Student-Teachers' Ability to Read Nature: Reflections on their Own Learning in Ecology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magntorn, Ola; Hellden, Gustav

2005-01-01

This paper addresses student-teachers' ability to "read nature" in a woodland habitat before and after a 10-week ecology course. "Reading nature" is our definition of the ability to observe, describe and explain basic ecology in the field. Data consists of field-based pre-course and post-course interviews followed up by…

Investigating School Counselors' Perceived Role and Self-Efficacy in Managing Multiparty Student Conflict

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yacco, Summer

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine school counselors' perceived role and self-efficacy in managing multiparty student conflict. Literature on conflict resolution in the field of education has not addressed conflicts that take place among three or more students, or multiparty student conflict. Therefore, investigated in this study were middle…

A Template for an Intensive Ecohydrology Field Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emanuel, R. E.; McGlynn, B. L.; Riveros-Iregui, D. A.

2014-12-01

Many of the greatest challenges in the earth and environmental sciences are complex and interdisciplinary in nature. Ecohydrology exemplifies the type of holistic inquiry needed to address these challenges because it spans and integrates earth science, biological science and, often, social science. Ecohydrology courses can prepare the next generation of scientists, decision-makers and informed citizens to understand and address these challenges, and field courses in particular can play an important role in this preparation. Ecohydrology field course instructors have unique opportunities to convey interwoven theoretical and applied principles through a variety of modes that include lecture, discussion, immersion, and hands-on activity. In this presentation, we report on our experience co-teaching the Mountain Ecohydrology Field Course, a full-credit course taught 3 times in the past 5 years to more than 30 students representing 6 universities. The course, which has ranged from 1-2 weeks in length, has given students in-depth exposure to intensively instrumented ecohydrological field sites in the southern Appalachian and northern Rocky Mountains. Students learn fundamental principles in ecohydrology and related fields of watershed hydrology, soil biogeochemistry, micrometeorology and plant ecophysiology. They gain hands-on experience in a variety of cutting edge field techniques, tools and analyses while practicing presentation and communication of science. Students and instructors deal with real-world challenges of conducting fieldwork in remote settings. We offer our experience as one potential template for others interested in developing or refining ecohydrology field courses elsewhere.

Introductory geology for elementary education majors utilizing a constructivist approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, L.M.; Kelso, P.R.; Rexroad, C.B.

2001-01-01

"Field Excursions in Earth Science" is designed as a non-prerequisite field-based course for elementary education majors. Classic Canadian Shield and Michigan Basin outcrops and Quaternary features are used to teach those Earth science objectives considered most important for K-8 teachers by the Michigan State Board of Education and by others. We integrated these objectives into five conceptual pathways rather than presenting them as discrete pieces of information. A variety of teaching techniques based on constructivist educational theory are employed, so that pre-service teachers experience active-learning strategies in the context of how science is practiced. Our learning strategies address the cognitive and affective domains and utilize personal experiences in conjunction with pre- and post-experience organizers to allow students to develop individual meanings. We place emphasis on observations and concepts and we encourage students to explain their understanding of concepts verbally and in a variety of written formats. Activities address spatial concepts and map reading; mineral, rock, and fossil identification; formation of rocks; surficial processes and landform development; structural deformation and plate tectonics; and environmental issues. Students keep field notes and have daily projects. They address the pedagogical structure of the course in a daily diary.

Addressing Inequity in Special Education: An Integrated Framework for Culturally Responsive Social Emotional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sciuchetti, Maria B.

2017-01-01

Despite great strides toward equity and inclusion of all students, the disproportionate representation of students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds has been an issue of concern within the field of special education for decades. Of particular concern is the disproportionate representation of students from CLD backgrounds…

Teaching in Unfamiliar Terrain: Empowering Student and Teacher Learning through a Photography Assignment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mount, Liz

2018-01-01

This article addresses a challenge for sociologists who teach at institutions located in unfamiliar cultural contexts through a photo elicitation project to develop students' sociological imaginations while teaching the instructor about students' social contexts. In introductory courses, we must present sociology as a field of study that is…

Preparing Undergraduate Students for the Major Field Test in Business

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bisalski, Heather Cooper; Helms, Marilyn M.; Whitesell, Melissa

2017-01-01

Many business programs address the learning of undergraduate students with an exit exam. A reference librarian and the business school faculty created an online test preparation study guide (or LibGuide) which included no-cost resources that were readily available yet academically authoritative to aid students in studying for the Educational…

Capstone and Building Block: Helping Students Manage Ambiguity about their Futures through Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, Brad; Mackert, Michael

2013-01-01

Encouraging students to engage with principles and ideas is one way to address ambiguity with consistent, effective approaches in situations made up of "gray area." This includes the looming post-college world where students may be unsure about choosing between job offers, geographic locations, or even communication fields. Such…

Insights From the Development of an Environmental Science Professional Development Field Course for Undergraduates from Two-Year and Four-Year Colleges.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, C. M.; Hall, S. R.; Walker, B.; Paul, J.

2017-12-01

Existing STEM retention and diversity programs have identified access to field and professional experiences as critical to helping students identify as scientists, form networks, and gain important skills necessary for employment. This program reimagines the traditional geology field course as a professional development experience for students at 2-year and 4-year institutions interested in environmental careers. Students participate in a summer field course in the Sierra Nevada of California, during which time they complete geology, geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology field projects designed to compliment the curriculum of Environmental Geoscience, Environmental Science, and Environmental Studies programs. During the course students interact with local professionals in the environmental sector and work to earn badges based on the skills demonstrated during field projects. Badges create transparent documentation of skill mastery for students and provide a new way for students to understand and market their skills and competencies to potential employers. We will report on the curriculum development, implementation and assessment of the first cohort of students to participate in the program. Preliminary results of formative and summative assessments and their implications for student success and program design will be addressed.

An Undergraduate Student's Perspective on Geoscience Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilder, A.; Feeley, T.; Michelfelder, G.

2011-12-01

Traditionally, the roles of field experiences in geoscience teaching have come from experienced instructors and researchers with a dedicated interest in how students learn. In this presentation we provide the opposite perspective; that of an undergraduate student at the beginning of her research career. We discuss the benefits and challenges associated with the initial field work and extend our discussion to include subsequent analytical-based laboratory studies. At Montana State University we are addressing key questions related to magma generation and differentiation at three volcanoes in the Central Andes. These are Volcan Uturuncu in southwest Bolivia and the Lazufre system consisting of Lastarria volcano and Cordon del Azufre in Chile and Argentina. To address these issues students collected rock samples and mapped lava flows in the field during the past two Spring Semesters. Upon return to campus the students prepared the samples for whole rock and mineral analyses, followed by travel to and work in external laboratories analyzing and collecting high precision geochemical data. The benefits these experiences provide include the following. First, due to the localities of the field sites, students become familiar with the difficult logistics associated with planning and performing field work in remote localities. Second, in performing the field work, students gain an appreciation of scale and exposure; topics not typically addressed in standard course work. Third, through close interaction with internal and external faculty, graduate students, and professional geologists, undergraduate students build strong relationships with scientists in the area of their interests. Fourth, by acquiring and interpreting high quality field and analytical data, they learn in-depth about modern philosophies, technologies, and data in the geosciences, providing them with skills and experiences that will be of value in their future careers or graduate work. They also learn how to formulate research questions, how to systematically investigate these questions, how to prioritize their time, and how to critique their work objectively. Finally, by presenting the results of their work at professional meetings and departmental seminars, they share in the excitement of making new discoveries and generating results that are truly used. The most significant challenges are time and money. Costs related to stipends, analytical expenses, and travel are substantial and likely prohibitive for many individual students without generous grant or institutional support. Time is equally prohibitive because it can involve periods of more than two years from initial planning to dissemination of the results, in addition to disruption of progression within the undergraduate course curriculum. The latter is particularly significant in this case where field work was conducted in the Southern Hemisphere during the traditional Spring Semesters. As such, success in field- and laboratory-based petrology research at the undergraduate level requires replacing the concept of a "senior thesis" with that of a longer term project beginning as early as, perhaps, the sophomore year.

Learning through Teaching: Challenges and Opportunities in Facilitating Student Learning in Food Science and Nutrition by Using the Interteaching Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goto, Keiko; Schneider, Julie

2010-01-01

Interteaching is a new pedagogical strategy for classroom instruction that demonstrates great effective student learning outcomes in the field of psychology. It is a 20 to 30 min student-to-student discussion addressing the main points in a specified body of reading materials. Interteaching includes elements such as reciprocal peer tutoring,…

Students' Strengths and Weaknesses in Evaluating Technical Arguments as Revealed through Implementing Calibrated Peer Review™ in a Bioengineering Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volz, Tracy; Saterbak, Ann

2009-01-01

In engineering fields, students are expected to construct technical arguments that demonstrate a discipline's expected use of logic, evidence, and conventions. Many undergraduate bioengineering students struggle to enact the appropriate argument structures when they produce technical posters. To address this problem we implemented Calibrated Peer…

Attitudes of Jordanian Students towards Using Group Work in EFL Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ababneh, Sana'

2017-01-01

This paper addresses itself to the outcomes of a field study which was carried out to identify Jordanian EFL students' attitudes towards using group work in EFL classrooms. The study sample consisted of 179 students enrolled in English 101, an elementary language skills course taught at Al- Huson University College, Al -Balqa' Applied University,…

Changing Past Student Discipline Practices to Create a District-Wide Discipline Plan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Judith A.

2009-01-01

Improving student discipline is a constant challenge in the field of P-12 education. The challenge is especially great for district-level administrators who must address the educational and social needs of all students. As a district-level administrator, the author participates in a study of a midwestern district of elementary (preschool-8)…

Reducing Student Bias against Older Adults through the Use of Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tice, Carolyn J.; Harnek Hall, Diane M.; Miller, Shari E.

2010-01-01

Human services educators must address the issue of students' bias toward older adults to encourage interest and meet the growing need for professionals in the field. The use of literature can challenge students' preconceptions of older adults while innovative teaching methods can guide their development of more tolerant views and introduce them to…

Student-Teachers' Emotional Needs and Dichotomous Problem-Solving: Non-Cognitive Root Causes of Teaching and Learning Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soslau, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

This study investigated whether typical field instruction practice adequately addressed student-teachers' emotional needs and discerned whether unmet needs interrupted teacher learning. Four student-teachers completed weekly needs-based writing tasks, based on a broad application of Needs Theory. At the conclusion of the 16-week practicum, data…

Agricultural Electricity. Electric Motors. Student Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benson, Robert T.

Addressed to the student, this manual, which includes supplementary diagrams, discusses the following topics and principles: Electromagnetic fields, electromagnets, parts of an electric motor, determining speed of an electric motor, types of electric motors in common use (split-phase, capacitor, repulsion-induction, three-phase), the electric…

Addressing the Research/Practice Divide in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flessner, Ryan

2012-01-01

Educational scholars often describe a research/practice divide. Similarly, students in teacher education programs often struggle to navigate the differences between university coursework and expectations they face in field-based placements. This self-study analyzes one researcher's attempt to address the research/practice divide from the position…

Postgraduate Training in Student Learning and Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alpay, E.; Mendes-Tatsis, M. A.

2000-01-01

Presents an experiential postgraduate training program for student learning and supervision involving laboratory and pilot plant supervisions in the chemical engineering field. The program addresses some of the current concerns about non-technical training and the further development of the broad science and engineering knowledge of postgraduate…

Improving Learning Analytics--Combining Observational and Self-Report Data on Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Robert A.; Han, Feifei; Pardo, Abelardo

2017-01-01

The field of education technology is embracing a use of learning analytics to improve student experiences of learning. Along with exponential growth in this area is an increasing concern of the interpretability of the analytics from the student experience and what they can tell us about learning. This study offers a way to address some of the…

White School Counselors Becoming Racial Justice Allies to Students of Color: A Call to the Field of School Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Lauren J.; Singh, Anneliese A.

2015-01-01

White school counselors must consider how racial identity, and whiteness as a construct, influences their work with students of color. This article addresses opportunities for White school counselors regarding how they may become allies to students of color and suggests way in which counselor educators can support the ally identity development in…

Field Trips and the Law.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troy, Thomas D.; Schwaab, Karl E.

1981-01-01

Legal aspects of field trips are addressed, with special attention on planning and implementation aspects which warrant legal consideration. Suggestions are based on information obtained from studies which reviewed and analyzed court cases, with recommendations geared to lessen the likelihood that negligence suits will result if students sustain…

Quality of Life for Individuals with Disabilities: A Conceptual Framework.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marinoble, Rita; Hegenauer, Judy

One of the desired outcomes of transition planning for students with disabilities is to enable the students to lead a quality adult life. This report contains a literature review which outlines recent approaches to addressing quality of life issues, including conceptualizations, methodologies, and ethical concerns. A field inquiry report…

An Interaction-Based Approach to Enhancing Secondary School Instruction and Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Joseph; Pianta, Robert; Gregory, Anne; Mikami, Amori; Lun, Janetta

2011-01-01

Improving teaching quality is widely recognized as critical to addressing deficiencies in secondary school education, yet the field has struggled to identify rigorously evaluated teacher-development approaches that can produce reliable gains in student achievement. A randomized controlled trial of My Teaching Partner-Secondary--a Web-mediated…

Learning to Verbally & Visually Communicate the Metalworking Way.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento. Div. of Vocational Education.

This curriculum guide, one of 15 volumes written for field test use with educationally disadvantaged industrial education students needing additional instruction in the basic skill areas, deals with helping students develop basic verbal and visual communication skills while studying metalworking. Addressed in the individual units of the guide are…

STEM Motivation Interventions for Adolescents: A Promising Start, but Further to Go

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenzweig, Emily Q.; Wigfield, Allan

2016-01-01

One way to increase students' participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is to target their motivation. Researchers have conducted a growing number of interventions addressing students' motivation in STEM; however, this body of work has not been adequately reviewed. We systematically reviewed experimental and…

Learning to Read and Write the Woodworking Way.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento. Div. of Vocational Education.

This curriculum guide, one of 15 volumes written for field test use with educationally disadvantaged industrial education students needing additional instruction in the basic skill areas, deals with helping students to develop basic reading and writing skills while studying woodworking. Addressed in the individual units of the guide are the…

Development of an Instrument to Measure Undergraduates' Nanotechnology Awareness, Exposure, Motivation, and Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyehouse, Melissa A.; Diefes-Dux, Heidi A.; Bennett, Deborah E.; Imbrie, P. K.

2008-01-01

There are many educational interventions being implemented to address workforce issues in the field of nanotechnology. However, there is no instrument to assess the impact of these interventions on student awareness of, exposure to, and motivation for nanotechnology. To address this need, the "Nanotechnology Awareness Instrument" was…

Career-focused field trips as experienced by at-risk rural students: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutson, Tommye L.

A lack of recent research focused on field trips as pedagogy in K-12 settings established the foundation for this work. The research design followed multiple-case case study model. The participants were four male students from a small rural high school in central Texas. Each participant, previously labeled as academically "at-risk", had identified an inability to describe connections between academic science content as presented in their common classes and future jobs, vocational training, and/or careers requiring higher education. Because the participants had no directed field excursions addressing this desirable knowledge and/or skill, a career-focused field trip was designed to address the self-identified deficit reported by the participants. The specific research questions were: (1) How does the ability to describe connections between academic science content (biology, chemistry, and physics) and future careers change as rural students experience a purposeful excursion to a post-secondary facility providing vocational training? (2) When do the connection(s) between content and future careers become evident to students? (3) What effects or impact do newly discovered connections have on rural students' aspirations with regard to future career or higher education options? Data were gathered using existing school records, an initial survey, one-to-one interviews conducted before and after the field trip, focus groups conducted before and after the field trip, and observations during the field trip. Data analysis revealed that all participants were able to describe various connections between academic content and careers after the field trip, as well as identify a specific incident that initially established those connections. In addition, all of the participants reported discovering options for careers during the field trip not previously realized or considered. Each participant indicated that they found field trips to be effective. As a result of their singular experience, they collectively voiced a belief that career-focused field trips should be included in all required science classes starting in late middle school and continuing through at least the 10th grade.

Teacher-Student Relationship at University: An Important yet Under-Researched Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagenauer, Gerda; Volet, Simone E.

2014-01-01

This article reviews the extant research on the relationship between students and teachers in higher education across three main areas: the quality of this relationship, its consequences and its antecedents. The weaknesses and gaps in prior research are highlighted and the importance of addressing the multi-dimensional and context-bound nature of…

Teacher-Student Sexual Relations: Key Risks and Ethical Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sikes, Pat

2010-01-01

Researching actual or purported sexual contact between teachers and students raises many difficult ethical issues, questions and dilemmas, which may help to explain why few have ventured into the field. This experientially based paper addresses key problem areas under the headings of: the ethics of researching a sensitive taboo topic; the ethics…

Ethical Issues Concerning the Use of Videoconferencing To Supervise International Social Work Field Practicum Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Panos, Patrick T.; Panos, Angelea; Cox, Shirley E.; Roby, Jini L.; Matheson, Kenneth W.

2002-01-01

Examines current ethical guidelines affecting the use of videoconferencing in the supervision of social work students nationally and internationally. Suggests protocols to address ethical and professional practice issues that are likely to arise as a result of using videoconferencing to conduct supervision across international borders. (EV)

Readiness for Work, Readiness for Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, William J.

1985-01-01

The author addresses the need for a balanced education. In addition to training students in specific fields, we must concern ourselves with inculcating virtue as well. As the liberal arts play an important part in the formation of character, students can learn from them to commit themselves to a certain task and ultimately to their professions.…

The Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Advanced STEM Coursework in Female Secondary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernasconi, Bethany

2017-01-01

Despite years of attention, gender inequity persists in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Female STEM faculty, positive social interactions, and enrollment in advanced STEM secondary coursework are supportive factors in promoting female students' persistence in STEM fields. To address the gap in understanding these factors,…

Service-Learning in the Financial Planning Curriculum: Expanding Access to the Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annis, Paul M.; Palmer, Lance; Goetz, Joseph

2010-01-01

Service-learning projects are a cornerstone of student experiential learning. Such programs have proven to be mutually beneficial to communities and students within a variety of family and consumer sciences courses. However, there is a paucity of literature addressing service-learning efforts within the field of financial planning. There is an…

The Effects of POWERSOURCE[C] Intervention on Student Understanding of Basic Mathematical Principles. CRESST Report 763

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phelan, Julia; Choi, Kilchan; Vendlinski, Terry; Baker, Eva L.; Herman, Joan L.

2009-01-01

This report describes results from field-testing of POWERSOURCE[C] formative assessment alongside professional development and instructional resources. The researchers at the National Center for Research, on Evaluation, Standards, & Student Testing (CRESST) employed a randomized, controlled design to address the following question: Does the…

Recruitment of Diverse Students in School Psychology Programs: Direction for Future Research and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proctor, Sherrie L.; Simpson, Chamane M.; Levin, Jacqueline; Hackimer, Laura

2014-01-01

Lack of racially, ethnically, and linguistically (REL) diverse school psychologists has been a concern for decades. Recent and rapid increases in student diversity within America's public schools require that school psychology address the longstanding lack of diversity within the field. This article details the demographics of school…

Student Leaders as Advocates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suitt, Regina

2016-01-01

The need for adult education programs and services is great, yet federal and state funding and enrollment have declined. This reality means that the field is burdened to protect what federal dollars still exist. One approach to address these funding challenges is to engage students in making the case to funders and policy makers for addressing…

Creating Dissonance in Pre-Service Teachers' Field Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenhardt, Sara; Besnoy, Kevin; Steele, Emily

2012-01-01

The study is practical in nature and addresses the call for investigating effective aspects of field experiences in teacher preparation. The authors designed a framework of assignments requiring the pre-service teachers to collect data about two diverse elementary students in their assigned elementary classroom during the twelve weeks of their…

Contemporary School Administration: An Introduction. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kowalski, Theodore J.

This book addresses career-related questions commonly asked by students beginning the study of school administration. As an introductory text, it presents a broad overview of school administration as a specialized field of study and as an applied field of professional practice. Special attention is given to describing the social, political, and…

The Distribution of Job Satisfaction among Young European Graduates: Does the Choice of Study Field Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vila, Luis E.; Garcia-Aracil, Adela; Mora, Jose-Gines

2007-01-01

A student's choice of a field of study is a personal decision that combines individual tastes, inclinations, preferences, and prospects related to the working life with a number of financial and academic constraints. Therefore, the analysis of the effects of degree field on job satisfaction should also address the unobserved heterogeneity among…

Teacher–student relationship at university: an important yet under-researched field

PubMed Central

Hagenauer, Gerda; Volet, Simone E.

2014-01-01

This article reviews the extant research on the relationship between students and teachers in higher education across three main areas: the quality of this relationship, its consequences and its antecedents. The weaknesses and gaps in prior research are highlighted and the importance of addressing the multi-dimensional and context-bound nature of teacher–student relationships is proposed. A possible agenda for future research is outlined. PMID:27226693

Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of Student Field Research Experiences in Special Populations.

PubMed

Soliman, Amr S; Chamberlain, Robert M

2016-06-01

Global health education and training of biomedical students in international and minority health research is expending through U.S. academic institutions. This study addresses the short- and long-term outcomes of an NCI-funded R25 short-term summer field research training program. This program is designed for MPH and Ph.D. students in cancer epidemiology and related disciplines, in international and minority settings (special populations) in a recent 7-year period. Positive short-term outcome of 73 students was measured as publishing a manuscript from the field research data and having a job in special populations. Positive long-term outcome was measured as having a post-doc position, being in a doctoral program, and/or employment in special populations at least 3 years from finishing the program. Significant factors associated with both short- and long-term success included resourcefulness of the student and compatibility of personalities and interests between the student and the on-campus and off-campus mentors. Short-term-success of students who conducted international filed research was associated with visits of the on-campus mentor to the field site. Short-term success was also associated with extent of mentorship in the field site and with long-term success. Future studies should investigate how field research sites could enhance careers of students, appropriateness of the sites for specific training competencies, and how to maximize the learning experience of students in international and minority research sites.

Addressing the Needs of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Considerations and Complexities for High School Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kucharczyk, Suzanne; Reutebuch, Colleen K.; Carter, Erik W.; Hedges, Susan; El Zein, Farah; Gustafson, Jenny R.

2015-01-01

The outcomes of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are driving the field to address how secondary education might be optimally designed and delivered. We conducted 28 focus groups across four states to explore the contexts, considerations, and complexities associated with delivering and combining evidence-based interventions to meet the…

Attracting Students Into Science: Insights From a Summer Research Internship Program for Community College Students in Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, S. P.; Smith, L. K.; Gold, A. U.; Batchelor, R. L.; Monday, B.

