high school by 2009. The research sample reflects the presence of about 27% of students for whom English is not a first language. We construct an empirical model that examines ethno-linguistic and gender differences in Grade 12 course choices while accounting for personal and situational differences among students. The study employs a course selection typology that emphasizes readiness for science, technology, engineering and math fields of study. Findings indicate that math- and science-related course selection patterns are strongly associated with ethnicity, qualified not only by gender and prior math and science achievement but also by the individual's grade level at entry to the system and enrollment in English as a Second Language program. Students who are more likely to engage in math and science courses belong to Asian ethno-linguistic groups and entered the provincial school system during the senior high-school years. We suggest that ethnic diversity and broader academic exposure may play a crucial role in changing the gender composition of science classrooms, university fields of study and science-related occupations.

Teachers' Perspectives of the New Western Australian Earth and Environmental Science Course: Lessons for the Australian Curriculum

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Dawson, Vaille; Moore, Leah

2011-01-01

In 2007, a new upper secondary course, Earth and Environmental Science (EES) was introduced in Western Australia. The development and implementation of the course was supported by Earth Science Western Australia (ESWA), a consortium of universities, the CSIRO and other organisations. The role of ESWA is to support the teaching of earth science in…

Different behavioral patterns of success for men and women in an online introductory science course: Addressing the course grade gender gap

Science.gov (United States)

Mead, C.; Horodyskyj, L.; Buxner, S.; Semken, S. C.; Anbar, A. D.

2016-12-01

In this study, we explore how data provided by an online learning environment can provide fine-grained behavioral context for the performance gender gap commonly observed in introductory college science courses. Previous studies reported that women earn lower grades than men in such courses, often ascribed to reduced engagement and resilience driven by sociocultural causes, such as stereotype threat. This may be exacerbated in courses graded primarily based on high-stakes exams. Here, we use student data (n = 1121) from Habitable Worlds, an online laboratory science course, to identify behavioral differences between men and women. In Habitable Worlds, students earn points from 30 "trainings," which are scored on completion, and 30 "applications," which are scored on correctness. The lack of high-stakes cumulative exams represents a valuable contrast with typical science courses in which gender gaps have been reported. Our data indicate that a gender gap exists even for these low-stakes assessments. Results of a generalized linear model show that course success among women is much more strongly predicted by training scores than by application scores, while those factors have roughly equal predictive value among men. Predicted success among women is also modulated by the total number of attempts made on questions throughout the course, where more attempts implies lower success (holding other factors constant). This relationship is non-significant for men. Our interpretation of these model results is that obstacles such as stereotype threat represent a tax for women on effort and engagement, such that equivalent effort yields lesser success than for men. Thus, the women who do succeed differ sharply from lower performing women on indicators of effort. Future work should build on this result both as an indicator of conditions under which women are more likely to succeed and as a way to more quickly identify students who may struggle.

Influence of an Intensive, Field-Based Life Science Course on Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy for Environmental Science Teaching

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Trauth-Nare, Amy

2015-01-01

Personal and professional experiences influence teachers' perceptions of their ability to implement environmental science curricula and to positively impact students' learning. The purpose of this study was twofold: to determine what influence, if any, an intensive field-based life science course and service learning had on preservice teachers'…

Identification of multiple intelligences for high school students in theoretical and applied science courses

Science.gov (United States)

Wiseman, D. Kim

Historically educators in the United States have used the Stanford-Binet intelligence test to measure a students' ability in logical/mathematical and linguistic domains. This measurement is being used by a society that has evolved from agrarian and industrial-based economies to what is presently labeled a technological society. As society has changed so have the educational needs of the students who will live in this technological society. This study assessed the multiple intelligences of high school students enrolled in theoretical and applied science (physics and applied physics) courses. Studies have verified that performance and outcomes of students enrolled in these courses are similar in standardized testing but instructional methodology and processes are dissimilar. Analysis of multiple intelligence profiles collected from this study found significant differences in logical/mathematical, bodily/kinesthetic and intrapersonal multiple intelligences of students in theoretical science courses compared to students in applied science courses. Those differences clearly illustrate why it is imperative for educators to expand the definition of intelligence for students entering the new millennium.

Integrating Hands-On Undergraduate Research in an Applied Spatial Science Senior Level Capstone Course

Science.gov (United States)

Kulhavy, David L.; Unger, Daniel R.; Hung, I-Kuai; Douglass, David

2015-01-01

A senior within a spatial science Ecological Planning capstone course designed an undergraduate research project to increase his spatial science expertise and to assess the hands-on instruction methodology employed within the Bachelor of Science in Spatial Science program at Stephen F Austin State University. The height of 30 building features…

The motivations and experiences of students enrolled in online science courses at the community college

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Urbi

An important question in online learning involves how to effectively motivate and retain students in science online courses. There is a dearth of research and knowledge about the experiences of students enrolled in online science courses in community colleges which has impeded the proper development and implementation of online courses and retention of students in the online environment. This study sought to provide an understanding of the relationships among each of the following variables: self-efficacy, task value, negative-achievement emotions, self-regulation learning strategies (metacognition), learning strategy (elaboration), and course satisfaction to student's performance (course final grade). Bandura's social-cognitive theory was used as a framework to describe the relationships among students' motivational beliefs (perceived task value, self-efficacy, and self-regulation) and emotions (frustration and boredom) with the dependent variables (elaboration and overall course satisfaction). A mixed-method design was used with a survey instrumentation and student interviews. A variety of science online courses in biology, genetics, astronomy, nutrition, and chemistry were surveyed in two community colleges. Community colleges students (N = 107) completed a questionnaire during enrollment in a variety of online science online courses. Upon course completion, 12 respondents were randomly selected for follow-up in-depth interviews. Multiple regression results from the study indicate perceived task value and self-regulatory learning strategies (metacognition) were as important predictors for students' use of elaboration, while self-efficacy and the number of prior online courses was not significant predictors for students' elaboration when all four predictors were included. Frustration was a significant negative predictor of overall course satisfaction, and boredom unexpectedly emerged as a positive predictor when frustration was also in the model. In addition, the

The Effect of a History-based Course in Optics on Students' Views about Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Galili, Igal; Hazan, Amnon

2001-01-01

Describes an experimental course in optics for 10th grade high school students. The course incorporates those historical ideas, views, and conceptions that constituted the early understanding of light and vision. Presents a part of the course which assesses its impact on students' views about science and some related technological and cultural…

Teaching professionalism in science courses: Anatomy to zoology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheryl C. Macpherson

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Medical professionalism is reflected in attitudes, behaviors, character, and standards of practice. It is embodied by physicians who fulfill their duties to patients and uphold societies’ trust in medicine. Professionalism requires familiarity with the ethical codes and standards established by international, governmental, institutional, or professional organizations. It also requires becoming aware of and responsive to societal controversies. Scientific uncertainty may be used to teach aspects of professionalism in science courses. Uncertainty about the science behind, and the health impacts of, climate change is one example explored herein that may be used to teach both professionalism and science. Many medical curricula provide students with information about professionalism and create opportunities for students to reflect upon and strengthen their individually evolving levels of professionalism. Faculties in basic sciences are rarely called upon to teach professionalism or deepen medical students understanding of professional standards, competencies, and ethical codes. However they have the knowledge and experience to develop goals, learning objectives, and topics relevant to professionalism within their own disciplines and medical curricula. Their dedication to, and passion for, science will support basic science faculties in designing innovative and effective approaches to teaching professionalism. This paper explores topics and formats that scientists may find useful in teaching professional attitudes, skills, and competencies in their medical curriculum. It highlights goals and learning objectives associated with teaching medical professionalism in the basic sciences.

Academe-Industry Partnership: Basis for Enhanced Learning Guide in the New Science General Education Course

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alma D. Agero

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This study explores the academe-industry partnership of Cebu Technological University Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management and Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology major in Food Preparation and Services courses, SY 2014-2015 to improve the quality of course offering. It takes on the feedback received from supervisors of 50 different hotels and restaurants of Cebu province, as well as the self-rating of 185 OJTs of the two courses as regard to OJTs' level of functional and science-based core competencies. This descriptive research utilizes Likert-type research-made survey questionnaire which was previously tested for validity and reliability. The findings revealed that industry supervisors evaluated the trainees as Competent in core competencies (Bartending, Bread and pastry products, Cookery, Customer services, Front office services, food and beverages as well as functional skills (Problem solving, Leadership, Communication, Independent work, Creativity, Negotiation, Teamwork, Time management and Initiative. However, they found the students need of strengthening their problem solving and communication skills. The researchers therefore developed an enhanced learning guide for the New Science GE course to address the gaps based on the industry feedback.

An Elective Course on the Basic and Clinical Sciences Aspects of Vitamins and Minerals

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Objective. To develop and implement an elective course on vitamins and minerals and their usefulness as dietary supplements. Design. A 2-credit-hour elective course designed to provide students with the most up-to-date basic and clinical science information on vitamins and minerals was developed and implemented in the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. In addition to classroom lectures, an active-learning component was incorporated in the course in the form of group discussion. Assessment. Student learning was demonstrated by examination scores. Performance on pre- and post-course surveys administered in 2011 demonstrated a significant increase in students’ knowledge of the basic and clinical science aspects of vitamins and minerals, with average scores increasing from 61% to 86%. At the end of the semester, students completed a standard course evaluation. Conclusion. An elective course on vitamin and mineral supplements was well received by pharmacy students and helped them to acquire knowledge and competence in patient counseling regarding safe, appropriate, effective, and economical use of these products. PMID:23463149

An elective course on the basic and clinical sciences aspects of vitamins and minerals.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Mohammed A

2013-02-12

Objective. To develop and implement an elective course on vitamins and minerals and their usefulness as dietary supplements. Design. A 2-credit-hour elective course designed to provide students with the most up-to-date basic and clinical science information on vitamins and minerals was developed and implemented in the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. In addition to classroom lectures, an active-learning component was incorporated in the course in the form of group discussion. Assessment. Student learning was demonstrated by examination scores. Performance on pre- and post-course surveys administered in 2011 demonstrated a significant increase in students' knowledge of the basic and clinical science aspects of vitamins and minerals, with average scores increasing from 61% to 86%. At the end of the semester, students completed a standard course evaluation. Conclusion. An elective course on vitamin and mineral supplements was well received by pharmacy students and helped them to acquire knowledge and competence in patient counseling regarding safe, appropriate, effective, and economical use of these products.

The Importance of Agriculture Science Course Sequencing in High Schools: A View from Collegiate Agriculture Students

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Wheelus, Robin P.

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the importance of Agriculture Science course sequencing in high schools, as a preparatory factor for students enrolled in collegiate agriculture classes. With the variety of courses listed in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Agriculture Science, it has been possible for counselors,…

Collaborating to Improve Inquiry-Based Teaching in Elementary Science and Mathematics Methods Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Magee, Paula A.; Flessner, Ryan

2012-01-01

This study examines the effect of promoting inquiry-based teaching (IBT) through collaboration between a science methods course and mathematics methods course in an elementary teacher education program. During the collaboration, preservice elementary teacher (PST) candidates experienced 3 different types of inquiry as a way to foster increased…

Lessons Learned from Undergraduate Students in Designing a Science-Based Course in Bioethics

Science.gov (United States)

Loike, John D.; Rush, Brittany S.; Schweber, Adam; Fischbach, Ruth L.

2013-01-01

Columbia University offers two innovative undergraduate science-based bioethics courses for student majoring in biosciences and pre-health studies. The goals of these courses are to introduce future scientists and healthcare professionals to the ethical questions they will confront in their professional lives, thus enabling them to strategically…

The rate of knowledge retention in basic sciences courses among dentistry students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.S Mazloomi

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Acquiring and recalling knowledge can be considered as the starting point of learning; so increasing  the acquisition  of knowledge and information  recall is one the most important goals of education.Objective: To determine the students'  information recall in the basic courses of histology, immunology, physiology, biochemistry,  head and neck anatomy,  and microbiology  in dentistry  school.Method:  In this descriptive  survey, 60 students who had passed their basis courses were studied. The tests  were  held  five semesters  following  the basic  courses,  and  were  like  those  they  had  passed previously.Results: The results revealed that information recall was the highest for the physiology course (z=0.72, while it was the lowest for anatomy (z=0.07. For the histology course, the lowest mean score was achieved by the students entered in the  year 1997, and the highest  by those  entered  in 1999. The relationship between the entry year  of the  students  and  their  information recall  is  statistically significant  (p<0.05.Discussant: The results showed that the teaching basic science courses such as physiology, anatomy, immunology, microbiology, and biochemistry should  accompany new  strategies in  teaching  and learning. One of these is the inclusion by the teachers of retrieval cues in any course so as to facilitate learning.Keywords:  knowledge retention,  basic sciences

Using GIS in an Earth Sciences Field Course for Quantitative Exploration, Data Management and Digital Mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Marra, Wouter A.; van de Grint, Liesbeth; Alberti, Koko; Karssenberg, Derek

2017-01-01

Field courses are essential for subjects like Earth Sciences, Geography and Ecology. In these topics, GIS is used to manage and analyse spatial data, and offers quantitative methods that are beneficial for fieldwork. This paper presents changes made to a first-year Earth Sciences field course in the French Alps, where new GIS methods were…

Interdisciplinary Science Courses for College General Education Requirements: Perspectives of Faculty at a State University.

Science.gov (United States)

Dass, Pradeep Maxwell

Science educators have been advocating a broader role for science education--that of helping all students see the relevance of science to their own lives. Yet the only experience with post-secondary science that non-science majors get is through a couple of science courses which are part of the general education requirements (GERs) for a liberal…

Educational Impact of Digital Visualization Tools on Digital Character Production Computer Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

van Langeveld, Mark Christensen

2009-01-01

Digital character production courses have traditionally been taught in art departments. The digital character production course at the University of Utah is centered, drawing uniformly from art and engineering disciplines. Its design has evolved to include a synergy of computer science, functional art and human anatomy. It gives students an…

Academic Performance and Pass Rates: Comparison of Three First-Year Life Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Downs, C. T.

2009-01-01

First year students' academic performance in three Life Science courses (Botany, Zoology and Bioscience) was compared. Pass rates, as well as the means and distributions of final marks were analysed. Of the three components (coursework, practical and theory examinations) contributing to the final mark of each course, students performed best in the…

Teaching professionalism in science courses: anatomy to zoology.

Science.gov (United States)

Macpherson, Cheryl C

2012-02-01

Medical professionalism is reflected in attitudes, behaviors, character, and standards of practice. It is embodied by physicians who fulfill their duties to patients and uphold societies' trust in medicine. Professionalism requires familiarity with the ethical codes and standards established by international, governmental, institutional, or professional organizations. It also requires becoming aware of and responsive to societal controversies. Scientific uncertainty may be used to teach aspects of professionalism in science courses. Uncertainty about the science behind, and the health impacts of, climate change is one example explored herein that may be used to teach both professionalism and science. Many medical curricula provide students with information about professionalism and create opportunities for students to reflect upon and strengthen their individually evolving levels of professionalism. Faculties in basic sciences are rarely called upon to teach professionalism or deepen medical students understanding of professional standards, competencies, and ethical codes. However they have the knowledge and experience to develop goals, learning objectives, and topics relevant to professionalism within their own disciplines and medical curricula. Their dedication to, and passion for, science will support basic science faculties in designing innovative and effective approaches to teaching professionalism. This paper explores topics and formats that scientists may find useful in teaching professional attitudes, skills, and competencies in their medical curriculum. It highlights goals and learning objectives associated with teaching medical professionalism in the basic sciences. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

MiTEP's Collaborative Field Course Design Process Based on Earth Science Literacy Principles

Science.gov (United States)

Engelmann, C. A.; Rose, W. I.; Huntoon, J. E.; Klawiter, M. F.; Hungwe, K.

2010-12-01

Michigan Technological University has developed a collaborative process for designing summer field courses for teachers as part of their National Science Foundation funded Math Science Partnership program, called the Michigan Teacher Excellence Program (MiTEP). This design process was implemented and then piloted during two two-week courses: Earth Science Institute I (ESI I) and Earth Science Institute II (ESI II). Participants consisted of a small group of Michigan urban science teachers who are members of the MiTEP program. The Earth Science Literacy Principles (ESLP) served as the framework for course design in conjunction with input from participating MiTEP teachers as well as research done on common teacher and student misconceptions in Earth Science. Research on the Earth Science misconception component, aligned to the ESLP, is more fully addressed in GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 42, No. 5. “Recognizing Earth Science Misconceptions and Reconstructing Knowledge through Conceptual-Change-Teaching”. The ESLP were released to the public in January 2009 by the Earth Science Literacy Organizing Committee and can be found at http://www.earthscienceliteracy.org/index.html. Each day of the first nine days of both Institutes was focused on one of the nine ESLP Big Ideas; the tenth day emphasized integration of concepts across all of the ESLP Big Ideas. Throughout each day, Michigan Tech graduate student facilitators and professors from Michigan Tech and Grand Valley State University consistantly focused teaching and learning on the day's Big Idea. Many Earth Science experts from Michigan Tech and Grand Valley State University joined the MiTEP teachers in the field or on campus, giving presentations on the latest research in their area that was related to that Big Idea. Field sites were chosen for their unique geological features as well as for the “sense of place” each site provided. Preliminary research findings indicate that this collaborative design

Integrating Computational Science Tools into a Thermodynamics Course

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, Camilo; Magana, Alejandra J.; García, R. Edwin; Jana, Aniruddha; Krafcik, Matthew

2018-01-01

Computational tools and methods have permeated multiple science and engineering disciplines, because they enable scientists and engineers to process large amounts of data, represent abstract phenomena, and to model and simulate complex concepts. In order to prepare future engineers with the ability to use computational tools in the context of their disciplines, some universities have started to integrate these tools within core courses. This paper evaluates the effect of introducing three computational modules within a thermodynamics course on student disciplinary learning and self-beliefs about computation. The results suggest that using worked examples paired to computer simulations to implement these modules have a positive effect on (1) student disciplinary learning, (2) student perceived ability to do scientific computing, and (3) student perceived ability to do computer programming. These effects were identified regardless of the students' prior experiences with computer programming.

Class Size and Academic Achievement in Introductory Political Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Towner, Terri L.

2016-01-01

Research on the influence of class size on student academic achievement is important for university instructors, administrators, and students. The article examines the influence of class size--a small section versus a large section--in introductory political science courses on student grades in two comparable semesters. It is expected that…

Women and Spatial Change: Learning Resources for Social Science Courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Rengert, Arlene C., Ed.; Monk, Janice J., Ed.

Six units focusing on the effects of spatial change on women are designed to supplement college introductory courses in geography and the social sciences. Unit 1, Woman and Agricultural Landscapes, focuses on how women contributed to landscape change in prehistory, women's impact on the environment, and the hypothesis that women developed…

Generic Science Skills Enhancement of Students through Implementation of IDEAL Problem Solving Model on Genetic Information Course

Science.gov (United States)

Zirconia, A.; Supriyanti, F. M. T.; Supriatna, A.

2018-04-01

This study aims to determine generic science skills enhancement of students through implementation of IDEAL problem-solving model on genetic information course. Method of this research was mixed method, with pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design. Subjects of this study were chemistry students enrolled in biochemistry course, consisted of 22 students in the experimental class and 19 students in control class. The instrument in this study was essayed involves 6 indicators generic science skills such as indirect observation, causality thinking, logical frame, self-consistent thinking, symbolic language, and developing concept. The results showed that genetic information course using IDEAL problem-solving model have been enhancing generic science skills in low category with of 20,93%. Based on result for each indicator, showed that there are indicators of generic science skills classified in the high category.

Incorporating Geoethics in Introductory Earth System Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitt, J.

2014-12-01

The integrative nature of Earth System Science courses provides extensive opportunities to introduce students to geoethical inquiry focused on globally significant societal issues. Geoscience education has traditionally lagged in its efforts to increase student awareness of the significance of geologic knowledge to understanding and responsibly confronting causes and possible solutions for emergent, newly emerging, and future problems of anthropogenic cause and consequence. Developing an understanding of the human impact on the earth system requires early (lower division) and for geoscience majors, repeated (upper division) curricular emphasis on the interactions of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and pedosphere across space and through time. Capturing the interest of university students in globally relevant earth system issues and their ethical dimensions while first learning about the earth system is an important initial step in bringing geoethical deliberation and awareness to the next generation of geoscientists. Development of a new introductory Earth System Science course replacing a traditional introductory Physical Geology course at Montana State University has involved abandonment of concept-based content organization in favor of a place-based approach incorporating examination of the complex interactions of earth system components and emergent issues and dilemmas deriving from the unique component interactions that characterize each locale. Thirteen different place-based week-long modules (using web- and classroom-based instruction) were developed to ensure cumulative broad coverage across the earth geographically and earth system components conceptually. Each place-based instructional module contains content of societal relevance requiring synthesis, critical evaluation, and reflection by students. Examples include making linkages between deforestation driven by economics and increased seismicity in Haiti, agriculture and development

Including an Exam P/1 Prep Course in a Growing Actuarial Science Program

Science.gov (United States)

Wakefield, Thomas P.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the actuarial science program at our university and the development of a course to enhance students' problem solving skills while preparing them for Exam P/1 of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Casualty Actuary Society (CAS). The Exam P/1 prep course, formally titled Mathematical Foundations of…

Big Data Science Education: A Case Study of a Project-Focused Introductory Course

Science.gov (United States)

Saltz, Jeffrey; Heckman, Robert

2015-01-01

This paper reports on a case study of a project-focused introduction to big data science course. The pedagogy of the course leveraged boundary theory, where students were positioned to be at the boundary between a client's desire to understand their data and the academic class. The results of the case study demonstrate that using live clients…

Uncovering Students' Environmental Identity: An Exploration of Activities in an Environmental Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Blatt, Erica

2014-01-01

This study at a public high school in the Northeastern United States explores how students' environmental identities are affected by various activities in an Environmental Science course. Data was collected as part of an ethnographic study involving an Environmental Science teacher and her tenth-twelfth grade students. The results focus on…

Factors Influencing Achievement in Undergraduate Social Science Research Methods Courses: A Mixed Methods Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Markle, Gail

2017-01-01

Undergraduate social science research methods courses tend to have higher than average rates of failure and withdrawal. Lack of success in these courses impedes students' progression through their degree programs and negatively impacts institutional retention and graduation rates. Grounded in adult learning theory, this mixed methods study…

The Quantitative Reasoning for College Science (QuaRCS) Assessment in non-Astro 101 Courses II

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkman, Thomas W.; Jensen, Ellen

2017-06-01

The Quantitative Reasoning for College Science (QuaRCS) Assessment[1] aims to measure the pre-algebra mathematical skills that are often part of "general education" science courses like Astro 101. In four majors STEM classes, we report comparisons between QuaRCS metrics, ACT math, GPAO, and the course grade. In three of four classes QuaRCS QR score and ACT math were statistically significantly correlated (with r˜.6), however in the fourth course —a senior-level microbiology course— there was no statistically significantly correlation (in fact, rPhysics courses showed fractional sigma gains in QR, self-estimated math fluency and math importance, but not all of those increases were statistically significant. Using a QuaRCS map relating the questions to skill areas, we found graph reading, percentages, and proportional reasoning to be the most misunderstood skills in all four courses.[1] QuaRCS, Follette, et al.,2015, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1936-4660.8.2.2

Geophysics education on the Internet: Course production and assessment of our MOOC, "Deep Earth Science"

Science.gov (United States)

Okuda, Y.; Tazawa, K.; Sugie, K.; Sakuraba, H.; Hideki, M.; Tagawa, S.; Cross, S. J.

