Transforming Tertiary Science Education
Ben Kennedy, Zoe Jordens, Rosie Bradshaw, Erik Brogt, Ewen Cameron, Billy O’Steen
Update on the joint project between the University of Canterbury
&Massey University
Goals for this talk
After this talk, participants will:
• Know what the project is about• Explain what we are doing• Evaluate how it is going• Infer what will be done next• Debate and critique the project and its results
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What is the project about?
• Adapt the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative to the Kiwi context
• Rigorous, evidence-based approach to reform– Observations and measurement– Learning goals, concept test and formative
assessment development– Implementation of reforms and measurement of its
effectiveness
• Six courses: 2 biology at Massey, 4 geology at Canterbury
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What are we doing
• Two iterations: baseline and intervention• Administer knowledge (concept) test pre-post• Administer attitude survey pre-post• Classroom observations to
– Infer learning goals– Monitor student engagement
• Develop interventions in consultation with CWSEI and course instructors
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First results
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What do you think?
Which instructor behaviour generates the most student engagement?
A.Use of humour in class
B.Linking lecture to learning goals
C.Use of examples
D.Voice modulation
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Attitude results: Geol 113
• Generally some shifts to more expert thinking, but strong novice thinking persists
• When I look at a landscape, I have an idea of how long it took to form– Pre: 34, 34, 31 Post: 47, 50, 3
• It is important for the government to approve new science ideas before they can be widely accepted by the population– Pre: 57, 23, 20 Post: 55, 26, 19
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Shifts to expert-like thinking?
• Earth and Ocean Sciences have little relation to what I experience in the real world– Pre: 0, 28, 72 Post: 0, 3, 97
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Well… we did have the September earthquake during this period…
Concept test -baseline
• Concept tests for two geology courses developed
• Geol 336 post test result 52%• About 25 % of students in Geol 336 said “I
haven’t started studying yet” when asked what might inhibit them on test
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Interventions
• Clickers
• In class exercises
• Academic development for staff
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A. 30% quartz, 30 % k feldsapar, 30% plagioclase, 5% olivine, 5 % pyroxene, ROCK rhyolite
B. 10 % quartz, 20% olivine, 10 % pyroxene, 50% plagioclase, 10% biotite. ROCK dacite
C. 5 % quartz, 15% amphibole, 5 % k feldsapar, 70% plagioclase, 5% biotite. ROCK Andesite
D. 20% amphibole, 10 % pyroxene, 50% plagioclase, 10% biotite, 10 % olivine ROCK Dacite
From the image and what you know about intermediate rocks estimate the mineral proportions and name the rock
Example: clicker question
δ18O = -5δD = -32
δ18O = -4.6δD = -38
δ18O = -4.5
δD = -36
δ18O = -5.5
δD = -35δ18O = -6
δD = -37
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4
3
7
8
9
13
14
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δ18O = -5.2δD = -35.5
δ18O = -5.5δD = -36
δ18O = -5.8δD = -37
δ18O = -5.5δD = -28
δ18O = -5.2δD = -30
A
B
C
δ18O = -5.2δD = -31
In class exercise, this map shows relative resistivity, 3 is low 13 is high, and characteristic isotopic and geochemical
spring characteristics.
Where would you drill for geothermal energy? Why? And What fluid
characteristics would you expect to find ?
Academic development
• Interventions for Geology courses at Canterbury developed and implemented in consultation with teaching teams
• Revamping a course must have buy-in– Must be authentic for instructors– Must fit instructor’s teaching style– Partly academic, partly pastoral for students
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Academic development is done WITH, not TO instructors
Random anecdotes
• Canterbury: Students borrowing clickers for their own presentations
• Massey: Students were observed turning off Facebook to do in class exercises
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What’s next?
• Interventions for Geology courses for semester 2 are under development, in consultation with the teaching teams
• Massey already doing interventions in semester 1, 2011
• Several spin-off projects are starting up at Canterbury
• Development of ways to reliably interpret Canterbury data
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Spin offs
• Hazard education research
• Potential to supply data to triangulate post-earthquakes student resiliency surveys
• Linking up with Physics Ed. In Auckland
• UBC researcher Alison Jolley joining team
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Acknowledgements
• Our research assistants for doing an absolutely marvellous job
• Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative group at the University of British Columbia
• The audiovisual support units at Canterbury and Massey
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Questions or comments?
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