2014-12-01

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs commonly serve students already committed to careers in science. To spark student interest in the sciences early in their college career, the CIRES diversity initiative teamed with the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory to build an REU for Colorado community college students. A group of 7 students was selected from consideration of diversity, prior training, and personal statements. Each student was paired with a research science mentor. Field excursions and team-building exercises filled the first week of the 8-week program. Students received weekly training in science communication, responsible conduct of research, use of spreadsheet and graphing software, and statistical analysis. Each student presented their research in a poster session, an oral presentation, and a written report. Several aspects of this pilot program worked well. The students formed a very supportive cohort, despite the fact that they were not in residence. Cohesion grew out of the immersion in field trips, and was reinforced with weekly check-ins. The trainings were essential for seeing projects through to written and oral presentations. Teaming students for fieldwork was an effective strategy to build support, and reduce mentor fatigue. Each student produced useful data. In the future, we would include a workshop on personal finances to address a clear need. Transportation support will be provided. A residential program might attract some but could preclude participation of students with families or other life-issues. Personal tutoring tailored to research projects would address low math skills. All 7 students completed the program; several elected to submit to the undergraduate virtual poster session at Fall AGU. Students all reported enormous personal and academic growth. Some are discussing transfer and graduate school opportunities with their mentors. The enthusiasm and appreciation of the students was unparalleled.

Addressing the Rural Context in Literacies Research: A Call to Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azano, Amy Price

2015-01-01

The article features a discussion about rural contexts in literacy research. Rural students compose a significant portion of K-12 students, and rural schools have unique challenges, such as limited funding and resources. However, as a field of literacy researchers, we do not privilege place equitably across multiple contexts. The article serves as…

Placing Gender in the Heart of MFT Masters Programs: Teaching a Gender Sensitive Systemic View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storm, Cheryl L.

1991-01-01

Describes masters level course for marriage and family therapists that teaches systemic underpinnings of field while also addressing feminist critique of ideas. Notes goal of course is for students to understand and adopt gender sensitive view; students then have a yardstick as they study and evaluate marriage and family therapy theories, observe…

Education For All: Critical Issues in the Education of Children and Youth with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jimenez, Terese C., Ed.; Graf, Victoria L., Ed.

2008-01-01

Developed as a resource for educators and parents who teach and support the more than 6.5 million students with disabilities, this book includes contributions from acknowledged special and general education professionals. Contributors address overarching issues in the field and focus on topics that are relevant to students no matter what their…

And Still I See No Changes: Enduring Views of Students of Color in Science and Mathematics Education Policy Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basile, Vincent; Lopez, Enrique

2015-01-01

Federal education policy reports in science and mathematics education have treated Students of Color consistently over the past two decades, addressing the underrepresentation of minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields with little regard to actual issues of race and ethnicity. We examine how 17 federal…

Helping Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers Connect Theory and Practice: Using Reading, Writing, and Observation Protocols to Structure Field Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Stephanie Behm; Bayazit, Nermin Tosmur

2014-01-01

The authors designed the project described her in order to address their students' expressed frustrations at the perceived disconnect between theory and practice. The project combined course readings, journaling, collaboratively created observation protocols, and classroom observation into a semester-long iterative assignment. The students' work…

Engaging Families to Support Students' Transition to High School: Evidence from the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mac Iver, Martha Abele; Epstein, Joyce L.; Sheldon, Steven B.; Fonseca, Ean

2015-01-01

This exploratory study addresses the challenge of declining family engagement at the critical transition to high school. We use data from a survey of schools to examine whether and how middle grades and high schools engage families when their students transition to high school. Findings indicate that there is a significant negative relationship…

A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Group Contingency Interventions for Students with Challenging Behavior: An Update

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maggin, Daniel M.; Pustejovsky, James E.; Johnson, Austin H.

2017-01-01

Group contingencies are recognized as a potent intervention for addressing challenging student behavior in the classroom, with research reviews supporting the use of this intervention platform going back more than four decades. Over this time period, the field of education has increasingly emphasized the role of research evidence for informing…

Developing research competencies through a project-based tissue-engineering module in the biomedical engineering undergraduate curriculum.

PubMed

Wallen, M; Pandit, A

2009-05-01

In addressing the task of developing an undergraduate module in the field of tissue engineering, the greatest challenge lies in managing to capture what is a growing and rapidly changing field. Acknowledging the call for the development of greater critical thinking and interpersonal skills among the next generation of engineers as well as encouraging students to engage actively with the dynamic nature of research in the field, the module was developed to include both project-based and cooperative-learning experiences. These learning activities include developing hypotheses for the application of newly introduced laboratory procedures, a collaborative mock grant submission, and debates on ethical issues in which students are assigned roles as various stakeholders. Feedback from module evaluations has indicated that, while students find the expectations challenging, they are able to gain an advanced insight into a dynamic field. More importantly, students develop research competencies by engaging in activities that require them to link current research directions with their own development of hypotheses for future tissue-engineering applications.

STEM Specialty Programs: A Pathway for Under-Represented Students into STEM Fields

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvarez, Charles Alex; Edwards, Douglas; Harris, Bonnie

2010-01-01

Addressing the under-representation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has been an initiative of the U.S. Congress for the past 30 years, but the challenge still remains unresolved. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Congressional Committee on Equal…

Using the Urban Environment to Engage Youths in Urban Ecology Field Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnett, Michael; Lord, Charles; Strauss, Eric; Rosca, Camelia; Langford, Heather; Chavez, Dawn; Deni, Leah

2006-01-01

Recent science education reform proponents explicitly put forward the idea that all students, regardless of culture, gender, race, or socioeconomic status, are capable of understanding and doing science. To address this need, the authors have developed and implemented a field-based urban ecology science program to engage traditionally…

Single-Case Design Research: Building the Evidence-Base in the Field of Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students.

PubMed

Cannon, Joanna E; Guardino, Caroline; Antia, Shirin D; Luckner, John L

2016-01-01

The field of education of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students has a paucity of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to guide instruction. The authors discussed how the research methodology of single-case design (SCD) can be used to build EBPs through direct and systematic replication of studies. An overview of SCD research methods is presented, including an explanation of how internal and external validity issues are addressed, and why SCD is appropriate for intervention research with DHH children. The authors then examine the SCD research in the field according to quality indicators (QIs; at the individual level and as a body of evidence) to determine the existing evidence base. Finally, future replication areas are recommended to fill the gaps in SCD research with students who are DHH in order to add to the evidence base in the field.

iPads at Field Camp: A First Test of the Challenges and Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurst, S. D.; Stewart, M. A.

2011-12-01

An iPad 2 was given to approximately half of the University of Illinois students attending the Wasatch-Uinta Field Camp (WUFC) in summer 2011. The iPads were provisioned with orientation measuring, mapping and location software. The software would automatically transfer an orientation measurement to the current location on the Google Maps application, and was able to output a full list of orientation data. Students also had normal access to more traditional mapping tools such as Brunton compasses and GPS units and were required to map with these tools along with other students of WUFC not provided iPads. Compared to traditional tools, iPads have drawbacks such as increased weight, break-ability, need for power source and wireless connectivity; in sum, they need a substantial infrastructure that reduces range, availability, and probably most importantly, convenience. Some of these drawbacks inhibited adoption by our students, the primary reasons being the added weight and the inability to map directly to a GIS application with detailed topographic maps equivalent to the physical topographic map sheets used at WUFC. In their favor, the iPads combine a host of tools into one, including software that can measure orientation in a fashion more intuitively than a Brunton. They also allow storage, editing and analysis of data, notes (spoken and/or written) and potentially unlimited access to a variety of maps. Via a post-field camp survey of the University of Illinois students at WUFC, we have identified some of the important issues that need to be addressed before portable tablets like the iPad become the tool of choice for general field work. Some problems are intrinsic to almost any advanced technology, some are artifacts of the current generations of hardware and software available for these devices. Technical drawbacks aside, the adoption of iPads was further inhibited primarily by inexperience with their use as a mapping tool and secondarily by their redundancy with traditional tools. We are addressing some aspects of software limitations and future technology improvements by the industry will naturally reduce other limitations. We will continue testing iPads during field trips and courses for the foreseeable future. As we begin to deal with these limitations and students become more accustomed to their use in the field, we expect our students to more fully embrace iPads as a convenient field and mapping tool.

E-Learning: opportunity or end of field classes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloemertz, Lena; Kuhn, Brigitte; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

2013-04-01

E-Learning is often seen as an opportunity to avoid the costs of field classes by using new digital media to communicate content to students that otherwise could only be seen in the field. However, feeling, tasting and smelling soil on a farm or in a forest cannot be substituted via the internet. To achieve some teaching efficiency, an course on e-learning introduced at the University of Basel therefore took an opposite approach: instead of compromising the field experience, the opportunities to broaden access and generate flexibility for the students and instructors during the lecture room section of a soil science and land use course were maximised. The course has six topics, each e-learning element is designed to take one week of the studentśself study time devoted to the course. Three one-day field classes spread over the term offer an opportunity to the students to become acquainted with common soil types in the region of Basel and typical land use. The latter emphasizes visits to farms to ensure that the perspective of the farmers on their and soils and business is communicated to the students. The field classes also ensure sufficient contact time between instructors and students. The informal time spend together during the days in the field also ensures to address individual questions of the students. Overall, the format of the course ensures that the field experience and instructor presence are offered where needed and that e-learning is used to replace formal contact time where self-study is possible.

Using Multiple High-Impact Practices to Improve Student Learning in an Undergraduate Health Science Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganesh, Chandrakala; Smith, Jason A.

2017-01-01

Problem-based learning can be an effective educational approach for students entering the health care field. While broadly used in graduate and professional education in the health sciences, it is less widely used in undergraduate programs. We discuss the use of problem-based learning as part of an approach to address failure rates in select…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2016-01-01

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…

Inclusion and Access for Students with Disabilties in Geoscience Field Learning Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, A. M.

2017-12-01

In the modern age of technology, physical ability is no longer a requirement for a successful career as a geoscientist. Yet students who do not fit the traditional physical image of a geologist are often excluded from the discipline. Individuals with disabilities - who make up a percentage of every ethnicity, age group and gender - often face great difficulty when working towards a geoscience degree. There are substantial physical barriers to participation in traditional lab and field environments and significant social barriers from deeply held cultural bias within the geoscience community from those who assume a fully able body is a requisite to a geoscience career. With intentional planning and the thoughtful use of technological aids, physical barriers to participation can be addressed in such a way as to provide engaging and inclusive learning opportunities for students of all physical abilities. The social barrier, perhaps the more challenging to address, can only be dismantled by faculty and staff who are willing to model inclusive practices and promote a culture that focuses less on a student's ability to `hike like a geologist', and more on an individual's ability to `think like a geologist'.

Teaching the English Language Arts with Technology: A Critical Approach and Pedagogical Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Carl A.; Bush, Jonathan

2004-01-01

In order to cultivate the kind of technology literacy in our students called for by leaders in the field, it must simultaneously be cultivated in our teachers. While the literature in the field of English education demonstrates the efficacy of computer technology in writing instruction and addresses its impact on the evolving definition of…

A Primer-Test Centered Equating Method for Setting Cut-Off Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhu, Weimo; Plowman, Sharon Ann; Park, Youngsik

2010-01-01

This study evaluated the use of a new primary field test method based on test equating to address inconsistent classification among field tests. We analyzed students' information on the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER), mile run (MR), and VO[subscript 2]max from three data sets (college: n = 94; middle school: n = 39;…

Beyond Smash and Crash: Gender-Friendly Tech Ed

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Ray

2009-01-01

In order to increase participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields and careers, one of the problems that needs to be addressed is gender equity of study and careers in STEM fields. In general, women represent less than 30% of all STEM students in college. Furthermore, less than one third of professional engineers and…

Increasing Access of Female Students in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), in the University of Malawi (UNIMA)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mbano, Nellie; Nolan, Kathleen

2017-01-01

In Malawi, in spite of a number of gender equity policies and initiatives that encourage females to pursue careers within the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), research indicates that they are under-represented in these fields. One initiative recommended to address the factors contributing to this…

An Evaluation of a Decade of a Rural Field-Based Special and Elementary Teacher Training Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medina, Catherine; Redsteer, Denise; Prater, Greg; Minner, Sam

To address the need for special education teachers trained in rural and culturally diverse settings, a field-based special education program was implemented in Kayenta Unified School District (KUSD), Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. KUSD provided teacher housing, classroom space, sites for practicum coursework, and some student teaching placements.…

Theory, Research, and Practice for Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing with Disabilities: Addressing the Challenges from Birth to Postsecondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guardino, Caroline; Cannon, Joanna E.

2015-01-01

Students who are deaf with a disability or disabilities (DWD) constitute nearly half of the population of K-12 learners who are deaf or hard of hearing. However, there is a dearth of information on theory, research, and practice related to these learners. The authors present an overview of (a) how the field of education of students who are D/deaf…

2017 Hans O. Mauksch Address: Using the Science of Learning to Improve Student Learning in Sociology Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messineo, Melinda

2018-01-01

The 2017 Mauksch Address invites readers to consider how the field of sociology might benefit from greater inclusion of the science of learning into its pedagogy. Results from a survey of 92 teaching and learning experts in sociology reveal the degree to which the discipline's understanding of teaching and learning is informed by the science of…

Student Perceptions of Using Games to Address Science Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, Cara M.

The purpose of this qualitative evaluative case study was to gain insight into how students perceived the efficacy of using games to address their science literacy concerns. Scientists in the United States are concerned with the lack of science literacy. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires proficiency in reading, mathematics, language arts, and science by the completion of the 2013--2014 school year. The high school participating in this study received substandard test scores on both the 2009 state graduation test and the science portion of the ACT test. The research question included understanding how students perceive the use of games in addressing their science literacy needs. The data from the student journals, field notes, and transcribed class discussions were analyzed using a 6 step method that included coding the data into main themes. The triangulated data were used to both gain insight into student perspective and inform game development. Constructivist theories formed the conceptual framework of the study. The findings of the study suggested that games may prove a valuable tool in science literacy attainment. The study indicated that games were perceived by the students to be effective tools in meeting their learning needs. Implications for positive social change included providing students, educators, and administrators with game resources that can be used to meet the science learning needs of struggling students, thereby improving science scores on high stakes tests.

Addressing Common Student Technical Errors in Field Data Collection: An Analysis of a Citizen-Science Monitoring Project.

PubMed

Philippoff, Joanna; Baumgartner, Erin

2016-03-01

The scientific value of citizen-science programs is limited when the data gathered are inconsistent, erroneous, or otherwise unusable. Long-term monitoring studies, such as Our Project In Hawai'i's Intertidal (OPIHI), have clear and consistent procedures and are thus a good model for evaluating the quality of participant data. The purpose of this study was to examine the kinds of errors made by student researchers during OPIHI data collection and factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of these errors. Twenty-four different types of errors were grouped into four broad error categories: missing data, sloppiness, methodological errors, and misidentification errors. "Sloppiness" was the most prevalent error type. Error rates decreased with field trip experience and student age. We suggest strategies to reduce data collection errors applicable to many types of citizen-science projects including emphasizing neat data collection, explicitly addressing and discussing the problems of falsifying data, emphasizing the importance of using standard scientific vocabulary, and giving participants multiple opportunities to practice to build their data collection techniques and skills.

Galactic and Intergalactic Magnetic Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, U.; Fletcher, A.

This course-tested textbook conveys the fundamentals of magnetic fields and relativistic plasma in diffuse cosmic media, with a primary focus on phenomena that have been observed at different wavelengths. Theoretical concepts are addressed wherever necessary, with derivations presented in sufficient detail to be generally accessible. In the first few chapters the authors present an introduction to various astrophysical phenomena related to cosmic magnetism, with scales ranging from molecular clouds in star-forming regions and supernova remnants in the Milky Way, to clusters of galaxies. Later chapters address the role of magnetic fields in the evolution of the interstellar medium, galaxies and galaxy clusters. The book is intended for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in astronomy and physics and will serve as an entry point for those starting their first research projects in the field.

Promoting Physical Understanding through Peer Mentoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nossal, S. M.; Huesmann, A.; Hooper, E.; Moore, C.; Watson, L.; Trestrail, A.; Weber, J.; Timbie, P.; Jacob, A.

2015-12-01

The Physics Learning Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison provides a supportive learning community for students studying introductory physics, as well as teaching and leadership experience for undergraduate Peer Mentor Tutors who receive extensive training and supervision. Many of our Peer Tutors were former Physics Learning Center participants. A central goal of the Physics Learning Center is to address achievement/equity gaps (e.g. race, gender, socio-economic status, disability, age, transfer status, etc.) for undergraduate students pursuing majors and coursework in STEM fields. Students meet twice a week in small learning teams of 3-8 students, facilitated by a trained Peer Mentor Tutor or staff member. These active learning teams focus on discussing core physical concepts and practicing problem-solving. The weekly training of the tutors addresses both teaching and mentoring issues in science education such as helping students to build confidence, strategies for assessing student understanding, and fostering a growth mindset. A second weekly training meeting addresses common misconceptions and strategies for teaching specific physics topics. For non-science majors we have a small Peer Mentor Tutor program for Physics in the Arts. We will discuss the Physics Learning Center's approaches to promoting inclusion, understanding, and confidence for both our participants and Peer Mentor Tutors, as well as examples from the geosciences that can be used to illustrate introductory physics concepts.

Developing Learning Analytics Design Knowledge in the "Middle Space": The Student Tuning Model and Align Design Framework for Learning Analytics Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wise, Alyssa Friend; Vytasek, Jovita Maria; Hausknecht, Simone; Zhao, Yuting

2016-01-01

This paper addresses a relatively unexplored area in the field of learning analytics: how analytics are taken up and used as part of teaching and learning processes. Initial steps are taken towards developing design knowledge for this "middle space," with a focus on students as analytics users. First, a core set of challenges for…

Embedding Publication Skills in Science Research Training: A Writing Group Programme Based on Applied Linguistics Frameworks and Facilitated by a Scientist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cargill, Margaret; Smernik, Ronald

2016-01-01

Few systematic efforts have been reported to develop higher degree by research student skills for writing publishable articles in science and technology fields. There is a need to address this lack in the light of the current importance of publication to science research students and the high supervisor workload entailed in repeated draft…

Enhancing introductory hydrology curriculum by integrating perspectives from multi-disciplinary graduate fields of study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, T. E.; Henson, W.; Reijo, C. J.; Laing, J.; Weinkam, G.

2015-12-01

A cross-disciplinary hydrology course was developed that combined field and classroom based techniques to educate undergraduate level students on issues related to water resources in Florida, USA. Six instructors from separate departments brought a different perspective, research experience, and view on water quality and quantity issues. The course progressed by examining hydrologic processes at different spatio-temporal scales beginning with the geologic scale (the formation of aquifers) and ending with present-day water management and policy concerns. We were challenged to introduce students from various academic backgrounds and levels to the core concepts of hydrology and water chemistry. Additionally, the instructors faced the task of making our research fit together seamlessly, such that one topic would naturally progress to the next topic. We ensured that students' knowledge progressed enough so they could address complex management issues through critical thinking and application of basic field techniques. It is our objective to share the experiences and challenges in developing an interdisciplinary course that: 1) introduced new research ideas and concepts from six separate fields, 2) enhanced lecture concepts by hands-on, field-based activities, and 3) would keep students from science and non-science backgrounds engaged and challenged but not overwhelmed.

Investigating and addressing student difficulties with the corrections to the energies of the hydrogen atom for the strong and weak field Zeeman effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keebaugh, Christof; Marshman, Emily; Singh, Chandralekha

2018-07-01

Understanding when and how to make limiting case approximations and why they are valid in a particular situation is a hallmark of expertise in physics. Using limiting cases can simplify the problem-solving process significantly and they often provide a means to check that the results obtained are reasonable. We discuss an investigation of student difficulties with the corrections to the energy spectrum of the hydrogen atom for the limiting cases of the strong and weak field Zeeman effects using degenerate perturbation theory. This investigation was carried out in advanced quantum mechanics courses by administering written free-response and multiple-choice questions and conducting individual interviews with students. Here we first discuss the common student difficulties related to these concepts. We then describe how the research on student difficulties was used as a guide to develop and evaluate a quantum interactive learning tutorial (QuILT) which strives to help students develop a functional understanding of the concepts necessary for finding the corrections to the energy spectrum of the hydrogen atom for the strong field and weak field Zeeman effects. The development of the QuILT and its evaluation in the undergraduate and PhD level courses are presented.

Demystifying the Millennial student: a reassessment in measures of character and engagement in professional education.

PubMed

DiLullo, Camille; McGee, Patricia; Kriebel, Richard M

2011-01-01

The characteristic profile of Millennial Generation students, driving many educational reforms, can be challenged by research in a number of fields including cognition, learning style, neurology, and psychology. This evidence suggests that the current aggregate view of the Millennial student may be less than accurate. Statistics show that Millennial students are considerably diverse in backgrounds, personalities, and learning styles. Data are presented regarding technological predilection, multitasking, reading, critical thinking, professional behaviors, and learning styles, which indicate that students in the Millennial Generation may not be as homogenous in fundamental learning strategies and attitudes as is regularly proposed. Although their common character traits have implications for instruction, no available evidence demonstrates that these traits impact their fundamental process of learning. Many curricular strategies have been implemented to address alleged changes in the manner by which Millennial students learn. None has clearly shown superior outcomes in academic accomplishments or developing expertise for graduating students and concerns persist related to the successful engagement of Millennial students in the process of learning. Four factors for consideration in general curricular design are proposed to address student engagement and optimal knowledge acquisition for 21st century learners. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Anatomists.

Foot-Matics. Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frame, Laurence

This teacher's guide contains the following sections: Teacher Objectives; Student Objectives; Teacher Aide Suggestions; Objectives Overview; Scope and Sequence (K-8); Teacher's Guide; NFL Public Relations Director; NFL Team Addresses and Art (Helmet) Pages; Football Field Dimensions; Age Problems; Statistics from a Newspaper; Standings; Weight…

Inquiry-Driven Field-Based (IDFB) Ocean Science Classes: an Important Role in College Students' Development as Scientists, and Student Retention in the Geo-science Pipeline.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crane, N. L.

2004-12-01

Experiential learning, engaging students in the process of science, can not only teach students important skills and knowledge, it can also help them become connected with the process on a personal level. This study investigates the role that Inquiry-Driven Field-Based (IDFB) experiences (primarily field classes) in ocean science have on undergraduate science students' development as ocean scientists. Both cognitive (knowledge-based) and affective (motivation and attitude) measures most important to students were used as indicators of development. Major themes will be presented to illustrate how IDFB science experiences can enhance the academic and personal development of students of science. Through their active engagement in the process of science, students gain important skills and knowledge as well as increased confidence, motivation, and ability to plan for their future (in particular their career and educational pathways). This growth is an important part of their development as scientists; the IDFB experience provides them a way to build a relationship with the world of science, and to better understand what science is, what scientists do, and their own future role as scientists. IDFB experiences have a particularly important role in affective measures of development: students develop an important personal connection to science. By doing science, students learn to be scientists and to understand science and science concepts in context. Many underrepresented students do not have the opportunity to take IDFB classes, and addressing this access issue could be an important step towards engaging more underrepresented students in the field. The nature of IDFB experiences and their impact on students makes them a potentially important mechanism for retaining students in the geo-science `pipeline'.