2016-12-01

Recently, massive open online courses (MOOC or MOOCs) have gained wide-spread attention as a new educational platform delivered via the internet. Many leading institutions all over the world have provided many fascinating MOOC courses in various fields. Students enrolled in MOOCs study their interested topic in a course not only by watching video lectures, reading texts, and answering questions, but also by utilizing interactive online tools such as discussion boards, Q&A sessions and peer assessments. MOOC is also gaining popularity as a way to do outreach activity and diffuse research results. Tokyo Institute of Technology provided its 1st MOOC, "Introduction to Deep Earth Science Part1" on edX, which is one of the largest MOOC providers. This four-week-long course was designed for 1st year college students and with two learning goals in this course; 1) to introduce students to the fascinating knowledge of solid Earth, 2) to provide an opportunity to use scientific thinking as well as to show how interesting and exciting science can be. This course contained materials such as 1) structure of inside of the Earth 2) internal temperature of the earth and how it is estimated and 3) chemical compositions and dynamics inside the earth. After the end of the provision of Part1, this course was re-made as "Introduction to Deep Earth Science"(so to speak, Part2) on the basis of opinions obtained from students who have attended our course and student teaching assistants (TA) who have run and produced this course. In this presentation, we will explain our MOOC making model, which is a team based course creation effort between the course instructor, Tokyo Tech Online Education Development Office (OEDO) staff and TA students. Moreover, we will share details and feedback of Part1 received from some of the 5000 enrolled students from 150 counties and regions, and report the implementation of Part2 in the light of challenges resulted from Part1.

Designing English for Specific Purposes Course for Computer Science Students

Science.gov (United States)

Irshad, Isra; Anwar, Behzad

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to design English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course for University students enrolled in the Computer Science Department. For this purpose, academic English language needs of the students were analyzed by using a 5 point Likert scale questionnaire. Additionally, interviews were also conducted with four faculty members of…

Learning Environment and Attitudes Associated with an Innovative Science Course Designed for Prospective Elementary Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Martin-Dunlop, Catherine; Fraser, Barry J.

2008-01-01

This study assessed the effectiveness of an innovative science course for improving prospective elementary teachers' perceptions of laboratory learning environments and attitudes towards science. The sample consisted of 27 classes with 525 female students in a large urban university. Changing students' ideas about science laboratory teaching and…

The Relationship between Student's Quantitative Skills, Application of Math, Science Courses, and Science Marks at Single-Sex Independent High Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Cambridge, David

2012-01-01

For independent secondary schools who offer rigorous curriculum to attract students, integration of quantitative skills in the science courses has become an important definition of rigor. However, there is little research examining students' quantitative skills in relation to high school science performance within the single-sex independent school…

How a science methods course may influence the curriculum decisions of preservice teachers in the Bahamas

Science.gov (United States)

Wisdom, Sonya L.

The purpose of this study was to examine how a science methods course in primary education might influence the curriculum decisions of preservice teachers in The Bahamas related to unit plan development on environmental science topics. Grounded in a social constructivist theoretical framework for teaching and learning science, this study explored the development of the confidence and competence of six preservice teachers to teach environmental science topics at the primary school level. A qualitative case study using action research methodologies was conducted. The perspectives of preservice teachers about the relevancy of methods used in a science methods course were examined as I became more reflective about my practice. Using constant comparative analysis, data from student-written documents and interviews as well as my field notes from class observations and reflective journaling were analyzed for emerging patterns and themes. Findings of the study indicated that while preservice teachers showed a slight increase in interest regarding learning and teaching environmental science, their primary focus during the course was learning effective teaching strategies in science on topics with which they already had familiarity. Simultaneously, I gained a deeper understanding of the usefulness of reflection in my practice. As a contribution to the complexity of learning to teach science at the primary school level, this study suggests some issues for consideration as preservice teachers are supported to utilize more of the national primary science curriculum in The Bahamas.

Embedding Probeware Technology in the Context of Ocean Acidification in Elementary Science Methods Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Ensign, Todd I.; Rye, James A.; Luna, Melissa J.

2017-12-01

Research indicates that preservice teacher (PT) education programs can positively impact perceptions of scientific probeware use in K-8 environments. Despite the potential of probeware to improve science instruction and student engagement, its use in elementary education has been limited. Sixty-seven PT enrolled across three sections of an elementary science methods course participated in a mixed-methods study through which they utilized probeware in a thematic experience on ocean acidification. One-way repeated measures ANOVA of pre and post survey data measuring subscales of utility, ability, and intent to use probeware demonstrated a statistically significant increase with medium to large effect sizes for all subscales across all sections (p<0.01,{η}_p^2=0.384;p<0.001,{η}_p^2=0.517;p<0.001,{η}_p^2=0.214) . Analysis of reflective journals revealed over 60% felt the multiple capabilities (notably graphing) of probeware make it a useful classroom tool, and almost one-half believed that its use makes science more enjoyable and engaging. Mapping of the unitized data from the journals on the Next Generation Science Standards suggested that probeware use especially engages learners in planning and carrying out investigations and in analyzing and interpreting data. Journals also revealed that despite PT having prior experience with probeware in science courses, its use in their future elementary classroom is conditional on having a positive experience with probeware in a science methods course. Further, embedding a probeware experience in a unit on ocean acidification provides PT with strategies for addressing climate change and engaging in argument from evidence.

Designing for Deeper Learning in a Blended Computer Science Course for Middle School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Grover, Shuchi; Pea, Roy; Cooper, Stephen

2015-01-01

The focus of this research was to create and test an introductory computer science course for middle school. Titled "Foundations for Advancing Computational Thinking" (FACT), the course aims to prepare and motivate middle school learners for future engagement with algorithmic problem solving. FACT was also piloted as a seven-week course…

A Library Research Course for Graduate and Professional Students in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Tag, Sylvia G.

2007-01-01

This article describes the formation and content of a required library and information research course for graduate and professional students enrolled in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Master of Arts degree program at Western Washington University. The course was created as a result of library assessment, student feedback, and faculty…

An integrated course in pain management and palliative care bridging the basic sciences and pharmacy practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kullgren, Justin; Radhakrishnan, Rajan; Unni, Elizabeth; Hanson, Eric

2013-08-12

To describe the development of an integrated pain and palliative care course and to investigate the long-term effectiveness of the course during doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students' advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) and in their practice after graduation. Roseman University College of Pharmacy faculty developed a 3-week elective course in pain and palliative care by integrating relevant clinical and pharmaceutical sciences. Instructional strategies included lectures, team and individual activities, case studies, and student presentations. Students who participated in the course in 2010 and 2011 were surveyed anonymously to gain their perception about the class as well as the utility of the course during their APPEs and in their everyday practice. Traditional and nontraditional assessment of students confirmed that the learning outcomes objectives were achieved. Students taking the integrated course on pain management and palliative care achieved mastery of the learning outcome objectives. Surveys of students and practicing pharmacists who completed the course showed that the learning experience as well as retention was improved with the integrated mode of teaching. Integrating basic and clinical sciences in therapeutic courses is an effective learning strategy.

Development of an ICT in IBSE course for science teachers: A design-based research

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Trinh-Ba

2018-01-01

Integration of ICT tools for measuring with sensors, analyzing video, and modelling into Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) is a need globally recognized. The challenge to teachers is how to turn manipulation of equipment and software into manipulation of ideas. We have developed a short ICT in IBSE course to prepare and support science teachers to teach inquiry-based activities with ICT tools. Within the framework of design-based research, we first defined the pedagogical principles from the literature, developed core materials for teacher learning, explored boundary conditions of the training in different countries, and elaborated set-ups of the course for the Dutch, Slovak, and Vietnamese contexts. Next, we taught and evaluated three iterative cycles of the Dutch course set-ups for pre-service science teachers from four teacher-education institutes nationwide. In each cycle, data on the teacher learning was collected via observations, questionnaires, interviews, and documents. These data were then analyzed for the questions about faithful implementation and effectiveness of the course. Following the same approach, we taught and evaluated two cycles of the Slovak course set-ups for in-service science teachers in the context of the national accreditation programme for teacher professional development. In addition, we investigated applicability of the final Dutch course set-up in the context of the physics-education master program in Vietnam with adaptations geared to educational and cultural difference. Through the iterations of implementation, evaluation, and revision, eventually the course objectives were achieved to certain extent; the pedagogical principles and core materials proved to be effective and applicable in different contexts. We started this research and design project with the pedagogical principles and concluded it with these principles (i.e. complete theory-practice cycle, depth first, distributed learning, and ownership of learning) as the

Changes in Critical Thinking Skills Following a Course on Science and Pseudoscience: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Science.gov (United States)

McLean, Carmen P.; Miller, Nathan A.

2010-01-01

We assessed changes in paranormal beliefs and general critical thinking skills among students (n = 23) enrolled in an experimental course designed to teach distinguishing science from pseudoscience and a comparison group of students (n = 30) in an advanced research methods course. On average, both courses were successful in reducing paranormal…

Experience in presenting short courses in waste management technologies for secondary science and mathematics teachers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toth, W.J.; Smith, T.H.; Garcia, M.M.; Ferguson, J.E.

1991-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) and its Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) are developing educational programs that will help avert projected shortages in scientific and engineering manpower. One approach to this end is to help teachers become better prepared to teach topics that enthuse more students. INEL developed and offered a Short Course in Waste Management Technologies for Secondary Science and Mathematics Teachers. Short Course has two purposes: (1) to provide secondary-level science and mathematics teachers with training and information that will be useful to them in the classroom, and (2) to provide information on a topic of widespread interest in today's society, i.e., the management of hazardous and radioactive wastes and the restoration and preservation of the environment. This paper describes the development of the Short Course and summarizes some of the lessons learned in the preparation and presentation of such courses. 2 refs., 2 tabs

Exploring Environmental Identity and Behavioral Change in an Environmental Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Blatt, Erica N.

2013-01-01

This ethnographic study at a public high school in the Northeastern United States investigates the process of change in students' environmental identity and proenvironmental behaviors during an Environmental Science course. The study explores how sociocultural factors, such as students' background, social interactions, and classroom structures,…

Targeting Future Customers: An Introductory Biobanking Course for Undergraduate Students of Life Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelhafiz, Ahmed Samir; Fouda, Merhan Ahmed; El-Jaafary, Shaimaa Ibrahim; Farghly, Maysa Ibrahim; Salem, Mazen; Tammam, Ahmed; Gabr, Hala

2017-08-01

Biobanking is a relatively new concept in the Arab region. Targeting different stakeholders to introduce the concept of biobanking and develop an acceptance of it among them is important for the growth of biobanking in the region. Undergraduate students of life sciences represent an important segment of stakeholders, since they constitute potential future biobank customers. Limited funding, lack of awareness of the existence of the term "biobanking" itself among these students, and questions regarding best marketing strategies presented challenges to planning for the most effective message delivery to this target group. A specific course was designed for undergraduate students of life sciences, which was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt. The course was conducted twice in 2016 and included lectures covering biobanking, quality, ethics, information technology, and translational research. Facebook and word-of-mouth were used for marketing and advertising. A total number of 125 participants attended both courses cumulatively. Facebook appeared to have been an effective marketing outlet, especially when paid advertisements were used. Evaluation of knowledge, measured using a pretest and posttest, demonstrated some improvement in knowledge of participants. Evaluation forms filled after the course showed positive attitude toward content and message delivery by a majority of participants. Facebook was also used as an evaluation method through analysis of engagement with posts created after course completion. Biobanking education can be carried out effectively with limited resources. Understanding the needs of the target group and using appropriate methods of communication are essential prerequisites to a well-tailored curriculum and effective message delivery. Using Facebook appears to be an effective and affordable method of communication and advertising. Targeting undergraduate students of life sciences interested in research is a good

Initial Results of On-Line Earth System Science Course Offerings at the University of Nebraska-Omaha Through the Earth System Science Education Alliance

Science.gov (United States)

Shuster, R. D.; Grandgenett, N. F.; Schnase, W. L.; Hamersky, S.; Moshman, R.

2008-12-01

The University of Nebraska at Omaha has been offering on-line Earth System Science coursework to teachers in Nebraska since 2002. UNO was one of the initial members in the Earth Systems Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) and has offered three different ESSEA courses, with nearly 200 students having taken ESSEA courses at UNO for graduate credit. Our experiences in delivering this coursework have involved both teachers who have received a stipend to take the course and those who have paid their own tuition and fees and received graduate credit for the course. We will report on the online behavior of teachers from both populations and also discuss pros and cons of each approach. UNO has also experimented with different approaches in the support and management of the course, including using undergraduate majors as content experts. This improves access of teachers to content-related feedback and is a positive experience for the undergraduate major. Feedback surveys from earlier ESSEA offerings indicate a strongly positive perception of the courses by the teachers enrolled in the coursework. Project impact has been documented in teacher projects, quotes, and lessons associated with the coursework activities. We will also describe online course modules being developed within the UNO online course efforts, including one focusing on the global amphibian crisis.

Explore the Human-Based Teaching for the Professional Course of Materials Science and Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yiping; Chen, Li; Zhang, Yufeng

2008-01-01

As viewed from two sides such as teacher and student, in this article, we explore the human-based teaching reform for the college professional course of materials Science and Engineering, point out the qualities and conditions that professional teacher should possess in the process of human-based teaching reform of professional course and the…

Debates of science vs. religion in undergraduate general education cosmology courses

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez-Aleman, Ramon

2015-04-01

Recent advances in theoretical physics such as the discovery of the Higgs boson or the BICEP2 data supporting inflation can be part of the general science curriculum of non-science majors in a cosmology course designed as part of the General Education component. Yet to be a truly interdisciplinary experience one must deal with the religious background and faith of most of our students. Religious faith seems to be important in their lives, but the philosophical outlook of sciences like cosmology or evolutionary biology is one in which God is an unnecessary component in explaining the nature and origin of the universe. We will review recent advances in cosmology and suggestions on how to establish a respectful and intelligent science vs. religion debate in a transdisciplinary general education setting.

Making Politics "Click": The Costs and Benefits of Using Clickers in an Introductory Political Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Heather K.

2012-01-01

In this article, the author addresses both the costs and benefits of implementing clickers into an introductory political science course. Comparing student responses to a mid-semester survey in both a clicker and non-clicker course, the results show that students have higher satisfaction of the course and instructor, higher exam scores, and feel…

The Effect of Technology on Students' Opinions about Authentic Learning Activities in Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Coskun, Hilal; Dogan, Alev; Uluay, Gulsah

2017-01-01

Today, most of the researchers have agreed on the importance of classroom environment where students responsible of their own learning. It is important to use modern learning methods with technology to reach this aim in courses. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of using Technology in science courses to investigate 7th…

Scientists Taking a Nature of Science Course: Beliefs and Learning Outcomes of Career Switchers

Science.gov (United States)

Peters-Burton, Erin

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine what scientists studying to become teachers know about the nature of science (NOS) before, during and after a course focused on NOS. The 16 scientists had an average of 9.7 years of work experience. The course was structured to teach knowledge about the aspects of NOS, demonstrate effective methods of…

How A Flipped Learning Environment Affects Learning In A Course On Theoretical Computer Science

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gnaur, Dorina; Hüttel, Hans

2014-01-01

This paper reports initial experiences with flipping the classroom in an undergraduate computer science course as part of an overall attempt to enhance the pedagogical support for student learning. Our findings indicate that, just as the flipped classroom implies, a shift of focus in the learning...... context influences the way students engage with the course and their learning strategies....

The impact of a dedicated Science-Technology-Society (STS) course on student knowledge of STS content

Science.gov (United States)

Barron, Paul E.

In the last half century, public awareness of issues such as population growth, environmental pollution and the threat of nuclear war has pressured science education to reform to increase student social responsibility. The emerging Science-Technology-Society (STS) movement addressed these concerns by developing numerous strategies and curricula. Considerable diagnostic research has been conducted on student knowledge of the nature of science, but not on the wider scope of STS content (e.g., the nature of science and technology and their interactions with society). However, researchers have not widely studied the impact of comprehensive STS curricula on students' knowledge of STS content nor the nature of STS teaching practice that influenced this knowledge gain. This study examined student success and teacher performance in a special STS course in Ontario, Canada. Research questions focused on the STS content knowledge gain by students completing this course and the impact of the STS teachers' teaching practices on this knowledge gain. Student data were collected using pre-course and post-course assessments of students' STS content knowledge. Teacher data were obtained using semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and videotapes. Statistical analysis indicated that, after completing the STS course, students significantly increased their STS content knowledge as measured by the Views on Science Technology Society instrument. Gender and academic achievement had no significant impact on this knowledge gain, implying that this course, as taught by these teachers, could appeal to a wide range of students as a general education course. The second part of the study indicated that detailed research is needed on the relationship between STS teaching practice and student STS content knowledge gain. The small sample size prevents generalizations but initial indications show that factors such constructivist teaching practices and strong teacher STS content knowledge

DNA, Drugs, and Detectives: An Interdisciplinary Special Topics Course for Undergraduate Students in Forensic Science

Science.gov (United States)

Coticone, Sulekha Rao; Van Houten, Lora Bailey

2015-01-01

A special topics course combining two relevant and contemporary themes (forensic DNA analysis and illicit drug detection) was developed to stimulate student enthusiasm and enhance understanding of forensic science. Building on the interest of popular television shows such as "CSI" and "Breaking Bad," this course connects…

A Canadian Approach to Training Technicians and Technologists In the Earth Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Watts, Stephen H.

1983-01-01

Describes two- and three-year undergraduate curricula for training earth science technicians at Sir Sanford Fleming College (Canada), emphasizing practical aspects and close student-faculty interaction. List of employment opportunities for geology graduates based on past placement data and geology curriculum outline are provided in tables. (JN)

Teaching Introductory Life Science Courses in Colleges of Agriculture: Faculty Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Balschweid, Mark; Knobloch, Neil A.; Hains, Bryan J.

2014-01-01

Insignificant numbers of college students declaring STEM majors creates concern for the future of the U.S. economy within the global marketplace. This study highlights the educational development and teaching strategies employed by STEM faculty in teaching first-year students in contextualized life science courses, such as animal, plant, and food…

Development and implementation of a science training course for breast cancer activists: Project LEAD (leadership, education and advocacy development).

Science.gov (United States)

Dickersin, K; Braun, L; Mead, M; Millikan, R; Wu, A M; Pietenpol, J; Troyan, S; Anderson, B; Visco, F

2001-12-01

To develop and implement Project LEAD (leadership, education, and advocacy development), a science course for breast cancer activists. Students were breast cancer activists and other consumers, mainly affiliated with advocacy organizations in the United States of America. Project LEAD is offered by the National Breast Cancer Coalition; the course takes place over 5 days and is offered 4 times a year, in various cities in the United States of America. The Project LEAD curriculum has developed over 5 years to include lectures, problem-based study groups, case studies, interactive critical appraisal sessions, a seminar by an 'expert' scientist, role play, and homework components. A core faculty has been valuable for evaluating and revising the course and has proved necessary to provide consistent high quality teaching. Course evaluations indicated that students gained critical appraisal skills, enhanced their knowledge and developed confidence in selected areas of basic science and epidemiology. Project LEAD comprises a unique curriculum for training breast cancer activists in science and critical appraisal. Course evaluations indicate that students gain confidence and skills from the course.

Acceptance of technology-enhanced learning for a theoretical radiological science course: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Nkenke, Emeka; Vairaktaris, Elefterios; Bauersachs, Anne; Eitner, Stephan; Budach, Alexander; Knipfer, Christoph; Stelzle, Florian

2012-03-30

Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) gives a view to improved education. However, there is a need to clarify how TEL can be used effectively. The study compared students' attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face course on theoretical radiological science and a TEL course where students could combine face-to-face lectures and e-learning modules at their best convenience. 42 third-year dental students were randomly assigned to the traditional face-to-face group and the TEL group. Both groups completed questionnaires before the beginning and after completion of the course on attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face lectures and technology-enhanced learning. After completion of the course both groups also filled in the validated German-language TRIL (Trierer Inventar zur Lehrevaluation) questionnaire for the evaluation of courses given at universities. Both groups had a positive attitude towards e-learning that did not change over time. The TEL group attended significantly less face-to-face lectures than the traditional group. However, both groups stated that face-to-face lectures were the basis for education in a theoretical radiological science course. The members of the TEL group rated e-mail reminders significantly more important when they filled in the questionnaire on attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face lectures and technology-enhanced learning for the second time after completion of the course. The members of the technology-enhanced learning group were significantly less confident in passing the exam compared to the members of the traditional group. However, examination results did not differ significantly for traditional and the TEL group. It seems that technology-enhanced learning in a theoretical radiological science course has the potential to reduce the need for face-to-face lectures. At the same time examination results are not impaired. However, technology-enhanced learning cannot completely replace

Acceptance of technology-enhanced learning for a theoretical radiological science course: a randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nkenke Emeka

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Technology-enhanced learning (TEL gives a view to improved education. However, there is a need to clarify how TEL can be used effectively. The study compared students' attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face course on theoretical radiological science and a TEL course where students could combine face-to-face lectures and e-learning modules at their best convenience. Methods 42 third-year dental students were randomly assigned to the traditional face-to-face group and the TEL group. Both groups completed questionnaires before the beginning and after completion of the course on attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face lectures and technology-enhanced learning. After completion of the course both groups also filled in the validated German-language TRIL (Trierer Inventar zur Lehrevaluation questionnaire for the evaluation of courses given at universities. Results Both groups had a positive attitude towards e-learning that did not change over time. The TEL group attended significantly less face-to-face lectures than the traditional group. However, both groups stated that face-to-face lectures were the basis for education in a theoretical radiological science course. The members of the TEL group rated e-mail reminders significantly more important when they filled in the questionnaire on attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face lectures and technology-enhanced learning for the second time after completion of the course. The members of the technology-enhanced learning group were significantly less confident in passing the exam compared to the members of the traditional group. However, examination results did not differ significantly for traditional and the TEL group. Conclusions It seems that technology-enhanced learning in a theoretical radiological science course has the potential to reduce the need for face-to-face lectures. At the same time examination results are not impaired

Acceptance of technology-enhanced learning for a theoretical radiological science course: a randomized controlled trial

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) gives a view to improved education. However, there is a need to clarify how TEL can be used effectively. The study compared students' attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face course on theoretical radiological science and a TEL course where students could combine face-to-face lectures and e-learning modules at their best convenience. Methods 42 third-year dental students were randomly assigned to the traditional face-to-face group and the TEL group. Both groups completed questionnaires before the beginning and after completion of the course on attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face lectures and technology-enhanced learning. After completion of the course both groups also filled in the validated German-language TRIL (Trierer Inventar zur Lehrevaluation) questionnaire for the evaluation of courses given at universities. Results Both groups had a positive attitude towards e-learning that did not change over time. The TEL group attended significantly less face-to-face lectures than the traditional group. However, both groups stated that face-to-face lectures were the basis for education in a theoretical radiological science course. The members of the TEL group rated e-mail reminders significantly more important when they filled in the questionnaire on attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face lectures and technology-enhanced learning for the second time after completion of the course. The members of the technology-enhanced learning group were significantly less confident in passing the exam compared to the members of the traditional group. However, examination results did not differ significantly for traditional and the TEL group. Conclusions It seems that technology-enhanced learning in a theoretical radiological science course has the potential to reduce the need for face-to-face lectures. At the same time examination results are not impaired. However, technology

The Earth System Course at the University of Oklahoma: Science and Pedagogy Aimed at Pre-service Teachers

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Postawko, S.; Soreghan, M.; Marek, E.