An Examination of Student Outcomes and Student Satisfaction in a Flipped Learning Environment: A Quasi-Experimental Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Angela M.

2016-01-01

Flipped learning has become a hot topic in education, in part because of the media portrayal of flipped learning in existing news stories. Although there has been a rise in popularity and implementation, there has been a lack of empirical research in the field of flipped learning. The purpose of this exploratory study was to address some of the…

The Politics of Schools and Money: Building Awareness about Channeling Practices for Supplemental Resource Allocations to Serve English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okhremtchouk, Irina S.

2017-01-01

One of the aims of K-12 supplemental programs is to maximize the potential for success of students who bring special needs into a classroom. Therefore, the intent behind a large majority of these additional resources is to support programs that are designed to address the needs of otherwise marginalized students by leveling the playing field. The…

Proposal for a university-community-hospice partnership to address organizational barriers to cultural competence.

PubMed

Reese, Dona J

2011-02-01

Models of culturally competent hospice services have been developed, but they are not generally being used. This article describes a participatory action research project which is addressing organizational barriers to cultural competence through a university-community-hospice partnership. The intervention plan is to develop a connection with the African American community, increasing community knowledge, and hospice staff cultural competence through a social work student field placement. It is hoped that, if successful, this model will be replicated to address the problem of African American utilization and access to hospice.

Global Climate Change: Using Field Studies to Prepare the Next Generation of Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, T. C.; Hare, J.

2004-05-01

Global Climate Change is a new and invigorating concept in the pre-college classroom. To some it portends the altering of the Earth's climate by introducing anthropogenic influences and for others the natural progression of the Earth's systems. Regardless, climate change involves a plethora of environmental interactions and comprehension is a challenge for both teachers and students. This paper addresses a field studies program that prepares students to complete research projects associated with climate models affecting montane environments. It emphasizes a partnership between researchers from universities, government agencies, and public schools and their support of pre-college students in inquiry learning and research activities. Beginning in 1994 students from a Pennsylvania high school and schools in Scotland have engaged in biannual holistic studies of montane and glacial environments with the objective of completing investigations concerning the energy budgets of these environments. This paper will focus on 2000 and 2002, and the support and partnership of Dr. Jeff Hare and CIRES in designing, supporting, and providing professional interpretations,while assisting teachers and students toward the completion of recognized papers regarding climate studies. Introducing students to the employment and operation of complex field equipment will be discussed.

Planet Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klahr, Hubert; Brandner, Wolfgang

2006-05-01

This volume addresses fundamental questions concerning the formation of planetary systems in general, and of our solar system in particular. Drawing from recent advances in observational, experimental, and theoretical research, it summarises our current understanding of the planet formation processes, and addresses major open questions and research issues. Chapters are written by leading experts in the field of planet formation and extrasolar planet studies. The book is based on a meeting held at Ringberg Castle in Bavaria, where experts gathered together to present and exchange their ideas and findings. It is a comprehensive resource for graduate students and researchers, and is written to be accessible to newcomers to the field.

Differential Experiences of Women and Minority Engineering Students in a Cooperative Education Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fifolt, Matthew M.; Abbott, Gypsy

Although slight gains have been made in attracting women and minority students to the field of engineering, the differences are not great enough to meet current economic demands [National Academy of Sciences (2007). Rising above the gathering storm: Energizing and employing America for a brighter economic future, Washington, DC: National Academies Press]. Therefore, it has become imperative that colleges and universities increase efforts to both recruit and retain these students who express interest in the STEM fields [National Science Foundation (2006), Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering, NSF 4-311, Arlington, VA: NSF]. In engineering, one promising venue for students to gain professional experience as part of their undergraduate training is through cooperative education (co-op). However, there is a dearth of information in the research literature regarding how co-op programs can be structured to address the needs of diverse students. There is consensus, however, about one aspect of addressing the needs of diverse students, namely, mentoring and role models are key strategies for success. In this study, a mixed methods design was used to examine students' perceptions of mentoring in a cooperative education program in a southeastern university. Using Noe's [Noe, R. (1988). An investigation of the determinants of successful assigned mentoring relationships. Personnel Psychology, 1, 457-479] mentoring functions scales, which described psychosocial and career-related support, research findings indicated a statistically significant difference between gender and the psychosocial aspect of mentoring. Analysis of the qualitative data further confirmed differences in cooperative education experiences with respect to both gender and ethnicity.

An Interdisciplinary Practical for Multimedia Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcos-Jorquera, Diego; Pertegal-Felices, María Luisa; Jimeno-Morenilla, Antonio; Gilar-Corbí, Raquel

2017-01-01

Interdisciplinary projects in the industry typically require collaboration between professionals from various fields. However, this relationship is not generally addressed in the training offered by university programs, which often ignore this interdisciplinary approach. This paper offers an example of interdisciplinary interaction through joint…

Micro-Cultures: Deconstructing Race/Expanding Multiculturalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahiri, Jabari

2015-01-01

Multicultural educational research, perspectives, and pedagogical practices emerged in response to assimilationist models for addressing cultural diversity. As a field of study, it incorporates an array of concepts, principles, theories, and content aimed at increasing educational equity and achievement for all students. Though working toward…

RESEARCH APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

EPA Science Inventory

The Research Apprenticeship Program began in 1990 as a collaborative effort between EPA's Office of Research and Development in Research Triangle Park, NC and Shaw University in Raleigh, NC to address the under representation of minorities in the fields of science and engineering...

25 CFR 43.20 - Directory information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION MAINTENANCE AND CONTROL OF STUDENT RECORDS IN BUREAU SCHOOLS § 43.20 Directory information. (a) Any educational institution making public directory..., address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially...

25 CFR 43.20 - Directory information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION MAINTENANCE AND CONTROL OF STUDENT RECORDS IN BUREAU SCHOOLS § 43.20 Directory information. (a) Any educational institution making public directory..., address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially...

25 CFR 43.20 - Directory information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION MAINTENANCE AND CONTROL OF STUDENT RECORDS IN BUREAU SCHOOLS § 43.20 Directory information. (a) Any educational institution making public directory..., address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially...

25 CFR 43.20 - Directory information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION MAINTENANCE AND CONTROL OF STUDENT RECORDS IN BUREAU SCHOOLS § 43.20 Directory information. (a) Any educational institution making public directory..., address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially...

On the problem of making science attractive for women and minorities: An annotated bibliography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarrison-Rice, Jan M.

1995-03-01

How can educators assess and address the lack of interest exhibited by underrepresented youth in science? What strategies can be employed to recruit and retain these young people? Along with a bibliography, the author provides the reader with a brief summary of 20 notable works in the field of recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in math and science. Although highlighted retention and intervention programs reported herein are targeted at young women in particular, many of the suggested strategies are applicable to all students regardless of race, gender, or socio-economic background. It provides scientists who have an interest in science education with basic literature addressing this topic.

Earth Science Pipeline: Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGill, S.; Smith, A.; Fryxell, J.; Leatham, W.; Brunkhorst, B. J.

2002-12-01

Our initial efforts to recruit and retain students from under-represented ethnic groups were guided by results from a survey of students in our introductory geology courses. Among students from under-represented ethnic groups, the most common reasons for NOT majoring in geology were (1) lack of exposure to geosciences, (2) lack of knowledge about careers in geology, (3) a student's perception that he or she is not a "science-type" of person, (4) the difficulty of science, (5) the fact that the student had no friends or family members that had majored in geology, (6) the lack of role models from their ethnicity in geology, (7) boredom with science. The first reasons listed above were rated as "very important" to the greatest number of students [45%], and the following reasons were considered "very important" to decreasing numbers of students [down to 20%]. Issues related to prestige, religion and gender role models were considered "very important" to <10% of the students. To address the two most common reasons for not majoring in geology, we made presentations about the geosciences and careers in geosciences at local schools. We have presented in science classes, to students in Project UPBEAT, as well as to students in the Advancement Via Independent Determination (AVID) program at local high schools. We also participated in the Earth Science portion of a Science Olympiad for high-achieving middle and high school students, offered consulting for science fair projects and led students on field trips to the San Andreas fault and Pisgah Crater. We hired CSUSB students from both our introductory and upper-division geology courses to help with these outreach activities. Several of these students were from under-represented ethnic groups, and they thus served as role models for the pre-college students from those ethnic groups. These outreach assistants have also continued taking geology courses, and some have become geology majors or minors. A total of 44 presentations/field trips/other activities with students were conducted during 2001-02, resulting in over 4300 contact hours with more than 2300 pre-college students. The majority (66%) of the students at these events were from under-represented groups. Responses on evaluation forms indicate that presentations that provided hands-on experiences for students were more likely to influence students to consider majoring in the geosciences than were more traditional presentations, such as slide shows. We have also engaged in teacher development, to better prepare teachers to provide more exposure to the Earth Sciences for pre-college students. We conducted a week-long field trip to Owens Valley for local high school and middle school teachers, as well as various one-day workshops. To address students' perception that they are not "science-type" people, we recruited and hired 15 student research assistants, many of whom were students from under-represented ethnic groups from our introductory geology courses. We trained these students to help us begin monitoring deformation across the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults near our campus, using the Global Positioning System. To address the difficulty with science that many students expressed, we hired students who had done well in our introductory geology courses to serve as tutors for those courses during subsequent quarters. The presence of these tutors (some of whom were from under-represented ethnic groups) in the laboratory session made it easier for students currently taking the class to get their questions answered promptly, thus making their experience with geology more pleasant and effective.

Enhancing Oceanography Classrooms with "Captive and Cultured" Ocean Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macko, S. A.; Tuite, M.; O'Connell, M.

2012-04-01

Students in oceanography classes often request more direct exposure to actual ocean situations or field trips. During regular session (13 week) or shorter term (4 week) summer classes such long trips are logistically difficult owing to large numbers of students involved or timing. This new approach to such a course supplement addresses the requests by utilizing local resources and short field 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 actual 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 ("cultivated") . Central Virginia is a fortunate location for such a class, with close access for "day travel" to the Chesapeake Bay and numerous field stations, museums with ocean-based exhibits (the Smithsonian and National Zoo) that address both extant and extinct Earth history, as well as national/state aquaria in Baltimore, Washington and Virginia Beach. Furthermore, visits to local seafood markets at local grocery stores, or larger city markets) enhance the exposure to 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 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 class was encouraged to post web-based journals of experiences in order to share opinions of observations in each of the settings.

Ecological Economics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Common, Michael; Stagl, Sigrid

2005-10-01

Taking as its starting point the interdependence of the economy and the natural environment, this book provides a comprehensive introduction to the emerging field of ecological economics. The authors, who have written extensively on the economics of sustainability, build on insights from both mainstream economics and ecological sciences. Part I explores the interdependence of the modern economy and its environment, while Part II focuses mainly on the economy and on economics. Part III looks at how national governments set policy targets and the instruments used to pursue those targets. Part IV examines international trade and institutions, and two major global threats to sustainability - climate change and biodiversity loss. Assuming no prior knowledge of economics, this textbook is well suited for use on interdisciplinary environmental science and management courses. It has extensive student-friendly features including discussion questions and exercises, keyword highlighting, real-world illustrations, further reading and website addresses. A comprehensive introduction to a developing field which will interest students from science, economics and management backgrounds A global approach to the problems of sustainability and sustainable development, issues which are increasingly prominent in political debate and policy making Filled with student-friendly features including focus areas for each chapter, keyword highlighting, real-world illustrations, discussion questions and exercises, further reading and website addresses

A Field Course in Ocean Sciences that Emphasizes Sustainabilty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 class was encouraged to post web-based journals of experiences in order to share opinions of observations in each of the settings, including the evaluation of the foods they were consuming during the class.

Teaching Sustainabilty in the Setting of a Field-based Class on the Oceans in Captivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macko, Stephen; Tuite, Michael; O'Connell, Matthew

2013-04-01

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 collapsenin fisheries worldwide. Students in oceanography classes often request more direct exposure to actual ocean situations or field trips. During regular session (13 week) or shorter term (4 week) summer classes such long trips are logistically difficult owing to large numbers of students involved or timing. This new approach to such a course supplement addresses the requests by utilizing local resources and short field 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 ("cultivated") Central Virginia is a fortunate location for such a class, with close access for "day travel" to the Chesapeake Bay and numerous field stations, museums with ocean-based exhibits (the Smithsonian and National Zoo) that address both extant and extinct Earth history, as well as national/state aquaria in Baltimore, Washington and Virginia Beach. Furthermore, visits to local seafood markets at local grocery stores, or larger city markets) enhance the exposure to 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 class was encouraged to post web-based journals of experiences in order to share opinions of observations in each of the settings, including the evaluation of the foods they were consuming during the class.

Geomorphological Fieldwork

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thornbush, Mary J; Allen, Casey D; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.

2014-01-01

Geomorphological Fieldwork addresses a topic that always remains popular within the geosciences and environmental science. More specifically, the volume conveys a growing legacy of field-based learning for young geomorphologists that can be used as a student book for field-based university courses and postgraduate research requiring fieldwork or field schools. The editors have much experience of field-based learning within geomorphology and extend this to physical geography. The topics covered are relevant to basic geomorphology as well as applied approaches in environmental and cultural geomorphology. The book integrates a physical-human approach to geography, but focuses on physical geography and geomorphology from an integrated field-based geoscience perspective.

Opinions and attitudes on the relationship between spirituality, religiosity and health: A comparison between nursing students from Brazil and Portugal.

PubMed

Cordero, Rocío de Diego; Romero, Bárbara Badanta; de Matos, Filomena Adelaide; Costa, Emília; Espinha, Daniele Corcioli Mendes; Tomasso, Claudia de Souza; Lucchetti, Alessandra Lamas Granero; Lucchetti, Giancarlo

2018-03-08

To compare the opinions and attitudes of Portuguese-speaking nursing students from Brazil and Portugal on the relationship between religiosity/spirituality and the ability to approach these issues with patients, in their undergraduate training and practice. Although there are studies investigating nursing students' opinions concerning religiosity and spirituality in clinical practice, few have investigated if there are cross-cultural differences between countries. Observational, cross-sectional and multicenter study carried out in 2010 and 2011 in Brazil and in 2016 in Portugal. A total of 260 third and fourth year nursing students (139 from Portugal and 121 from Brazil) from four nursing schools were included. Religious beliefs (Duke Religion Index), attitudes and opinions about spirituality and health (Curlin's questionnaire) were assessed. A comparison between students from both countries was carried out. Significant differences were found between nursing students from Brazil and Portugal, which are countries with the same language, but with different nursing training programs and population characteristics. Brazilian students were more religious and have stronger opinions on the influence and appropriateness of spirituality in clinical practice than Portuguese students. However, both groups of students indicated they should be prepared to address religiosity and spirituality with patients, that these subjects should be included in the curriculum and that they were not properly prepared to address spiritual issues. Although different opinions and attitudes were found between Brazilian and Portuguese nursing students, more training in these issues should be implemented in the undergraduate education. Cross-cultural studies could help fostering a broad discussion in the field. These findings could contribute to raise awareness on the importance of improving the training of relational competencies that prepare students to address the dimension of spirituality and religiosity with their patients. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Addressing Racism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 2013

2013-01-01

This dialogue, extracted from a conversation among some members of the Equity Special Issue Editorial Panel, concerns racism in mathematics education. It raises issues about the use of various terms; about fields of research outside of mathematics education; and about the kinds of racialization processes that occur for students, teachers, and…

Is there room for ethics within bioinformatics education?

PubMed

Taneri, Bahar

2011-07-01

When bioinformatics education is considered, several issues are addressed. At the undergraduate level, the main issue revolves around conveying information from two main and different fields: biology and computer science. At the graduate level, the main issue is bridging the gap between biology students and computer science students. However, there is an educational component that is rarely addressed within the context of bioinformatics education: the ethics component. Here, a different perspective is provided on bioinformatics education, and the current status of ethics is analyzed within the existing bioinformatics programs. Analysis of the existing undergraduate and graduate programs, in both Europe and the United States, reveals the minimal attention given to ethics within bioinformatics education. Given that bioinformaticians speedily and effectively shape the biomedical sciences and hence their implications for society, here redesigning of the bioinformatics curricula is suggested in order to integrate the necessary ethics education. Unique ethical problems awaiting bioinformaticians and bioinformatics ethics as a separate field of study are discussed. In addition, a template for an "Ethics in Bioinformatics" course is provided.

ACCESS Earth: Promoting Accessibility to Earth System Science for Students with Disabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Locke, S. M.; Cohen, L.; Lightbody, N.

2001-05-01

ACCESS Earth is an intensive summer institute for high school students with disabilities and their teachers that is designed to encourage students with disabilities to consider careers in earth system science. Participants study earth system science concepts at a Maine coastal estuary, using Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing, and field observations to evaluate the impacts of climate change, sea level rise, and development on coastal systems. Teachers, students, and scientists work together to adapt field and laboratory activities for persons with disabilities, including those with mobility and visual impairments. Other sessions include demonstrations of assistive technology, career discussions, and opportunities for students to meet with successful scientists with disabilities from throughout the U.S. The summer institute is one of several programs in development at the University of Southern Maine to address the problem of underrepresentation of people with disabilities in the earth sciences. Other projects include a mentoring program for high school students, a web-based clearinghouse of resources for teaching earth sciences to students with disabilities, and guidebooks for adaptation of popular published earth system science curricula for disabled learners.

Engaging Underserved and Underrepresented Students in the Earth Sciences through a Summer Outreach Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Güereque, M.; Olgin, J. G.; Pennington, D. D.

2016-12-01

The EarthTech outreach program at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) seeks to expand the inclusion of underserved and under-represented high-school students into the geoscience pipeline. A successful partnership with the federally funded, year round college preparatory program for high school students Upward Bound (UB) program at UTEP was decisive for the success and execution of the program. Program activities aimed to engage students and expand their knowledge of the Earth Sciences through participation in STEM hands-on activities, incorporating technology and field experiences. For its second year, the program chose to address the intersection of science and societal issues by selecting an overall topic for the weeklong program that students could relate and understand from personal experiences, facilitating participation. The exposure to outdoor on-site learning experiences via field trips proved a critical component based on student feedback, by allowing the students to engage with their surroundings and relate to basic Earth Science knowledge and principles. Qualitative feedback and discussion of the program and its activities are presented here.

You're never too young to play in the dirt!: Getting youth excited about soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Debbie; Davis, Jason; Driscoll, Liz; Hughes, Gail; Jones, Shelia; Kozlowski, Deborah; Liesch, Mandy; Lindbo, David L.; Weitzel, Sandra

2015-04-01

Teaching primary and secondary school students (K-12) about soils although absolutely critical, can be difficult. We have struggled with ways to bring soil science information to the larger audience as the direct approach meets with resistance due to the time commitments to other standards. One approach is to get students outside to see soils in their natural environment and relate soils to broader landscapes and land use issues. Field trips related to a specific class, including art classes, demonstrate to students the relation of soils to areas they would never have considered. After school and extracurricular programs such as 4-H, Girl and Boy Scouts can be designed to included soils demonstrations and with proper care get the students involve in the planning and implementation of a project that is related to agriculture (urban gardening) or landscaping to address runoff and erosion. Soils are an integral part of some science based team competitions as well. The Future Farmers and America Land Judging Contest is a prime example. In this competition students have to view a soil pit, connect it to the landscape and make recommendation for management. Envirothon, another science based team competition, relies less on field observations as part of the competition than Land Judging. Instead some of the instruction to prepare students has been done in the field to give the students a practical knowledge of soils. In order to enhance all these activities we have also develop a Mobile Soil Trailer that bring the needed equipment and demonstrations to teachers who may not access to all the necessary materials to teach soils in the field. The end result is getting students excited about soil so that when they go to college they may consider soils or related field as a career path.

Theory, Research, and Practice for Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing With Disabilities: Addressing the Challenges from Birth to Postsecondary Education.

PubMed

Guardino, Caroline; Cannon, Joanna E

2015-01-01

Students who are deaf with a disability or disabilities (DWD) constitute nearly half of the population of K-12 learners who are deaf or hard of hearing. However, there is a dearth of information on theory, research, and practice related to these learners. The authors present an overview of (a) how the field of education of students who are D/deaf and hard of hearing might refer to this unique population in a way that represents the learner, not the disability; (b) the demographic data that further define these learners; (c) a theoretical framework within which to guide research and practice; (d) prevalence and frequency of the existing research; and (e) the practices and resources available to guide practitioners and the parents of students who are DWD. Questions are posed to the field on how to continue to improve the theory, research, and pedagogy used with these students.

Response to science education reforms: The case of three science education doctoral programs in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwekwerere, Yovita Netsai

Doctoral programs play a significant role in preparing future leaders. Science Education doctoral programs play an even more significant role preparing leaders in a field that is critical to maintaining national viability in the face of global competition. The current science education reforms have the goal of achieving science literacy for all students and for this national goal to be achieved; we need strong leadership in the field of science education. This qualitative study investigated how doctoral programs are preparing their graduates for leadership in supporting teachers to achieve the national goal of science literacy for all. A case study design was used to investigate how science education faculty interpreted the national reform goal of science literacy for all and how they reformed their doctoral courses and research programs to address this goal. Faculty, graduate students and recent graduates of three science education doctoral programs participated in the study. Data collection took place through surveys, interviews and analysis of course documents. Two faculty members, three doctoral candidates and three recent graduates were interviewed from each of the programs. Data analysis involved an interpretive approach. The National Research Council Framework for Investigating Influence of the National Standards on student learning (2002) was used to analyze interview data. Findings show that the current reforms occupy a significant part of the doctoral coursework and research in these three science education doctoral programs. The extent to which the reforms are incorporated in the courses and the way they are addressed depends on how the faculty members interpret the reforms and what they consider to be important in achieving the goal of science literacy for all. Whereas some faculty members take a simplistic critical view of the reform goals as a call to achieve excellence in science teaching; others take a more complex critical view where they question who 'all students' refers to and what science literacy means for learners with diverse cultural, linguistic or economic backgrounds. Faculty members' views significantly influence the nature and content of the courses as well as the program focus. It was also shown that a relationship exists between faculty views and the views of their doctoral students and recent graduates. In general, faculty exhibited narrower and more in-depth views about issues they consider being important in the field of science education, than doctoral students and recent graduates. External funding is critical in doctoral studies as it enables faculty to enact their visions of achieving science literacy for all. The study provides some implications for practice, policy and research. In order to achieve both equity and excellence in science teaching, there is need for dialogue among science educators to enable them to address issues of equity more effectively than at present. If doctoral programs are to continue preparing graduates who can address important issues in the field, there is need for external funding for specific research programs.

Reforming deaf education. A paradigm shift from how to teach to what to teach.

PubMed

Lytle, R R; Rovins, M R

1997-03-01

The 1980s and 1990s have witnessed increased public attention to the quality of the education provided to America's students. Much of this attention has focused on the quality of the school curriculum and the teacher's knowledge and ability to teach this curriculum. This article reviews curriculum reform in regular education and the need for this field, the education of students who are deaf and hard of hearing, to address similar concerns. Education of deaf and hard of hearing students has long focused on the question of how we teach deaf students. Reforms in education demand that the question of what we teach deaf students should also be addressed. As in regular education, a major issue is whether teachers are knowledgeable of the subject matter and related pedagogy in the subjects they teach. This article reports on the results of a survey of school administrator's views on teacher's subject matter competencies. Implications for certification, standards in teacher education, and inservice strategies are discussed. Recommendations are made for curriculum reform and strategies for improving teachers' subject matter competencies.

A Guide for Home Furnishings Marketing (Softlines).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeves, Jo Ann

This publication, one of a series of self-contained instructional materials for students in marketing and distribution, deals with home furnishings marketing. Addressed in the individual units of the guide are the following topics: the field of home furnishings merchandising, beginning duties and responsibilities, competencies needed by…

Students' Perception of Biology Fieldwork: The example of students undertaking a preliminary year at a UK university

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goulder, Raymond; Scott, Graham W.; Scott, Lisa J.

2013-06-01

It is widely held among biology teachers that fieldwork is valuable, but little is heard about students' perception of fieldwork or about the reasons for their liking or disliking fieldwork. This paper uses data from students to explore the hypotheses (1) that biology students with a positive perception of fieldwork have a less positive perception of laboratory work and vice versa and (2) that perception of fieldwork is related to demographic/personal factors and/or to pre-university perceptions and experience of fieldwork. Numeric indices of appreciation of biology field and laboratory work (I field and I lab) were determined using questionnaire information from 54 students. I field and I lab were positively correlated and there was no evidence of polarization of views; the problem that some students have a poor perception of both needs to be addressed. Mature students had a more positive view of fieldwork than 18-20-year-olds. However, regression analysis of I field against principal components suggested that demographic/personal factors had relatively little overall influence (< 20%) on appreciation of fieldwork. Perception of fieldwork at university was related to the rank given to fieldwork when choosing a university course. However, students who had participated in pre-university fieldwork did not have a more positive perception of university fieldwork; although students who recalled a worst memory of pre-university fieldwork had a less positive perception of fieldwork at university. The seeming mixed relevance of pre-university fieldwork suggests that the relationship between perception of fieldwork undertaken at university and quality of pre-university fieldwork is an area for future research.

Connecting with guidance counselors to enhance recruitment into nursing of minority teens.

PubMed

Campbell-Heider, Nancy; Sackett, Kay; Whistler, M Patricia

2008-01-01

The purpose of this article was to describe the design, implementation, and outcomes of one strategy used to promote careers in nursing among minority high-school-aged teens-namely, a workshop for guidance counselors in a large urban school system. All guidance counselors in an urban inner city school system were invited to attend a workshop on careers in nursing as part of their monthly continuing education requirements. Thirty-nine (39%) participated in the half-day workshop held at a school of nursing. Most informative were the guidance counselor comments about perceptions of nursing careers that create barriers to recruitment. Guidance counselors reported that (a) many students and parents view nursing as a "dangerous field," (b) negative stereotypes about nursing persist, (c) many students do not plan for the prerequisites for baccalaureate entrance, (d) nursing is perceived as a "narrow" field with few opportunities for advancement, and (e) there is a preference of 2-year programs to get "quick income" over baccalaureate programs and long-term career planning. Faculty and students addressed these issues. Faculty collaboration with guidance counselors is an excellent mechanism to uncover barriers to minority recruitment at the local level. Nursing recruitment activities should be tailored to address these community concerns. In the last 4 years, 24 students from the targeted high school system were offered admission to the University at Buffalo and of this group 17 enrolled in nursing.

A graduate education framework for tropical conservation and development.

PubMed

Kainer, Karen A; Schmink, Marianne; Covert, Hannah; Stepp, John Richard; Bruna, Emilio M; Dain, Jonathan L; Espinosa, Santiago; Humphries, Shoana

2006-02-01

Conventional graduate training related to tropical conservation and development has typically separated the two fields, with students focusing on either conservation from the perspective of the biophysical sciences or development as an extension of the social sciences. On entering the workforce, however graduates find they are required to work beyond disciplinary boundaries to address the complex interconnectivity between biological conservation and human well-being. We devised a framework for graduate education that broadens students' skill sets to learn outside their immediate disciplines and think in terms of linked socioecological systems, work in teams, communicate in nonacademic formats, and reflect critically on their own perspectives and actions. The University of Florida's Tropical Conservation and Development program has adopted a learning and action platform that blends theory, skills, and praxis to create an intellectual, social, and professionally safe space where students, faculty, and other participants can creatively address the complex challenges of tropical conservation and development. This platform operates within a nondegree-granting program and includes core courses that are taught by a team of biophysical and social scientists. It incorporates a range of alternative learning spaces such as student-led workshops, retreats, visiting professionals, practitioner experiences, and a weekly student-led seminar that collectively encourage students and faculty to enhance their skills and systematically and thoroughly reflect on program activities. Challenges to the described approach include increased service demands on faculty, a redefinition of research excellence to include effective and equitable collaboration with host-country partners, and the trade-offs and uncertainties inherent in more collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Despite these challenges, growing interdisciplinary programs, coupled with adaptive educational approaches that emphasize learning and action networks of students, faculty, and field partners, provide the best hope for responding to the emerging challenges of tropical conservation and development.

Water and Social Justice in Bangladesh: A Transdisciplinary and Intercultural Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilligan, J. M.; Ackerly, B.; Ahmed, K.; Benneyworth, L.; Goodbred, S. L.; Hall, M.; Jacobi, J. H.; Mondal, D. R.; Pickering, J.; Rogers, K. G.; Roy, K.; Wallace Auerbach, L.

2013-12-01

Effectively addressing environmental problems---at local, national, and global scales---requires actively crossing disciplinary boundaries between natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and policymaking. The best technical solution is useless if it cannot win political support from the people it is intended to help. Enacted policies are too often hindered either by misunderstanding or ignorance of scientific and technical aspects of the problem or by misunderstanding the behavior of the population they address. Environmental problems at the international scale also require understanding of cultural and social differences across national boundaries. To prepare graduate students to be professionally effective at addressing major environmental problems, Vanderbilt University has created a transdisciplinary, intercultural course that brings students from the US and Bangladesh together, both through online connections such as blogs and Skype sessions, and in person in a week-long joint field trip in which students and faculty from universities in both countries, and representing many disciplines work side-by-side to study water as both a natural resource and a natural hazard. Activities included studying sources of drinking water, observing areas affected by flooding from cyclone storm surges, cataloging physical infrastructure, and conducting interviews with residents of vulnerable areas. Few if any students can simultaneously master the social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering skills necessary to comprehensively address major environmental problems, but students can learn to work and communicate effectively with peers in other disciplines, working together to understand the complex interactions between different aspects of their problem. We will report on the structure of the course; our experiences as faculty and student participants; and connections between this class, graduate curricula in environmental sciences, and international transdisciplinary research projects.

Teaching evidence-based social work in foundation practice courses: learning from pedagogical choices of allied fields.

PubMed

Traube, Dorian E; Pohle, Cara E; Barley, Melissa

2012-01-01

The field of social work is attuned to the need to incorporate evidence-based practice education into masters-level curriculum. One question remaining is how to integrate evidence-based practice in the foundation practice courses. Integration of evidence-based practice across the foundation-level curriculum coincides with the Council on Social Work Education's mandate that student's engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research. Through a discussion of definitions, criticisms, and pedagogy across the allied fields of medicine, nursing, and social work the authors address the current status of evidence-based practice curriculum in foundation-level education. The authors incorporate the lessons learned from allied fields and a Masters of Social Work student's analyses of their experience of evidence-based practice learning to propose an adult-learner model to improve evidence-based practice pedagogy in Social Work.

Evidence, explanations, and recommendations for teachers' field trip strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebar, Bryan

Field trips are well recognized by researchers as an educational approach with the potential to complement and enhance classroom science teaching by exposing students to unique activities, resources, and content in informal settings. The following investigation addresses teachers' field trip practices in three related manuscripts: (1) A study examining the details of teachers' pedagogical strategies intended to facilitate connections between students' experiences and the school curricula while visiting an aquarium; (2) A study documenting and describing sources of knowledge that teachers draw from when leading field trips to an aquarium; (3) A position paper that reviews and summarizes research on effective pedagogical strategies for field trips. Together these three pieces address key questions regarding teachers' practices on field trips: (1) What strategies are teachers employing (and not employing) during self-guided field trips to facilitate learning tied to the class curriculum? (2) What sources of knowledge do teachers utilize when leading field trips? (3) How can teachers be better prepared to lead trips that promote learning? The Oregon Coast Aquarium served as the field trip site for teachers included in this study. The setting suited these questions because the aquarium serves tens of thousands of students on field trips each year but provides no targeted programming for these students as they explore the exhibits. In other words, the teachers who lead field trips assume much of the responsibility for facilitating students' experience. In order to describe and characterize teachers' strategies to link students' experiences to the curriculum, a number of teachers (26) were observed as they led their students' visit to the public spaces of the aquarium. Artifacts, such as worksheets, used during the visit were collected for analysis as well. Subsequently, all teachers were surveyed regarding their use of the field trip and their sources of knowledge for their practices. A subset of eight teachers were interviewed using guided conversations in order to shed further light on their use of the aquarium field trip and their pedagogical preparation. Data from all sources were organized by repeating ideas relevant to the questions of interest. The resulting evidence was interpreted to support distinct categories of teacher strategies and experience and related claims about these strategies and experiences. Thus, findings reveal that teachers attempt to link the curriculum to the activities, resources, and content encountered on the trip using a variety of connections. However, these curriculum connections are characterized as products of opportunistic situations and reveal limited depth. Evidence further indicates that teachers treat the aquarium visit as a background experience for their students rather than as an opportunity to introduce new concepts or do an activity that is integrated into the curriculum. Nevertheless, teachers included in this study were leading field trips that created countless learning opportunities for their students. Because training specific to field trips is rarely included in preservice programs, teachers were asked about influences on their field trip practice with specific focus on observed strategies. Findings suggest four categories of training experiences that teachers apply to their practice: (1) informal mentoring; (2) past experience trip leading; (3) outdoor education training; (4) traditional education training. Overall findings along with a review of previous research are suggestive of many ways in which efforts to enhance students' learning opportunities may be developed by means of support for teachers. Foremost among recommendations is the idea that field trip pedagogy be integrated into science methods courses required for preservice teachers (the premise for the final manuscript). Furthermore, the findings of this study may serve as a starting point for museums interested in the development of specific support and teacher professional development activities intended to enhance teachers' use of their resources as learning opportunities for their students. Among the implications is the idea that museums and other institutions developing teacher professional development activities might capitalize on teachers' existing sources of knowledge, for example by providing structured support for peer-mentoring and guided reflections related to field trip preparations and skills.

Experience-based Learning in Acadia National Park: a Successful, Long-running, Model Field Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connaughton, M.

2015-12-01

This two-week field course has been offered alternate summers since 2000 in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine and addresses the geological history, physical and biological oceanography and principles of community ecology applicable to terrestrial and/or marine communities of coastal Maine. The course is often transformative and deeply meaningful to the students, many of whom have limited travel experience. The essential components of experience-based learning are well represented in this class with multiple opportunities for abstract conceptualization, active experimentation, concrete hands-on experiences and reflective observation built into the course. Each day begins with a lecture introducing concepts, which are then made concrete though daily field trips (4-8 hours in duration) into the park that include rigorous hiking, some kayaking and one commercial nature cruise. Field trips include hands-on experience with lecture concepts, on-site lessons in field methods, and data collection for independent projects. Each field trip is tied to a specific independent project, which are generated by the instructor, but self-selected by the students. Every student is actively involved in data collection during each field trip, with one student in charge of the collection each day. Daily guided journaling in three parts (scientific, personal and creative) and evening discussions provide ample opportunity for the student to reflect on the scientific content of the course, examine their personal reactions to what they have experienced and to be creative, sharing prior experiences, prior learning and their personalities. The course includes two exams, each following a week of lecture and field experiences. Independent research projects include the production of a manuscript-formatted report complete with statistical analysis of the data and a literature-based discussion of the conclusions. The combination of experiential reinforcement of concepts, abundant opportunity for written and spoken reflection, the beauty of the setting, the challenges of working in the field and the resultant bonding of the students and instructors provide a highly effective and unforgettable learning experience.

Addressing Electronic Communications System Learning through a Radar-Based Active Learning Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez-Jayo, Unai; López-Garde, Juan-Manuel; Rodríguez-Seco, J. Emilio

2015-01-01

In the Master's of Telecommunication Engineering program at the University of Deusto, Spain, courses in communication circuit design, electronic instrumentation, advanced systems for signal processing and radiocommunication systems allow students to acquire concepts crucial to the fields of electronics and communication. During the educational…

The Nursery Worker. Teacher Guide. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, A. W.

This teacher's guide is designed for use in a vocational horticulture course designed to prepare students for jobs as nursery workers. Addressed in the individual units of the guide are the following topics: the nursery industry; soils; plant growth; plant nutrition; plant propagation methods; nursery field practices; pest control; techniques for…

Program Guide for Criminal Justice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stinchcomb, James D.

This program guide is intended to assist practitioners in developing a course to prepare students for employment in the fields of law enforcement, courts, and corrections in the state of Florida. The introductory sections describe the major concepts and content addressed in the course and the responsibilities of criminal justice sworn personnel,…

Recruiting Women into Computer Science and Information Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broad, Steven; McGee, Meredith

2014-01-01

While many technical disciplines have reached or are moving toward gender parity in the number of bachelors degrees in those fields, the percentage of women graduating in computer science remains stubbornly low. Many recent efforts to address this situation have focused on retention of undergraduate majors or graduate students, recruiting…

Predicting Individual Differences in School Anxiety in Early Adolescence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Valanne L.; Dweck, Carol S.

Addressing two issues of Dweck and Leggett's (1988) social cognitive theory of personality, this short-term longitudinal field study investigated the relationship between implicit theories about the self and school anxiety among adolescents making the transition to junior high school. It was hypothesized that students who believed that their…

Developing a Code of Practice for Learning Analytics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sclater, Niall

2016-01-01

Ethical and legal objections to learning analytics are barriers to development of the field, thus potentially denying students the benefits of predictive analytics and adaptive learning. Jisc, a charitable organization that champions the use of digital technologies in UK education and research, has attempted to address this with the development of…

A Day in the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turrin, Margie

2015-01-01

Data and data analysis are central to science and the complex world in which people live. Students need to practice working with data--addressed in the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013)--starting with small, self-collected data sets and moving on to larger, remotely collected data assemblages. Small data sets…

Graduate Students "Show Their Work": Metalanguage in Dissertation Methodology Sections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pantelides, Kate L.

2017-01-01

To address graduate writing pedagogy in technical communication, this article reports on a study of 14 award-winning dissertations in the field. By treating dissertations as cultural artifacts constitutive of the educational contexts in which they are authored, this study reads dissertation methodology sections as research narratives to understand…

Bringing LGBTQ Topics into the Social Studies Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maguth, Brad M.; Taylor, Nathan

2014-01-01

Social studies education plays an important role in preparing students for a diverse, pluralistic democratic citizenry (NCSS 2010). While the field has made some gains in addressing the needs of various marginalized communities within the curriculum, there has been very little progress in incorporating LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,…

Why Gateway-Course Improvement Should Matter to Academic Discipline Associations and What They Can Do to Address the Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brookins, Julia; Swafford, Emily

2017-01-01

Academic faculty members often maintain strong identities based on the primary discipline of their graduate training and teaching. While teaching cultures differ across fields, disciplinary associations like the American Historical Association have been active in supporting student-centered curricular work.

Issues in Outdoor Recreation: Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Clayne R., Comp.; Thorstenson, Clark T., Comp.

This book is a compilation of selected writings on the subject of outdoor recreation. It is addressed to students specializing in recreation and resource management, and teachers, conservationists, and the public in general. Seven chapters contain articles discussing issues, facts, and concerns in the field of recreation and represent various…

Causal Agency Theory: Reconceptualizing a Functional Model of Self-Determination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shogren, Karrie A.; Wehmeyer, Michael L.; Palmer, Susan B.; Forber-Pratt, Anjali J.; Little, Todd J.; Lopez, Shane

2015-01-01

This paper introduces Causal Agency Theory, an extension of the functional model of self-determination. Causal Agency Theory addresses the need for interventions and assessments pertaining to selfdetermination for all students and incorporates the significant advances in understanding of disability and in the field of positive psychology since the…

An Educational and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem to Actualize Technology-Based Social Ventures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehta, Khanjan; Zappe, Sarah; Brannon, Mary Lynn; Zhao, Yu

2016-01-01

The Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) Program engages students and faculty across Penn State in the rigorous research, design, field-testing, and launch of technology-based social enterprises that address global development challenges. HESE ventures are embedded in a series of five courses that integrate learning,…

Understanding the Institutional-Level Factors of Urban School Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottfried, Michael A.

2012-01-01

Background/Context: This article addresses which school-level factors contribute to school quality. Previous research has focused on assessing the effects of school-level variables on student-level quality (e.g., achievement). However, the field has been limited in not evaluating the effects of school-level factors directly on measured…

Allied Health Occupations II (Health Careers--Core Curriculum).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Middletown Public Schools, CT.

This volume outlines the requirements and content of a second-year course in allied health occupations education that is designed to provide students with background informational material and practical skills used in various health fields. Addressed in the individual units of the course are the following topics: safety; ethical and legal…

The Astrobiology in Secondary Classrooms (ASC) curriculum: focusing upon diverse students and teachers.

PubMed

Arino de la Rubia, Leigh S

2012-09-01

The Minority Institution Astrobiology Collaborative (MIAC) began working with the NASA Goddard Center for Astrobiology in 2003 to develop curriculum materials for high school chemistry and Earth science classes based on astrobiology concepts. The Astrobiology in Secondary Classrooms (ASC) modules emphasize interdisciplinary connections in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geoscience, physics, mathematics, and ethics through hands-on activities that address national educational standards. Field-testing of the Astrobiology in Secondary Classrooms materials occurred over three years in eight U.S. locations, each with populations that are underrepresented in the career fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Analysis of the educational research upon the high school students participating in the ASC project showed statistically significant increases in students' perceived knowledge and science reasoning. The curriculum is in its final stages, preparing for review to become a NASA educational product.

The Attainment of a Science Degree by African American College Students at Arizona State University: An Investigation to Identify The Barriers and Affordances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyce, Quintin

Historically, African American students have been underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). If African American students continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields, they will not have access to valuable and high-paying sectors of the economy. Despite the number of African Americans in these fields being disproportionately low, there are still individuals that persist and complete science degrees. The aim of this study was to investigate African American students who excel in science at Arizona State University and examine the barriers and affordances that they encounter on their journey toward graduation. Qualitative research methods were used to address the research question of the study. My methodology included creating a case study to investigate the experiences of eight African American undergraduate college students at Arizona State University. These four male and four female students were excelling sophomores, juniors, or seniors who were majoring in a science field. Two of the males came from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds, while two of the males were from higher SES backgrounds. The same applied to the four female participants. My research utilized surveys, semistructured interviews, and student observations to collect data that was analyzed and coded to determine common themes and elements that exist between the students. As a result of the data collection opportunities, peer support and financial support were identified as barriers, while, parental support, financial support, peer support, and teacher support were identified as affordances. In analyzing the data, the results indicated that for the student subjects in this study, sex and SES did not have any relationship with the barriers and affordances experienced.

Title: The Impact of 2006-2012 CReSIS Summer Research Programs that Influence Student's Choice of a STEM Related Major in College Authors: Dr. Darnell Johnson Djohnson@mail.ecsu.edu Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, North Carolina 27909 Dr. Linda Hayden Haydenl@mindspring.com Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, North Carolina, 27909

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, D.

2013-12-01

Abstract: Researchers, policymakers, business, and industry have indicated that the United States will experience a future shortage of professionals in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Several strategies have been suggested to address this impending shortage, one of which includes increasing the representation of females and minorities in the STEM fields. In order to increase the representation of underrepresented students in the STEM fields, it is important to understand the motivational factors that impact underrepresented students' interest in STEM academics and extracurricular programs. Research indicates that greater confidence leads to greater interest and vice versa (Denissen et al., 2007). In this paper, the mathematics research team examined the role of practical research experience during the summer for talented minority secondary students studying in STEM fields. An undergraduate research mathematics team focused on the link between summer research and the choice of an undergraduate discipline. A Chi Square Statistical Test was used to examine Likert Scale results on the attitude of students participating in the 2006-2012 Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) Summer Research Programs for secondary students. This research was performed at Elizabeth City State University located in northeastern North Carolina about the factors that impact underrepresented students' choices of STEM related majors in college. Results can be used to inform and guide educators, administrators, and policy makers in developing programs and policy that support and encourage the STEM development of underrepresented students. Index Terms: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Underrepresented students

Exploring Earth's Magnetism and Northern lights in High School Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prakash, M.; Peticolas, L.

2008-05-01

Present studies are being conducted as a part of the outreach project entitled Geomagnetic Event Observation Network by Students (GEONS) to share excitement of the THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macro scale Interactions during Substorm) mission launched during February, 2007. The goal of this mission is to investigate the causality of events that lead to the explosive release of energy (derived from the Sun) stored in the Earth's magnetic field. The visible manifestation of the energy release is Aurora Borealis observed in the Northern hemisphere of the Earth. Inherent to understanding the root-cause of formation of spectacular aurora is the interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and the solar wind charged particles. To achieve this ambitious objective in a high school classroom, students conducted activities using the magnetic field of bar magnets, electromagnets, electromagnetic induction, and Lenz's Law. Following the fundamental understanding of these concepts, students acquired the necessary vocabulary and explored the various components of the interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and the solar wind charged particles. They were also familiarized with the general format in which THEMIS spacecraft data is displayed. In this presentation, we will address student's misconceptions, their struggle to make connections before they can appreciate "Big Idea" in terms of its components. Discussion will highlight the relationship between student understanding of new ideas and how these ideas connect with their prior knowledge.

Team-Based Multidisciplinary Research Scholarship in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wernette, P. A.; Houser, C.; Quick, C.