2005-12-01

Traditionally, education majors at the University of Oklahoma took either Introduction to Physical Geology or Introduction to Meteorology to fulfill their physical sciences requirement. Science education majors were required to take both courses. These courses are large-enrollment lecture type courses, with required lab sections taught by graduate teaching assistants. Beginning in 1997, faculty from the Colleges of Education and Geosciences at the University of Oklahoma began working together to provide effective earth science education for pre-service teachers. The first step in this collaboration was the development of a new course on The Earth System that focuses on Earth as a whole rather than on the more narrow focus of either the geology or meteorology courses. The new course, which was taught for the first time in the Spring of 2001, covers a number of major themes related to Earth Science, including the Carbon Cycle, Earth Materials, Plate Tectonics, Atmosphere and Oceans. The particular concepts within each theme were chosen based on two criteria: 1) alignment with content advocated by national (NSES) and state (Priority Academic Student Skills-PASS) standards; and 2) they are amenable to a learning cycle pedagogical approach. Besides an interdisciplinary approach to the content, the new course features pedagogical innovations. In lieu of independent laboratory and lecture times, we scheduled two class periods of longer duration, so that active learning, involving hands-on activities and experiments were possible throughout each class period. The activities modeled the learning-cycle approach with an exploration, concept invention, and an expansion phase (Marek and Cavallo, 1997). Therefore, the pre-service teachers experienced the learning cycle in practice prior to learning the theory in their upper division "methods" course. In the first 3 years that the course was taught, students were given surveys early in the semester and at the end of the semester

Virtue training in medical schools: the perspective of behavioral science course directors.

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Olufowote, James Olumide

2015-01-01

Although the multidisciplinary research on physician socialization has focused on areas such as developments in learners' ideological commitments and ethics knowledge and skills, the literature on physician virtues has been anecdotal. To contribute empirical knowledge of virtue development during socialization, I performed constant comparisons on interviews with 20 directors of preclinical behavioral science courses. In discussing their courses, participants revealed foci on virtues involved in making intimate connections with patients (e.g., empathy) and "being professional" with colleagues (e.g., trustworthiness). To cultivate virtues for intimate connections, participants used the strategies of learner engagement with patients' narratives of illness, service in underserved communities, and shadowing and observing role models. To develop virtues for being professional, participants used the strategy of small learner groups, which consisted of discussions, project collaborations, and group evaluations. I conclude with implications for training students of various health sciences and managing health care teams.

The PICS Climate Insights 101 Courses: A Visual Approach to Learning About Climate Science, Mitigation and Adaptation

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Pedersen, T. F.; Zwiers, F. W.; Breen, C.; Murdock, T. Q.

2014-12-01

The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) has now made available online three free, peer-reviewed, unique animated short courses in a series entitled "Climate Insights 101" that respectively address basic climate science, carbon-emissions mitigation approaches and opportunities, and adaptation. The courses are suitable for students of all ages, and use professionally narrated animations designed to hold a viewer's attention. Multiple issues are covered, including complex concerns like the construction of general circulation models, carbon pricing schemes in various countries, and adaptation approaches in the face of extreme weather events. Clips will be shown in the presentation. The first course (Climate Science Basics) has now been seen by over two hundred thousand individuals in over 80 countries, despite being offered in English only. Each course takes about two hours to work through, and in recognizing that that duration might pose an attention barrier to some students, PICS selected a number of short clips from the climate-science course and posted them as independent snippets on YouTube. A companion series of YouTube videos entitled, "Clear The Air", was created to confront the major global-warming denier myths. But a major challenge remains: despite numerous efforts to promote the availability of the free courses and the shorter YouTube pieces, they have yet to become widely known. Strategies to overcome that constraint will be discussed.

Teacher candidates in an online post-baccalaureate science methods course: Implications for teaching science inquiry with technology

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Colon, Erica L.

Online learning is becoming more prevalent in today's education and is changing the way students learn and instructors teach. This study proposed using an informative case study design within a multilevel conceptual framework as teacher candidates were learning to teach and use science inquiry while in an online post-baccalaureate science methods course. The purposes were to (a) explore whether the teacher candidates had a thorough understanding of scientific inquiry and how to implement higher-order thinking skills, (b) examine whether or not the teacher candidates used a variety of computer-based instructional technologies when choosing instructional objectives, and (c) identify barriers that impede teacher candidates from using science inquiry or technology singly, or the ability to incorporate technology into learning science inquiry. The findings indicate that an online approach in preparing science teachers holds great potential for using innovative technology to teach science inquiry. First, the teacher candidates did incorporate essential features of classroom inquiry, however it was limited and varied in the type of inquiry used. Second, of the 86 lesson plans submitted by the teacher candidates, less than twelve percent of the learning objectives involved higher-order skills that promoted science inquiry. Third, results supported that when using technology in their lesson planning, participants had widely varying backgrounds in reference to their familiarity with technology. However, even though each participant used some form or another, the technology used was fairly low level. Finally, when discussing implementing inquiry-based science in the lesson plans, this study identified time as a reason that participants may not be pushing for more inquiry-based lessons. The researcher also identifies that school placements were a huge factor in the amount of inquiry-based skills coded in the lesson plans. The study concludes that online teacher preparation

Using wikis to stimulate collaborative learning in two online health sciences courses.

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Zitzelsberger, Hilde; Campbell, Karen A; Service, Dorothea; Sanchez, Otto

2015-06-01

The use of wiki technology fits well in courses that encourage constructive knowledge building and social learning by a community of learners. Pedagogically, wikis have attracted interest in higher education environments because they facilitate the collaborative processes required for developing student group assignments. This article describes a pilot project to assess the implementation of wikis in two online small- and mid-sized elective courses comprising nursing students in third- or fourth-year undergraduate levels within interdisciplinary health sciences courses. The need exists to further develop the pedagogical use of wiki environments before they can be expected to support collaboration among undergraduate nursing students. Adapting wiki implementation to suitable well-matched courses will make adaptation of wikis into nursing curricula more effective and may increase the chances that nursing students will hone the collaborative abilities that are essential in their future professional roles in communities of practice. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Use of a Laboratory Field Project in an Introductory Crop Science Course.

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Lane, Robert A.

1986-01-01

Assesses the benefits resulting from a laboratory field project and report for agricultural students in an introductory crop science course. Student responses to evaluation statements indicated that the project helped them identify crops, understand cultural and management practices, and recognize environmental influences that affect crop…

Persistence and withdrawal by students in a preservice science and mathematics teacher education course

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Tulip, David F.; Lucas, Keith B.

1991-12-01

At a time when recruitment into preservice teacher education courses in mathematics and science is difficult, one strategy to increase the number of graduates is to minimise the number of students who fail to complete their university courses. This study sought to determine factors which distinguish withdrawers from persisters in the first semester of a B.Ed course. Discriminant analysis was employed; a discriminant function employing seven factors resulted in correct classification in 81% of cases. Further analysis distinguishing between dropouts and transferees resulted in two discriminant functions with some common variables.

Implementation of Real-World Experiential Learning in a Food Science Course Using a Food Industry-Integrated Approach

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Hollis, Francine H.; Eren, Fulya

2016-01-01

Success skills have been ranked as the most important core competency for new food science professionals to have by food science graduates and their employers. It is imperative that food science instructors promote active learning in food science courses through experiential learning activities to enhance student success skills such as oral and…

An analysis of interactions and outcomes associated with an online professional development course for science teachers

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Randle, David Edward

This mixed-methods study examined the interactions and learning outcomes of science teachers in an online graduate-level course on evolutionary biology intended to improve their content knowledge and science lesson planning. Discussion posts made by the teachers in this seven-week course were analyzed for cognitive presence using the Community of Inquiry framework. Compared to other studies examining cognitive presence, high levels of Integration level cognitive activity were observed (47% of total posts). This was most likely due to the design of the discussion prompts and expectations used to frame student participation. The questions were open-ended, and students were expected to use reference materials to construct their responses. During the course, 395 student posts contained statements that could be coded for scientific accuracy. Of these, 85% were coded as scientifically accurate. This reinforces reports from previous literature that the online environment is conducive to reflective and careful contributions by participants. As the course progressed, the number of faculty posts per discussion declined, while the number of student posts remained relatively constant. Student-to-student posts increased in frequency as faculty participation dropped. The number of student posts increased towards the end of each two-week discussion period, however the frequencies of posts with scientifically accurate statements and Integration level cognitive activity remained relatively constant over this same period. The increase in total posts was due to the increase in other types of communication in the discussions. Case study analysis was used to examine patterns of online behavior in three participants who achieved different course grades. A low-performing student had a pattern of intermittent activity, made low numbers of posts in each discussion, and had low percentages of posts that contained scientific statements or indicators of Integration level cognitive activity

Engaging High School Students in Advanced Math and Science Courses for Success in College: Is Advanced Placement the Answer?

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Kelley-Kemple, Thomas; Proger, Amy; Roderick, Melissa

2011-01-01

The current study provides an in-depth look at Advanced Placement (AP) math and science course-taking in one school district, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Using quasi-experimental methods, this study examines the college outcomes of students who take AP math and science courses. Specifically, this study asks whether students who take AP math…

Student Buy-In to Active Learning in a College Science Course

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Cavanagh, Andrew J.; Aragón, Oriana R.; Chen, Xinnian; Couch, Brian; Durham, Mary; Bobrownicki, Aiyana; Hanauer, David I.; Graham, Mark J.

2016-01-01

The benefits of introducing active learning in college science courses are well established, yet more needs to be understood about student buy-in to active learning and how that process of buy-in might relate to student outcomes. We test the exposure-persuasion-identification-commitment (EPIC) process model of buy-in, here applied to student (n =…

Pura Vida: Teacher Experiences in a Science Education Study Abroad Course in Costa Rica

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Medina, Stephanie Rae

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of classroom teachers who participated in a science-focused study abroad during their time as a preservice teacher and to explore how they are using their study abroad experiences in science curriculum planning and in classroom instruction. This study is guided by two research questions: 1) what are the study abroad experiences that have influenced classroom teachers; and, 2) how do classroom teachers incorporate study abroad experiences into science curriculum planning and instruction in the classroom? Participants were two in-service science teachers from schools located in the Southwestern United States. The participants were enrolled in the course, Environmental Science and Multicultural Experience for K-8 Teachers offered through the Department of Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction during their time as preservice teachers. The course included a two-week study abroad component in Costa Rica. Participants spent their mornings observing a monolingual, Spanish-speaking elementary classroom followed by a faculty-led multicultural seminar. Afternoons during the study abroad experience were dedicated to field science activities such as quantifying plant and animal biodiversity, constructing elevation profiles, determining nutrient storage in soil, and calculating river velocity. Throughout the course students participated in science-focused excursions. A cross case study design was used to answer the two research questions guiding this dissertation study. Data collection included participant-created concept maps of the science experiences during the study abroad experience, in-depth interviews detailing the study abroad experience and classroom instruction, and participant reflective journal entries. Cross-caseanalysis was employed to explore the uniqueness of each participant's experience and commonalities between the cases. Trustworthiness was established by utilizing multiple sources of data

77 FR 61767 - The Science of Small Clinical Trials; Notice of Course

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-11

... Science of Small Clinical Trials Course is presented by FDA's Office of Orphan Product Development, Center... from outside experts. It will also include case studies of regulatory trials and interactive panel... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2012-N-1025...

A comparative study of traditional lecture methods and interactive lecture methods in introductory geology courses for non-science majors at the college level

Science.gov (United States)

Hundley, Stacey A.

In recent years there has been a national call for reform in undergraduate science education. The goal of this reform movement in science education is to develop ways to improve undergraduate student learning with an emphasis on developing more effective teaching practices. Introductory science courses at the college level are generally taught using a traditional lecture format. Recent studies have shown incorporating active learning strategies within the traditional lecture classroom has positive effects on student outcomes. This study focuses on incorporating interactive teaching methods into the traditional lecture classroom to enhance student learning for non-science majors enrolled in introductory geology courses at a private university. Students' experience and instructional preferences regarding introductory geology courses were identified from survey data analysis. The information gained from responses to the questionnaire was utilized to develop an interactive lecture introductory geology course for non-science majors. Student outcomes were examined in introductory geology courses based on two teaching methods: interactive lecture and traditional lecture. There were no significant statistical differences between the groups based on the student outcomes and teaching methods. Incorporating interactive lecture methods did not statistically improve student outcomes when compared to traditional lecture teaching methods. However, the responses to the survey revealed students have a preference for introductory geology courses taught with lecture and instructor-led discussions and students prefer to work independently or in small groups. The results of this study are useful to individuals who teach introductory geology courses and individuals who teach introductory science courses for non-science majors at the college level.

Physiotherapy Students’ Attitudes to Basic Medical Sciences Courses

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Vasaghi Gharamaleki B

2015-04-01

Full Text Available  Aims: Students’ attitude to the basic sciences courses has a considerable impact in their clinical practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of undergraduate and graduate students to the Physiotherapy rather than basic science. Instrument & Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done on 151 undergraduate and graduate schools of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Tehran and Iran University of Medical Sciences students using easy access sampling in October and November of 2012. To evaluate the attitude and the importance and effectiveness subscales the West questionnaire was used. Data were analyzed using SPSS 17 software using One-way ANOVA, independent T, and logistic regression tests. Findings: There was a significant difference between the sexes in response to items 1, 4, 7 and 8. The attitudes mean and the importance and effectiveness subscales were greater in women in the bachelor fifth and seventh semesters. The attitude and the importance of women were significantly more positive than men in Master degree students of the first semester, but there was no statistically significant difference between the sexes in the third semester of the Master degree students. Conclusion: Bachelor and Master students' positive attitudes toward physical science is affected by their gender and women pay more attention to learn treatment physiologically details, while men are more likely to emphasize on the results of the treatment. By increasing the presence of women in Master degrees their attitude get closer to men.

Developing a constructivist learning environment in online postsecondary science courses

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Hackworth, Sylvester N.

This Delphi study addressed the concerns of postsecondary educators regarding the quality of education received by postsecondary science students who receive their instruction online. This study was framed with the constructivist learning theory and Piaget's and Dewey's cognitive development theories. The overarching question addressed a gap in research literature surrounding the pedagogical practices that could be successfully applied to future postsecondary online science education. The panel consisted of 30 experts in the area of online postsecondary education. Qualitative data from the initial seed questions were used to create a Likert-type survey to seek consensus of the themes derived from participant responses. Participants reached agreement on six items: apply constructivism to science curricula, identify strengths and challenges of online collegiate students, explicate students' consequences due to lack of participation in discussion forums, ensure that online course content is relevant to students' lives, reinforce academic integrity, and identify qualities face-to-face collegiate science instructors need when transitioning to online science instructors. The majority of participants agreed that gender is not an important factor in determining the success of an online collegiate science student. There was no consensus on the efficacy of virtual labs in an online science classroom. This study contributes to positive social change by providing information to new and struggling postsecondary science teachers to help them successfully align their instruction with students' needs and, as a result, increase students' success.

The Impact of a Course on Nature of Science Pedagogical Views and Rationales. Comparing Preservice Teachers in Their First Versus Second Experience

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Kruse, Jerrid W.; Easter, Jaclyn M.; Edgerly, Hallie S.; Seebach, Colin; Patel, Neal

2017-08-01

This study explored changes in preservice teachers' (PSTs) nature of science pedagogical (NOSP) views and nature of science (NOS) rationales using pre- and post-course written responses as well as interview data. Through systematic analysis, themes were generated and compared to the NOS literature. Comparisons between pre- and post-course data demonstrate improved and deepened NOS views, NOSP views that are more aligned with NOS literature, and a greater number of rationales for including NOS. All participants were enrolled in the "Inquiry and Natures of Science, Technology, and Engineering" (INSTE) course. However, six participants were enrolled in INSTE as their first course in which NOS and NOSP were addressed. The other six participants were enrolled in INSTE as their second course in which NOS and NOSP were addressed, with science methods as their first course in which NOS and NOSP were addressed. By comparing participants enrolled in INSTE as their first course to those enrolled in INSTE as their second course, we observed that NOS understanding seemed to develop in a first experience alongside some NOS rationales, but NOSP views lagged for participants in INSTE as their first course. Participants enrolled in INSTE as their second course developed more robust and literature-aligned NOSP views and more multifaceted NOS rationales. Therefore, this study bolsters arguments that teachers need to receive extended NOS and NOSP instruction.

A graduate course for science communicators: a Mexican approach

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Elaine Reynoso Haynes

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Within the UNAM (The National Autonomous University of Mexico there is an institution, the Dirección General de Divulgación de la Ciencia (DGDC devoted to the popularization of science through different media such as museums, exhibitions, journals, books, radio and TV programs, internet, workshops for children, demos, shows, plays, summer courses and outreach programs. Most of these products and materials are planned, designed and manufactured by a multidisciplinary team of professionals in the DGDC. Some of our most outstanding projects are: the creation and operation of two science museums, UNIVERSUM (on the university campus, and the Museo de la Luz (Museum of Light in the center of the city, many temporary and traveling exhibitions, museums in other parts of the country and abroad and a monthly publication for young readers called ¿Cómo ves?

Spiral and Project-Based Learning with Peer Assessment in a Computer Science Project Management Course

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Jaime, Arturo; Blanco, José Miguel; Domínguez, César; Sánchez, Ana; Heras, Jónathan; Usandizaga, Imanol

2016-01-01

Different learning methods such as project-based learning, spiral learning and peer assessment have been implemented in science disciplines with different outcomes. This paper presents a proposal for a project management course in the context of a computer science degree. Our proposal combines three well-known methods: project-based learning,…

Preservice Teachers' Reconciliation of an Epistemological Issue in an Integrated Mathematics/Science Methods Course

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Cormas, Peter C.

2017-01-01

Preservice teachers in six sections (n = 87) of a sequenced, methodological and process-integrated elementary mathematics/science methods course were able to reconcile an issue centered on a similar area of epistemology. Preservice teachers participated in a science inquiry lesson on biological classification and a mathematics problem-solving…

ScatterJn: An ImageJ Plugin for Scatterplot-Matrix Analysis and Classification of Spatially Resolved Analytical Microscopy Data

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Fabian Zeitvogel

2016-02-01

Full Text Available We present ScatterJn, an ImageJ (and Fiji plugin for scatterplot-based exploration and analysis of analytical microscopy data. In contrast to commonly used scatterplot tools, it handles more than two input images (or image stacks, respectively by creating a matrix of pairwise scatterplots. The tool offers the possibility to manually classify pixels by selecting regions of datapoints in the scatterplots as well as in the spatial domain. We demonstrate its functioning using a set of elemental maps acquired by SEM-EDX mapping of a soil sample. The plugin is available at https://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/scatterjn.

Assessment of primary school students’ level of understanding the concepts of 2nd grade life sciences course based on different variables

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Altıntaş Gülşen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The course of Life Sciences is one of the pivot courses taught in the first three years of primary school. Ensuring children get to know their environment and gain correct information related to their problems by making them investigate their natural and socio-cultural environment as well as providing them with necessary information, skills and behaviors for environmental adaptation are among the main purposes of Life Sciences course. The concepts to be instilled in students in line with these purposes are important. Since concepts are mostly intellectual and non-physical, they can only exist tangibly through examples. This study aims to assess Primary School Students’ Level of Understanding the Concepts of 2nd Grade Life Sciences Course Based on Different Variables. 17 concepts included in the 2nd Grade Life Sciences course within the subject of School Excitement were addressed within the study, and students were requested to define and exemplify these concepts. A total of 102 students from five different primary schools of upper-middle and lower socioeconomic classes located in Manisa and Istanbul were included in the study in line with the intentional maximum diversity sample selection. The answers given by students for each concept were categorized and analyzed in terms of liking or disliking home, school, technology and the course of Life Sciences.

Study of science students' expectation for university writing courses

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Shanthi Nadarajan

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The New Malaysia Education Blueprint (2012 states that the private sector continues to have concerns for Malaysian graduates’ English proficiency. The present study investigates the views and expectations of science students taking English courses in a public university. The findings revealed that learners saw opportunities to communicate and job applications process as important soft skills. They preferred practical learning methods above traditional teaching methods. Learners considered group performance, personal attitudes and online activities as important learning opportunities, while factual knowledge, report writing were least supported despite the fact that the majority viewed both assessments and instructional process as relevant. The data revealed that though they were dissatisfied with their existing level of proficiency, many students continued to expect an A for their course. An assessment of the learner’s’ language ability revealed that language ability was less under the learner’s control and more dependent on learner proficiency level. Taken together, this study suggests that the curriculum for the Professional Writing course should be highly diversified and balanced, with some emphasis on getting less proficient learners to read and improve their grammar skills while better students should be given opportunities to develop creative talents and interpersonal skills.

Soil Erosion: Advanced Crop and Soil Science. A Course of Study.

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Miller, Larry E.

The course of study represents the last of six modules in advanced crop and soil science and introduces the agriculture student to the topic of soil erosion. Upon completion of the two day lesson, the student will be able to: (1) define conservation, (2) understand how erosion takes place, and (3) list ways of controlling wind and water erosion.…

Soil Water: Advanced Crop and Soil Science. A Course of Study.

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Miller, Larry E.

The course of study represents the fourth of six modules in advanced crop and soil science and introduces the agriculture student to the topic of soil water. Upon completing the three day module, the student will be able to classify water as to its presence in the soil, outline the hydrological cycle, list the ways water is lost from the soil,…

Knowledge loss of medical students on first year basic science courses at the university of Saskatchewan

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D'Eon Marcel F

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many senior undergraduate students from the University of Saskatchewan indicated informally that they did not remember much from their first year courses and wondered why we were teaching content that did not seem relevant to later clinical work or studies. To determine the extent of the problem a course evaluation study that measured the knowledge loss of medical students on selected first year courses was conducted. This study replicates previous memory decrement studies with three first year medicine basic science courses, something that was not found in the literature. It was expected that some courses would show more and some courses would show less knowledge loss. Methods In the spring of 2004 over 20 students were recruited to retake questions from three first year courses: Immunology, physiology, and neuroanatomy. Student scores on the selected questions at the time of the final examination in May 2003 (the 'test' were compared with their scores on the questions 10 or 11 months later (the 're-test' using paired samples t -tests. A repeated-measures MANOVA was used to compare the test and re-test scores among the three courses. The re-test scores were matched with the overall student ratings of the courses and the student scores on the May 2003 examinations. Results A statistically significant main effect of knowledge loss (F = 297.385; p post hoc comparisons showed a significant difference between Neuroanatomy and Physiology (mean difference of 10.7, p = .004. Conclusion There was considerable knowledge loss among medical students in the three basic science courses tested and this loss was not uniform across courses. Knowledge loss does not seem to be related to the marks on the final examination or the assessment of course quality by the students.

An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Space Physics Course: Understanding the Process of Science Through One Field's Colorful History

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Lopez, Ramon E.