2016-12-01

The traditional approach to undergraduate research can be time-intensive for both the mentee and mentor, and can deter potential undergraduates and faculty from participating in research. The Aggie Research Leadership (ARL) and Aggie Research Scholars (ARS) programs represent a team-based, vertically-tiered, and multidisciplinary approach to research that can successfully address complex and relevant research questions. The program is structured such that faculty mentor one or more graduate students or postdocs, who, in turn, mentor teams of 2 to 8 undergraduate students. While it is the responsibility of the graduate student or postdoc to put together a team that works for their research question, undergraduate teams are encouraged to be multidisciplinary in order to leverage the experience and perspective that comes from students in different areas of study. Team leaders are encouraged to discuss their research teams with the faculty mentor regularly to address any potential issues that they might be having, but team leaders are required to meet regularly with other team leaders to discuss any issues that they might be having. Meeting with new and experienced team leaders is a valuable approach to a graduate student or postdoc developing their own set of best practices for mentoring. This experience is invaluable in their future careers, regardless of the field of study. By collaborating with students from other fields of study, no one student is required to become an expert in all topics relating to the research. Another significant advantage of the ARL/ARS programs is that complex research questions are able to be examined because teams typically continue longer than a single semester or academic year. Research teams are vertically-tiered and typically include freshman through seniors. In this way, younger students on the projects are mentored by senior students when they first arrive. Eventually, the younger students will advance through to senior students and will have the opportunity to serve as mentors for incoming students. The vertically-tiered ARl/ARS programs represents a significant advantage in undergraduate research that is beneficial to undergraduate students, graduate students, post-docs, and faculty.

Hands-on curriculum teaches biomedical engineering concepts to home-schooled students.

PubMed

Sagstetter, Ann M; Nimunkar, Amit J; Tompkins, Willis J

2009-01-01

University level outreach has increased over the last decade to stimulate K-12 student interest in engineering related fields. Home schooling students are one of the groups that are valued for engineering admissions due to diligent study habits and high achievement scores. However, home schooled students have inadequate access to science, math, and engineering related resources, which precludes the development of interdisciplinary teaching methods. To address this problem, we have developed a hands-on, STEM based curriculum as a safe and comprehensive supplement to current home schooling curricula. The ultimate goal is to stimulate university-student relations and subsequently increase engineering recruitment opportunities. Our pre and post workshop survey comparisons demonstrate that integrating disciplines, via the manner presented in this study, provides a K-12 student-friendly engineering learning method.

The Concept of Magnitude and What It Tells Us About How Struggling Students Learn Fractions.

PubMed

Woodward, John

This commentary summarizes emerging research into fractions instruction for students who are at risk for failure. Each of the three articles emphasizes a measure conception of fractions. Teaching fractions as measurement helps students learn the magnitude of rational numbers. However, measurement is only part of the way that students should conceptualize fractions. Instruction also needs to emphasize fractions as division. The article also draws attention to the teaching qualifications of those who typically instruct at-risk students in Tier 2 and 3 settings. More often than not, these individuals lack the pedagogical content knowledge needed to adapt instruction and address student misconceptions. This is a critical issue going forward as the field attempts to balance procedural understanding with key underlying fractional ideas such a measurement and division.

Learning about general practice through qualitative interviews: lessons from a seminar course with medical students.

PubMed

von Unger, Hella; Werwick, Katrin; Lichte, Thomas; Herrmann, Markus

2010-01-01

A seminar course was developed in order to train medical students in qualitative research methods, while providing an introduction to the field of General Practice. Students were enabled to conduct semi-structured interviews with general practitioners (GPs), during which they learned about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of frequently encountered medical problems. The course was carried out four times at two universities in Germany. The study explores the students' learning experiences focusing on their research experience. Data were collected in four focus groups and analyzed. The students perceived the course as very different from their usual medical education. This was appreciated, but also caused some difficulties. Three themes emerged: (1) Missing 'facts', (2) New horizons: 'Thinking outside the box', and (3) The challenge of interpretation: 'Reading between the lines'. Learning qualitative research methods can be particularly challenging for medical students as the tasks and epistemology of qualitative research run counter to the usual learning formats and research paradigms in medical education. When teaching qualitative research, special care should be taken to address the cognitive dissonance experienced by students and to explain the unique contribution of qualitative research to medical practice and the field of General Practice especially.

Designing Summer Outreach Programs as an Engagement tool to connect Underserved and Underrepresented HS Students with Climate Science Topics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olgin, J. G.; Güereque, M.; Pennington, D. D.; Ricketts, J.; Salas, K.

2017-12-01

The EarthTech outreach program at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) seeks to expand the inclusion of underserved and under-represented high-school students into the geoscience pipeline. A successful partnership with the federally funded, year-round college preparatory program for high school students Upward Bound (UB) program at UTEP was decisive for the success and execution of the program. Program activities aimed to engage students and expand their knowledge of the Earth Sciences through participation in STEM hands-on activities, incorporating technology and field experiences. For its third year, the program chose to address the intersection of climate science and societal issues by selecting an overall topic for the week-long program that students could relate and understand from personal experiences, facilitating participation. The exposure to outdoor on-site learning experiences via field trips, coupled with introducing data analysis projects using NASA's GLOBE program, proved to be critical learning components based on student feedback; allowing students to engage with their surroundings and relate to basic Earth Science knowledge and principles. Qualitative feedback and discussion of the program and its activities are presented here.

Students' views about the nature of experimental physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, Bethany

2017-04-01

The physics community explores and explains the physical world through a blend of theoretical and experimental studies. The future of physics as a discipline depends on training of students in both the theoretical and experimental aspects of the field. However, while student learning within lecture courses has been the subject of extensive research, lab courses remain relatively under-studied. In particular, there is little, if any, data available that addresses the effectiveness of physics lab courses at encouraging students to recognize the nature and importance of experimental physics within the discipline as a whole. To address this gap, we present the first large-scale, national study (Ninstitutions = 71 and Nstudents = 7167) of undergraduate physics lab courses through analysis of students' responses to a research-validated assessment designed to investigate students' beliefs about the nature of experimental physics. We find that students often enter and leave physics lab courses with ideas about experimental physics that are inconsistent with the views of practicing experimental physicists, and this trend holds at both the introductory and upper-division levels. Despite this inconsistency, we find that both introductory and upper-division students are able to accurately predict the expert-like response even in cases where their personal views disagree. These finding have implications for the recruitment, retention, and adequate preparation of students in physics. This work was funded by the NSF-IUSE Grant No. DUE-1432204 and NSF Grant No. PHY-1125844.

Students' views about the nature of experimental physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, Bethany R.; Lewandowski, H. J.

2017-12-01

The physics community explores and explains the physical world through a blend of theoretical and experimental studies. The future of physics as a discipline depends on training of students in both the theoretical and experimental aspects of the field. However, while student learning within lecture courses has been the subject of extensive research, lab courses remain relatively under-studied. In particular, there is little, if any, data available that address the effectiveness of physics lab courses at encouraging students to recognize the nature and importance of experimental physics within the discipline as a whole. To address this gap, we present the first large-scale, national study (Ninstitutions=75 and Nstudents=7167 ) of undergraduate physics lab courses through analysis of students' responses to a research-validated assessment designed to investigate students' beliefs about the nature of experimental physics. We find that students often enter and leave physics lab courses with ideas about experimental physics as practiced in their courses that are inconsistent with the views of practicing experimental physicists, and this trend holds at both the introductory and upper-division levels. Despite this inconsistency, we find that both introductory and upper-division students are able to accurately predict the expertlike response even in cases where their views about experimentation in their lab courses disagree. These finding have implications for the recruitment, retention, and adequate preparation of students in physics.

Motivating and Assisting Adult, Online Chemistry Students: A Review of the Literature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bannier, Betsy J.

2010-06-01

While comprehensive texts, articles, and literature reviews presenting research in the singular arenas of motivation, help-seeking, and online science learning are relatively easy to find, syntheses and interactions between these constructs are lacking. Part I of this review addresses this knowledge gap by drawing together key research from the domains of educational psychology and adult education, addressing the constructs of motivation, self-efficacy, adult learning, and help-seeking. Part II of this review extends and applies the motivation and help-seeking discussion to the emerging and exciting field of online chemistry education. The result is a comprehensive synthesis of the strengths and limitations of the currently existing body of knowledge related to the motivation and help-seeking behaviors of adult, online chemistry students.

SLO Terminology Glossary: A Resource for Local Senates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, 2010

2010-01-01

This glossary was developed from existing research and feedback from faculty and researchers from the California community colleges in response to Resolution S08 2.02 that asked the Academic Senate for California Community College to address the confusion in the field by researching and developing a glossary of common terms for student learning…

Voices from the Field: Central Office Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, Ken

2015-01-01

School systems' central office administrators sometimes take paths that seem easiest, even when it is clear the paths will not lead to sustained positive results that are needed--particularly in terms of twice-exceptional (2e) students. To appropriately address the needs of 2e learners, we must ensure that central office administrative services…

Avionics. Progress Record and Theory Outline.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connecticut State Dept. of Education, Hartford. Div. of Vocational-Technical Schools.

This combination progress record and course outline is designed for use by individuals teaching a course in avionics that is intended to prepare students for employment in the field of aerospace electronics. Included among the topics addressed in the course are the following: shop practices, aircraft and the theory of flight, electron physics,…

Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of Quality in Online Education Courses: A Mixed Methods Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCormick Myers, Myrell Denice

2012-01-01

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine preservice teacher education candidates' perceptions of quality in online education courses within a regional comprehensive university located in Texas. The research questions also addressed students' perceived efficacy in their level of preparedness to: engage in field experiences;…

Tech Prep Information Technology Skill Standards-Based Curriculum. Building a Foundation for Tomorrow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellevue Community Coll., WA. Northeast Tech Prep Consortium.

This guidebook provides the elements of curriculum that will help educators prepare students for careers in the field of information technology (IT). The introduction addresses national context, skill standards development, and educational response to the skills gap. The high school core IT curriculum is then presented, including: (1) project…

Exploring the Nature of Disciplinary Teaching and Learning Using Legitimation Code Theory Semantics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarence, Sherran

2016-01-01

Teaching and learning is a growing field of research and practice globally, and increasing investments are being made in developing academics as teachers. An inability to adequately account for disciplinary knowledge can lead to academic development inputs that are unable to fully address the needs of students, educators, or disciplines…

Assessing Prior Experiential Learning: Issues of Authority, Authorship and Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pokorny, Helen

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how students with workplace learning experience the process of the assessment of prior experiential learning (APEL) in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: This is an inductive and exploratory study drawing on methodology from the field of academic literacies. It addresses two questions:…

"Kahua A'o"--A Learning Foundation: Using Hawaiian Language Newspaper Articles for Earth Science Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chinn, Pauline W. U; Businger, Steven; Lance, Kelly; Ellinwood, Jason K.; Stone, J. Kapomaika'i; Spencer, Lindsey; McCoy, Floyd W.; Nogelmeier, M. Puakea; Rowland, Scott K.

2014-01-01

"Kahua A'o," a National Science Foundation Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences project, seeks to prepare educators to address issues of underrepresentation of Native Hawaiian students in Earth and Space Science (ESS) and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. An interdisciplinary team…

Birds: A Study Guide for the Fourth Grade. Alaska Sea Week Curriculum Series. Draft.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, James G.; King, Mary Lou

Southeast Alaska's birds and wetlands are the subject of this elementary school teacher's guide and student workbook. Included are classroom activities and field investigations which address: (1) bird identification, habitats, adaptation, and conservation; and (2) the inhabitants, ecology and value of estuaries. Workbook activities involve the…

Design Studios in Instructional Design and Technology: What Are the Possibilities?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knowlton, Dave S.

2016-01-01

Design studios are an innovative way to educate Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) students. This article begins by addressing literature about IDT design studios. One conclusion from this literature is that IDT studios have been theoretically conceptualized. However, much of this conceptualization is insular to the field of IDT and only…

Business and Personal Services Marketing, With an Emphasis on Entrepreneurial Opportunities. A Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luter, Robert R.

This publication, one of a series of self-contained instructional manuals for students in marketing and distribution, deals with the field of personal services marketing and covers job opportunities, career possibilities, and future planning for entrepreneurship. Addressed in the individual units of the guide are the following topics: the business…

Discover and Experience Outdoor Education. Junior Experience Information Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northern Illinois Univ., Oregon. Lorado Taft Field Campus.

This guide provides information about an 8-day outdoor education experience required for third-year teacher education majors at Northern Illinois University (NIU). The residential program is held at the Lorado Taft Field Campus of NIU. The guide addresses the values of outdoor education and the benefits for both teachers and students. General…

Intercultural Education in Europe: Policies, Practices and Trends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faas, Daniel; Hajisoteriou, Christina; Angelides, Panayiotis

2014-01-01

European societies have become increasingly diverse as a result of legal and illegal migration flows, and educationists are facing the challenge of how to address the presence of migrant students. In recent years, there has been increasing activity at European level in the field of intercultural education despite the principle of subsidiarity.…

Teaching to Transform? Addressing Race and Racism in the Teaching of Clinical Social Work Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varghese, Rani

2016-01-01

Faculty members are key stakeholders to support social work students' learning about race and racism in practice and to promote the professional standards established by the field. This qualitative study examines how 15 clinical social work faculty members teaching advanced practice in the Northeast conceptualize and incorporate their…

Exploring Design Elements for Online STEM Courses: Active Learning, Engagement & Assessment Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Baiyun; Bastedo, Kathleen; Howard, Wendy

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine effective design elements for online courses in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields at a large four-year public university in southeastern United States. Our research questions addressed the influence of online design elements on students' perception of learning and learning…

Biology Faculty at Large Research Institutions: The Nature of Their Pedagogical Content Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Kathleen M.

2013-01-01

To address the need of scientists and engineers in the United States workforce and ensure that students in higher education become scientifically literate, research and policy has called for improvements in undergraduate education in the sciences. One particular pathway for improving undergraduate education in the science fields is to reform…

Debates in Citizenship Education. The Debates in Subject Teaching Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arthur, James, Ed.; Cremin, Hilary, Ed.

2011-01-01

What are the key issues in Citizenship Education today? "Debates in Citizenship Education" encourages student and practising teachers to engage with and reflect on some of the key topics, concepts and debates that they will have to address throughout their career. It places the specialist field of Citizenship Education in a wider context…

An Open Letter to Our Future Students in "Narrative and the Caring Professions"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osmond, Chris; Cumbie, Sharon Ann; Dale, Michael; Hostetler, David; Ivory, James; Phillips, Deborah; Reesman, Karen

2012-01-01

A group of nursing, social work, education, and English faculty worked together for a year to explore how literature experiences designed for medical education might enhance professional preparation in their fields and address their common dilemmas of caregiving. The resulting insights reveal the ways in which adaptations of narrative medicine…

The experiences of African American graduate students: A cultural transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joseph, Joretta

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) have long been an intellectual resource for the African American community. HBCUs have provided and continue to provide an educational pathway for many Black students, particularly women who seek graduate and advanced degrees. However, despite the overwhelmingly positive presence of HBCU in the African American community, the academic training of students who graduate from HBCUs may be perceived as insufficient by predominantly White graduate institutions (PWIs). As a result, African American students who are not well integrated into their respective departmental communities and cultures at PW/is are likely to leave graduate school. Thus the continuing loss of talented people, potential research, role models for society, and the next generation of African American students in the fields of math, engineering, and the sciences (STEM) create a segregated and limited university environment. Studies in the field that attempt to provide insight in to experiences of underrepresented students are ultimately beneficial. However, often such studies do not address the process of adapting to the culture of a predominantly white institution (PWI), particularly within white and male dominated fields such as mathematics and the sciences. Research has also indicated that the first two years at a predominantly white graduate institution is the crucial transitional period for students of color, and it is this transitional moment in time that is the focus of this study. I consider how students make the transition from HBCU to majority institutions, and what impact this transition has on their persistence and commitment to their discipline. The limited amount of research that does address the experiences of minority doctoral students in math and science is usually coupled with the experiences of women. However, race and gender are not linear or additive. It cannot be assumed that the same factors that effect the under representation of women of color have are the same factors that effect the under representation of Euro-American Women and men of color. This study takes those distinctions into account. The methodology of this study relies on extensive interview data (among other sources), to fully examine the transition process of six African-American women engaged in graduate work in mathematics or science at predominantly white institutions. I examine each participant's story as a case study, outlining moderating influences and perspectives on their acculturation to the STEM disciplines and to majority institutions.

AfricaArray International Geophysics Field School: Applications of Near Surface Geophysics to challenges encountered in mine planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, S. J.; Jones, M. Q.; Durrheim, R. J.; Nyblade, A.; Snyman, Q.

2012-12-01

Hard rock exploration and mining presents many opportunities for the effective use of near surface geophysics. For over 10 years the AfricaArray international geophysics field school has been hosted at a variety of mines in South Africa. While the main objective of the field school is practical training for the next generation of geophysicists, being hosted at a mine has allowed us to investigate applications of near surface geophysics in the early stages of mine planning and development as geophysics is often cheaper and faster than drilling. Several applications include: detailed delineation of dykes and stringer dykes, physical property measurements on drill core for modeling and marker horizons, determination of overburden thickness, locations of water and faults. Dolerite dykes are usually magnetic and are associated with loss of ground (i.e. where the dyke replaces the ore and thus reduces the amount of ore available) and safety/stability concerns. Thus the accurate mapping of dykes and narrow stringers that are associated with them are crucial to the safe planning of a mine. We have acquired several case studies where ground magnetic surveys have greatly improved on the resolution and detail of airborne magnetic surveys in regions of complicated dyke swarms. In many cases, thin stringer dykes of less than 5 cm have been detected. Physical property measurements of these dykes can be used to distinguish between different ages of dykes. It is important to accurately determine overburden thickness when planning an open pit mine as this directly affects the cost of development. Depending on the nature of the overburden, both refraction seismic and or DC resistivity can provide continuous profiling in the area of interest that fills in gaps between boreholes. DC resistivity is also effective for determining water associated with dykes and structures that may affect mine planning. The field school mainly addresses the training of a variety of students. The core students are the geophysics Honours students (~4th year undergraduates). In addition, up to 8 students from all over Africa are included in the program to help address practical training in Africa. The final cohort are minority students from the USA. Participants spend a week planning and costing out surveys, a week in the field collecting data using different methods including: gravity, DGPS, magnetics, resistivity, refraction seismic, EM methods, core logging and physical property measurements. The final week is spent interpreting and integrating their results. Graduate students are given the opportunity to instruct on the field school and manage the logistics for a particular method. The field school is unique in Africa and satisfies a need for practical training with limited resources, with a rare blend of cultural interactions!

Understanding the soil underfoot: building a national postgraduate soils cohort through participative learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinton, John; Haygarth, Phil; Black, Helaina; Allton, Kathryn

2015-04-01

Many of the PhD students starting Soil Science PhDs have only a limited understanding of the wider importance of soils, the state -of-art in other sub disciplines, and have often never seen a soil profile in the field. As the number of students nationally in the UK is also small compared to some other disciplines there is also a need to build a cohort of early career researchers. To address these issues, Lancaster University and the James Hutton Institute together with support from the British Society of Soil Science and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), ran a 5 day residential foundation soil science 'Summer School' in March 2015. The training school was an intense programme for ambitious and energetic post-graduate students. The course was specifically designed for students who were keen to develop skills in the development of inter-disciplinary research ideas and proposals. Specifically the course addressed: • the different functions in land uses and across landscapes • novel approaches for investigating how soils function • the basics of making a soil description and soil sampling in the field; • the current key challenges in soil science research • the requirements of, and approaches to, soil science research that requires multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches • the essentials of developing and planning a research project Our approach was to provide a space for the students to both learn from, but also work with some of the leading UK Soil Science experts. We used workshop style lectures, including some delivered via the internet, combined with student research teams working alongside research mentors to produce research proposals to be 'pitched' to a panel at the end of the course. These proposals formed the focus for engagement with the 'experts' making the time the students spent with them concentrated and productive. Feedback from the students was excellent and a variant of the course will be repeated by Cranfield University in 2015.

RIS4E Science Journalism Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whelley, N.; Bleacher, L.; Jones, A. P.; Bass, E.; Bleacher, J. E.; Firstman, R.; Glotch, T. D.; Young, K.

2017-12-01

NASA's Remote, In-Situ, and Synchrotron Studies for Science and Exploration (RIS4E) team addresses the goals of the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute via four themes, one of which focuses on evaluating the role of handheld and portable field instruments for human exploration. The RIS4E Science Journalism Program highlights science in an innovative way: by instructing journalism students in the basics of science reporting and then embedding them with scientists in the field. This education program is powerful because it is deeply integrated within a science program, strongly supported by the science team and institutional partners, and offers an immersive growth experience for learners, exposing them to cutting edge NASA research and field technology. This program is preparing the next generation of science journalists to report on complex science accurately and effectively. The RIS4E Science Journalism Program consists of two components: a semester-long science journalism course and a reporting trip in the field. First, students participate in the RIS4E Science Journalism Practicum offered by the Stony Brook University School of Journalism. Throughout the semester, students learn about RIS4E science from interactions with the RIS4E science team, through classroom visits, one-on-one interviews, and tours of laboratories. At the conclusion of the course, several students, along with a professor and a teaching assistant, join the RIS4E team during the field season. The journalism students observe the entire multi-day field campaign, from set-up, to data collection and analysis, and investigation of questions that arise as a result of field discoveries. They watch the scientists formulate and test hypotheses in real time. The field component for the 2017 RIS4E Science Journalism Program took journalism students to the Potrillo Volcanic Field in New Mexico for a 10-day field campaign. Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. They gained experience and confidence with using journalistic equipment in the field and an improved understanding of how scientific research is conducted. Survey results indicate that the majority of participants are more likely to pursue science journalism as a career as a result of participating in this program. Their work is presented at ReportingRIS4E.com.

A Captive Ocean: Evaluation of Aquaculture, Fisheries Sustainabilty and Aquaria as Arks in the Setting of a Field-based Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macko, Stephen; O'Connell, Matthew; Sullivan, Heather

2015-04-01

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 (13 week) or shorter term (4 week) summer classes such long trips are logistically difficult owing to large numbers of students involved or timing. This new approach to such a course supplement addresses the requests by utilizing local resources and short field 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 National Zoo) 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 grocery stores, or larger city markets in Washington, Baltimore and Virginia Beach, enhance the exposure to 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 class was encouraged to post web-based journals of experiences in order to share opinions of observations in each of the settings, including the evaluation of the foods they were consuming during the class

A Setting for a Field-based Class for Improved Understanding of Sustainability Through the Evaluation of Aquaculture and Fisheries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-12-01

An improved understanding of sustainability 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 (13 week) or shorter term (4 week) summer classes such long trips are logistically difficult owing to large numbers of students involved or timing. This new approach to such a course supplement addresses the requests by utilizing local resources and short field 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 National Zoo) 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 grocery stores, or larger city markets in Washington, Baltimore and Virginia Beach, enhance the exposure to 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 class was encouraged to post web-based journals of experiences in order to share opinions of observations in each of the settings, including the evaluation of the foods they were consuming during the class

A Captive Ocean: Evaluation of Aquaculture, Fisheries Sustainabilty and Aquaria as Arks in the Setting of a Field-based Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macko, Stephen; O'Connell, Matthew; Sullivan, Heather; Oliver, Ryan

2014-05-01

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 (13 week) or shorter term (4 week) summer classes such long trips are logistically difficult owing to large numbers of students involved or timing. This new approach to such a course supplement addresses the requests by utilizing local resources and short field 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 National Zoo) 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 grocery stores, or larger city markets in Washington, Baltimore and Virginia Beach, enhance the exposure to 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 class was encouraged to post web-based journals of experiences in order to share opinions of observations in each of the settings, including the evaluation of the foods they were consuming during the class.