1996-01-01

Science education in this country is in its greatest period of ferment since the post-Sputnik frenzy a generation ago. In that earlier time, however, educators' emphasis was on producing more scientists and engineers. Today we recognize that all Americans need a good science background. The ability to observe, measure, think quantitatively, and reach logical conclusions based on available evidence is a set of skills that everyone entering the workforce needs to acquire if our country is to be competitive in a global economy. Moreover, as public policy increasingly crystallizes around scientific issues, it is critical that citizens be educated in science so that they may provide informed debate and on these issues. In order to develop this idea more fully, I proposed to teach a historically based course about space physics as an honors course at the University of Maryland-College Park (UMCP). The honors program at UMCP was established to foster broad-based undergraduate courses that utilize innovative teaching techniques to provide exemplary education to a select group of students. I designed an introductory course that would have four basic goals: to acquaint students with geomagnetic and auroral phenomena and their relationship to the space environment; to examine issues related to the history of science using the evolution of the field as an example; to develop familiarity with basic skills such as describing and interpreting observations, analyzing scientific papers, and communicating the results of their own research; and to provide some understanding of basic physics, especially those aspect that play a role in the near-earth space environment.

Measuring Student Improvement in Lower- and Upper-Level University Climate Science Courses

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Harris, S. E.; Taylor, S. V.; Schoonmaker, J. E.; Lane, E.; Francois, R. H.; Austin, P.

2011-12-01

What do university students know about climate? What do they learn in a climate course? On the second-to-last day of a course about global climate change, only 48% of our upper-level science students correctly answered a multiple-choice question about the greenhouse effect. The good news: improvement. Only 16% had answered correctly on the first day of class. The bad news: the learning opportunities we've provided appear to have missed more than half the class on a fundamental climate concept. To evaluate the effectiveness of instruction on student learning about climate, we have developed a prototype assessment tool, designed to be deployed as a low-stakes pre-post test. The items included were validated through student interviews to ensure that students interpret the wording and answer choices in the way we intend. This type of validated assessment, administered both at the beginning and end of term, with matched individuals, provides insight regarding the baseline knowledge with which our students enter a course, and the impact of that course on their learning. We administered test items to students in (1) an upper-level climate course for science majors and (2) a lower-level climate course open to all students. Some items were given to both groups, others to only one of the groups. Both courses use evidence-based pedagogy with active student engagement (clickers, small group activities, regular pre-class preparation). Our results with upper-level students show strong gains in student thinking (>70% of students who missed a question on the pre-test answered correctly on the post-test) about stock-and-flow (box model) problems, annual cycles in the Keeling curve, ice-albedo feedbacks, and isotopic fractionation. On different questions, lower-level students showed strong gains regarding albedo and blackbody emission spectra. Both groups show similar baseline knowledge and lower-than-expected gains on greenhouse effect fundamentals, and zero gain regarding the

Adopting Just-in-Time Teaching in the Context of an Elementary Science Education Methodology Course

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Osmond, Pamela; Goodnough, Karen

2011-01-01

In this self-study, Pamela, a new science teacher educator, adopted Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) in the context of an elementary science education methodology course. JiTT is a teaching and learning strategy involving interaction between web-based study assignments and face-to-face class sessions. Students respond electronically to web-based…

The Partially Flipped Classroom: The Effects of Flipping a Module on "Junk Science" in a Large Methods Course

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Burgoyne, Stephanie; Eaton, Judy

2018-01-01

Flipped classrooms are gaining popularity, especially in psychology statistics courses. However, not all courses lend themselves to a fully flipped design, and some instructors might not want to commit to flipping every class. We tested the effectiveness of flipping just one component (a module on junk science) of a large methods course. We…

Full-Cycle Assessment of Critical Thinking in an Ethics and Science Course

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Blue, Jennifer; Taylor, Beverley; Yarrison-Rice, Jan

2008-01-01

Enhancing critical thinking skills for undergraduate students is important across the curriculum and between disciplines. We report on a method of improving critical thinking skills, which was studied through an Ethics and Science First-Year Seminar course. We used full cycle assessment over a three-year period to assess students' development and…

Transforming a University "Entomology" Course into an Elementary Pre-service Teachers Training Course

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Chow-Chin Lu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available As elementary school pre-service teachers are required to learn the pedagogical content knowledge of natural field, "Entomology" course offered at the teacher training department was transformed into elementary pre-service teachers’ training course to early cultivate science teachers. This study adopted a mixed method research design. Forty-three pre-service teachers participated in the study and took the "Entomology" teacher training course. The course covers insect concepts, concept map drawing, insect feeding skills, outdoors teaching skills for insect survey, assessment for insect science fairs and designing science lesson plans. Both quantitative data and qualitative data were collected and analyzed to investigate the development of pre-service teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge. The results were as follows: 1 ICTS pre- and post-testing t test results show that pre-service teachers gained more insect cognitive concepts from the Entomology course. 2 In the pre-service teachers’ drawings of conceptual diagrams, the class framework was partially correct, but the conjunctions were accurately presented. 3 Pre-service teachers demonstrated skills of rearing insects, outdoors teaching skills for insect, assessing insect science fairs, and designing science lesson plans. 4 The transformation of the Entomology course into a teacher training course was feasible; however, entomology experimental activities may be added into the curriculum when pre-service teachers assessed insect science fairs.

Persuading Girls to Take Elective Physical Science Courses in High School: Who Are the Credible Communicators?

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Koballa, Thomas R., Jr.

1988-01-01

Identifies communicators whom eighth-grade girls perceive as credible regarding reasons for taking elective physical science courses in high school. Finds that father, woman science teacher, mother, and boy high school student are ranked highly. Attributes associated with the communicators were classified as prestige, trustworthiness, similarity,…

A new course and textbook on Physical Models of Living Systems, for science and engineering undergraduates

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Nelson, Philip

2015-03-01

I'll describe an intermediate-level course on ``Physical Models of Living Systems.'' The only prerequisite is first-year university physics and calculus. The course is a response to rapidly growing interest among undergraduates in a broad range of science and engineering majors. Students acquire several research skills that are often not addressed in traditional courses: Basic modeling skills Probabilistic modeling skills Data analysis methods Computer programming using a general-purpose platform like MATLAB or Python Dynamical systems, particularly feedback control. These basic skills, which are relevant to nearly any field of science or engineering, are presented in the context of case studies from living systems, including: Virus dynamics Bacterial genetics and evolution of drug resistance Statistical inference Superresolution microscopy Synthetic biology Naturally evolved cellular circuits. Work supported by NSF Grants EF-0928048 and DMR-0832802.

Integration of e-learning technologies in an interprofessional health science course.

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Carbonaro, Mike; King, Sharla; Taylor, Elizabeth; Satzinger, Franziska; Snart, Fern; Drummond, Jane

2008-02-01

Advances in information and communication technology are influencing instructional formats and delivery modes for post secondary teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to determine whether interprofessional team process skills traditionally taught in a small group face-to-face classroom setting could be taught in a blended learning environment; without compromising the pedagogical approach and collaborative Group Investigation Model (Sharan & Sharan 1992) used in the course. A required interprofessional team development course designed to teach health science students (Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Dentistry, Dental Hygiene, Medical Laboratory Science, and Nutrition) team process skills was redesigned from a 100% face-to-face delivery format to a blended learning format where 70% of the instruction was delivered using a new synchronous virtual classroom technology (Elluminate www.elluminate.com) in conjunction with asynchronous technology (WebCT). It was hypothesized there would be no significant difference between the blended learning format and the traditional face-to-face format in the development of interprofessional team knowledge, skills and attitudes. The two formats were evaluated on demographic information, computer experience, and interprofessional team attitudes, knowledge and skills. The three main findings are: (a) no significant differences between student groups on achieving team process skills, (b) an observation of differences between the groups on team dynamics, and (c) a more positive achievement of course learning objectives perceived by students in the blended learning class. The results provide evidence to support our blended learning format without compromising pedagogy. They also suggest that this format enhances students' perceptions of their learning.

Developing Food Science Core Competencies in Vietnam: The Role of Experience and Problem Solving in an Industry-Based Undergraduate Research Course

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LeGrand, Karen; Yamashita, Lina; Trexler, Cary J.; Vu, Thi Lam An; Young, Glenn M.

2017-01-01

Although many educators now recognize the value of problem-based learning and experiential learning, undergraduate-level food science courses that reflect these pedagogical approaches are still relatively novel, especially in East and Southeast Asia. Leveraging existing partnerships with farmers in Vietnam, a food science course for students at…

The Impact of E-Education on At Risk High School Students' Science Achievement and Experiences during Summer School Credit Recovery Courses

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Phillips, Pamela Prevette

Nationally, at risk students make up to 30% of U.S. students in public schools. Many at risk students have poor attendance, are disengaged from the learning environment and have low academic achievement. Educational failure occurs when students do not complete the required courses and as a result do not receive a high school diploma or a certificate of attendance. Many at risk students will not graduate; nearly one-third of all United States high school students have left the public school system before graduating, which has been referred to as a national crisis. Many at risk students fail science courses that are required for graduation, such as biology. Clearly, many students are not responding positively to the conditions in many public school classrooms, suggesting the need for different methods of educating at risk students, such as e-education. Three research questions guided the study: 1) Who are the students in an e-education, online summer school credit recovery course? 2) Do students' beliefs about their learning environment or other personal factors influence their academic achievement?, and 3) How do students describe their experiences of an e-education science course? This mixed methods study investigates thirty-two at risk students who were enrolled in one of three e-education science education courses (biology, earth science, and physical science) during a summer session in a rural county in a southeastern US state. These students failed their most recent science course taken in a traditional classroom setting. Artino's (2010) social-cognitive model of academic motivation and emotion was used as a theoretical framework to highlight the salient motivational factors toward learning science (e.g., task characteristics, task value beliefs, positive emotions). Student data included pre and post tests for all e-education lessons, a final exam, survey data (Students Motivation towards Science Learning (SMTSL), time (on task and idle), field notes, and

General Education Earth, Astronomy and Space Science College Courses Serve as a Vehicle for Improving Science Literacy in the United States.

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Prather, E.

2011-10-01

Every year approximately 500,000 undergraduate college students take a general education Earth, Astronomy and Space Science (EASS) course in the Unites States. For the majority of these students this will be their last physical science course in life. This population of students is incredibly important to the science literacy of the United States citizenry and to the success of the STEM career pipeline. These students represent future scientists, technologists, business leaders, politicians, journalists, historians, artists, and most importantly, policy makers, parents, voters, and teachers. A significant portion of these students are taught at minority serving institutions and community colleges and often are from underserved and underrepresented groups, such as women and minorities. Members of the Center for Astronomy Education (CAE) at the University of Arizona have been developing and conducting research on the effectiveness of instructional strategies and materials that are explicitly designed to challenge students' naïve ideas and intellectually engage their thinking at a deep level in the traditional lecture classroom. The results of this work show that dramatic improvement in student understanding can be made from increased use of interactive learning strategies. These improvements are shown to be independent of institution type or class size, but appear to be strongly influenced by the quality of the instructor's implementation. In addition, we find that the positive effects of interactive learning strategies apply equally to men and women, across ethnicities, for students with all levels of prior mathematical preparation and physical science course experience, independent of GPA, and regardless of primary language. These results powerfully illustrate that all students can benefit from the effective implementation of interactive learning strategies.

Teaching Web Application Development: A Case Study in a Computer Science Course

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Del Fabro, Marcos Didonet; de Alimeda, Eduardo Cunha; Sluzarski, Fabiano

2012-01-01

Teaching web development in Computer Science undergraduate courses is a difficult task. Often, there is a gap between the students' experiences and the reality in the industry. As a consequence, the students are not always well-prepared once they get the degree. This gap is due to several reasons, such as the complexity of the assignments, the…

Advanced Biochemistry Course teach students how to make and criticize science

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A.B Sé

2006-07-01

Full Text Available In this work we are reporting a course of University of Brasilia called “Topics in Biochemistry”. It is offered to second semester medicine and nutrition students (around 12 who have just finished the Basic Biochemistry Course (BioBio, plus one or two third semester students, who are taking the course for the second time, as “coordinators”. This course is composed of two parallel activities: weekly meetings for scientific discussions and the peer-tutor activity.In  each  meeting,  one  student  presents  an  article.  The  topics  are  mostly  on  metabolic  biochemistry,  but  can  range from  animal  adaptability  to  Alzheimer  Disease.  The  requisite  is  that  the  article  was  published  in  a  recognized international journal (as Nature, American Journal of Physiology, New England Journal of Medicine and is adequate for group discussion. The emphasis of the discussion is greater on the methodology of science, instead of on specific details  about  particular  subjects.  What  did  the  authors  want  to  prove?  How  did  they  do  it?  Were  the  conclusions valid?  What  were  the  experimental  errors  and  omissions?  How  could  it  be  a  better  article?  Also,  it’s  a  good opportunity  to discuss statistics, methodology, and to exercise  the sense of criticism. Overall, the objective  of these discussions is to teach students how to make science and criticize science. The second attribution of the course is the peer-tutor activity. Each student is responsible for tutoring a BioBio group on a seminar/poster presentation (Hermes-Lima et al., Biochem.  Mol.Biol.Educ. 30: 30-34,2002  and is responsible for evaluating their group, always supervised by the coordinating professor. Moreover, they must elaborate a “true or false” exam (Sé et al. Are tutor-students capable of writing good biochemistry exams? SBBq 2004, abstract K-18

Teaching Basic Science Content via Real-World Applications: A College-Level Summer Course in Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology

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Maza, Paul; Miller, Allison; Carson, Brian; Hermanson, John

2018-01-01

Learning and retaining science content may be increased by applying the basic science material to real-world situations. Discussing cases with students during lectures and having them participate in laboratory exercises where they apply the science content to practical situations increases students' interest and enthusiasm. A summer course in…

Exploring How Second Grade Elementary Teachers Translate Their Nature of Science Views into Classroom Practice After a Graduate Level Nature of Science Course

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Deniz, Hasan; Adibelli, Elif

2015-12-01

The main purpose of this study was to explore the factors mediating the translation of second grade teachers' nature of science (NOS) views into classroom practice after completing a graduate level NOS course. Four second grade in-service elementary teachers comprised the sample of this study. Data were collected from several sources during the course of this study. The primary data sources were (a) assessment of the elementary teachers' NOS views before and after the graduate level NOS course using the Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire Version B (VNOS-B) (Lederman et al., 2002) coupled with interviews, and (b) a classroom observation and videotaped recording of the elementary teachers' best NOS lessons coupled with interview. We identified three distinct but related factors that mediated the translation of NOS views into classroom practice: the teachers' perspectives about the developmental appropriateness of the NOS aspect, the teachers' selection of target NOS aspects, and the relative importance placed by teachers on each NOS aspect.

An exploration of the gateway math and science course relationships in the Los Angeles Community College District

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Buchanan, Donald G.

This study evaluated selected demographic, pre-enrollment, and economic status variables in comparison to college-level performance factors of GPA and course completion ratios for gateway math and science courses. The Transfer and Retention of Urban Community College Students (TRUCCS) project team collected survey and enrollment data for this study in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). The TRUCCS team surveyed over 5,000 students within the nine campus district beginning in the fall of 2000 and spring of 2001 with follow-up data for next several years. This study focused on the math and science courses; established background demographics; evaluated pre-enrollment high school self-reported grades; reviewed high school and college level math courses taken; investigated specific gateway courses of biology, chemistry and physics; and compared them to the overall GPAs and course completion ratios for 4,698 students. This involved the SPSS development of numerous statistical products including the data from frequency distributions, means, cross-tabulations, group statistics t-tests, independent samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. Findings revealed demographic and economic relationships of significance for students' performance factors of GPA and course completion ratios. Furthermore, findings revealed significant differences between the gender, age, ethnicity and economic employment relationships. Conclusions and implications for institutions of higher education were documented. Recommendations for dissemination, intervention programs, and future research were also discussed.

Research and Teaching: The Pairing of a Science Communications and a Language Course to Enrich First-Year English Language Learners' Writing and Argumentation Skills

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Welsh, Ashley J.; Shaw, Amber; Fox, Joanne A.

2017-01-01

This article explores how English-language learners' writing evolved during a first-year seminar in science course aimed at developing students' argumentation skills. We highlight how a science communications course was paired with a weekly academic English course in the context of a highly coordinated and enriched first-year experience program…

Mimicking a New 2-Phenylethanol Production Pathway from Proteus mirabilis JN458 in Escherichia coli.

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Liu, Jinbin; Jiang, Jing; Bai, Yajun; Fan, Tai-Ping; Zhao, Ye; Zheng, Xiaohui; Cai, Yujie

2018-04-04

Bacteria rarely produce natural 2-phenylethanol. We verified a new pathway from Proteus mirabilis JN458 to produce 2-phenylethanol using Escherichia coli to coexpress l-amino acid deaminase, α-keto acid decarboxylase, and alcohol dehydrogenase from P. mirabilis. Based on this pathway, a glucose dehydrogenase coenzyme regeneration system was constructed. The optimal conditions of biotransformation by the recombinant strain E-pAEAKaG were at 40 °C and pH 7.0. Finally, the recombinant strain E-pAEAKaG produced 3.21 ± 0.10 g/L 2-phenylethanol in M9 medium containing 10 g/L l-phenylalanine after a 16 h transformation. Furthermore, when the concentration of l-phenylalanine was 4 g/L (24 mM), the production of 2-phenylethanol reached 2.88 ± 0.18 g/L and displayed a higher conversion rate of 97.38 mol %.

Experiences of Using Automated Assessment in Computer Science Courses

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John English

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper we discuss the use of automated assessment in a variety of computer science courses that have been taught at Israel Academic College by the authors. The course assignments were assessed entirely automatically using Checkpoint, a web-based automated assessment framework. The assignments all used free-text questions (where the students type in their own answers. Students were allowed to correct errors based on feedback provided by the system and resubmit their answers. A total of 141 students were surveyed to assess their opinions of this approach, and we analysed their responses. Analysis of the questionnaire showed a low correlation between questions, indicating the statistical independence of the individual questions. As a whole, student feedback on using Checkpoint was very positive, emphasizing the benefits of multiple attempts, impartial marking, and a quick turnaround time for submissions. Many students said that Checkpoint gave them confidence in learning and motivation to practise. Students also said that the detailed feedback that Checkpoint generated when their programs failed helped them understand their mistakes and how to correct them.

Students’ perceptions of the academic learning environment in seven medical sciences courses based on DREEM

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Bakhshialiabad, Hamid; Bakhshi, Mohammadhosien; Hassanshahi, Gholamhossein

2015-01-01

Objective Learning environment has a significant role in determining students’ academic achievement and learning. The aim of this study is to investigate the viewpoints of undergraduate medical sciences students on the learning environment using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) at Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences (RUMS). Methods The descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 493 medical sciences students in the following majors: nursing, midwifery, radiology, operating room nursing, laboratory sciences, medical emergency, and anesthesia. The DREEM questionnaire was used as a standard tool. Data were analyzed using SPSS (v17) software. Student’s t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical tests were used. Results The mean of the achieved scores in the five domains was 113.5 out of 200 (56.74%), which was considered to be more positive than negative. The total mean scores for perception of learning, teaching, and atmosphere were 27.4/48 (57.24%), 24.60/44 (55.91%), and 26.8/48 (55.89%), respectively. Academic and social self-perceptions were 20.5/32 (64.11%) and 15.7/28 (56.36%), respectively. The total DREEM scores varied significantly between courses (Penvironment. The differences between courses and their study pathway should be further investigated by analysis of specific items. Our results showed that it is essential for faculty members and course managers to make more efforts toward observing principles of instructional designs, to create an appropriate educational environment, and to reduce deficits in order to provide a better learning environment with more facilities and supportive systems for the students. PMID:25848331

Self-regulated Learning in a Hybrid Science Course at a Community College

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Manuelito, Shannon Joy

Community college students are attracted to courses with alternative delivery formats such as hybrid courses because the more flexible delivery associated with such courses provides convenience for busy students. In a hybrid course, face-to-face, structured seat time is exchanged for online components. In such courses, students take more responsibility for their learning because they assume additional responsibility for learning more of the course material on their own. Thus, self-regulated learning (SRL) behaviors have the potential to be useful for students to successfully navigate hybrid courses because the online components require exercise of more personal control over the autonomous learning situations inherent in hybrid courses. Self-regulated learning theory includes three components: metacognition, motivation, and behavioral actions. In the current study, this theoretical framework is used to examine how inducing self-regulated learning activities among students taking a hybrid course influence performance in a community college science course. The intervention for this action research study consisted of a suite of activities that engage students in self-regulated learning behaviors to foster student performance. The specific SRL activities included predicting grades, reflections on coursework and study efforts in course preparation logs, explanation of SRL procedures in response to a vignette, photo ethnography work on their personal use of SRL approaches, and a personalized study plan. A mixed method approach was employed to gather evidence for the study. Results indicate that community college students use a variety of self-regulated learning strategies to support their learning of course material. Further, engaging community college students in learning reflection activities appears to afford some students with opportunities to refine their SRL skills and influence their learning. The discussion focuses on integrating the quantitative and qualitative

Increasing Student Success in Large Survey Science Courses via Supplemental Instruction in Learning Centers

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Hooper, Eric Jon; Nossal, S.; Watson, L.; Timbie, P.

2010-05-01

Large introductory astronomy and physics survey courses can be very challenging and stressful. The University of Wisconsin-Madison Physics Learning Center (PLC) reaches about 10 percent of the students in four introductory physics courses, algebra and calculus based versions of both classical mechanics and electromagnetism. Participants include those potentially most vulnerable to experiencing isolation and hence to having difficulty finding study partners as well as students struggling with the course. They receive specially written tutorials, conceptual summaries, and practice problems; exam reviews; and most importantly, membership in small groups of 3 - 8 students which meet twice per week in a hybrid of traditional teaching and tutoring. Almost all students who regularly participate in the PLC earn at least a "C,” with many earning higher grades. The PLC works closely with other campus programs which seek to increase the participation and enhance the success of underrepresented minorities, first generation college students, and students from lower-income circumstances; and it is well received by students, departmental faculty, and University administration. The PLC staff includes physics education specialists and research scientists with a passion for education. However, the bulk of the teaching is conducted by undergraduates who are majoring in physics, astronomy, mathematics, engineering, and secondary science teaching (many have multiple majors). The staff train these enthusiastic students, denoted Peer Mentor Tutors (PMTs) in general pedagogy and mentoring strategies, as well as the specifics of teaching the physics covered in the course. The PMTs are among the best undergraduates at the university. While currently there is no UW-Madison learning center for astronomy courses, establishing one is a possible future direction. The introductory astronomy courses cater to non-science majors and consequently are less quantitative. However, the basic structure

Influence of an Intensive, Field-Based Life Science Course on Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy for Environmental Science Teaching

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Trauth-Nare, Amy

2015-08-01

Personal and professional experiences influence teachers' perceptions of their ability to implement environmental science curricula and to positively impact students' learning. The purpose of this study was twofold: to determine what influence, if any, an intensive field-based life science course and service learning had on preservice teachers' self-efficacy for teaching about the environment and to determine which aspects of the combined field-based course/service learning preservice teachers perceived as effective for enhancing their self-efficacy. Data were collected from class documents and written teaching reflections of 38 middle-level preservice teachers. Some participants ( n = 18) also completed the Environmental Education Efficacy Belief Instrument at the beginning and end of the semester. Both qualitative and quantitative data analyses indicated a significant increase in PSTs' personal efficacies for environmental teaching, t(17) = 4.50, p = .000, d = 1.30, 95 % CI (.33, .90), but not outcome expectancy, t(17) = 1.15, p = .268, d = .220, 95 % CI (-.06, .20). Preservice teachers reported three aspects of the course as important for enhancing their self-efficacies: learning about ecological concepts through place-based issues, service learning with K-5 students and EE curriculum development. Data from this study extend prior work by indicating that practical experiences with students were not the sole factor in shaping PSTs' self-efficacy; learning ecological concepts and theories in field-based activities grounded in the local landscape also influenced PSTs' self-efficacy.

Determination of Motivation of 5th Grade Students Living in Rural and Urban Environments towards Science Learning and Their Attitudes towards Science-Technology Course

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Kenar, Ismail; Köse, Mücahit; Demir, Halil Ibrahim

2016-01-01

In this research, determination of motivation of 5th grade students living in rural and urban environments towards science learning and their attitudes towards science-technology course is aimed. This research is conducted based on descriptive survey model. Samples are selected through teleological model in accordance with the aim of this…

A science methods course in a professional development school context: A case study of student teachers

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Sopko, Linda Diane

The purpose of this case study was to explore how six student teachers constructed their personal understanding about teaching science to elementary students in the context of a professional development school (PDS). The science methods course was one of five university courses that they attended at the PDS site. The participants spent the remainder of the school day in an assigned classroom where they assisted the classroom teacher in a paraprofessional role. This study was an attempt to determine the knowledge that the participants constructed of science instruction and the school during the preservice semester of their PDS experience and what knowledge was transferred into their student teaching practices. The methodology selected was qualitative. A case study was conducted to determine the constructs of the participants. Data collection included documents concerning the PDS school and personal artifacts of the student teachers. Student teachers, cooperating teachers, and administrators were interviewed. The student teachers were also observed teaching. Triangulation was achieved with the use of multiple data sources, a reflexive journal, and peer debriefers. A cross case comparison was used to identify issues salient to the research questions. The PDS context immediately challenged the participants' prior conceptions about how children learn and should be instructed. Participants believed that the situational knowledge constructed during the PDS semester contributed to their self-confidence during student teaching. The instructional emphasis on standardized tests in the PDS and the limited emphasis on science curriculum and instruction constructed an image of science as a minor component in the elementary curriculum. The student teachers were able to transfer knowledge of inquiry-based instructional strategies, as modeled and practiced in their science methods course, into their science lesson during student teaching. One student teacher used inquiry

Factors associated with the success of first-time African American freshmen taking introductory science lecture courses at a private HBCU

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Smith, Kendra Leigh

This study had four purposes: (1) to investigate the relationship between performance in introductory biology or introductory chemistry lecture courses and their accompanying laboratory courses, (2) to investigate the relationship between performance in introductory biology or introductory chemistry lecture courses and a student's gender, (3) to investigate the relationship between performance in introductory biology or introductory chemistry lecture courses and a student's major, and (4) to investigate the relationship between performance in introductory biology or introductory chemistry lecture courses and a student's ACT scores. The sample consisted of 195 first--time freshmen who enrolled in and completed an introductory biology or an introductory chemistry lecture and laboratory courses during the fall semesters of 2007-2012. Of the 195 students, 61 were enrolled in introductory chemistry and 134 were enrolled in introductory biology courses. Logistic regression, via the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), was utilized to analyze several variables as they related to success in the lecture courses. Data were extracted from the university's student information system (BANNER), and analyses were conducted on biology and chemistry separately. The dependent variable for this study was a dichotomous variable for success and nonsuccess in introductory biology or introductory chemistry lecture course. The independent variables analyzed were student's gender, major, final grade in an accompanying biology or chemistry laboratory course, and ACT test scores (composite, mathematics, and science). Results indicate that concurrent enrollment in a biology laboratory course increased the likelihood of success by 15.64 times in the lecture course. Gender was found to not be a significant predictor of success for either introductory biology or introductory chemistry lecture courses. STEM majors were 9.6 times more likely to be successful than non-STEM majors in

The Ways to Promote Pre-service Science Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Inquiry in Learning Management in Science Course

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Siriphan Satthaphon

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This classroom action research aimed to study the ways to promote pre-service science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge for inquiry (PCK for inquiry. The participants were 37 students who enrolled in Learning Management in Science course in academic year 2014. Multiple data sources including students’ lesson plans, reflective journals, teacher’s logs, and worksheets were collected. The inductive approach was used to analyze data. The findings revealed the ways to promote pre-service science teachers’ PCK for inquiry consisted of being teacher’s explicit role model ; providing students to reflect their practices that link between their knowledge and understandings ; reflection from video case ; collaboration between students and teacher in learning activities planning, and allowing students to practice in actual situation could be better influence students not only reflect their understandings but also design, and teach science through inquiry.

Revision and Evaluation of a Course in Behavioral Sciences for Undergraduate Medical Students.

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McGuire, Frederick L.; Friedmann, Claude T. H.

1981-01-01

The new teaching format of a behavioral science course at the University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine is described. Specific objectives were to present an introduction of life's developmental cycles, the nature of mind-body relationships, and dynamics of the doctor-patient relationship, and to develop interviewing skills. (MLW)

The Importance of a Laboratory Section on Student Learning Outcomes in a University Introductory Earth Science Course

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Forcino, Frank L.

2013-01-01

Laboratory sections of university Earth science courses provide hands-on, inquiry-based activities for students in support of lecture and discussion. Here, I compare student conceptual knowledge outcomes of laboratory sections by administering an independent concept inventory at the beginning and end of two courses: one that had a lecture and a…

Using Biomedically Relevant Multimedia Content in an Introductory Physics Course for Life Science and Pre-Health Students

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Mylott, Elliot; Kutschera, Ellynne; Dunlap, Justin C.; Christensen, Warren; Widenhorn, Ralf

2016-01-01

We will describe a one-quarter pilot algebra-based introductory physics course for pre-health and life science majors. The course features videos with biomedical experts and cogent biomedically inspired physics content. The materials were used in a flipped classroom as well as an all-online environment where students interacted with multimedia…

Teaching and Learning Coastal Processes through Research in a Non-Lab Science Course and Having Fun at the Same Time

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Thissen, J.

2014-12-01

At Nassau Community College students are required to take one lab science and one non-lab science. These two science courses will probably be the only sciences courses they'll take in their college career. What are they looking for in a science course? "Is it easy?" "Will we have fun?" I can try for "fun" but "easy" and "science" seem to be oxymorons. I've found that they don't notice the difficulty when they're having fun. With this is mind I set out to create a course that would fulfill this requirement but also challenge them to learn science through hands-on, real-life, placed based activities and projects. Beaches and Coasts is essentially a coastal processes course that requires a full term research project along with other hands-on activities. We live on an island (Long Island, NY). The state of our shoreline impacts all of us - something we saw during Superstorm Sandy. Long Island's shorelines vary tremendously. Our north shore is glacially controlled and irregular with many harbors and bays; our south shore is an Atlantic Ocean coastline with many barrier islands and lagoons that contain many inlets and marshes. Many municipalities have small natural beaches along this coastline. For their project students choose a shoreline, with input from the instructor, and take "ownership" of it for at least one moon cycle. They collect data on tides, currents, waves, offshore sediment transport and anthropogenic structures and then study the impact of these factors on their section of shoreline. They also collect sediment from their beach to analyze later in the lab. They are given a rubric with the specific requirements and then make a PowerPoint presentation that includes all their data, charts and graphs as well as their photos that they took while doing their research. Students love doing this project. They can't believe they get credits for going to the beach - something they do anyway (the "fun" factor). They all say that they'll never go to the beach the same

Benefits and Limitations of Online Instruction in Natural Science Undergraduate Liberal Arts Courses

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Liddicoat, Joseph; Roberts, Godfrey; Liddicoat, Kendra; Porzecanski, Ana Luz; Mendez, Martin; McMullen, David

2013-04-01

Online courses in the Natural Sciences are taught three ways at New York University to undergraduate students majoring in the liberal arts and professional programs - synchronous courses in which students communicate online with the instructor and classmates in real time, asynchronous courses when faculty present course material for students to access and learn at their leisure, and hybrid or blended courses when part is taught asynchronously and part is taught face-to-face in a classroom with all students present. We have done online courses each way - Global Ecology (synchronous); Stars, Planets, and Life (synchronous and asynchronous); Darwin to DNA: An Overview of Evolution (asynchronous); Biodiversity Conservation (asynchronous); and Biology of Hunger and Population (blended). We will present the advantages and challenges we experienced teaching courses online in this fashion. Besides the advantages listed in the description for this session, another can be programmed learning that allows a set of sequential steps or a more complex branching of steps that allows students to repeat lessons multiple times to master the material. And from an academic standpoint, course content and assessment can be standardized, making it possible for each student to learn the same material. Challenges include resistance to online learning by a host of stakeholders who might be educators, students, parents, and the community. Equally challenging might be the readiness of instructors and students to teach and learn online. Student integrity issues such as plagiarism and cheating are a concern in a course taught online (Thormann and Zimmerman, 2012), so we will discuss our strategies to mitigate them.

The Impact of a Course on Nature of Science Pedagogical Views and Rationales: Comparing Preservice Teachers in Their First versus Second Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Kruse, Jerrid W.; Easter, Jaclyn M.; Edgerly, Hallie S.; Seebach, Colin; Patel, Neal

2017-01-01

This study explored changes in preservice teachers' (PSTs) nature of science pedagogical (NOSP) views and nature of science (NOS) rationales using pre- and post-course written responses as well as interview data. Through systematic analysis, themes were generated and compared to the NOS literature. Comparisons between pre- and post-course data…

Map Resource Packet: Course Models for the History-Social Science Framework, Grade Seven.

Science.gov (United States)

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento.

This packet of maps is an auxiliary resource to the "World History and Geography: Medieval and Early Modern Times. Course Models for the History-Social Science Framework, Grade Seven." The set includes: outline, precipitation, and elevation maps; maps for locating key places; landform maps; and historical maps. The list of maps are…

Establishing a Pedagogical Framework for the Multicultural Course in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Horton-Ikard, RaMonda; Munoz, Maria L.; Thomas-Tate, Shurita; Keller-Bell, Yolanda

2009-01-01

Purpose: To provide an overview of a model for teaching a foundational course in multicultural (MC) issues and to demonstrate how it can be modified for use in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) by integrating 3 primary dimensions of cultural competence: awareness, knowledge, and skills. Method: This tutorial begins by establishing the…

Latina girls of Puerto Rican origin who are successful in science and mathematics high school courses

Science.gov (United States)

Oquendo-Rodriguez, Aida L.

Professions and careers related to science and mathematics lack representation of minorities. Within these underrepresented minority populations there is no other group more affected than Latina women and girls. Women in general, are still underrepresented in many areas of our society. While women's roles are changing in today's society, most changes encourage the participation of more White/Anglo women in traditionally male roles. Latina women are still more disadvantaged than White women. There is no doubt that education is significant in increasing the participation of minorities in the fields of science and mathematics, especially for minority girls (Oakes, 1990; Rodriguez, 1993). This study explored the interests, life experiences, characteristics and motivations of Latina girls of Puerto Rican origin who are successful in science and mathematics high school courses. The study identifies factors that can influence the interest of Latina girls of Puerto Rican origin in science and mathematics career choices. This research is significant and relevant to educators and policy makers, especially to science and mathematics educators. The research is primarily descriptive and exploratory. It explores the social characteristics of Latina girls and professional women who have been successful in science and mathematics high school courses. The research offers the reader a visit to the participants' homes with descriptions and the opportunity to explore the thoughts and life experiences of Latina girls, their mothers and young Latina professionals of Puerto Rican origin. This research reveals the common characteristics of successful students found in the Latina girls of Puerto Rican origin who where interviewed. Creating a portrait of Latina girls of Puerto Rican origin who are successful in science and mathematics high school courses in one of the school districts of western Massachusetts. The research findings reveal that teacher relationships, family expectations

Teaching Development of Foundation Environmental Science Course Using Undergraduate Handbook of Buriram Rajabhat University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuntida Thammamrat

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The present study is an attempt to apply the handbook as a tool for teaching foundation of environmental science. The aims of this investigation were 1 to develop a course handbook that fills the standard criteria of 80/80 2 to compare mean derived from pretest and posttest scores 3 to compare student’s attitude toward environmental science from the pretest and posttest scores and 4 to compare student’s environmental scientific skills prior to and after using a study handbook. The key informants were 56 students drawn from 1st- year students of Environmental Science Department of Buriram Rajabhat University in 2558 (B.E academic year. Four instruments of data collection were constructed including 1 the course handbook 2 test of student’s basic knowledge on environmental science, 3 the test of student’s attitude toward environmental science, and 4 the test of student’s environmental scientific skills. The statistics analysis in this study comprised frequency percentage, mean, standard deviation and dependent t – test, which were of used for examining the hypothesis. The findings of this investigation revealed that 1 the efficiency of the handbook entitled “Foundation of environmental science” met the criteria of 80/80 in all aspects with value 83.93/91.81 2 the scores derived from student’s posttest is higher than pretest with .05 statistical significant difference 3 teaching through the handbook enhanced the level of student attitude toward environmental science with .05 statistical significant difference and 4 the environmental scientific skills of the students learning through the handbook are significantly higher than before, at .05 level.

Learning physical biology via modeling and simulation: A new course and textbook for science and engineering undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Philip

To a large extent, undergraduate physical-science curricula remain firmly rooted in pencil-and-paper calculation, despite the fact that most research is done with computers. To a large extent, undergraduate life-science curricula remain firmly rooted in descriptive approaches, despite the fact that much current research involves quantitative modeling. Not only does our pedagogy not reflect current reality; it also creates a spurious barrier between the fields, reinforcing the narrow silos that prevent students from connecting them. I'll describe an intermediate-level course on ``Physical Models of Living Systems.'' The prerequisite is first-year university physics and calculus. The course is a response to rapidly growing interest among undergraduates in a broad range of science and engineering majors. Students acquire several research skills that are often not addressed in traditional undergraduate courses: •Basic modeling skills; •Probabilistic modeling skills; •Data analysis methods; •Computer programming using a general-purpose platform like MATLAB or Python; •Pulling datasets from the Web for analysis; •Data visualization; •Dynamical systems, particularly feedback control. Partially supported by the NSF under Grants EF-0928048 and DMR-0832802.

Projective methodical system of students training to the course «History of computer science»

OpenAIRE

С А Виденин

2008-01-01

Components of teachers readiness to professional activity are described in the item. The projective methods of training to a course « History of computer science « in favour to improve professional grounding of students' are considered.

Assessment of Teaching Methods and Critical Thinking in a Course for Science Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Speck, Angela; Ruzhitskaya, L.; Whittington, A. G.

2014-01-01

Ability to think critically is a key ingredient to the scientific mindset. Students who take science courses may or may not be predisposed to critical thinking - the ability to evaluate information analytically. Regardless of their initial stages, students can significantly improve their critical thinking through learning and practicing their reasoning skills, critical assessments, conducting and reflecting on observations and experiments, building their questioning and communication skills, and through the use of other techniques. While, there are several of teaching methods that may help to improve critical thinking, there are only a few assessment instruments that can help in evaluating the efficacy of these methods. Critical thinking skills and improvement in those skills are notoriously difficult to measure. Assessments that are based on multiple-choice questions demonstrate students’ final decisions but not their thinking processes. In addition, during the course of studies students may develop subject-based critical thinking while not being able to extend the skills to the general critical thinking. As such, we wanted to design and conduct a study on efficacy of several teaching methods in which we would learn how students’ improve their thinking processes within a science discipline as well as in everyday life situations. We conducted a study among 20 astronomy, physics and geology majors-- both graduate and undergraduate students-- enrolled in our Solar System Science course (mostly seniors and early graduate students) at the University of Missouri. We used the Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay test to assess students’ general critical thinking and, in addition, we implemented our own subject-based critical thinking assessment. Here, we present the results of this study and share our experience on designing a subject-based critical thinking assessment instrument.

Science Academies Refresher Course in Topology

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

knowledge thereby add value to their teaching. The course will be directed by Prof. Parameswaran Sankaran, FNASc, FASc. It may be noted that ... ipants will be provided with travel assistance (limited to three-tier A/c train fare), accommodation and local hospitality during the Course in addition to course material. Interested ...

Performing the Future. On the Use of Drama in Philosophy Courses for Science Students

Science.gov (United States)

Toonders, Winnie; Verhoeff, Roald P.; Zwart, Hub

2016-10-01

Drama is a relatively unexplored tool in academic science education. This paper addresses in what way the use of drama may allow science students to deepen their understanding of recent developments in the emerging and controversial field of neuro-enhancement, by means of a case study approach. First, we emphasise the congruency between drama and science, notably the dramatic dimension of experimental research. Subsequently, we draw on educational literature to elaborate the potential of using drama as a teaching modality, specifically focusing on the ethical and moral dimensions of future techno-scientific innovations. Our case study consisted of a drama experiment as a module in a philosophy course on human enhancement. Twenty-two students from various science disciplines performed multiple roles, as authors, actors, audience and reviewers. Qualitative data were collected on the educational process and student performance during the course, i.e. observations and video recordings of class discussions, group work and plays, interviews and questionnaires. Our drama experiment proved to be effective in enabling students to explore and relate to a future life world affected by enhancement technologies. It allowed them to deepen their awareness of social and ethical implications of neuro-technologies and of the different viewpoints people may have on this issue in academic, professional or everyday settings. Moreover, drama allowed them to develop a reflexive position of their own in the neuro-enhancement debate by enacting a moral dilemma in front of an audience. Our results confirm the potential of drama as a tool for exploring techno-scientific futures in science education.

Pathways from parental stimulation of children's curiosity to high school science course accomplishments and science career interest and skill

Science.gov (United States)

Eskeles Gottfried, Adele; Johnson Preston, Kathleen Suzanne; Gottfried, Allen W.; Oliver, Pamella H.; Delany, Danielle E.; Ibrahim, Sirena M.

2016-08-01

Curiosity is fundamental to scientific inquiry and pursuance. Parents are important in encouraging children's involvement in science. This longitudinal study examined pathways from parental stimulation of children's curiosity per se to their science acquisition (SA). A latent variable of SA was indicated by the inter-related variables of high school science course accomplishments, career interest, and skill. A conceptual model investigated parental stimulation of children's curiosity as related to SA via science intrinsic motivation and science achievement. The Fullerton Longitudinal Study provided data spanning school entry through high school (N = 118). Parental stimulation of curiosity at age 8 years comprised exposing children to new experiences, promoting curiosity, encouraging asking questions, and taking children to a museum. Intrinsic motivation was measured at ages 9, 10, and 13 years, and achievement at ages 9, 10, and 11 years. Structural equation modelling was used for analyses. Controlling for socio-economic status, parental stimulation of curiosity bore positive and significant relations to science intrinsic motivation and achievement, which in turn related to SA. Gender neither related to stimulation of curiosity nor contributed to the model. Findings highlight the importance of parental stimulation of children's curiosity in facilitating trajectories into science, and relevance to science education is discussed.

Do Policies that Encourage Better Attendance in Lab Change Students' Academic Behaviors and Performances in Introductory Science Courses?

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Randy; Jensen, Philip A.

2008-01-01

Science courses with hands-on investigative labs are a typical part of the general education requirements at virtually all colleges and universities. In these courses, labs that satisfy a curricular requirement for "lab experience" are important because they provide the essence of the scientific experience--that is, they give students…

Persuading girls to take elective physical science courses in high school: Who are the credible communicators?

Science.gov (United States)

Koballa, Thomas R., Jr.

Eighth-grade girls (N=257) randomly selected from nine different public junior high schools in central Texas were questioned in order to identify the communicators whom they perceive as highly credible regarding reasons for taking elective physical science courses in high school and the attributes associated with these communicators. Four persons were each identified by better than 10 percent of the sample as the best person to try to convince junior high school girls to take elective physical science courses in high school. In order of perceived credibility, these persons are father, woman science teacher, mother, and boy high school student. Slight variations in the order of perceived credibility were found when the responses from girls of the different ethnic groups represented in the sample (Caucasian, Hispanic, Black, and Asian) were examined separately. Attributes listed by the respondents for father, woman science teacher, mother, and boy high school student were examined and classified into the categories of prestige, trustworthiness, similarity, attractiveness, and power. Prestige and trustworthiness are the attributes associates most frequently with communicators identified as highly credible. Implications of the present study and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Badminton: Course Proposal.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeo, David G.

A proposal is presented for a Community College of Philadelphia Life Sciences and Allied Health Services course in Badminton. Following a standard cover form, a statement of purpose explains that the course is designed to introduce students to the techniques, knowledge, and strategies of badminton. Next, course goals and a course outline are…

Using Infiniscope Exploratory Activities in an Online Astronomy Lab Course for Non-Science Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Knierman, Karen; Anbar, Ariel; Tamer, A. Joseph; Hunsley, Diana; Young, Patrick A.; Center for Education Through eXploration

2018-01-01

With the growth of online astronomy courses, it has become necessary to design different strategies for students to engage meaningfully with astronomy content. In contrast to some of the previously designed “cookbook”-style lab exercises, the strategy of these Infiniscope activities is to provide an experience where the students explore and discover the content for themselves. The Infiniscope project was created by ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate as part of the NASA Exploration Connection project. As part of this project, online activities on topics such as asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects, eclipses, and Kepler’s Laws were designed and created for middle school (grades 6-8) and informal education settings. This poster discusses adapting these activities to the undergraduate non-science major setting. In fall 2017, the Infiniscope activities, such as Small Worlds and Kepler’s Laws, will be incorporated into an Arizona State University online astronomy course, AST 113, which is the laboratory component for the Introduction to Solar System Astronomy course sequence. This course typically enrolls about 800-900 students per semester with a combination of students who are online only as well as those who also take in person classes. In this type of class, we cannot have any in-person required sessions and all content must be delivered online asynchronously. The use of the Infiniscope exploratory exercises will provide students with the ability to use NASA data in a hands-on manner to discover the solar system for themselves.

Transforming beliefs and practices: Elementary teacher candidates' development through shared authentic teaching and reflection experiences within an innovative science methods course

Science.gov (United States)

Naidoo, Kara

Elementary teachers are criticized for failing to incorporate meaningful science instruction in their classrooms or avoiding science instruction altogether. The lack of adequate science instruction in elementary schools is partially attributed to teacher candidates' anxiety, poor content and pedagogical preparation, and low science teaching self-efficacy. The central premise of this study was that many of these issues could be alleviated through course modifications designed to address these issues. The design tested and presented here provided prospective elementary educators' authentic science teaching experiences with elementary students in a low-stakes environment with the collaboration of peers and science teacher educators. The process of comprehensive reflection was developed for and tested in this study. Comprehensive reflection is individual and collective, written and set in dialogic discourse, focused on past and future behavior, and utilizes video recordings from shared teaching experiences. To test the central premise, an innovative science methods course was designed, implemented and evaluated using a one-group mixed-method design. The focus of the analysis was on changes in self-efficacy, identity and teaching practices as a function of authentic science teaching experiences and comprehensive reflection. The quantitative tools for analysis were t-tests and repeated-measures ANOVA on the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument-B (STEBI-B) and weekly self-rating on confidence as a learner and a teacher of science, respectively. The tools used to analyze qualitative data included thematic analysis and interpretative phenomenological analysis. In addition, theoretically grounded tools were developed and used in a case study to determine the ways one prospective educator's science teaching identity was influenced by experiences in the course. The innovative course structure led the development of teacher candidates' science teaching identity

Infusing Traditional Knowledge and Ways of Knowing into Science Communication Courses at the University of Hawai'i

Science.gov (United States)

Lemus, Judith D.; Seraphin, Kanesa Duncan; Coopersmith, Ann; Correa, Carly K. V.