A Captive Ocean: Evaluation of Aquaculture, Fisheries Sustainabilty and Aquaria as Arks in the Setting of a Field-based Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macko, S. A.; O'connell, M. T.; Sullivan, H.; Oliver, R.

2014-12-01

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 (13 week) or shorter term (4 week) summer classes such long trips are logistically difficult owing to large numbers of students involved or timing. This new approach to such a course supplement addresses the requests by utilizing local resources and short field 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 National Zoo) 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 grocery stores, or larger city markets in Washington, Baltimore and Virginia Beach, enhance the exposure to 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 class was encouraged to post web-based journals of experiences in order to share opinions of observations in each of the settings, including the evaluation of the foods they were consuming during the class

Transfer of New Earth Science Understandings to Classroom Teaching: Lessons Learned From Teachers on the Leading Edge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, R.; Ault, C.; Bishop, E.; Southworth-Neumeyer, T.; Magura, B.; Hedeen, C.; Groom, R.; Shay, K.; Wagner, R.

2006-05-01

Teachers on the Leading Edge (TOTLE) provided a field-based teacher professional development program that explored the active continental margin geology of the Pacific Northwest during a two-week field workshop that traversed Oregon from the Pacific Coast to the Snake River. The seventeen teachers on this journey of geological discovery experienced regional examples of subduction-margin geology and examined the critical role of geophysics in connecting geologic features with plate tectonic processes. Two examples of successful transfer of science content learning to classroom teaching are: (1) Great Earthquakes and Tsunamis. This topic was addressed through instruction on earthquake seismology; field observations of tsunami geology; examination of tsunami preparedness of a coastal community; and interactive learning activities for children at an Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) Science Camp. Teachers at Sunnyside Environmental School in Portland developed a story line for middle school students called "The Tsunami Hotline" in which inquiries from citizens serve as launch points for studies of tsunamis, earthquakes, and active continental margin geology. OMSI Science Camps is currently developing a new summer science camp program entitled "Tsunami Field Study" for students ages 12-14, based largely on TOTLE's Great Earthquakes and Tsunamis Day. (2) The Grand Cross Section. Connecting regional geologic features with plate tectonic processes was addressed many times during the field workshop. This culminated with teachers drawing cross sections from the Juan de Fuca Ridge across the active continental margin to the accreted terranes of northeast Oregon. Several TOTLE teachers have successfully transferred this activity to their classrooms by having student teams relate earthquakes and volcanoes to plate tectonics through artistic renderings of The Grand Cross Section. Analysis of program learning transfer to classroom teaching (or lack thereof) clearly indicates the importance of pedagogical content knowledge and having teachers share their wisdom in crafting new earth science content knowledge into learning activities. These lessons and adjustments to TOTLE program goals and strategies may be valuable to other Geoscience educators seeking to prepare K-12 teachers to convey the discoveries of EarthScope's USArray and Plate Boundary Observatory experiments to their students.

Liquid Dielectrics in an Inhomogeneous Pulsed Electric Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shneider, M. N.; Pekker, M.

2016-08-01

This book comprehensively describes the phenomena that occur in liquid dielectrics under the influence of an inhomogeneous pulsed electric field. Written by leading experts in the field, it is the first of its kind to address numerous potential applications such as the technology of high-voltage insulation in pulsed inhomogeneous fields, and applications related to cavitation development in liquid dielectrics, plasma treatment of different materials and plasma medicine dealing with living cells. Liquid Dielectrics in an Inhomogeneous Pulsed Electric Field is intended for a broad audience, from students to engineers and scientists, who are interested in current research questions in electrodynamics and hydrodynamics of liquid dielectrics. Part of the IOP Plasma Physics Series

Critical Issues in the Understanding of Young Elementary School Students at Risk for Problems in Written Expression: Introduction to the Special Series.

PubMed

Coker, David L; Kim, Young-Suk Grace

In this introduction to the special series "Critical Issues in the Understanding of Young Elementary School Students at Risk for Problems in Written Expression," we consider some of the contextual factors that have changed since a similar special issue was published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities in 2002. We also explore how the five articles included in this special series address the following important themes: early writing development, identification of students with writing difficulties, and effective interventions for struggling writers. In conclusion, we envision future directions to advance the field.

Integrating geoscience and Native American experiences through a multi-state geoscience field trip for high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelso, P. R.; Brown, L. M.; Spencer, M.; Sabatine, S.; Goetz, E. R.

2012-12-01

Lake Superior State University (LSSU) developed the GRANITE (Geological Reasoning And Natives Investigating The Earth) to engage high school students in the geosciences. The GRANITE program's target audience is Native American high school students and other populations underrepresented in the geosciences. Through the GRANITE program students undertake a variety of field and laboratory geosciences activities that culminates in a two week summer geoscience field experience during which they travel from Michigan to Wyoming. The sites students visit were selected because of their interesting and diverse geologic features and because in many cases they have special significance to Native American communities. Examples of the processes and localities studied by GRANITE students include igneous processes at Bear Butte, SD (Mato Paha) and Devil's Tower, WY (Mato Tipila); sedimentary processes in the Badlands, SD (Mako Sica) and Black Hills, SD (Paha Sapa); karst processes at Wind Cave, SD (Wasun Niye) and Vore Buffalo Jump; structural processes at Van Hise rock, WI and Dillon normal fault Badlands, SD; hydrologic and laucustrine processes along the Great Lakes and at the Fond du Lac Reservation, MN; fluvial processes along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers; geologic resources at the Homestake Mine, SD and Champion Mine, MI; and metamorphic processes at Pipestone, MN and Baraboo, WI. Through the GRANITE experience students develop an understanding of how geoscience is an important part of their lives, their communities and the world around them. The GRANITE program also promotes each student's growth and confidence to attend college and stresses the importance of taking challenging math and science courses in high school. Geoscience career opportunities are discussed at specific geologic localities and through general discussions. GRANITE students learn geosciences concepts and their application to Native communities and society in general through activities and experiences led by Lake Superior State University professors, K-12 earth science teachers, local science experts (most with tribal affiliation), and local Native American leaders. Student selection is based on an application that includes academic background and performance, a personal essay, and teacher and counselor references. All of the students invited to be part of the GRANITE program participated in the summer field excursion. The GRANITE summer field trip was structured to address over 50% of Michigan's high school geology standards. Each student's geoscience knowledge and interest is assessed through questionnaires administered pre- and post the summer field experience. Also, student feedback is gathered during the GRANITE field trip and more than six months post field trip. Students recorded field observations and discussion in their field books which they used to produce powerpoint slides summarizing and reflecting upon what they did and learned each day. Students' post field excursion, content-oriented scores increased each of the three years of the program. In addition to geosciences content growth, all of the students responded affirmatively that GRANITE "increased my understanding of how geoscientists study the Earth "and "increased my knowledge of the importance of geoscience to our society."

The kids got game: Computer/video games, gender and learning outcomes in science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Janice Lyn

In recent years educators have begun to explore how to purposively design computer/video games to support student learning. This interest in video games has arisen in part because educational video games appear to have the potential to improve student motivation and interest in technology, and engage students in learning through the use of a familiar medium (Squire, 2005; Shaffer, 2006; Gee, 2005). The purpose of this dissertation research is to specifically address the issue of student learning through the use of educational computer/video games. Using the Quest Atlantis computer game, this study involved a mixed model research strategy that allowed for both broad understandings of classroom practices and specific analysis of outcomes through the themes that emerged from the case studies of the gendered groups using the game. Specifically, this study examined how fifth-grade students learning about science concepts, such as water quality and ecosystems, unfolds over time as they participate in the Quest Atlantis computer game. Data sources included classroom observations and video, pre- and post-written assessments, pre- and post- student content interviews, student field notebooks, field reports and the field notes of the researcher. To make sense of how students learning unfolded, video was analyzed using a framework of interaction analysis and small group interactions (Jordan & Henderson, 1995; Webb, 1995). These coded units were then examined with respect to student artifacts and assessments and patterns of learning trajectories analyzed. The analysis revealed that overall, student learning outcomes improved from pre- to post-assessments for all students. While there were no observable gendered differences with respect to the test scores and content interviews, there were gendered differences with respect to game play. Implications for game design, use of external scaffolds, games as tools for learning and gendered findings are discussed.

Exciting middle and high school students about immunology: an easy, inquiry-based lesson.

PubMed

Lukin, Kara

2013-03-01

High school students in the United States are apathetic about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and the workforce pipeline in these areas is collapsing. The lack of understanding of basic principles of biology means that students are unable to make educated decisions concerning their personal health. To address these issues, we have developed a simple, inquiry-based outreach lesson centered on a mouse dissection. Students learn key concepts in immunology and enhance their understanding of human organ systems. The experiment highlights aspects of the scientific method and authentic data collection and analysis. This hands-on activity stimulates interest in biology, personal health and careers in STEM fields. Here, we present all the information necessary to execute the lesson effectively with middle and high school students.

Advanced mathematics communication beyond modality of\\xA0sight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedaghatjou, Mina

2018-01-01

This study illustrates how mathematical communication and learning are inherently multimodal and embodied; hence, sight-disabled students are also able to conceptualize visuospatial information and mathematical concepts through tactile and auditory activities. Adapting a perceptuomotor integration approach, the study shows that the lack of access to visual fields in an advanced mathematics course does not obstruct a blind student's ability to visualize, but transforms it. The goal of this study is not to compare the visually impaired student with non-visually impaired students to address the 'differences' in understanding; instead, I discuss the challenges that a blind student, named Anthony, has encountered and the ways that we tackled those problems. I also demonstrate how the proper and precisely crafted tactile materials empowered Anthony to learn mathematical functions.

The Effects of Science Models on Students' Understanding of Scientific Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berglin, Riki Susan

This action research study investigated how the use of science models affected fifth-grade students' ability to transfer their science curriculum to a deeper understanding of scientific processes. This study implemented a variety of science models into a chemistry unit throughout a 6-week study. The research question addressed was: In what ways do using models to learn and teach science help students transfer classroom knowledge to a deeper understanding of the scientific processes? Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-science interest inventories, observations field notes, student work samples, focus group interviews, and chemistry unit tests. These data collection tools assessed students' attitudes, engagement, and content knowledge throughout their chemistry unit. The results of the data indicate that the model-based instruction program helped with students' engagement in the lessons and understanding of chemistry content. The results also showed that students displayed positive attitudes toward using science models.

InsightSTEM Campus Ambassadors: A Global Student Network to Promote Exploration in STEM Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noel-Storr, Jacob; InsightSTEM Campus Ambassadors

2016-06-01

InsightSTEM has the mission to democratize STEM knowledge worldwide. Here, we present our InsightSTEM Campus Ambassadors program, and our growing global network of students worldwide. Our Campus Ambassadors are committed to advancing their careers in STEM fields, and in promoting exploration in STEM education -- while developing education and outreach skills that they can use during their student years, and moving forwards in their careers. We discuss the challenges of operating a remote student network worldwide, including addressing the needs of students in many different settings, on every continent. We illustrate how we can capture the passions of STEM students in allowing others to explore STEM knowledge. We explain how we deliver "profession development" for our cadre students, and leave them with education and outreach skills that move beyond "showing up and giving a PowerPoint presentation" to developing strategies to really engage multiple audiences in the exploration of STEM knowledge.

Exoplanet Research at a Southwestern Urban High School: Lessons Learned from the Tucson High Astronomy Club Research Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, Zachary T.; Pompea, Stephen M.; Tucson High Astronomy Research Club

2015-01-01

We present the results of introducing talented youth to research astronomy projects related to the study of exoplanets. We present the results of students' development of their identities as scientist, their interest in the STEM field as a career, and their knowledge retention through individual surveys. The design of the student interaction was to have weekly after-school club meetings where basic material would be taught to aid the students addressing the research problems themselves by planning observations, observing, and ultimately reducing the data of observations of their selected exoplanets. The after-school club was composed of 12 students of varying backgrounds attending the urban TucsonMagnet High School. The program is ongoing and began September 2013.

A Synthesis of Instructional Strategies in Geoscience Education Literature That Address Barriers to Inclusion for Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carabajal, Ivan G.; Marshall, Anita M.; Atchison, Christopher L.

2017-01-01

People with disabilities make up the largest minority population in the U.S. yet remain sorely underrepresented in scientific disciplines that require components of field-based training such as the geosciences. This paper provides a critical analysis of broadening participation within geoscience education literature through the use of accessible…

Irrational Career Decision-Making: Connecting Behavioural Economics and Career Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redekopp, Dave E.

2017-01-01

Very frequently, students and clients do not do what they say they will do. Decisions and plans made in counselling sessions are often not enacted. The career development field may be better able to address the chasm between rational decisions and actual behaviour by applying the findings of behavioural economics. Behavioural economics research is…

Toward Addressing the Issues of Site Selection in District Effectiveness Research: A Two-Level Hierarchical Linear Growth Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowers, Alex J.

2010-01-01

Purpose: District effectiveness research (DER) is an emerging field concerned with identifying the organizational structures, administration, and leadership practices at the school district level that help districts find success with all of their students across the schools within the system. This work has mirrored much of the early school…

Addressing Inequality in Secondary School Access: Evidence from a Field Experiment of Scholarship Targeting Strategies in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conn, Katharine

2015-01-01

Currently in Kenya, secondary school government bursaries are administered through committees set up at the level of parliamentary constituencies. However, there is widespread consensus that this system is not functioning adequately, as the process is often haphazard and funds are often spread too thinly across students. The Ministry of Education…

Differences in Meta-Aesthetic Consciousness in Students Taking Fine Arts, Design and Academy Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tataroglu, Eylem

2016-01-01

Meta-aesthetics is the aesthetic field relating to the images of products where the conversion value, separate from the product's function, takes part directly in its value. Meta-aesthetics is among the subjects that today's art and design world must address more sensitively. This study was based on a 2009 dissertation measuring university…

Confessions and Reflections of the Black Sheep of the Learning Disabilities Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegel, Linda S.

2012-01-01

The educational systems in all countries have failed to adequately address the problems of students with learning disabilities. Antisocial behaviour, homelessness, mental health problems and even suicide are a result. This article will explore the reasons for this state of affairs. One of the major reasons is excessive reliance on testing without…

Recognizing Value of Educational Collaboration between High Schools and Universities Facilitated by Modern ICT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zielinski, K.; Czekierda, L.; Malawski, F.; Stras, R.; Zielinski, S.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we address the problem of an educational gap existing between high schools and universities: many students consider their choice of field of study as inappropriate, mostly due to insufficient information regarding the discipline and the university educational process. To solve this problem, we define an innovative, information and…

The Cost of Mentoring Non-University-Certified Teachers: Who Pays the Price?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steadman, Sharilyn C.; Simmons, John S.

2007-01-01

Across America today, school districts face a problem of numbers: too many students, too few educators. In some areas, the shortage of classroom teachers is approaching crisis proportions. Attempts to address the problem of teacher supply have focused on either bringing new people into the field of education or keeping beginning teachers in the…

Special Education Policy Change: Addressing the Disproportionality of English Language Learners in Special Education Programs in Rural Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrio, Brenda L.

2017-01-01

Research suggests that disproportionate representation of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education has been a recurring topic of concern in the field of special education within the United States. Over the past few years, this concern has shifted to focus on the disproportionate representation of English Language…

Behavioral Disorders: Practice Concerns and Students with EBD. Advances in Special Education. Volume 23

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakken, Jeffrey P., Ed.; Obiakor, Festus E., Ed.; Rotatori, Anthony F., Ed.

2012-01-01

Volumes 22 and 23 of the "Advances in Special Education" address the current top perspectives and issues in the field of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) by providing chapters written by active researchers and scholarly university professors who specialize in this area. Volume 22 first delineates legal issues, themes, and dimensions…

An Implicit Theories of Personality Intervention Reduces Adolescent Aggression in Response to Victimization and Exclusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeager, David Scott; Trzesniewski, Kali H.; Dweck, Carol S.

2013-01-01

Adolescents are often resistant to interventions that reduce aggression in children. At the same time, they are developing stronger beliefs in the fixed nature of personal characteristics, particularly aggression. The present intervention addressed these beliefs. A randomized field experiment with a diverse sample of Grades 9 and 10 students (ages…

Contextualizing Mathematics Related Affect: Significance of Students' Individual and Social Level Affect in Finland and Chile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuohilampi, Laura

2016-01-01

Mathematics related affect turn from positive to negative during comprehensive school years worldwide. There is a clear need to find solutions to the problem. However, some gaps and problems appear in the methodologies and the common approaches used in the field. This article discusses five studies addressing affective development, challenges some…

Conceptualizing a Mentoring Program for American Indian/Alaska Native Students in the STEM Fields: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Windchief, Sweeney; Brown, Blakely

2017-01-01

In order to address the disparity of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) doctorates in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), culturally congruent mentorship program development is needed. Because traditional Western academic paradigms are typically constrained to a non-Indigenous perspective, the authors question how American Indian…

Practical Solutions to Practically Every Problem: The Early Childhood Teacher's Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saifer, Steffen

This book is designed to help early childhood teachers deal with common problems that arise in all aspects of their work. Part one addresses daily dilemmas such as schedule planning, meal and nap times, art, and outdoor play. Part two covers classroom concerns such as the physical environment, curriculum, individual student needs, field trips,…

The Quarterly of the National Writing Project, 2001.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauman, Amy, Ed.; Peterson, Art, Ed.

2001-01-01

Articles in this publication address the writing process, teaching writing, and research on the teaching of writing, and take the form of personal experience or opinion, or explore the work of others who have contributed to the field. Articles in the first issue of this volume include: "It's a Frame-Up: Helping Students Devise Beginnings and…

Increasing the Number of STEM Graduates: Insights from the U.S. STEM Education & Modeling Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Business-Higher Education Forum (NJ1), 2010

2010-01-01

The Business-Higher Education Forum's (BHEF's) Securing America's Leadership in STEM Initiative has broken new ground in addressing one of the nation's most critical challenges--increasing the number of students who are interested in and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, the so-called "STEM" fields. The…

Does the Center Hold? Reflections on a Sociological Core

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballantine, Jeanne; Greenwood, Nancy; Howard, Jay R.; Kain, Edward L.; Pike, Diane; Schwartz, Michael; Smith, R. Tyson; Zipp, John F.

2016-01-01

Is there a distinct disciplinary core (or foundation of agreed on knowledge) in sociology? Should we define a core in our broad field to build consensus? If so, what should it look like? We address these questions by presenting three viewpoints that lean for and against identifying a core for department curricula, students, and the public face of…

Does Marketing Need Better Marketing? A Creative Approach to Understanding Student Perceptions of the Marketing Major

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobb-Walgren, Cathy J.; Pilling, Bruce K.; Barksdale, Hiram C., Jr.

2017-01-01

Marketing is often used to correct misperceptions and better align them with reality. Ironically, the discipline of marketing itself currently faces a misalignment between negative public perceptions of the field and the reality of marketing's vital role as a business function. The question this study addresses is: does this misalignment carry…

Integrating Problem- and Project-Based Learning Opportunities: Assessing Outcomes of a Field Course in Environment and Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kricsfalusy, Vladimir; George, Colleen; Reed, Maureen G.

2018-01-01

Improving student competencies to address sustainability challenges has been a subject of significant debate in higher education. Problem- and project-based learning have been widely celebrated as course models that support the development of sustainability competencies. This paper describes a course developed for a professional Master's program…

An Examination of Mental Health Content in Course Work and Field Experiences in Connecticut Educational Leadership Preparation Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papa, Dorothy P.

2017-01-01

This exploratory mixed method convergent parallel study examined Connecticut Educational leadership preparation programs for the existence of mental health content to learn the extent to which pre-service school leaders are prepared for addressing student mental health. Interviews were conducted with school mental health experts and Connecticut…

The Small Helm Project: an academic activity addressing international corruption for undergraduate civil engineering and construction management students.

PubMed

Benzley, Steven E

2006-04-01

This paper presents an academic project that addresses the issue of international corruption in the engineering and construction industry, in a manner that effectively incorporates several learning experiences. The major objectives of the project are to provide the students a learning activity that will 1) make a meaningful contribution within the disciplines being studied; 2) teach by experience a significant principle that can be valuable in numerous situations during an individual's career, and 3) engage the minds, experiences, and enthusiasm of the participants in a real ethical challenge that is prevalent in all of their chosen professional fields. The paper describes the full details of the project, the actual implementation of it during Winter Semester 2005, the experiences gained during the initial trial, and the modifications and improvements incorporated for future implementation.

The Use of Photo-projects and Term Projects in Large-Format (200+ Students) Introductory Geology Courses.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giles, A. N.; Wilkie, K. M.

2008-12-01

Photo-projects have long been utilized as a way of getting students in introductory geology courses to apply what they have learned in lecture to the outcrop and landscape. While the projects have many benefits, we have found that with large-format classes of 200+ students, where a mandatory field trip is logistically impossible, many problems can arise. One problem has been that of consistent and timely grading, which can be addressed by a project that can be turned in throughout the course of the semester and by utilizing a grading rubric. Also, in many cases, students simply take photographs of "scenery" and then try to identify features/processes with little thought as to whether that particular feature/process can occur in that geologic setting (such as identifying features as having a glacial origin in a non-glaciated terrain.) These types of problem can be attributed to the student's lack of knowledge of the geology of the area within which the photographs were taken and having little to no field instruction. Many of these problems can be addressed by utilizing a term project that combines elements of both research and the traditional photo project. The student chooses a specific area/region (i.e. a national park) that the student will/has actually visit(ed) and is then required to do background research before attempting to identify features and processes in photographs they have taken from the area. Here we present details of such a project that involves students performing research activities in three stages: The history/geologic setting of the area, the specific lithology of the area, and then the hydrology of the area, with each being completed at specified times throughout the semester. The final stage is the photo project component where the student identifies and interprets the features/processes in photographs from the area. The research provides the student with a framework within which they can identify and interpret the features/processes that are likely to be seen in their area.

Integration of Field Geophysics and Geology in an International Setting: Multidisciplinary Geoscience Field Experience at the University of Western Ontario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brenders, A. J.; Banerjee, N.; Pratt, R. G.