2014-01-01

We describe a philosophy and process by which cultural awareness and traditional ways of knowing were incorporated into courses on communicating ocean sciences for college and graduate students in Hawai'i. The result is a culturally relevant framework that contextualizes the course for Hawai'i audiences while also enabling students to better…

Cultivating the Capacity for Formal Reasoning: Objectives and Procedures in an Introductory Physical Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Arons, A. B.

1976-01-01

Describes special factors and procedures which are utilized in an introductory physical science course for nonscience majors. It is designed to enable students who are at a concrete or transitional stage to attain the formal operational level of development. (Author/SL)

The knowledge most worth having: Otis W. Caldwell (1869 1947) and the rise of the general science course

Science.gov (United States)

Heffron, John M.

1995-07-01

In 1860 Herbert Spencer asked the famous rhetorical question ‘What Knowledge is of Most Worth?’ The unequivocal answer was science. Giving greater attention to science and scientific knowledge would not only produce additional scientists; more important, argued Spencer, it would make better parents, better church-goers, better citizens and workers, better artists and better consumers of art. It would lead to a ‘command of fundamental processes’, ‘worthy home membership’, ‘worthy use of leisure’, ‘ethical character’ — the goals of a general education spelled out by Spencerians within the National Educational Association in 1918. Here is our puzzle, then: how are we to interpret a definition of science, one widely accepted both in Spencer's time and in our own, that comes so close descriptively to a commonsensical view of what constitutes non-science? The answer to this question lies in part in the historical relationship between science and general education, a relationship established in the opening decades of this century, when the authority of science and scientific objectivity was in the minds of most educators unimpeachable. The high school general science course, developed in its early stages by the botanist and educator, Otis W. Caldwell, was a potent symbol of this new relationship. Organized around broad, topical issues and claiming to teach the mundane truths of life, general science was more than a loose collection of facts from the various earth, biological, and physical sciences. Its many advocates viewed the new unified science course as pedagogically independent of the specialties yet central to education in general. In 1949, two years after Caldwell's death, 72 percent of the total science enrollments in the United States were in general science and biology, its closest cognate. This paper examines the rise of the general science course and its implications for the reform of secondary school science education. It concludes that

International student exchange and the medical curriculum: evaluation of a medical sciences translational physiology course in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Mariana; Jones, T David; Rocha, Maria Jose Alves; Fazan, Rubens; Chapleau, Mark W; Salgado, Helio C; Johnson, Alan Kim; Irigoyen, Maria Claudia; Michelini, Lisete C; Goldstein, David L

2006-09-01

The objective of the present study was to conduct a short-term international course on translational physiology for medical students from Wright State University and the University of Iowa. The goals were to 1) provide students with an exposure to the academic, cultural, and medical environments in Brazil; 2) promote awareness of the global medical community; and 3) provide an academic course focused on translational physiology. An evaluation of the students was conducted to determine whether such a short-term course might be useful in the medical curriculum. The 2-wk course was held in the summer of 2005 at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, for 23 American students. The program included presentations of basic and clinical topics, meetings with medical students, and clinical presentations. The program finished with student attendance at a scientific meeting sponsored by the Brazilian Society of Hypertension. Student surveys evaluated issues related to perceived treatment, Brazilian medical school environment, culture and personal attributes, and career aspirations. The international Medical Sciences Translational Physiology course for medical students provided a brief, but intense, experience. It gave students a picture of the medical environment in Brazil and an appreciation for the differences and similarities in cultures. Most students reported that it was a positive experience that would be beneficial to their careers. In conclusion, a short-term international course provides an efficient means for medical students to experience aspects of global medical science.

Collaboration between courses in the interdisciplinary course Food Microbiology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birk, Tina; Jensen, Lars Bogø; Andersson, Pernille Hammar

2014-01-01

Food Microbiology is an interdisciplinary 12.5 ETCS second-year) course in a CDIO-based Bachelor of Engineering program in Food Science at The Technical University of Denmark (DTU). The course was first offered in 2011. Each session in the Food Microbiology course combines theory and practice...... learning. The aims of this study were to test 1) the students’ perception combining theory with small laboratory exercises and 2) the students’ perception of how the course collaborates with and combines theories and practices from other current semester courses. The students evaluated the course...

Developing a science teacher education course that supports student teachers' thinking and teaching about the nature of science

Science.gov (United States)

Sorensen, Pete; Newton, Len; McCarthy, Sue

2012-04-01

Background and purpose . This paper reports on part of an ongoing research project in England concerning the Nature of Science (NOS). The particular focus is on the initial thinking of the graduate scientists starting a one-year, Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course and the way the course approaches adopted influence their views and understanding of NOS and their teaching. The research is set against a wealth of literature indicating that teachers find it difficult to teach curricula that emphasise NOS. Thus a key impetus for research in this area has been to look for ways that beginning teachers might be better prepared to face such challenges. Sample The paper draws on data from three cohorts of secondary PGCE students in a university-schools partnership, involving a total of 169 students. Design and method The research lies within a design research tradition. It has used mixed methods, involving written tasks, interviews and focus groups, with an iterative approach where the outcomes from one cohort have been used to inform course developments in successive years. Results The results from these cohorts suggest that, while the students starting the course have a less restricted view of NOS than indicated by some other studies, in most cases there is a lack of breadth and depth to their understanding. There is some evidence that the use of specific tasks focusing on NOS in university-based sessions may be helping to develop and deepen understanding. However, the impact of current approaches remains fairly limited and attempts to develop teaching practices often face considerable barriers in the school-based practicum. Conclusions Graduate science students' understanding of NOS as they embark on the PGCE is not highly developed. Hence, the emphasis on aspects of NOS in the school curriculum presents a considerable challenge. This study suggests that there is a need to both further develop an explicit focus on NOS in university-based sessions and to

Brownfield Action Online - An Interactive Undergraduate Science Course in Environmental Forensics

Science.gov (United States)

Liddicoat, Joseph; Bower, Peter

2014-05-01

Brownfield Action (BA) is a web-based, interactive, three dimensional digital space and learning simulation in which students form geotechnical consulting companies and work collectively to explore problems in environmental forensics. Created at Barnard College (BC) in conjunction with the Center for New Media Teaching and Learning at Columbia University, BA has a 12-year history at BC of use in one semester of a two-semester Introduction to Environmental Science course that is taken by more than 100 female undergraduate non-science majors to satisfy their science requirement. The pedagogical methods and design of the BA model are grounded in a substantial research literature focused on the design, use, and effectiveness of games and simulation in education. The successful use of the BA simulation at BC and 14 other institutions in the U.S. is described in Bower et al. (2011 and 2014). Soon to be taught online to non-traditional undergraduate students, BA has 15 modules that include a reconnaissance survey; scale; topographic, bedrock, and water table maps; oral and written reports from residents and the municipal government; porosity and permeability measurements of the regolith (sand) in the area of interest; hydrocarbon chemistry; direction and velocity of groundwater flow; and methods of geophysical exploration (soil gas, ground penetrating radar, magnetic metal detection, excavation, and drilling). Student performance is assessed by weekly exercises and a semester ending Environmental Site Assessment Phase I Report that summarizes the individual and collective discoveries about a contaminated subsurface plume that emanates from a leaking underground storage tank at a gasoline station upgrade from the water well that serves the surrounding community. Texts for the course are Jonathan Harr's A Civil Action and Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, which are accompanied by questions that direct the reading.

Trust, Growth Mindset, and Student Commitment to Active Learning in a College Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanagh, Andrew J.; Chen, Xinnian; Bathgate, Meghan; Frederick, Jennifer; Hanauer, David I.; Graham, Mark J.

2018-01-01

There is growing consensus regarding the effectiveness of active-learning pedagogies in college science courses. Less is known about ways that student-level factors contribute to positive outcomes in these contexts. The present study examines students' (N = 245) trust in the instructor--defined as perceptions of their instructor's understanding,…

Kids Crash and Burn: An Analysis of Freshmen Failing Science End of Course Exams

Science.gov (United States)

Godfrey, Tanya N.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how various factors influence student achievement on the physical science EOCE so that students are provided every opportunity to be successful. An understanding of influences such as the type of mathematics course students are taking, participating in block scheduling, participating in freshmen…

Geography, Resources, and Environment of Latin America: An Undergraduate Science Course focused on Attracting Hispanic students to Science and on Educating Non-Hispanics about Latin America.

Science.gov (United States)

Pujana, I.; Stern, R. J.; Ledbetter, C. E.

2004-12-01

With NSF-CCLI funding, we have developed, taught, and evaluated a new lower-division science course for non-majors, entitled "Geography, Resources, and Environment of Hispanic America" (GRELA). This is an adaptation of a similar course, "Geology and Development of Modern Africa" developed by Barbara Tewksbury (Hamilton College), to attract African American students to science by highlighting cultural ties with their ancestral lands. We think that a similar approach focusing on Latin America may attract Hispanic undergraduates, at the same time that it increases awareness among non-Hispanic students about challenges facing our neighbors to the south. GRELA is an interdisciplinary exploration of how the physical and biological environment of Mexico, Central America, and South America have influenced the people who live there. The course consists of 20 lectures and requires the student to present a report partnering with correspondents in Latin American universities. GRELA begins with an overview of Latin American physical and cultural geography and geologic evolution followed by a series of modules that relate the natural resources and environment of Latin America to the history, economy, and culture of the region. This is followed by an exploration of pre-Columbian cultures. The use of metals by pre-Columbian, colonial, and modern cultures is presented next. We then discuss hydrocarbon resources, geothermal energy, and natural hazards of volcanoes and earthquakes. The last half of the course focuses on Earth System Science themes, including El Nino, glaciers, the Amazon river and rainforest, and coral reefs. The final presentation concerns population growth and water resources along the US-Mexico border. Grades are based on two midterms, one final, and a project which requires that groups of students communicate with scientists in Latin America to explore some aspect of geography, natural resources, or the environment of a Latin American region of common interest

Integrating Brain Science into Health Studies: An Interdisciplinary Course in Contemplative Neuroscience and Yoga

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Uta; Moran, Amy

2017-01-01

As neuroscience knowledge grows in its scope of societal applications so does the need to educate a wider audience on how to critically evaluate its research findings. Efforts at finding teaching approaches that are interdisciplinary, accessible and highly applicable to student experience are thus ongoing. The article describes an interdisciplinary undergraduate health course that combines the academic study of contemplative neuroscience with contemplative practice, specifically yoga. The class aims to reach a diverse mix of students by teaching applicable, health-relevant neuroscience material while directly connecting it to first-hand experience. Outcomes indicate success on these goals: The course attracted a wide range of students, including nearly 50% non-science majors. On a pre/post test, students showed large increases in their knowledge of neuroscience. Students’ ratings of the course overall, of increases in positive feelings about its field, and of their progress on specific course objectives were highly positive. Finally, students in their written work applied neuroscience course content to their personal and professional lives. Such results indicate that this approach could serve as a model for the interdisciplinary, accessible and applied integration of relevant neuroscience material into the undergraduate health curriculum. PMID:29371845

Courses on the Beauty of Mathematics: Our Version of General Education Mathematics Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Rash, Agnes M.; Fillebrown, Sandra

2016-01-01

This article describes various courses designed to incorporate mathematical proofs into courses for non-math and non-science majors. These courses, nicknamed "math beauty" courses, are designed to discuss one topic in-depth rather than to introduce many topics at a superficial level. A variety of courses, each requiring students to…

Characterisation of a thiamine diphosphate-dependent alpha-keto acid decarboxylase from Proteus mirabilis JN458.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Biying; Bai, Yajun; Fan, Taiping; Zheng, Xiaohui; Cai, Yujie

2017-10-01

Alpha-keto acid decarboxylases can convert keto acids to their corresponding aldehydes, which are often volatile aroma compounds. The gene encoding α-keto acid decarboxylase in Proteus mirabilis JN458 was cloned, and the enzyme overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), purified in high yield, and characterised. The molecular weight is 62.291kDa by MALDI-TOF MS, and optimum activity at pH 6.0 and 40-50°C. The enzyme is a typical decarboxylase, dependent on thiamine diphosphate and Mg 2+ as cofactors. For the decarboxylation reaction, the enzyme displayed a broad substrate range. Kinetic parameters were determined using 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoic acid, phenyl pyruvate and 3-methyl-2-oxopentanoic acid as substrates. K m and k cat values for phenyl pyruvate were 0.62mM and 77.38s -1 , respectively, and the k cat /K m value was 124.81mM -1 s -1 . The enzyme properties suggest it may act effectively under cheese ripening conditions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Design and Assessment of a General Science STEM Course with a Blended Learning Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Courtier, A. M.; Liu, J. C.; St John, K. K.

2015-12-01

Blended learning, a combination of classroom- and computer-mediated teaching and learning, is becoming prominent in higher education, and structured assessment is necessary to determine pedagogical costs and benefits. Assessment of a blended general education science class at James Madison University used a mixed-method causal-comparative design: in Spring 2014, two classes with identical content and similar groups of non-science majors were taught by the same instructor in either blended or full face-to-face formats. The learning experience of 160 students in the two classes was compared based on course and exam grades, classroom observation, and student survey results. Student acquisition of content in both classes was measured with pre-post tests using published concept inventories, and surveys, quizzes, and grade reports in the Blackboard learning management system were additionally used for data collection. Exams were identical between the two sections, and exam questions were validated in advance by a faculty member who teaches other sections of the same course. A course experience questionnaire was administered to measure students' personal experiences in both classes, addressing dimensions of good teaching, clear goals and standards, generic skills, appropriate assessment and workload, and emphasis on independence. Using a STEM classroom observation checklist, two researchers conducted in-class observations for four 75-minute face-to-face meetings with similar content focus in both classes, which allowed assessment of student engagement and participation. We will present details of the course design and research plan, as well as assessment results from both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The preliminary findings include slightly higher average grade distribution and more ready responses to in-class activities in the blended class.

Spectral Feature Analysis of Minerals and Planetary Surfaces in an Introductory Planetary Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Urban, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Using an ALTA II reflectance spectrometer, the USGS digital spectral library, graphs of planetary spectra, and a few mineral hand samples, one can teach how light can be used to study planets and moons. The author created the hands-on, inquiry-based activity for an undergraduate planetary science course consisting of freshman to senior level…

Assessing the quantified impact of a hybrid POGIL methodology on student averages in a forensic science survey course

Science.gov (United States)

Meeks, Tyna L.

A causal-comparative/quasi experimental study examined the effect of incorporating a hybrid teaching methodology that blended lecture with Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Lessons (POGILs) on the overall academic achievement of a diverse student body in a large lecture setting. Additional considerations included student gender, ethnicity, declared major (STEM or non-STEM), and SAT scores. An evaluation of the effect that these characteristics had on student achievement due to differentiating import placed on the use of POGILs as a learning tool was included. This study used data obtained from a longitudinal examination of eight years of student data from an introductory forensic science survey course offered in a R1 northeastern university. This study addressed the effectiveness of applying a proscribed active learning methodology, one proposed effective in collegiate education, to a new environment, forensic science. The methodology employed combined fourteen POGILs, created specifically for the chosen course, with didactic lecture during the entire semester of a forensic science survey course. This quasi-experimental design used the manipulation of the independent variable, the use of a hybrid lecture instead of exclusive use of traditional didactic lectures, on the students' academic achievement on exams given during the course. Participants in this study (N=1436) were undergraduate students enrolled in the single semester introductory science course. A longitudinal study that incorporated eight years of data was completed, 4 years pre-intervention (2007-2010) and 4 years post-intervention (2011-2014). The forensic science survey course, taught by only one professor during the eight-year period, was a science discipline that had yet to integrate an active learning educational model. Findings indicate four variables significantly contributed to explaining nearly 28% of the variation seen in the student class averages earned during the eight-year period: the

English Language Arts and Science Courses in a Virtual School: A Comparative Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Tustin, Rachel Sarah

Virtual K-12 schools have rapidly become a popular choice for parents and students in the last decade. However, little research has been done on the instructional practices used in virtual courses. As reflected in the central research question, the purpose of this study was to explore how teachers provided instruction for Grade 7-10 students in both English language arts and science courses in a virtual school in a southern state. The conceptual framework was based on Piaget's theory of cognitive development and Garrison, Anderson, and Siemens' research on instructional design. The units of analysis in this qualitative, comparative case study were four virtual courses; the data were collected from teacher and student questionnaires, threaded student discussions, student work samples, and archival records. The first level of data analysis involved coding and categorization using the constant comparative method, and the second level involved examining the data for patterns, themes, and relationships to determine key findings. Results indicated that a standardized virtual course design supported teacher use of direct instruction and summative assessments and some individualized instruction to deliver course content, including adjusting the course pace, conducting individual telephone conferences, and providing small group instruction using Blackboard Elluminate. Opportunities for student interaction and inquiry learning were limited. This study is expected to contribute to positive social change by providing educators and policymakers with an awareness of the critical need for further study of research-based instructional practices in K-12 virtual courses that would improve student learning.

Projects for the implementation of science technology society approach in basic concept of natural science course as application of optical and electrical instruments’ material

Science.gov (United States)

Satria, E.

2018-03-01

Preservice teachers in primary education should be well equipped to meet the challenges of teaching primary science effectively in 21century. The purpose of this research was to describe the projects for the implementation of Science-Technology-Society (STS) approach in Basic Concept of Natural Science course as application of optical and electrical instruments’ material by the preservice teachers in Elementary Schools Teacher Education Program. One of the reasons is the lack of preservice teachers’ ability in making projects for application of STS approach and optical and electrical instruments’ material in Basic Concept of Natural Science course. This research applied descriptive method. The instrument of the research was the researcher himself. The data were gathered through observation and documentation. Based on the results of the research, it was figured out that preservice teachers, in groups, were creatively and successful to make the projects of optical and electrical instruments assigned such as projector and doorbell. It was suggested that the construction of the instruments should be better (fixed and strong structure) and more attractive for both instruments, and used strong light source, high quality images, and it could use speaker box for projector, power battery, and heat sink for electrical instruments.

Personal and Shared Experiences as Resources for Meaning Making in a Philosophy of Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Arvaja, Maarit

2012-01-01

The aim of this case study was to explore health-education students' personal and collaborative meaning making activities during an online science philosophy course in the higher-education context. Through applying the dialogical perspective for learning, the focus was on studying how different contextual resources were used in building…

Classroom sound can be used to classify teaching practices in college science courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, Melinda T; Seidel, Shannon B; Wong, Mike; Bejines, Travis E; Lietz, Susanne; Perez, Joseph R; Sit, Shangheng; Subedar, Zahur-Saleh; Acker, Gigi N; Akana, Susan F; Balukjian, Brad; Benton, Hilary P; Blair, J R; Boaz, Segal M; Boyer, Katharyn E; Bram, Jason B; Burrus, Laura W; Byrd, Dana T; Caporale, Natalia; Carpenter, Edward J; Chan, Yee-Hung Mark; Chen, Lily; Chovnick, Amy; Chu, Diana S; Clarkson, Bryan K; Cooper, Sara E; Creech, Catherine; Crow, Karen D; de la Torre, José R; Denetclaw, Wilfred F; Duncan, Kathleen E; Edwards, Amy S; Erickson, Karen L; Fuse, Megumi; Gorga, Joseph J; Govindan, Brinda; Green, L Jeanette; Hankamp, Paul Z; Harris, Holly E; He, Zheng-Hui; Ingalls, Stephen; Ingmire, Peter D; Jacobs, J Rebecca; Kamakea, Mark; Kimpo, Rhea R; Knight, Jonathan D; Krause, Sara K; Krueger, Lori E; Light, Terrye L; Lund, Lance; Márquez-Magaña, Leticia M; McCarthy, Briana K; McPheron, Linda J; Miller-Sims, Vanessa C; Moffatt, Christopher A; Muick, Pamela C; Nagami, Paul H; Nusse, Gloria L; Okimura, Kristine M; Pasion, Sally G; Patterson, Robert; Pennings, Pleuni S; Riggs, Blake; Romeo, Joseph; Roy, Scott W; Russo-Tait, Tatiane; Schultheis, Lisa M; Sengupta, Lakshmikanta; Small, Rachel; Spicer, Greg S; Stillman, Jonathon H; Swei, Andrea; Wade, Jennifer M; Waters, Steven B; Weinstein, Steven L; Willsie, Julia K; Wright, Diana W; Harrison, Colin D; Kelley, Loretta A; Trujillo, Gloriana; Domingo, Carmen R; Schinske, Jeffrey N; Tanner, Kimberly D

2017-03-21

Active-learning pedagogies have been repeatedly demonstrated to produce superior learning gains with large effect sizes compared with lecture-based pedagogies. Shifting large numbers of college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty to include any active learning in their teaching may retain and more effectively educate far more students than having a few faculty completely transform their teaching, but the extent to which STEM faculty are changing their teaching methods is unclear. Here, we describe the development and application of the machine-learning-derived algorithm Decibel Analysis for Research in Teaching (DART), which can analyze thousands of hours of STEM course audio recordings quickly, with minimal costs, and without need for human observers. DART analyzes the volume and variance of classroom recordings to predict the quantity of time spent on single voice (e.g., lecture), multiple voice (e.g., pair discussion), and no voice (e.g., clicker question thinking) activities. Applying DART to 1,486 recordings of class sessions from 67 courses, a total of 1,720 h of audio, revealed varied patterns of lecture (single voice) and nonlecture activity (multiple and no voice) use. We also found that there was significantly more use of multiple and no voice strategies in courses for STEM majors compared with courses for non-STEM majors, indicating that DART can be used to compare teaching strategies in different types of courses. Therefore, DART has the potential to systematically inventory the presence of active learning with ∼90% accuracy across thousands of courses in diverse settings with minimal effort.

Classroom sound can be used to classify teaching practices in college science courses

Science.gov (United States)

Seidel, Shannon B.; Wong, Mike; Bejines, Travis E.; Lietz, Susanne; Perez, Joseph R.; Sit, Shangheng; Subedar, Zahur-Saleh; Acker, Gigi N.; Akana, Susan F.; Balukjian, Brad; Benton, Hilary P.; Blair, J. R.; Boaz, Segal M.; Boyer, Katharyn E.; Bram, Jason B.; Burrus, Laura W.; Byrd, Dana T.; Caporale, Natalia; Carpenter, Edward J.; Chan, Yee-Hung Mark; Chen, Lily; Chovnick, Amy; Chu, Diana S.; Clarkson, Bryan K.; Cooper, Sara E.; Creech, Catherine; Crow, Karen D.; de la Torre, José R.; Denetclaw, Wilfred F.; Duncan, Kathleen E.; Edwards, Amy S.; Erickson, Karen L.; Fuse, Megumi; Gorga, Joseph J.; Govindan, Brinda; Green, L. Jeanette; Hankamp, Paul Z.; Harris, Holly E.; He, Zheng-Hui; Ingalls, Stephen; Ingmire, Peter D.; Jacobs, J. Rebecca; Kamakea, Mark; Kimpo, Rhea R.; Knight, Jonathan D.; Krause, Sara K.; Krueger, Lori E.; Light, Terrye L.; Lund, Lance; Márquez-Magaña, Leticia M.; McCarthy, Briana K.; McPheron, Linda J.; Miller-Sims, Vanessa C.; Moffatt, Christopher A.; Muick, Pamela C.; Nagami, Paul H.; Nusse, Gloria L.; Okimura, Kristine M.; Pasion, Sally G.; Patterson, Robert; Riggs, Blake; Romeo, Joseph; Roy, Scott W.; Russo-Tait, Tatiane; Schultheis, Lisa M.; Sengupta, Lakshmikanta; Small, Rachel; Spicer, Greg S.; Stillman, Jonathon H.; Swei, Andrea; Wade, Jennifer M.; Waters, Steven B.; Weinstein, Steven L.; Willsie, Julia K.; Wright, Diana W.; Harrison, Colin D.; Kelley, Loretta A.; Trujillo, Gloriana; Domingo, Carmen R.; Schinske, Jeffrey N.; Tanner, Kimberly D.