2010-12-01

The pedagogical value of the field experience is unequaled: students, teaching assistants, and professors alike return with a renewed sense of purpose, community, and the context in which to place classroom education. It is widely regarded as valuable to personal development, and is required by the Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists for professional registration. As part of our ongoing International Geoscience Field Experience Initiative, Earth Sciences students at the University of Western Ontario have the opportunity to enhance their education through a study abroad program. The focus is on a residential field experience to world-class localities, offered with the collaboration of internationally recognized academic researchers, government survey personnel, and industry leaders. Recent trips have included the Sn-W mineralization in the Cornwall district of the U.K., the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) in Portugal and Spain, and the metallogenic belts of Western Turkey. The integration of geological knowledge with geophysical data was one of the key organizing principles of our recent field trips to the IPB and Western Turkey. This integration is a foundation of modern Earth Sciences, and common practice in industry, it is relatively rare in classroom settings. Lectures before departure and evening exercises during the field trip supplemented the core undergraduate curriculum in geophysics, reviewing gravity, DC resistivity, induced polarization (IP), and magnetotelluric methods, focusing on application to mineral exploration. During our trip to the IPB, partnership with industry allowed students the opportunity to work with state of the art geophysical data, acquired on an exploration prospect visited during the field trip. Multi-parameter geophysical inversions of the IP and MT data produced cross-sections in depth - results interpretable by the students in the complex geological environment of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. Although the students gained valuable geological insight, the lack of practical experience in the acquisition and processing of geophysical data was identified in course evaluations. To address this, in Western Turkey, students had the opportunity to design and acquire total magnetic field surveys using a walking magnetometer, combining a GPS receiver and proton-precession magnetometer. Using this instrument, students identified the geophysical response of subsurface features, visible in both outcrop and during traverse through open pit mines. A transect across a buried basalt - limestone contact was made, and the strike of the contact identified during subsequent data processing. Students also had the opportunity to visit an active IP-resistivity survey, observing the acquisition of this data in the field, and learn how project geologists integrate this data with geological drill cores. Finally, students designed and acquired a total magnetic field survey over an archaeological site: the Acropolis at Pergamon. By integrating data acquisition, processing, and interpretation with field visits to sites of both geological and archaeological interest, students acquired field and technical skills that ideally prepared them for a future in research or industry.

Exploring social work student education: The effect of a harm reduction curriculum on student knowledge and attitudes regarding opioid use disorders.

PubMed

Estreet, Anthony; Archibald, Paul; Tirmazi, M Taqi; Goodman, Sapphire; Cudjoe, Tracy

2017-01-01

This study evaluates the degree to which a harm reduction intervention course module impacted Master of Social Work (MSW) students' knowledge and attitudes towards addressing opioid use disorder issues and clients. Using a mixed-methods approach, data from 124 MSW students were collected between 2011 and 2015. Students completed a 3-hour course module that focused on harm reduction philosophy and interventions specifically for opioid use disorders. Students completed pre- and posttest of the Harm Reduction Attitude Scale. Students were also engaged in focus groups to gain a better understanding of how and if their knowledge and attitudes changed. Results: Overall, attitudes towards harm reduction approaches for opioid use disorder shifted favorably following the course module. Paired t-test results show a statistically significant difference in the mean scores for pretest attitudes (M = 2.64, SD = 0.16) and posttest attitudes (M = 2.86, SD = 0.12) among social work students. This trend remained consistent despite treatment orientation and having a family history of substance use. Conclusion: Given the increased capacity for social work students to encounter clients with opioid use disorders, it is important to ensure that students are provided with relevant and accurate information related to client-centered approaches such as the harm reduction model to address opioid use disorders. Moreover, given the dearth of social work programs that have and required substance use disorder courses, it is imperative for schools of social work to ensure that students are provided with more than practical information, which is often gained during field placement.

Cognitive Factors that Impact Learning in the Field: Observations from an REU Project on Precambrian Rocks of Yellowstone National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henry, D.; Mogk, D. W.; Goodwin, C.

2011-12-01

Field work requires cognitive processing on many different levels, and constitutes a powerful and important learning environment. To be effective and meaningful, the context of field work must be fully understood in terms of key research questions, earlier published work, regional geology, geologic history, and geologic processes. Scale(s) of observation and sample selection methods and strategies must be defined. Logistical decisions must be made about equipment needed, points of access, and navigation in the field. Professional skills such as field note-taking, measuring structural data, and rock descriptions must be employed, including appropriate use of field tools. Interpretations of geologic features in the field must be interpreted through recall of concepts from the geologic knowledge base (e.g. crystallization history of igneous rocks interpreted through phase diagrams). Field workers need to be able to self-monitor and self-regulate their actions (metacognitively), and make adjustments to daily plans as needed. The results of field work must be accurately and effectively communicated to other geoscientists. Personal and professional ethics and values are brought to bear as decisions are made about whether or not the work has been satisfactorily completed at a field site. And, all of this must be done against a back drop of environmental factors that affect the ability to do this work (e.g. inclement weather, bears, impassable landscapes). The simultaneous relevance of all these factors creates a challenging, but rewarding environment for learning on many different scales. During our REU project to study the Precambrian rocks in the back country of Yellowstone National Park (YNP), we considered these cognitive factors in designing our project curriculum. To reduce the "novelty space" of the project a website was developed that described the project goals and expected outcomes, introduced primary literature, and alerted students about the physical demands of working in YNP.. Daily field activities were designed to scaffold accrued knowledge by placing specific new experiences in the path of students to sequentially build their own understanding of local geology. Students gained increasing responsibility and autonomy for developing daily research objectives and plans, and for decision-making while in the field. Instructors demonstrated specific field skills, and used "talk-through" approaches to explain what, why, and how we conduct our own investigations. We were particularly interested in helping students make the first inscriptions of their interpretations of nature in field notes, sketches, and maps, and in using embodiment (positioning oneself in space to correctly make observations and collect data) to foster learning. In the course of this study we videotaped students in the field to document the evolution of their field skills. Observations, interviews and surveys of students indicate that students' confidence in their abilities to conduct geologic research in the field increased by 20-40% (Likert scale) in this project. By explicitly addressing cognitive demands, students working in the field can achieve significant learning gains.

Development, Evaluation, and Dissemination of an Astrobiology Curriculum for Secondary Students: Establishing a Successful Model for Increasing the Use of Scientific Data by Underrepresented Students.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arino de La Rubia, L.; Butler, J.; Gary, T.; Stockman, S.; Mumma, M.; Pfiffner, S.; Davis, K.; Edmonds, J.

2009-12-01

The Minority Institution Astrobiology Collaborative began working with the NASA Goddard Center for Astrobiology in 2003 to develop curriculum materials for high school chemistry and Earth science classes based on astrobiology concepts. The Astrobiology in Secondary Classrooms modules are being developed to emphasize interdisciplinary connections in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geoscience, physics, mathematics, and ethics through hands-on activities that address national educational standards. Since this time, more NASA Astrobiology Institute Teams have joined this education and public outreach (EPO)effort. Field-testing of the Astrobiology in Secondary Classrooms materials began in 2007 in five US locations, each with populations that are underrepresented in the career fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The Best and the Brightest in Geosciences: Broadening Representation in the Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myles, L.

2017-12-01

Geoscience research in government agencies and universities across the US is anchored by data collection from field and lab experiments. In these settings, the composition and the culture of the environment can be less welcoming for individuals from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the geosciences. Ongoing efforts to address diversity and inclusion in the field and lab include top-down approaches that provide support and training for established geoscience leaders and bottom-up approaches that offer research internships and fellowships for students. To achieve success, effective strategies for broadening representation in the field must be developed and shared across the geosciences community to advance scientific innovation and create opportunities for success.

Do networking activities outside of the classroom protect students against being bullied? A field study with students in secondary school settings in Germany.

PubMed

Blickle, Gerhard; Meurs, James A; Schoepe, Christine

2013-01-01

Research has shown that having close relationships with fellow classmates can provide a buffer for students against bullying and the negative outcomes associated with it. But, research has not explicitly examined the potential benefits of social networking behaviors outside of the classroom for those who could be bullied. This study addresses this gap and finds that, although a bullying climate in the classroom increases overall bullying, students high on external networking activities did not experience an increase in the bullying they received when in a classroom with a high bullying climate. However, the same group of students reported the largest degree of received bulling under conditions of a low bullying climate. We discuss the implications of our results and provide directions for future research.

Project CUES: A New Middle-School Earth System Science Curriculum Being Developed by the American Geological Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M. C.; Smith, M. J.; Lederman, N.; Southard, J. B.; Rogers, E. A.; Callahan, C. N.

2002-12-01

Project CUES is a middle-school earth systems science curriculum project under development by the American Geological Institute (AGI) and funded by the National Science Foundation (ESI-0095938). CUES features a student-centered, inquiry pedagogy and approaches earth science from a systems perspective. CUES will use the expanded learning cycle approach of Trowbridge and Bybee (1996), known as the 5E model (engage-explore-explain-elaborate-evaluate). Unlike AGI's Investigating Earth Systems (IES) curriculum modules, CUES will include a single hard-bound textbook, and will take one school-year to complete. The textbook includes a prologue that addresses systems concepts and four main units: Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, and Biosphere. Each eight-week unit takes students through a progression from guided inquiry to open-ended, student-driven inquiry. During first 4 to 5 weeks of each unit, students explore important earth science phenomena and concepts through scripted investigations and narrative reading passages written by scientists as "inquiry narratives". The narratives address the development of scientific ideas and relay the personal experiences of a scientist during their scientific exploration. Aspects of the nature of science will be explicitly addressed in investigations and inquiry narratives. After the guided inquiry, students will develop a research proposal and conduct their own inquiry into local or regional scientific problems. Each unit culminates with a science conference at which students present their research. CUES will be the first NSF-funded, comprehensive earth systems textbook for middle school that is based on national standards. CUES will be pilot tested in 12 classrooms in January 2003, with a national field test of the program in 50 classrooms during the 2003-2004 school year.

Breaking down silos: engaging students to help fix the US health care system.

PubMed

Kumarasamy, Mathu A; Sanfilippo, Fred P

2015-01-01

The field of health care is becoming a team effort as patient care becomes increasingly complex and multifaceted. Despite the need for multidisciplinary education, there persists a lack of student engagement and collaboration among health care disciplines, which presents a growing concern as students join the workforce. In October 2013, the Emory-Georgia Tech Healthcare Innovation Program organized a student driven symposium entitled "US Healthcare: What's Broken and How to Fix It: The Student Perspective". The symposium engaged students from multiple disciplines to work together in addressing problems associated with US health care delivery. The symposium was organized and carried out by a diverse group of student leaders from local institutions who adopted a multidisciplinary approach throughout the planning process. The innovative planning process leading up to the symposium revealed that many of the student-discipline groups lacked an understanding of one another's role in health care, and that students were interested in learning how to work together to leverage each other's profession. The symposium was widely attended and positively received by students and faculty from the Atlanta metropolitan area, and has since helped to promote interdepartmental collaboration and multidisciplinary education across institutions. The student symposium will become an annual event and incorporate broader discipline representation, as well as a patient perspective. Proposals for additional institution-wide, multidisciplinary educational offerings are being addressed with the help of faculty and health care providers across the network. Accordingly, the implementation of student-driven symposia to engage students and stimulate institution-wide changes may be a beneficial and cost-effective means for academic health centers looking to facilitate multidisciplinary health care education.

The Pre-Major in Astronomy Program at the University of Washington: Increasing Diversity Through Research Experiences and Mentoring Since 2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenfield, Philip

2013-01-01

Graduate students in the astronomy department at the University of Washington began the Pre-Major in Astronomy Program (Pre-MAP) after recognizing that underrepresented students in STEM fields are not well retained after their transition from high school. Pre-MAP is a research and mentoring program that begins with a keystone seminar. First year students enroll in the Pre-MAP seminar to learn astronomical research techniques that they apply to research projects conducted in small groups. Students also receive one-on-one mentoring and peer support for the duration of the academic year and beyond. They are incorporated early into the department by attending Astronomy Department events and Pre-MAP field trips. Successful Pre-MAP students have declared astronomy and physics majors, expanded their research projects beyond the fall quarter, presented posters at the UW Undergraduate Research Symposium, and received research fellowships and summer internships. In this talk, we will discuss how we identified the issues that Pre-MAP was designed to address, what we've learned after six years of Pre-MAP, and share statistical results from a long-term quantitative comparison evaluation.

Survey on astrobiology research and teaching activities within the United kingdom.

PubMed

Dartnell, Lewis R; Burchell, Mark J

2009-10-01

While astrobiology is apparently growing steadily around the world, in terms of the number of researchers drawn into this interdisciplinary area and teaching courses provided for new students, there have been very few studies conducted to chart this expansion quantitatively. To address this deficiency, the Astrobiology Society of Britain (ASB) conducted a questionnaire survey of universities and research institutions nationwide to ascertain the current extent of astrobiology research and teaching in the UK. The aim was to provide compiled statistics and an information resource for those who seek research groups or courses of study, and to facilitate new interdisciplinary collaborations. The report here summarizes details gathered on 33 UK research groups, which involved 286 researchers (from undergraduate project students to faculty members). The survey indicates that around 880 students are taking university-level courses, with significant elements of astrobiology included, every year in the UK. Data are also presented on the composition of astrobiology students by their original academic field, which show a significant dominance of physics and astronomy students. This survey represents the first published systematic national assessment of astrobiological academic activity and indicates that this emerging field has already achieved a strong degree of penetration into the UK academic community.

"Play It Again, Billy, but This Time with More Mistakes": Divergent Improvisation Activities for the Jazz Ensemble

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Healy, Daniel J.

2014-01-01

The jazz ensemble represents an important performance opportunity in many school music programs. Due to the cultural history of jazz as an improvisatory art form, school jazz ensemble directors must address methods of teaching improvisation concepts to young students. Progress has been made in the field of prescribed improvisation activities and…

Impacts of Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying on the Mental Health of Middle School and High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hase, Craig N.; Goldberg, Simon B.; Smith, Douglas; Stuck, Andrew; Campain, Jessica

2015-01-01

A critical debate within the field of school psychology has centered on the relationship between bullying and cyberbullying in terms of prevalence, overlap, and impact. The current study sought to address the following questions: (1) Does cyberbullying create new victims or merely a new means of victimization? (2) Does cyberbullying uniquely…

Equity in the Evidence Base: Demographic Sampling in Intervention Research for Students with Emotional and Behavior Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrero, Kelly M.; Collins, Lauren W.; Lusk, Mandy E.

2017-01-01

Researchers have been working diligently to build the evidence base for what works for youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). As the evidence base grows, the field must investigate what works, for whom, and under what conditions. To begin to address for whom the mounting evidence is applicable, this study systematically reviewed…

Unplugged Cybersecurity: An Approach for Bringing Computer Science into the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fees, Rachel E.; da Rosa, Jennifer A.; Durkin, Sarah S.; Murray, Mark M.; Moran, Angela L.

2018-01-01

The United States Naval Academy (USNA) STEM Center for Education and Outreach addresses an urgent Navy and national need for more young people to pursue careers in STEM fields through world-wide outreach to 17,000 students and 900 teachers per year. To achieve this mission, the STEM Center has developed a hands-on and inquiry-based methodology to…

An Investigation of Big Five and Narrow Personality Traits in Relation to Learner Self-Direction in Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirwan, Jeral

2014-01-01

Self-direction in learning is a major topic in the field of adult learning. There has been extensive coverage of the topic by theorists, researchers, and practitioners. However, there have been few studies which look at learner self-direction specifically as a personality trait. The present study addresses the relationship between learner…

Behavioral Disorders: Identification, Assessment, and Instruction of Students with EBD. Advances in Special Education. Volume 22

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakken, Jeffrey P., Ed.; Obiakor, Festus E., Ed.; Rotatori, Anthony F., Ed.

2012-01-01

Volumes 22 and 23 of "Advances in Special Education" address the current top perspectives and issues in the field of EBD by providing chapters written by active researchers and scholarly university professors who specialize in this area. Volume 22 first delineates legal issues, themes, and dimensions related to the historical development of the…

Call of the North. NECC '96: Proceedings of the Annual National Educational Computing Conference (17th, Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 11-13, 1996).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingham, Donella, Ed.

These conference proceedings address the current trends, practices, and research in the field of educational technology. Papers and project descriptions are included on the following topics: the use of technology to encourage learning of special needs students; distance education; integrating technology into the curriculum; technology in…

The Relationship between Teacher Perceptions of Administrative Support and Teacher Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peronto, Janice L.

2013-01-01

A continued loss of teachers from the already limited supply of those entering the field is likely to create a teacher shortage as student populations continue to rise. Because the supply of teachers does not meet the demand, it is necessary to consider the reasons that teachers leave the profession. The problem addressed in this research study…

Career Changers in Special Education: A Collaborative Direction in Teacher Preparation for School Systems and Institutions of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veale, Natasha; Dobbins, Nicole; Kurtts, Stephanie

2013-01-01

Schools across the United States are confronted with the critical demand for highly effective teachers to address the needs of the increasing numbers of diverse learners in their classrooms. In response, school systems are looking beyond the traditional four-year degree student to individuals who are entering the teaching field from other…

Multidimensional Aspects of Literacy Research, Theory, and Practice. Forty-Third Yearbook of the National Reading Conference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinzer, Charles K., Ed.; Leu, Donald J., Ed.

The 55 conference papers, the annual review of research, and the student-award-winning paper in this yearbook cover such diverse topics in the field of reading as assessment, content-area reading, early literacy, teacher education, teacher behavior, and construction of meaning through writing. The yearbook opens with the presidential address to…

An Introduction to the American Legal System: A Supplement to "Higher Education & the Law".

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Harry T.; Nordin, Virginia Davis

As a supplement to the basic text, "Higher Education and the Law," this book briefly describes the American legal system for scholars, students, and administrators in the field of higher education who have had little or no legal training. The following topics are addressed: The United States Courts, the process of judicial review, reading and…

Building a Geoscience Culture for Student Recruitment and Retention - The Geoscience Society and Department Nexus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keane, C. M.; Martinez, C. M.

2009-12-01

In many other science and engineering fields, the professional society is a key component of the student culture during their education. Students in fields such as physics, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering are usually expected to be members and active participants in their respective professional society, which in turn is tightly integrated with the academic programs through student chapters or activities. This phenomenon does not readily exist in the geosciences, and may be part of the reason for above average student attrition rates and subcompetitive recruitment over the entirety of business cycles. Part of this is a result of 45 societies, including over a dozen that actively recruit student members, but in the same vein, no single society has universal strong cultural presence across the 800 undergraduate programs in the United States. In addition, given the diversity of professional opportunities are not obvious to students because of the traditional subject stovepiping see in the curriculum and societies. To test and address this issue, the American Geological Institute is piloting a program to build student awareness of the breadth of career opportunities in a social context while also promoting the role of societies as a key networking and development conduit. Early responses to this test have resulted in some non-intuitive patterns and may yield insight into the world view of new and prospective majors.

Pediatric hospitalists and medical education.

PubMed

Ottolini, Mary C

2014-07-01

Pediatric hospital medicine (PHM) is moving toward becoming an American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) subspecialty, roughly a decade after its formal inception in 2003. Education has played a central role as the field has evolved. Hospitalists are needed to educate trainees, medical students, residents, fellows, and nurse practitioner and physician assistant students in inpatient pediatric practice. Continuous professional development is needed for hospitalists currently in practice to augment clinical skills, such as providing sedation and placing peripherally inserted central catheter lines, and nonclinical skills in areas such as quality improvement methodology, hospital administration, and health service research. To address the educational needs of the current and future state of PHM, additional training is now needed beyond residency training. Fellowship training will be essential to continue to advance the field of PHM as well as to petition the ABP for specialty accreditation. Training in using adult educational theory, curriculum, and assessment design are critical for pediatric hospitalists choosing to advance their careers as clinician-educators. Several venues are available for gaining advanced knowledge and skill as an educator. PHM clinician-educators are advancing the field of pediatric education as well as their own academic careers by virtue of the scholarly approach they have taken to designing and implementing curricula for unique PHM teaching situations. PHM educators are changing the educational paradigm to address challenges to traditional education strategies posed by duty hour restrictions and the increasing drive to shorten the duration of the hospitalization. By embracing learning with technology, such as simulation and e-learning with mobile devices, PHM educators can address these challenges as well as respond to learning preferences of millennial learners. The future for PHM education is bright. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

The Water Vapor Variability - Satellite/Sondes (WAVES) Field Campaigns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whiteman, D. N.; Adam, M.; Barnet, C.; Bojkov, B.; Delgado, R.; Demoz, B.; Fitzgibbon, J.; Forno, R.; Herman, R.; Hoff, E.;

Training veterinary students in shelter medicine: a service-learning community-classroom technique.

PubMed

Stevens, Brenda J; Gruen, Margaret E

2014-01-01

Shelter medicine is a rapidly developing field of great importance, and shelters themselves provide abundant training opportunities for veterinary medical students. Students trained in shelter medicine have opportunities to practice zoonotic and species-specific infectious disease control, behavioral evaluation and management, primary care, animal welfare, ethics, and public policy issues. A range of sheltering systems now exists, from brick-and-mortar facilities to networks of foster homes with no centralized facility. Exposure to a single shelter setting may not allow students to understand the full range of sheltering systems that exist; a community-classroom approach introduces students to a diverse array of sheltering systems while providing practical experience. This article presents the details and results of a series of 2-week elective clinical rotations with a focus on field and service learning in animal shelters. The overall aim was to provide opportunities that familiarized students with sheltering systems and delivered primary-care training. Other priorities included increasing awareness of public health concerns and equipping students to evaluate shelters on design, operating protocols, infectious disease control, animal enrichment, and community outreach. Students were required to participate in rounds and complete a project that addressed a need recognized by them during the rotation. This article includes costs associated with the rotation, a blueprint for how the rotation was carried out at our institution, and details of shelters visited and animals treated, including a breakdown of treatments provided. Also discussed are the student projects and student feedback on this valuable clinical experience.

Promoting entrepreneurship among informatics engineering students: insights from a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandes, João M.; Afonso, Paulo; Fonte, Victor; Alves, Victor; Ribeiro, António Nestor

2017-01-01

Universities seek to promote entrepreneurship through effective education approaches, which need to be in permanent evolution. Nevertheless, the literature in entrepreneurship education lacks empirical evidence. This article discusses relevant issues related to promoting entrepreneurship in the software field, based on the experience of a 15-European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System course. This course seeks to instil in the students the recognition of the need to reconcile technical and business visions, organisational and commercial aspects, most of which have never been addressed previously. A series of semi-structured interviews made it possible to obtain relevant insights about the teaching-learning process underlying this course and its evolution over a seven-year period. Materials related with this course have been analysed, namely guidelines produced by the teachers and deliverables produced by the students. This article discusses the dimensions that were identified as fundamental for promoting entrepreneurship skills in the field of software, namely teamwork, project engagement, and contact with the market.

Moving Beyond Misconceptions: A New Model for Learning Challenges in Cognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, T. F.; Slater, S. J.