2017-01-01

Active-learning pedagogies have been repeatedly demonstrated to produce superior learning gains with large effect sizes compared with lecture-based pedagogies. Shifting large numbers of college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty to include any active learning in their teaching may retain and more effectively educate far more students than having a few faculty completely transform their teaching, but the extent to which STEM faculty are changing their teaching methods is unclear. Here, we describe the development and application of the machine-learning–derived algorithm Decibel Analysis for Research in Teaching (DART), which can analyze thousands of hours of STEM course audio recordings quickly, with minimal costs, and without need for human observers. DART analyzes the volume and variance of classroom recordings to predict the quantity of time spent on single voice (e.g., lecture), multiple voice (e.g., pair discussion), and no voice (e.g., clicker question thinking) activities. Applying DART to 1,486 recordings of class sessions from 67 courses, a total of 1,720 h of audio, revealed varied patterns of lecture (single voice) and nonlecture activity (multiple and no voice) use. We also found that there was significantly more use of multiple and no voice strategies in courses for STEM majors compared with courses for non-STEM majors, indicating that DART can be used to compare teaching strategies in different types of courses. Therefore, DART has the potential to systematically inventory the presence of active learning with ∼90% accuracy across thousands of courses in diverse settings with minimal effort. PMID:28265087

Improving the Science Teaching Self-Efficacy of Preservice Elementary Teachers: A Multiyear Study of A Hybrid Geoscience Course

Science.gov (United States)

Cervato, Cinzia; Kerton, Charles

2017-01-01

We describe the impact of a hybrid Earth and space science course, taught online and complemented by a 2-hour face-to-face lab, on the science teaching self-efficacy of elementary preservice teachers over a 3-year span. Guided by the two overarching objectives of engaging students in the content and increasing their comfort level with teaching…

A Field Course in Ocean Sciences that Emphasizes Sustainabilty

Science.gov (United States)

Macko, S. A.; O'Connell, M. T.

2016-12-01

Sustainability awareness is increasingly a subject in educational settings. Marine science classes are perfect settings of establishing sustainability awareness owing to declining populations of organisms and perceived collapse in fisheries worldwide. Students in oceanography classes often request more direct exposure to actual ocean situations or field trips. During regular session (18 week) or shorter term (4 week) summer classes such long trips are logistically difficult owing to large numbers of students involved or timing. This approach, to use a field basis for a course supplement addresses the requests by utilizing local resources and trips for a limited number of students (20) to locations in which Ocean experiences are available, and are often supported through education and outreach components. The vision of the class was a mixture of classroom time, readings, along with paper and laboratories. In addition, short day-long trips to locations where the ocean was "captured" were also used to supplement the experience as well as speakers involved with aquaculture. Central Virginia is a fortunate location for such a class, with close access for travel to the Chesapeake Bay and numerous field stations, museums with ocean-based exhibits (the Smithsonian and NOAA) that address both extant and extinct Earth history, as well as national/state aquaria in Baltimore and Virginia Beach. Furthermore, visits to local seafood markets at local stores, or larger city markets in Washington, Baltimore and Virginia Beach and International distribution centers, enhanced the understanding of productivity in the ocean, and viability of the fisheries sustainability. The course could then address not only the particulars of the marine science, but also aspects of sustainability with discussions on ethics, including keeping animals in captivity or overfishing of particular species and the special difficulties that arise from captive or culturing ocean populations. In addition, the

An assessment of the impact of demographic, cognitive, and non-cognitive variables on student success in a community college science course

Science.gov (United States)

Mackey, Audrey Leroy

The impact of demographic, cognitive, and non-cognitive variables on academic success among community college science students was studied. Demographic variables included gender, employment status, and ethnicity. Cognitive variables included college grade point average, assessment status, course prerequisites, college course success ratios, final course grade, withdrawal patterns, and curriculum format. Non-cognitive variables included enrollment status, educational objectives, academic expectations, and career goals. The sample population included students enrolled in human anatomy courses (N = 191) at a large metropolitan community college located in central Texas. Variables that potentially influence attrition and achievement in college level science courses were examined. Final course grade and withdrawal phenomena were treated as dependent variables, while all other variables were treated as independent variables. No significant differences were found to exist between any of the demographic variables studied and the numbers of students who withdrew passing or failing. A difference was shown to be associated with the ethnicity variable and achievement levels. Educational objectives and career goals were shown to have an impact on the number of students who withdrew failing. The career goals variable and the academic expectations variable were shown to have an impact on achievement among daytime and evening students. College grade point average and course success ratios were shown to make a difference among students who withdrew passing. None of the other cognitive variables studied were shown to influence the numbers of students who withdrew passing or failing. College grade point average and course prerequisites, however, were shown to make a difference in achievement. The collaborative learning instructional format was found to have no impact on attrition or achievement, however, mean scores earned by students experiencing the collaborative learning format

A Survey of Beginning Crop Science Courses at 49 U.S. Universities. I. Lecture Format, Teaching Methods, and Topical Content.

Science.gov (United States)

Karnok, Keith J.; Connors, Krista L.

1986-01-01

This paper is the first of a two-part series which discusses the findings related to lecture information in beginning crop science courses offered in Land Grant institutions. Survey results revealed considerable differences regarding course organization and teaching methods, but similarities in overall goals and topic areas. (ML)

Effect of Using Separate Laboratory and Lecture Courses for Introductory Crop Science on Student Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiebold, W. J.; Slaughter, Leon

1986-01-01

Reviews a study that examined the effects of laboratories on the grade performance of undergraduates in an introductory crop science course. Results indicated that students enrolled in lecture and laboratory concurrently did not receive higher lecture grades than students enrolled solely in lecture, but did have higher laboratory grades. (ML)

The MORPG-Based Learning System for Multiple Courses: A Case Study on Computer Science Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kuo-Yu

2015-01-01

This study aimed at developing a Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game-based (MORPG) Learning system which enabled instructors to construct a game scenario and manage sharable and reusable learning content for multiple courses. It used the curriculum of "Introduction to Computer Science" as a study case to assess students' learning…

Science Academies' Refresher Course in Experimental Physics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2017-12-18

Dec 18, 2017 ... A Refresher Course in Experimental Physics will be held at the Department of Physics, Panjab. University, Chandigarh held from 18 December 2017 to 2 January 2018 for the benefit of faculty involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The Course aims to familiarize the teachers with a ...

How Much Learning Could Possibly Be Going On In A 700 Person General Education Science Course? Research Results On The Teaching And Learning Of A "Mega” Astro 101 Course

Science.gov (United States)

Prather, Edward E.; Rudolph, A. L.; Brissenden, G.; Cormier, S.; Consiglio, D.; Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars CATS

2012-01-01

Researchers with the NSF-funded Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS) Program and the JPL NASA funded Center for Astronomy Education at the University of Arizona have engaged in a multi-year study on the learning that occurs in a general education introductory astronomy class with an enrollment of greater than 700 students. This new "Mega” course, was modeled after the University of Arizona's highly-effective Astro 101 instructional environment which evolved out of the development and testing from the Lecture-Tutorials and Ranking-Task curriculum projects (Prather, Rudolph, & Brissenden 2009). We have undertaken an ambitious research project to assess the effectiveness of this Mega course through the simultaneous implementation of the Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI), the Stellar Properties Concept Inventory (SPCI), The Lawson Test for Scientific Reasoning, and the Thinking about Science Survey Instrument (TSSI). Results indicate that the content learning gains of the students in these courses are quite high, and that new models for instruction pioneered for this course are critical to crating a productive and collaborative learning environment in the Mega classroom. This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0715517, a CCLI Phase III Grant for the Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Prather, E. E., A. L. Rudolph, and G. Brissenden. 2009. "Teaching and Learning Astronomy in the 21st Century.” Physics Today 62(10), 41.

Structure and Evaluation of a Flipped General Chemistry Course as a Model for Small and Large Gateway Science Courses at an Urban Public Institution

Science.gov (United States)

Deri, Melissa A.; Mills, Pamela; McGregor, Donna

2018-01-01

A flipped classroom is one where students are first introduced to content outside of the classroom. This frees up class time for more active learning strategies and has been shown to enhance student learning in high school and college classrooms. However, many studies in General Chemistry, a college gateway science course, were conducted in small…

Science Academies Refresher Course in Topology

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Selected partic- ipants will be provided with travel assistance (limited to three-tier A/c train fare), accommodation and local hospitality during the Course in addition to course material. Interested persons must submit their application ONLINE by clicking on the following link http://web-japps.ias.ac.in:8080/Refreshcourse/TTPP.

Prediction of Basic Math Course Failure Rate in the Physics, Meteorology, Mathematics, Actuarial Sciences and Pharmacy Degree Programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Rojas-Torres

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper summarizes a study conducted in 2013 with the purpose of predicting the failure rate of math courses taken by Pharmacy, Mathematics, Actuarial Science, Physics and Meteorology students at Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR. Using the Logistics Regression statistical techniques applied to the 2010 cohort, failure rates were predicted of students in the aforementioned programs in one of their Math introductory courses (Calculus 101 for Physics and Meteorology, Math Principles for Mathematics and Actuarial Science and Applied Differential Equations for Pharmacy. For these models, the UCR admission average, the student’s genre, and the average correct answers in the Quantitative Skills Test were used as predictor variables. The most important variable for all models was the Quantitative Skills Test, and the model with the highest correct classification rate was the Logistics Regression. For the estimated Physics-Meteorology, Pharmacy and Mathematics-Actuarial Science models, correct classifications were 89.8%, 73.6%, and 93.9%, respectively.

Science Academies' Refresher Course in Mathematics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

2015-06-14

Jun 14, 2015 ... A two-week Refresher Course in Mathematics will be organized during 1–14 June 2015 at School of Mathematics,. SMVD University, Katra, Jammu & Kashmir in association with School of Innovation and Community Develop- ment, SMVDU. The aim of the Course is to display the beauty of “complex ...

Is the P-Value Really Dead? Assessing Inference Learning Outcomes for Social Science Students in an Introductory Statistics Course

Science.gov (United States)

Lane-Getaz, Sharon

2017-01-01

In reaction to misuses and misinterpretations of p-values and confidence intervals, a social science journal editor banned p-values from its pages. This study aimed to show that education could address misuse and abuse. This study examines inference-related learning outcomes for social science students in an introductory course supplemented with…

Theological Concept of the Fourth Gospel in the Context of Jesus’ Glorification Prayer (Jn 17:1-5

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirosław S. Wróbel

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The analysis of Jn 17:1-5 in its textual, literary, exegetical and theological dimensions shows the importance of Jesus’ prayer to His Father. The prayer of glorification includes a deep theological perspective expressed by the connection between the Son and the Father, earth and Heaven, the believers and God. The glorification of the Father in the prayer of the Son obtains its dynamism in the glorification of the Son in the realization of the Hour. The concept of the Johannine Hour reveals its eschatological character which can be fulfilled in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Son. The prayer of Jesus opens the Heaven for every person who together with Him can fulfill the will of God. In the glorification of the Father by the Son (earthly glorification and the Son by the Father (heavenly glorification the believers obtain eternal life in the Heavenly Love of God.

Science Fiction in the Political Science Classroom: A Comment

Science.gov (United States)

Landers, Clifford E.

1977-01-01

Science fiction can be used for introducing and analyzing political concepts at the undergraduate level for either a specialized theory-oriented course such as Political Science Fiction or an Introduction to Political Science course. (Author/RM)

The Impact of an Interdisciplinary Learning Community Course on Pseudoscientific Reasoning in First-Year Science Students

Science.gov (United States)

Franz, Timothy M.; Green, Kris H.

2013-01-01

This case study examined the development and evaluation of an interdisciplinary first-year learning community designed to stimulate scientific reasoning and critical thinking. Designed to serve the needs of scholarship students majoring in mathematics and natural sciences, the six-credit learning community course was writing-intensive and…

Physics 3204. Course Description.

Science.gov (United States)

Newfoundland and Labrador Dept. of Education.

A description of the physics 3204 course in Newfoundland and Labrador is provided. The description includes: (1) statement of purpose, including general objectives of science education; (2) a list of six course objectives; (3) course content for units on sound, light, optical instruments, electrostatics, current electricity, Michael Faraday and…

Climate Literacy: Progress in Climate and Global Change Undergraduate Courses in Meteorology and Earth System Science Programs at Jackson State University

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, S. R.; Tuluri, F.; Fadavi, M.

2017-12-01

JSU Meteorology Program will be offering AMS Climate Studies undergraduate course under MET 210: Climatology in spring 2013. AMS Climate Studies is offered as a 3 credit hour laboratory course with 2 lectures and 1 lab sessions per week. Although this course places strong intellectual demands upon each student, the instructors' objective is to help each student to pass the course with an adequate understanding of the fundamentals and advanced and advanced courses. AMS Climate Studies is an introductory college-level course developed by the American Meteorological Society for implementation at undergraduate institutions nationwide. The course places students in a dynamic and highly motivational educational environment where they investigate Earth's climate system using real-world environmental data. The AMS Climate Studies course package consists of a textbook, investigations manual, course website, and course management system-compatible files. Instructors can use these resources in combinations that make for an exciting learning experience for their students. This is a content course in Earth Science. It introduces a new concept that views Earth as a synergistic physical system applied concepts of climatology, for him/her to understand basic atmospheric/climate processes, physical and dynamical climatology, regional climatology, past and future climates and statistical analysis using climate data and to be prepared to profit from studying more of interrelated phenomenon governed by complex processes involving the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the biosphere, and the solid Earth. The course emphasizes that the events that shape the physical, chemical, and biological processes of the Earth do not occur in isolation. Rather, there is a delicate relationship between the events that occur in the ocean, atmosphere, and the solid Earth. The course provides a multidimensional approach in solving scientific issues related to Earth-related sciences,

Using ESSEA Modules, Local Event Studies and Personal Learning Experiences in an Earth Systems Science Course for Preservice Middle School Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Slattery, W.; Brown, D.

2008-12-01

Most science courses, including courses that provide preparation for pre-service K-12 teachers are only taught from a deductive big picture perspective. This method is fine for most abstract learners, but pre- service classroom educators that are being prepared to teach in middle school classrooms will be faced with the challenge of building science content knowledge in students that are concrete learners. For these K-12 students a better pedagogical practice is to use local real-world familiar places, issues and personal experience to connect student learning with more abstract concepts. To make it more likely that teachers have the requisite skills and pedagogical content knowledge to build K- 12 student science concept knowledge and science process skills we have integrated ESSEA modules that connect worldwide issues such as global climate change with local event studies chosen by learners. Some recent examples include how such local events such as landfill fires and suburban sprawl impact the local area's air, land, water and life. Course participants are able to choose a more personal route to understanding how their habits impact the global environment by participating in a three week learning experience called the Lifestyle Project. This experience asks students to incrementally reduce their use of heating or air-conditioning, the amount of waste going to landfills, to conserve electricity, drive less and eat less energy intensively. Pre-post content assessments indicate that students in this course scored significantly higher on post course content assessments and reported that by engaging in personal experience to global scale learning experiences they have a new appreciation for how personal choices impact the global environment and how to use local artifacts and issues to enhance K-12 student learning.

The transfer of learning process: From an elementary science methods course to classroom instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Nina Leann

The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the transfer of learning process in student teachers. This was carried out by focusing on information learned from an elementary science methods and how it was transferred into classroom instruction during student teaching. Participants were a purposeful sampling of twelve elementary education student teachers attending a public university in north Mississippi. Factors that impacted the transfer of learning during lesson planning and implementation were sought. The process of planning and implementing a ten-day science instructional unit during student teaching was examined through lesson plan documentation, in-depth individual interviews, and two focus group interviews. Narratives were created to describe the participants' experiences as well as how they plan for instruction and consider science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Categories and themes were then used to build explanations applying to the research questions. The themes identified were Understanding of Science PCK, Minimalism, Consistency in the Teacher Education Program, and Emphasis on Science Content. The data suggested that the participants lack in their understanding of science PCK, took a minimalistic approach to incorporating science into their ten-day instructional units, experienced inconsistencies in the teacher education program, and encountered a lack of emphasis on science content in their field experience placements. The themes assisted in recognizing areas in the elementary science methods courses, student teaching field placements, and university supervision in need of modification.

The Kitchen Is Your Laboratory: A Research-Based Term-Paper Assignment in a Science Writing Course

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Clinton D.

2011-01-01

A term-paper assignment that encompasses the full scientific method has been developed and implemented in an undergraduate science writing and communication course with no laboratory component. Students are required to develop their own hypotheses, design experiments to test their hypotheses, and collect empirical data as independent scientists in…

Using Team-based Learning to teach a Large-enrollment Environmental Science Course Online

Science.gov (United States)

Harder, V.

2013-12-01

Student enrollment in many online courses is usually limited to small classes, ranging from 20-25 students. Over two summers Environmental Science 1301, with an enrollment of 50, has been piloted online using team-based learning (TBL) methods. Teams, consisting of 7 members, were assigned randomly using the group manager tool found in the learning management system. The course was organized around Learning Modules, which consisted of a quiz (individual) over the reading, a team assignment, which covered a topic from one of the chapters was completed for each learning module, and a class/group discussion. The discussion usually entailed a presentation of findings to the class by each team. This allowed teams to interact with one another and was also designed to encourage competition among the teams. Over the course of the class it was observed that as the students became comfortable with the course procedures they developed a commitment to the goals and welfare of their team. They found that as a team they could accomplish much more than an individual; they discovered strengths in their team mates that they, themselves, lacked, and they helped those team mates who struggled with the material. The teams tackled problems that would be overwhelming to an individual in the time allotted, such as running multiple scenarios with the simulations and tackling a large amount of data. Using TBL shifted the majority of responsibility of learning the material to the student with the instructor functioning as a facilitator instead of dispenser of knowledge. Dividing the class into teams made the course load manageable for the instructor while at the same time created a small-class environment for the students. In comparing this course to other, nonTBL-based online courses taught, the work load was very manageable. There were only 7-10 items to be graded per Learning Module and only 7-10 teams to monitor and provide guidance to instead of 50 individuals. Retention rates (86

Measuring the Impact of App Inventor for Android and Studio-Based Learning in an Introductory Computer Science Course for Non-Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Khuloud Nasser

2012-01-01

A reexamination of the traditional instruction of introductory computer science (CS) courses is becoming a necessity. Introductory CS courses tend to have high attrition rates and low success rates. In many universities, the CS department suffered from low enrollment for several years compared to other majors. Multiple studies have linked these…

Designing and Implementing a Computational Methods Course for Upper-level Undergraduates and Postgraduates in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, E.; L'Ecuyer, T. S.; Douglas, A.; Hansen, Z.

2017-12-01

In the modern computing age, scientists must utilize a wide variety of skills to carry out scientific research. Programming, including a focus on collaborative development, has become more prevalent in both academic and professional career paths. Faculty in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin—Madison recognized this need and recently approved a new course offering for undergraduates and postgraduates in computational methods that was first held in Spring 2017. Three programming languages were covered in the inaugural course semester and development themes such as modularization, data wrangling, and conceptual code models were woven into all of the sections. In this presentation, we will share successes and challenges in developing a research project-focused computational course that leverages hands-on computer laboratory learning and open-sourced course content. Improvements and changes in future iterations of the course based on the first offering will also be discussed.

On Students‧ Evasion of Science and Engineering Course in Korea and the Recent Conditions of College Students Employment

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Youngjong

In the 21st century as information society, to increase the advancement rate of high capable students in science and engineering majors, we can consider the sociological, economical and psychological aspects of the problem. So, we need promote the gifted and talented students in elementary and secondary education, and through such improving measures we need plan to reform the trend of avoiding science and engineering courses. And also, we have to develop diverse education programs to get higher competence. We have to develop the programs for female students with the help of the experts. We have to establish the career guidance system. As a whole, we have to aim both the specialization and diversification of the education system for improving quality of the education. And by analyzing the difficult situation of finding job for college student in South Korea, we have to devise countermeasures for long-term graduate unemployment. In this article, I will introduce the Korean case of an analysis of the trend of avoiding science and engineering courses and the case of recent job-hunting situations of college students.

Science Academies' Refresher Course in Statistical Mechanics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

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), Dibyendu Das (IIT,. Mumbai), Kedar Damle (TIFR, Mumbai). Course Director: Deepak Dhar; Course Coordinator: Anuradha Misra. Teachers/research scholars who wish to participate should send a short letter explaining their reasons for ...

Science Academies' Refresher Course in Quantum Mechanics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

2013-02-28

Feb 28, 2013 ... A Refresher Course in Quantum Mechanics for college/university teachers ... The Course will cover the basic and advanced topics of Quantum ... Module 1:- Principles of Quantum Mechanics (with associated mathematics), ...

Aliens are us. An innovative course in astrobiology

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Carlos F.; Barufaldi, James P.

2009-01-01

We live in a scientific world; paradoxically, the scientific literacy of the population is minimal at best. Science is an ongoing process, a human endeavour; paradoxically, students tend to believe that science is a finished enterprise. Many non-science major students are not motivated in science classes; paradoxically, there is a public fascination with the possibility of life in the Universe, which is nowadays a scientific endeavour. An astrobiology course was developed at the Center for Science and Mathematics Education at The University of Texas at Austin to address these paradoxes and includes the following objectives: (a) to improve scientific literacy; (b) to demonstrate that science is a work in progress; (c) to enhance the inherent interdisciplinary aspect of science; (d) to demonstrate that science is embedded in society and relates with several social sciences; (e) to improve the content knowledge about the nature of science; (f) to illustrate how engaging learning science can be; and (g) to draw from the intrinsic motivation already incorporated in the general population. The course has been offered, taught and revised for the past three years. The informal course student feedback has been very positive and encouraging. The purpose of this paper is to provide a general overview of the course. In addition, the course's background, content, themes and mode of delivery are outlined, discussed and analysed in this paper. This paper subscribes to an educational philosophy that focuses on the multidisciplinary nature of science and includes critical thinking-based teaching strategies using the dynamic discipline of astrobiology.

Teaching Spatial Thinking in Undergraduate Geology Courses Using Tools and Strategies from Cognitive Science Research

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Ormand, C. J.; Shipley, T. F.; Dutrow, B. L.; Goodwin, L. B.; Hickson, T. A.; Tikoff, B.; Atit, K.; Gagnier, K. M.; Resnick, I.

2015-12-01

Spatial visualization is an essential skill in the STEM disciplines, including the geological sciences. Undergraduate students, including geoscience majors in upper-level courses, bring a wide range of spatial skill levels to the classroom. Students with weak spatial skills may struggle to understand fundamental concepts and to solve geological problems with a spatial component. However, spatial thinking skills are malleable. Using strategies that have emerged from cognitive science research, we developed a set of curricular materials that improve undergraduate geology majors' abilities to reason about 3D concepts and to solve spatially complex geological problems. Cognitive science research on spatial thinking demonstrates that predictive sketching, making visual comparisons, gesturing, and the use of analogy can be used to develop students' spatial thinking skills. We conducted a three-year study of the efficacy of these strategies in strengthening the spatial skills of students in core geology courses at three universities. Our methodology is a quasi-experimental quantitative design, utilizing pre- and post-tests of spatial thinking skills, assessments of spatial problem-solving skills, and a control group comprised of students not exposed to our new curricular materials. Students taught using the new curricular materials show improvement in spatial thinking skills. Further analysis of our data, to be completed prior to AGU, will answer additional questions about the relationship between spatial skills and academic performance, spatial skills and gender, spatial skills and confidence, and the impact of our curricular materials on students who are struggling academically. Teaching spatial thinking in the context of discipline-based exercises has the potential to transform undergraduate education in the geological sciences by removing one significant barrier to success.

Science Academies' Refresher Course in Experimental Physics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

2016-02-20

Students who wish to participate in this Refresher Course should submit their completed application form (in the prescribed format) by email or by post address (insaku2016@gmail.com),. (gulnoor.dar@gmail.com) or Course ...

Do Gender-Science Stereotypes Predict Science Identification and Science Career Aspirations among Undergraduate Science Majors?

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Cundiff, Jessica L.; Vescio, Theresa K.; Loken, Eric; Lo, Lawrence

2013-01-01

The present research examined whether gender-science stereotypes were associated with science identification and, in turn, science career aspirations among women and men undergraduate science majors. More than 1,700 students enrolled in introductory science courses completed measures of gender-science stereotypes (implicit associations and…

An Integrative Approach to Improving an Introductory Weather & Climate Course and Developing an Allied NASA Earth & Space Science Certificate Program for Pre-service Secondary Teachers (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Morrow, C. A.; Martin-Hansen, L.; Diem, J.; Elliott, W.

2009-12-01

An Atlanta-based partnership made up of leaders in science, education, and Georgia’s state-wide STEM Education Initiative are creating an enduring legacy of climate science education for pre-service and in-service teachers in Georgia as well as for underrepresented high school students who participate in an "Early College" program with Georgia State University (GSU). The core elements of our NASA-funded program are to infuse NASA global climate change resources and best pedagogical practice into a popular 4-credit lecture/lab course called “Introduction to Weather & Climate” (GEOG 1112) at GSU, and to establish a sustainable academic program for pre-service teachers in the College of Education called the NASA Earth & Space Science (ESS) Teacher Certificate. The NASA ESS Certificate will require candidates to accomplish the following as part of (or in addition to) standard degree and licensure requirements: 1. successfully complete a graduate section of “Introduction to Weather and Climate” (GEOG 7112), which requires lesson planning related to course content and engagement with GSU's new CO2 monitoring station whose research-quality data will provide unique hands-on opportunities for Metro Atlanta students and teachers; 2) complete an additional advanced course in climate change (GEOG 6784) plus elective hours in physical science disciplines (e.g. astronomy and physics); 3) serve as a lab teaching assistant for GEOG 1112 and a coach for a cadre of Carver Early College students who are taking the course; 4) make at least one of two teaching practica at a Georgia-based NASA Explorer School; and 5) participate or co-present in a week-long, residential, field-based, Summer Institute in Earth & Space Science intended to increase the interest, knowledge, and ability of in-service secondary science educators to fulfill climate-related standards in Earth Science and Earth Systems Science. We will evaluate, document, and disseminate (to the University System of

Perceptions of Science Teachers on Implementation of Seven Principles for Good Practice in Education by Chickering and Gamson in Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Ugras, Mustafa; Asiltürk, Erol

2018-01-01

The present study aimed to determine the perceptions of science teachers on the implementation of the seven principles for good practice in education by Chickering and Gamson in their courses. Seven principles for good science education were used as a data collection tool in the survey. "The seven principles for good practice in science…

Science Academies' Refresher Course in Statistical Mechanics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2018-02-27

Feb 27, 2018 ... Post Graduate and Research Department of Physics. Bishop Moore ... The Course will cover the basic and advanced topics of Statistical. Mechanics ... Courses of good standing for promotion, vide notification. F3-1/2009 ...

Science Academies' Refresher Course in Statistical Physics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The Course is aimed at college teachers of statistical physics at BSc/MSc level. ... teachers, with at least a masters degree in Physics/Mathematics/Engineering are ... Topics: There will be six courses dealing with, Basic principles and general ...

Current Status of Regulatory Science Education in Faculties of Pharmaceutical Science in Japan.

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Tohkin, Masahiro

2017-01-01

I introduce the current pharmaceutical education system in Japan, focusing on regulatory science. University schools or faculties of pharmaceutical science in Japan offer two courses: a six-year course for pharmacists and a four-year course for scientists and technicians. Students in the six-year pharmaceutical course receive training in hospitals and pharmacies during their fifth year, and those in the four-year life science course start research activities during their third year. The current model core curriculum for pharmaceutical education requires them to "explain the necessity and significance of regulatory science" as a specific behavior object. This means that pharmacists should understand the significance of "regulatory science", which will lead to the proper use of pharmaceuticals in clinical practice. Most regulatory science laboratories are in the university schools or faculties of pharmaceutical sciences; however, there are too few to conduct regulatory science education. There are many problems in regulatory science education, and I hope that those problems will be resolved not only by university-based regulatory science researchers but also by those from the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory authorities.

Content Analysis of the Science Textbooks of Iranian Junior High School Course in terms of the Components of Health Education

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Abdolreza Gilavand

2016-12-01

Full Text Available BackgroundProviding healthcare for students is one of the primary duties of the states. This study aimed to analyze the contents of the science textbooks of Junior High School course in terms of the components of health education in Iran.Materials and MethodsThis descriptive study was conducted through content analysis. To collect data, a researcher-made check list including: physical health, nutritional health, the environment, environmental health, family health, accidents and safety, mobility, physical education, mental health, prevention of risky behavior, control and prevention of diseases, disabilities, public health and school health, was used. The samples were the science textbooks of Junior High School course (7th, 8th and 9th grades. Analysis unit was all pages of the textbooks (texts, pictures and exercises. Descriptive method (frequency table, percentage, mean and standard deviation [SD] was used to analyze the data and non-parametric Chi-square test was used to investigate the probable significant differences between the components.ResultsThe results showed that the authors of sciences textbooks of Junior High School course have paid most attention to the component of control and prevention of diseases (21.10% and have paid no attention to the component of "mental health". Also, there were significant differences among the components of physical health, family health, the environment and environmental health in terms of to be addressed in the science textbooks of Junior High School (P

Science and Community Engagement: Connecting Science Students with the Community

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Lancor, Rachael; Schiebel, Amy

2018-01-01

In this article we describe a course on science outreach that was developed as part of our college's goal that all students participate in a meaningful community engagement experience. The Science & Community Engagement course provides a way for students with science or science-related majors to learn how to effectively communicate scientific…

Medical Students’ View about the Effects of Practical Courses on Learning the General Theoretical Concepts of Basic Medical Sciences

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Leila Roshangar

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The basic medical sciences section requires 2.5 years in the medical education curriculum. Practical courses complement theoretical knowledge in this period to improve their appreciation. Despite spending lots of disbursement and time, this period’s efficacy is not clearly known. Methods: One hundred thirty-three General Practitioner (GP students have been included in this descriptive cross-sectional study and were asked by questionnaire about the positive impact of practical courses on learning theoretical knowledge. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Result: The agreement in “Practical Head and Neck Anatomy” was 40.91% ± 29.45, in “Practical Trunk Anatomy” was 63.62% ± 2.32 and in “Practical Anatomy of Extremities” was 56.16% ± 2.57. In “Practical Histology”, agreement was 69.50%±2.19; “Practical Biophysics” was 45.97%±2.25, “Practical Physiology” 61.75%±2.17; “Practical Biochemistry” 36.28%±2.42; “Practical Pathology” 59.80%±2.53; “Practical Immunology” 56.25%±26.40; “Practical Microbiology and Virology” 60.39%±2.27 and “Practical Mycology and Parasitology” 68.2%± 2.16.Conclusion: GP students in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences are not optimistic about the applicability of practical courses of basic medical sciences lessons.

The Effect of Teaching Strategy Based on Multiple Intelligences on Students' Academic Achievement in Science Course

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Abdi, Ali; Laei, Susan; Ahmadyan, Hamze

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Teaching Strategy based on Multiple Intelligences on students' academic achievement in sciences course. Totally 40 students from two different classes (Experimental N = 20 and Control N = 20) participated in the study. They were in the fifth grade of elementary school and were selected…

Findings from an Independent Evaluation of the AMNH's Online Seminars on Science Course: "The Solar System"

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Inverness Research, 2009

2009-01-01

Inverness Research studied the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Seminars on Science program for eight years, from its inception in 1998 to 2006. In 2009, Inverness Research conducted additional studies of the AMNH's new online course, The Solar System. This paper presents teacher survey ratings for The Solar System, along with profiles of…

The Impact of Nursing Students' Prior Chemistry Experience on Academic Performance and Perception of Relevance in a Health Science Course

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Boddey, Kerrie; de Berg, Kevin

2015-01-01

Nursing students have typically found the study of chemistry to be one of their major challenges in a nursing course. This mixed method study was designed to explore how prior experiences in chemistry might impact chemistry achievement during a health science unit. Nursing students (N = 101) studying chemistry as part of a health science unit were…

Agriscience Teachers' Implementation of Digital Game-based Learning in an Introductory Animal Science Course

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Webb, Angela W.; Bunch, J. C.; Wallace, Maria F. G.

2015-12-01

In today's technological age, visions for technology integration in the classroom continue to be explored and examined. Digital game-based learning is one way to purposefully integrate technology while maintaining a focus on learning objectives. This case study sought to understand agriscience teachers' experiences implementing digital game-based learning in an introductory animal science course. From interviews with agriscience teachers on their experiences with the game, three themes emerged: (1) the constraints of inadequate and inappropriate technologies, and time to game implementation; (2) the shift in teacher and student roles necessitated by implementing the game; and (3) the inherent competitive nature of learning through the game. Based on these findings, we recommend that pre-service and in-service professional development opportunities be developed for teachers to learn how to implement digital game-based learning effectively. Additionally, with the potential for simulations that address cross-cutting concepts in the next generation science standards, digital game-based learning should be explored in various science teaching and learning contexts.

Life science students' attitudes, interest, and performance in introductory physics for life sciences: An exploratory study

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Crouch, Catherine H.; Wisittanawat, Panchompoo; Cai, Ming; Renninger, K. Ann

2018-06-01

In response to national calls for improved physical sciences education for students pursuing careers in the life sciences and medicine, reformed introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS) courses are being developed. This exploratory study is among the first to assess the effect of an IPLS course on students' attitudes, interest, and performance. The IPLS course studied was the second semester of introductory physics, following a standard first semester course, allowing the outcomes of the same students in a standard course and in an IPLS course to be compared. In the IPLS course, each physics topic was introduced and elaborated in the context of a life science example, and developing students' skills in applying physics to life science situations was an explicitly stated course goal. Items from the Colorado Learning about Science Survey were used to assess change in students' attitudes toward and their interest in physics. Whereas the same students' attitudes declined during the standard first semester course, we found that students' attitudes toward physics hold steady or improve in the IPLS course. In particular, students with low initial interest in physics displayed greater increases in both attitudes and interest during the IPLS course than in the preceding standard course. We also find that in the IPLS course, students' interest in the life science examples is a better predictor of their performance than their pre-IPLS interest in physics. Our work suggests that the life science examples in the IPLS course can support the development of student interest in physics and positively influence their performance.

Life science students’ attitudes, interest, and performance in introductory physics for life sciences: An exploratory study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine H. Crouch

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In response to national calls for improved physical sciences education for students pursuing careers in the life sciences and medicine, reformed introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS courses are being developed. This exploratory study is among the first to assess the effect of an IPLS course on students’ attitudes, interest, and performance. The IPLS course studied was the second semester of introductory physics, following a standard first semester course, allowing the outcomes of the same students in a standard course and in an IPLS course to be compared. In the IPLS course, each physics topic was introduced and elaborated in the context of a life science example, and developing students’ skills in applying physics to life science situations was an explicitly stated course goal. Items from the Colorado Learning about Science Survey were used to assess change in students’ attitudes toward and their interest in physics. Whereas the same students’ attitudes declined during the standard first semester course, we found that students’ attitudes toward physics hold steady or improve in the IPLS course. In particular, students with low initial interest in physics displayed greater increases in both attitudes and interest during the IPLS course than in the preceding standard course. We also find that in the IPLS course, students’ interest in the life science examples is a better predictor of their performance than their pre-IPLS interest in physics. Our work suggests that the life science examples in the IPLS course can support the development of student interest in physics and positively influence their performance.

Exploring Students Intentions to Study Computer Science and Identifying the Differences among ICT and Programming Based Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Giannakos, Michail N.

2014-01-01

Computer Science (CS) courses comprise both Programming and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) issues; however these two areas have substantial differences, inter alia the attitudes and beliefs of the students regarding the intended learning content. In this research, factors from the Social Cognitive Theory and Unified Theory of…

Development of a pre-service teacher training course on integration of ICT into inquiry based science education.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tran, Trinh-Ba; van den Berg, Ed; Ellermeijer, Ton; Beishuizen, Jos; Dvořák, Leoš; Koudelková, Věra

In order to be able to integrate ICT into Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE), teachers need much time and support for mastering ICT tools, learning the basis of IBSE, and getting experience in applying these tools in pupil investigations. For this purpose, we have developed a course within the

An evaluation of community college student perceptions of the science laboratory and attitudes towards science in an introductory biology course

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Nakia Rae

independent predictor of attitudes toward science, albeit negatively. The results from this study indicated that there is a need to increase the opportunity for inquiry in the science laboratory. The data also suggest that although all academic streams may have similar views of the laboratory experiences, more needs to be implemented to improve the scientific attitudes of nonscience majors enrolled in a course for science majors.

A Sample Application for Use of Biography in Social Studies; Science, Technology and Social Change Course

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Er, Harun

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the opinions of social studies teacher candidates on use of biography in science, technology and social change course given in the undergraduate program of social studies education. In this regard, convergent parallel design as a mixed research pattern was used to make use of both qualitative and quantitative…

Content Analysis of the Practicum Course in the Master of Science in Educational Leadership/Administration Program

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Norman, Scott W.

2013-01-01

In this study, I explored the overall efficacy of the Master of Science in Educational Leadership/ Administration (MSEL/A) program at Florida State University (FSU), by taking a closer look at the introductory course, Practicum in Educational Leadership (the Practicum), as well as the final assessment, the student e-portfolio. The MSEL/A at FSU is…

The use of ethical frameworks by students following a new science course for 16 18 year-olds

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Reiss, Michael

2008-09-01

There has been a move in recent years towards the greater inclusion of social and ethical issues within science courses. This paper examines a new context-based course for 16 18 year-olds (Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology) who are studying biology in England and Wales. The course is taught through contexts and has an emphasis on social issues and the development of ethical reasoning. Examination of a sample of reports written by students in 2005 as part of the course’s summative assessment shows that utilitarian ethical reasoning is used widely and that the other ethical frameworks to which students are introduced in the course—rights and duties, autonomy and virtue ethics—are used substantially less often. In addition, students mostly argue anthropocentrically though many of them argue ecocentrically and/or biocentrically too.

Undergraduate Research or Research-Based Courses: Which Is Most Beneficial for Science Students?

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Olivares-Donoso, Ruby; González, Carlos

2017-06-01

Over the last 25 years, both research literature and practice-oriented reports have claimed the need for improving the quality of undergraduate science education through linking research and teaching. Two manners of doing this are reported: undergraduate research and research-based courses. Although there are studies reporting benefits of participating in these experiences, few synthesize their findings. In this article, we present a literature review aimed at synthesizing and comparing results of the impact of participating in these research experiences to establish which approach is most beneficial for students to develop as scientists. Twenty studies on student participation in undergraduate research and research-based courses were reviewed. Results show that both types of experiences have positive effects on students. These results have implications for both practice and research. Regarding practice, we propose ideas for designing and implementing experiences that combine both types of experiences. Concerning research, we identify some methodological limitations that should be addressed in further studies.

Science Academies Seventy-Fifth Refresher Course in Experimental ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

A Refresher Course in Experimental Physics will be held at Goa University, Goa from 10 to 25 May 2016 for the benefit of faculty involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Participants in this course will gain hands on experience with about twenty five out of forty experiments, with a low cost kit ...

Plans of Implementation and Methods for Increasing Student Enrollment in the Earth Systems Science Course at Elizabeth City State University

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Porter, W.

2001-12-01

This presentation reviews the experience of Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) in offering the Earth Systems Science (ESS) online course sponsored the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) and how it relates to our plans to offer the course in the Spring Semester of 2002. The course was offered for the first time at ECSU during the Fall semester 2000. Eight students were enrolled in the course, which may not be considered a large number; however, we felt the administration of the course was successful because of the staff's learning experience. The small number is also a reflection of the nature of ECSU's primary recruitment region of northeastern North Carolina; this area is extremely rural with a smaller population, lower economic development, and fewer cultural amenities than most regions of the state. Our approach to this project is for a long-term effective offering of a course that is much needed, especially in this area of the state. The ultimate goal is to develop ESS as our online offering of courses in the Geoscience Department curriculum as to recruit students who might not have the opportunity to take college-level courses because of daytime work commitments and/or inaccessibility to a local college or university. A major component of ESS is its focus on problem-based learning built upon the life experiences of participating students. Having learned from the previous offering of the course, the following are objectives related to the Spring Semester 2002: 1. To get ESS to become a part of the Geoscience curriculum so that it will be listed on the schedule of classes for the Spring Semester 2002 and each succeeding semester; 2. To aggressively reach out to the public school teachers, especially in the recruitment region of ECSU in northeastern North Carolina, by using effective recruitment strategies; 3. To have an active and continuous communication with prospective students prior to and immediately after the enrollment, as well as being

An analysis of the information technology discipline in archival sciences undergraduate courses of universities from the south of Brazil

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Nelma Camêlo Araujo

2009-10-01

Full Text Available The present article is part of a research conducted at universities of the south of Brazil that offers disciplines of Information Technology in Archival Sciences undergraduate courses. The research objective to identify through the educational project of these courses the subjects which have emphasis in the Information Technology, as well as to identify the teachers’ perception about the condition of these subjects in enabling the student for the challenges of the work market

The Effect of Computer Assisted Mind Mapping on Students’ Academic Achievement, Attitudes and Retention in Science and Technology Course

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Mehmet Nuri GÖMLEKSİZ

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This study aims at determining the effects of computer assisted mind mapping (CAMM technique on students’ academic achievement, attitudes and retention in Science and Technology course. Mixed-method research design which included both quantitative and qualitative methods was used in the study. Pretest-posttest control group experimental design, interview and observation techniques were used. The study included one experimental (N:36 one control group (N:32. The study was conducted on seventh grade students at an elementary school in 2011-2012 academic year. While experimental group used CAMM technique, control group used traditional method. The achievement test, administered as a pre-, post- and delayed post-test, included 34 questions. The mean difficulty of the test was calculated to be .54 and KR-20 reliability coefficient was measured to be .73. To determine students' attitudes towards Science and Technology course, a 20-item five-point Likert-style attitude scale (α: .89 developed by Akınoğlu (2001 was used. The results revealed that CAMM technique had a positive effect on students’ achievement and attitudes towards learning science and technology

Social Relations of Science and Technology: perceptions of teachers of technical training, PARFOR course participants

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Manuella Candéo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available We present in this paper a study on the perceptions of teachers of technical training, course participants (PARFOR National Plan for Training Teachers of Basic Education , offered by the Federal Technological University of Paraná, Campus Ponta Grossa (PG - UTFPR on the social relations of science and technology. The study conducted with 15 teachers from various disciplines. The methodological approach was quantitative research , the instrument of data collection was based questionnaire with open questions . The main results show that the vast majority of teachers had a very narrow view about science and technology , consider that the scientific and technological development always bring benefits to its own population of traditional / classic , positivist view. The need to promote reflection on social issues of science and technology in education technology in order to train professionals aware of their responsibilities as citizens in a highly technological age was observed. It is emphasized that these are recorded in the master's thesis entitled Scientific and Technological Literacy (ACT by Focus Science, Technology and Society (STS from commercial films of the University Program Graduate School of Science and Technology Tecnológica Federal do Paraná ( UTFPR Campus Ponta Grossa, Brazil.

The Influence of Pintrich's Self-Regulated Learning Model on Elementary Teacher Candidates in a Life Science Course

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Çetin, Baris

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research was to determine whether the use of activities based on Pintrich's self-regulated learning model effect the self-regulated learning perceptions of elementary teacher candidates within a Life Science course. The research was organized in accordance with the quasi-experimental designs model. This study was conducted…

An Analysis of Learners in Introductory Astronomy Massive Open Online Courses

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Buxner, Sanlyn; Formanek, Martin; Impey, Chris David; Wenger, Matthew

2016-06-01

We describe learners enrolled in three iterations of introductory astronomy massive open online courses (MOOCs). These courses are offered through commercial providers and facilitated by an instructional team at the University of Arizona. We describe an ongoing study of those who enroll, engage in, and complete these courses. The course has undergone several revisions, including integrating pedagogical techniques, found to be effective for in-person courses, to increase engagement including peer review, online discussions, and the use of cohorts. In its current version, learners enroll on a continual basis and complete 11 weeks of course content; they watch videos, complete content quizzes, submit writing assignments, complete peer review of other students’ work, and complete online citizen science projects. Tens of thousands of students has signed up for these courses but completion rates are much lower, around 10%. We have collected survey data from over 8,500 of these learners to assess their basic science knowledge, attitudes towards science and technology, motivations for taking the courses, and information about other ways they engage in science related activities. We present information about these learners, including their demographics, motivations, how they use the courses, and what factors lead to increased engagement and completion. Additionally, we present how survey data from these learners compare to 26 years of data we have collected from parallel group of undergraduate non-science major students enrolled in astronomy courses at the University of Arizona. Overall, we find that learners who enroll in the MOOCs have more interest in science and higher basic science knowledge that undergraduates who pay tuition for a similar course. Our work is helping us understand how to better serve learners in MOOCs and bridge more traditional courses with these types of courses.

Developing the learning physical science curriculum: Adapting a small enrollment, laboratory and discussion based physical science course for large enrollments

Science.gov (United States)

Goldberg, Fred; Price, Edward; Robinson, Stephen; Boyd-Harlow, Danielle; McKean, Michael

2012-06-01

We report on the adaptation of the small enrollment, lab and discussion based physical science course, Physical Science and Everyday Thinking (PSET), for a large-enrollment, lecture-style setting. Like PSET, the new Learning Physical Science (LEPS) curriculum was designed around specific principles based on research on learning to meet the needs of nonscience students, especially prospective and practicing elementary and middle school teachers. We describe the structure of the two curricula and the adaptation process, including a detailed comparison of similar activities from the two curricula and a case study of a LEPS classroom implementation. In LEPS, short instructor-guided lessons replace lengthier small group activities, and movies, rather than hands-on investigations, provide the evidence used to support and test ideas. LEPS promotes student peer interaction as an important part of sense making via “clicker” questions, rather than small group and whole class discussions typical of PSET. Examples of student dialog indicate that this format is capable of generating substantive student discussion and successfully enacting the design principles. Field-test data show similar student content learning gains with the two curricula. Nevertheless, because of classroom constraints, some important practices of science that were an integral part of PSET were not included in LEPS.