2011-12-01

For over 40 years, the science education community has given its attention to cataloging the substantial body of "misconceptions" in individual's thinking about science, and to addressing the consequences of those misconceptions in the science classroom. Despite the tremendous amount of effort given to researching and disseminating information related to misconceptions, and the development of a theory of conceptual change to mitigate misconceptions, progress continues to be less than satisfying. An analysis of the literature and our own research has persuaded the CAPER Center for Astronomy and Physics Education Research to put forth model that will allow us to operate on students' learning difficulties in a more fruitful manner. Previously, much of the field's work binned erroneous student thinking into a single construct, and from that basis, curriculum developers and instructors addressed student misconceptions with a single instructional strategy. In contrast this model suggests that "misconceptions" are a mixture of at least four learning barriers: incorrect factual information, inappropriately applied mental algorithms (phenomenological primitives), insufficient cognitive structures (e.g. spatial reasoning), and affective/emotional difficulties. Each of these types of barriers should be addressed with an appropriately designed instructional strategy. Initial applications of this model to learning problems in the Earth & Space Sciences have been fruitful, suggesting that an effort towards categorizing persistent learning difficulties in the geosciences beyond the level of "misconceptions" may allow our community to craft tailored and more effective learning experiences for our students and the general public.

Refocusing International Astronomy Education Research Using a Cognitive Focus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Slater, Stephanie J.

2015-08-01

For over 40 years, the international astronomy education community has given its attention to cataloging the substantial body of "misconceptions" in individual's thinking about astronomy, and to addressing the consequences of those misconceptions in the science classroom. Despite the tremendous amount of effort given to researching and disseminating information related to misconceptions, and the development of a theory of conceptual change to mitigate misconceptions, progress continues to be less than satisfying. An analysis of the literature and our own research has motivated the CAPER Center for Astronomy & Physics Education Research to advance a new model that allowing us to operate on students' astronomical learning difficulties in a more fruitful manner. Previously, much of the field's work binned erroneous student thinking into a single construct, and from that basis, curriculum developers and instructors addressed student misconceptions with a single instructional strategy. In contrast this model suggests that "misconceptions" are a mixture of at least four learning barriers: incorrect factual information, inappropriately applied mental algorithms (e.g., phenomenological primitives), insufficient cognitive structures (e.g., spatial reasoning), and affective/emotional difficulties. Each of these types of barriers should be addressed with an appropriately designed instructional strategy. Initial applications of this model to learning problems in astronomy and the space sciences have been fruitful, suggesting that an effort towards categorizing persistent learning difficulties in astronomy beyond the level of "misconceptions" may allow our community to craft tailored and more effective learning experiences for our students and the general public.

Creating a center for global health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

PubMed

Haq, Cynthia; Baumann, Linda; Olsen, Christopher W; Brown, Lori DiPrete; Kraus, Connie; Bousquet, Gilles; Conway, James; Easterday, B C

2008-02-01

Globalization, migration, and widespread health disparities call for interdisciplinary approaches to improve health care at home and abroad. Health professions students are pursuing study abroad in increasing numbers, and universities are responding with programs to address these needs. The University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison schools of medicine and public health, nursing, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, and the division of international studies have created an interdisciplinary center for global health (CGH). The CGH provides health professions and graduate students with courses, field experiences, and a new Certificate in Global Health. Educational programs have catalyzed a network of enthusiastic UW global health scholars. Partnerships with colleagues in less economically developed countries provide the foundation for education, research, and service programs. Participants have collaborated to improve the education of health professionals and nutrition in Uganda; explore the interplay between culture, community development, and health in Ecuador; improve animal health and address domestic violence in Mexico; and examine successful public health efforts in Thailand. These programs supply students with opportunities to understand the complex determinants of health and structure of health systems, develop adaptability and cross-cultural communication skills, experience learning and working in interdisciplinary teams, and promote equity and reduce health disparities at home and abroad. Based on the principles of equity, sustainability, and reciprocity, the CGH provides a strong foundation to address global health challenges through networking and collaboration among students, staff, and faculty within the UW and beyond.

Getting to Know and Address Your State Science Standards to Connect Classroom Instruction and Field Trips During IYA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bednarski, M.; Larsen, K.

2008-11-01

Astronomy activities often pose problems for in-service teachers, especially at the elementary level, as many do not have a solid content background. Often astronomy instruction revolves around reading and answering questions. This is not an effective way to work with abstract concepts or engage students, and also fails to meet the standards of inquiry-based instruction recommended by the National Science Teachers Association and national and state standards. Science museums and planetariums bring unique and exciting perspectives to astronomy education. However, bringing students to the museum can sometimes be perceived as only a ``cool field trip.'' With mounting pressure for teachers to teach to the new standardized tests demanded by No Child Left Behind, and shrinking school budgets, field trips are rapidly becoming an endangered species. Coordinating museum, science center, and planetarium offerings with national and state science standards can renew interest in (and perceived relevance of) field trips. Therefore, university faculty, in-service teachers, and museum/planetarium staff can form successful partnerships which can both improve student learning and increase attendance at informal education science events and facilities. This workshop will first briefly introduce participants to national and representative state standards as well as research on in-service teachers' astronomy content knowledge and the educational value of field trips. For the majority of the workshop, participants will engage in the actual steps of coordinating, planning, and writing inquiry-based astronomy curriculum embedded performance tasks that collectively meet the learning needs of students in elementary, middle, or high school.

The Coastal Resilience Index: High School Students Planning for Their Community's Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kastler, J. A.; Dorcik, S.; Sempier, T.; Kimbrell, C.

2017-12-01

Communities in Jackson County, Mississippi sustained heavy damages during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and are expected to experience early effects as sea level rise and increasing episodes of nuisance flooding. Many high school students still remember months-long evacuations and other disruptions to home and family in 2005. Others do not remember or moved here recently. None anticipate their communities are likely to face similar challenges in the future, nor do they have a strong understanding that preparing for such an event is a practical, local career choice for a science major. Through a series of classroom and field lessons, students in two coastal communities learned how and why coastal habitats are changing, and how modeling predicts future impacts. During a culminating experience students learn how to use the Coastal Resilience Index developed by Mississippi Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. Working in teams or three to four students, the students addressed one of twelve scenarios based on real experiences observed by Gulf Coast communities during their post-hurricane assessments. Each team explored its topic using internet resources and conversations with family members, then worked together to brainstorm possible approaches to address the situation described in their scenario. They selected one potential solution for their focus and developed it, ultimately producing a poster of the scenario and their idea of its solution. The teams gathered at the University of Southern Mississippi at the end of the term to present their work, science fair style, to a selection of community leaders from the Climate Community of Practice. Posters were judged and best poster presentations were awarded. This talk will focus on the evaluation results. Existing qualitative observations show differences in awareness and self-efficacy to work productively in this field. Community leaders expressed interest in the solutions offered. Ongoing quantitative evaluations will also be introduced. This is one focus of a multi-dimensional Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience sponsored by NOAA's B-WET Program.

Using high speed smartphone cameras and video analysis techniques to teach mechanical wave physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonato, Jacopo; Gratton, Luigi M.; Onorato, Pasquale; Oss, Stefano

2017-07-01

We propose the use of smartphone-based slow-motion video analysis techniques as a valuable tool for investigating physics concepts ruling mechanical wave propagation. The simple experimental activities presented here, suitable for both high school and undergraduate students, allows one to measure, in a simple yet rigorous way, the speed of pulses along a spring and the period of transverse standing waves generated in the same spring. These experiments can be helpful in addressing several relevant concepts about the physics of mechanical waves and in overcoming some of the typical student misconceptions in this same field.

An REU Project on the Precambrian Rocks of Yellowstone National Park: Some lessons learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henry, D.; Mogk, D. W.; Mueller, P. A.; Foster, D. A.

2014-12-01

An NSF-funded REU project (2011-2013), based in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), was designed to characterize the geology, geochemistry and geochronology of Precambrian rocks in northern YNP. Over two field seasons two cadres of 12 students (12 women and 12 men) were chosen from small-to-large state universities and private colleges. REU students participated in three major activities constituting a complete research experience: Field studies involved geologic mapping and sampling of Precambrian basement; formulation of testable research questions by smaller working groups; and mapping and sampling projects to address research questions; Analytical studies, sample preparation immediately followed field work with petrographic analysis at students' home institutions and a week-long visit to analytical laboratories to conduct follow-up studies by small research groups during the academic year (Univ. Florida - geochemistry and geochronology; Univ. Minnesota - EMPA analysis); Communicating results, each working group submitted an abstract and collectively presented 13 posters at the 2011 and 2012 GSA Rocky Mountain sectional meetings. We used directed discovery to engage students in a community of practice in the field and found that a long apprenticeship (2-3 weeks) is optimal for novice-master interactions in exploring natural setting. Initial group hikes were used to normalize methods and language of the discipline. Students developed a sense of ownership of the overall project and assumed personal responsibility for directed research projects. Training was provided to: guide students in selection and appropriate use of tools; develop sampling strategies; discuss communal ethics, values, and expectations; develop efficient work habits; stimulate independent thinking; and engage decision-making. It was important to scaffold the field experience to students' level of development to lead to mastery. Analytical activities were designed from rock to analysis so that each group mastered all preparation steps and instrumental techniques under supervision of graduate mentors and lab managers leading to a clearer understanding of data interpretation. Students were communally engaged in abstract and poster preparation to ensure proper focus, scientific breadth, and style of presentation.

Web-Based Resources to Help Students and Faculty Prepare to use Information Technology in the Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mogk, D. W.

2007-12-01

Teaching in the field is undergoing a revolution as new information technologies are being used to support a wide range of instructional activities in geology, oceanography, ecology, and related disciplines. In particular, the use of ruggedized laptop and palmtop computers with integrated GPS, GIS, data management, imaging and note-taking software presents a fundamentally new way to map and collect other data in the field. By bringing information technologies into the field, it is now possible to integrate many types of data such as digital elevation maps, air photo and satellite imagery, a variety of geophysical and geochemical databases (e.g. chemical anomaly maps, aeromagnetics, gravity). This allows students to engage much deeper levels of decision-making, problem-solving, and critical-thinking while still in the field setting. This technology also allows instructors to more closely monitor the progress of student projects in the field, and to assess the process as well as the products of student field work. For professional geologists, data acquisition and interpretation using digital technology in the field will rapidly become the industry standard, and now is the time to begin to prepare students to regularly use these new capabilities. To address the new possibilities of teaching with information technology in the field, a workshop was convened in February 2007 at Montana State University to aggregate and disseminate the practical advice and experience of geoscience instructors already using this technology. The outcome of this workshop is a website that contains advice on "best practices" in using these information technologies in field instruction including sections on: definition of learning goals, thinking skills and problem solving strategies, student and faculty preparation, selecting hardware and software, data resources, logistical consideration, GPS and learning, taking e-notes, mobile collaborations, and examples of field exercises. This website provides examples of how this technology creates better (or at least different) learning opportunities for students; identifies barriers so that interested novices can effectively acquire, use, and maintain information technologies in field instruction; provides "how to" advice on the design and implementation of learning exercises; creates a collection of teaching activities to be used as models for others to follow; and, compiles the experience and advice of current practitioners to help identify "best practices" in using this technology. This website should help to minimize the technical, pedagogical, and practical barriers that make it difficult for novice users to efficiently and effectively use this technology in field instruction. Material on the website was contributed and shared by the "GeoPad Writing Group". This project was supported by NSF grant EAR 03-06708.

Working toward equitable opportunities for science students with disabilities: using professional development and technology.

PubMed

Bargerhuff, Mary Ellen; Cowan, Heidi; Kirch, Susan A

2010-01-01

As a result of federal legislation, adolescents with disabilities and other exceptionalities are increasingly included in science and math classes alongside their peers who are typically developing. The effectiveness of this placement option, however, is largely dependent on the skill level of the general educator and the support afforded to this teacher through various channels. Efforts arising from two National Science Foundation grants address both skill and support. Center's Lesson Adaptations for Student Success (CLASS) project used summer professional development opportunities to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to provide students with physical, sensory and learning disabilities equitable access to laboratory and field experiences. Second, to support teachers back in their classrooms, the Ohio Resource Center's Lesson Adaptations for Student Success (OR-CLASS) uses web resources to share high quality, peer-reviewed lesson plans, complete with specific recommendations on adaptations for students with a variety of exceptional learning needs.

Map, Excite, Jump, and Measure: An Outreach Activity That Utilizes Seismology to Engage Students in Technology, Science, Engineering, and Mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Lee, S.; Tekverk, K.; Rooney, K.; Boxerman, J.

2013-12-01

We designed and will present a lesson plan to teach students STEM concepts through seismology. The plan addresses new generation science standards in the Framework for K-12 Science Education as well AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy. The plan can be executed at a facility with a seismometer in a research facility or university, on a field trip, but it can also be used in a school setting with a school seismometer. Within the lesson plan, the students first use technology to obtain earthquake location data and map them. Next, the students learn about the science of earthquakes, which is followed by an engineering activity in which the students design a hypothetical seismometer and interact with the actual seismometer and live data display. Lastly the students use mathematics to locate an earthquake through trilateration. The lesson plan has been fine-tuned through implementation with over 150 students from grades 3-12 from the Chicago area.

Active Learning session based on Didactical Engineering framework for conceptual change in students' equilibrium and stability understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canu, Michael; Duque, Mauricio; de Hosson, Cécile

2017-01-01

Engineering students on control courses lack a deep understanding of equilibrium and stability that are crucial concepts in this discipline. Several studies have shown that students find it difficult to understand simple familiar or academic static equilibrium cases as well as dynamic ones from mechanics even if they know the discipline's criteria and formulae. Our aim is to study the impact of a specific and innovative classroom session, containing well-chosen situations that address students' misconceptions. We propose an example of Active Learning experiment based both on the Didactical Engineering methodology and the Conceptual Fields Theory that aims at promoting a conceptual change in students. The chosen methodology allows, at the same time, a proper design of the student learning activities, an accurate monitoring of the students' rational use during the tasks and provides an internal tool for the evaluation of the session's efficiency. Although the expected starting conceptual change was detected, it would require another activity in order to be reinforced.

Encouraging Teachers to Build Collaborations with Researchers; Examples From the Classroom (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kane, M.

2013-12-01

Bringing experts into our schools allows for highly engaging lessons, encourages career thinking, adds authenticity to the topic, and allows student's questions to be answered by experts. Researchers can physically visit classrooms or appear through presentation technologies, such as Skype, or Google Hangouts. Virtual visits allow students to see laboratories and field sites. Collaborating with scientists builds the connective tissue that helps all educators and our students learn more deeply. When K-12 teachers collaborate with scientists and graduate students, teachers learn more science, and scientists learn more teaching. This growth of background knowledge is a win-win situation and helps us meet the expectations of the Common Core State Standards. Teachers need to feel encouraged to contact their local or regional scientists for support. Reaching out into the universities to make contact with polar scientists or graduate students is a good place to start. Building professional networks allows PI's to address the 'broader impact' requirement on many grant applications, and helps spread the university's work in the polar regions out to the general public. These collaborations also give teachers expert insights and current data to build authentic lessons, and excite their students to seek careers in the sciences. This presentation will focus on three completed interactive opportunities I have built with researchers in my classroom. Students adding daily sediment to their sediment core, after communications from the field with scientist Heidi Roop in Alaska.

Randomized response estimates for the 12-month prevalence of cognitive-enhancing drug use in university students.

PubMed

Dietz, Pavel; Striegel, Heiko; Franke, Andreas G; Lieb, Klaus; Simon, Perikles; Ulrich, Rolf

2013-01-01

To estimate the 12-month prevalence of cognitive-enhancing drug use. Paper-and-pencil questionnaire that used the randomized response technique. University in Mainz, Germany. A total of 2569 university students who completed the questionnaire. An anonymous, specialized questionnaire that used the randomized response technique was distributed to students at the beginning of classes and was collected afterward. From the responses, we calculated the prevalence of students taking drugs only to improve their cognitive performance and not to treat underlying mental disorders such as attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder, depression, and sleep disorders. The estimated 12-month prevalence of using cognitive-enhancing drugs was 20%. Prevalence varied by sex (male 23.7%, female 17.0%), field of study (highest in students studying sports-related fields, 25.4%), and semester (first semester 24.3%, beyond first semester 16.7%). To our knowledge, this is the first time that the randomized response technique has been used to survey students about cognitive-enhancing drug use. Using the randomized response technique, our questionnaire provided data that showed a high 12-month prevalence of cognitive-enhancing drug use in German university students. Our study suggests that other direct survey techniques have underestimated the use of these drugs. Drug prevention programs need to be established at universities to address this issue. © 2013 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.

STEM field courses that increase interest, opinions and confidence in conservation- related fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, B. A.; Freeman, A. S.; Donovan, C.; Cooperstein, D.; Foellmer, M.; Ward, A.

2016-12-01

Students in the Environmental Studies and Biology programs at Adelphi University, situated in the NYC metropolitan area, have had little exposure to the outdoors or nature and are often reluctant to engage in field activities. We developed three courses to provide outdoor experiences at different levels of intensity, financial and travel/ time commitments. Adelphi in Australia is a three-week field course taught mostly at a marine station that includes day and night hikes, snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and independent research. Adelphi in the U.S. Virgin Islands is a one-week field `starter course' focusing on snorkeling and hiking. Observing Nature is an on-campus, once a week course with nature-based readings, weekend hikes and camping. It was developed after Hurricane Sandy revealed a lack of experience and confidence living without some modern infrastructure. We evaluated student opinions, interests and career goals in a survey administered at the start and at the end of the course that focused on knowledge, skills, opinion, and interest in STEM. Opinion questions addressed confidence, awareness of conservation issues, and interest in outdoor activities. The survey confirmed most of our students have a limited relationship with the outdoors when they start our field classes. More than half had never camped. Most had learned about nature through school trips and family. When asked to rank hiking against other activities, the majority regularly placed hiking below `going to the beach' and 'watching a movie'. The post-survey asked how students would apply what they had learned (interest in the environment; staying in the sciences). The generally positive results indicate the courses play an important role in connecting our students with the outdoors, and may have a lasting impact if they in turn connect others or get involved with local conservation programs.

Human Rights: Its Meaning and Practice in Social Work Field Settings.

PubMed

Steen, Julie A; Mann, Mary; Restivo, Nichole; Mazany, Shellene; Chapple, Reshawna

2017-01-01

The goal of the study reported in this article was to explore the conceptualizations of human rights and human rights practice among students and supervisors in social work field settings. Data were collected from 35 students and 48 supervisors through an online survey system that featured two open-ended questions regarding human rights issues in their agency and human rights practice tasks. Responses suggest that participants encountered human rights issues related to poverty, discrimination, participation/self-determination/autonomy, violence, dignity/respect, privacy, and freedom/liberty. They saw human rights practice as encompassing advocacy, service provision, assessment, awareness of threats to clients' rights, and the nature of the worker-client relationship. These results have implications for the social work profession, which has an opportunity to focus more intently on change efforts that support clients' rights. The study points to the possibilities of expanding the scope of the human rights competency within social work education and addressing the key human rights issues in field education. © 2016 National Association of Social Workers.

College Students' Possible L2 Self Development in an EFL Context during the Transition Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhan, Ying; Wan, Zhi Hong

2016-01-01

In the field of second language learning motivation, the studies on process-oriented nature of possible L2 selves are scarce. In order to address this research gap, this study explored how a group of five Chinese non-English-major undergraduates developed their possible L2 selves during the transition year from high school to university. The…

Reflections on the Future of Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders: A Response to Colvin, Forness, and Nelson

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peck, Alec F.; Albrecht, Susan Fread; George, Cheryl L.; Mathur, Sarup R.; Paget, Mike; Ryan, Joseph B.; White, Richard B.; Baker, Diana

2012-01-01

In issue 37(1) of this journal, the authors published the findings of three studies addressing the status of Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD) as an organization and of the field of special education for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD). In order to continue discussion of the status of CCBD, the editors…

Does the Field of EBD Need a Distinct Set of "Intensive" Interventions or More Systemic Intensity within a Continuum of Social/Emotional Supports?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Timothy J.

2016-01-01

The challenges of educating children and youth with intensive social, emotional, and academic needs have been well documented. Students with emotional/ behavioral disorders (EBD) present a range of daily challenges from low intensity, high frequency chronic behaviors such as poor school attendance, disrespect addressed to adults and peers,…

Evaluation Roots Reconsidered: Asa Hilliard, a Fallen Hero in the "Nobody Knows My Name" Project, and African Educational Excellence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hood, Stafford; Hopson, Rodney K.

2008-01-01

Asa Hilliard has left his mark, and his name belongs in the pantheon of esteemed African American scholars, educational researchers, teachers, and activists. Although his work has served as a clarion call for an Afrocentric orientation in psychology and education to address the needs of African American students, his contributions to the field's…

Women in physics: Reducing the gender gap at the college level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Donnell, Christine; Cunningham, Beth

2015-12-01

In the United States, too few women in college obtain physics degrees. This policy analysis examines different strategies for addressing the gap through improving physics courses and providing additional support to students. It re-commends that, although several options could be effective, stakeholders should prioritize implementing psychological interventions, and they should collaborate with groups from other STEM fields, humanities, and other interests.

How does questioning influence nursing students' clinical reasoning in problem-based learning? A scoping review.

PubMed

Merisier, Sophia; Larue, Caroline; Boyer, Louise

2018-06-01

Problem-based learning is an educational method promoting clinical reasoning that has been implemented in many fields of health education. Questioning is a learning strategy often employed in problem-based learning sessions. To explore what is known about the influence of questioning on the promotion of clinical reasoning of students in health care education, specifically in the field of nursing and using the educational method of problem-based learning. A scoping review following Arksey and O'Malley's five stages was conducted. The CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC, Medline, and PubMed databases were searched for articles published between the years of 2000 and 2017. Each article was summarized and analyzed using a data extraction sheet in relation to its purpose, population group, setting, methods, and results. A descriptive explication of the studies based on an inductive analysis of their findings to address the aim of the review was made. Nineteen studies were included in the analysis. The studies explored the influence of questioning on critical thinking rather than on clinical reasoning. The nature of the questions asked and the effect of higher-order questions on critical thinking were the most commonly occurring themes. Few studies addressed the use of questioning in problem-based learning. More empirical evidence is needed to gain a better understanding of the benefit of questioning in problem-based learning to promote students' clinical reasoning. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Addressing the difficulty of changing fields in geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Civilini, F.; Savage, M. K.

2014-12-01

Geophysics is a wonderfully diverse field of study, encompassing a variety of disciplines greatly different from one other. Even within the same discipline, various branches of study can have drastically different vocabulary and methodologies. The difficulty of breaking this "jargon" barrier is also an important reminder for scientists of how critical it is to clearly and concisely convey information. This presentation will focus on strategies that students can focus on to ease a transition between fields in geophysics. I believe that a student changing disciplines should proceed in the following steps: [1] Do a cursory literature review to find a review paper of the desired topic and work backwards through the details until a level of understanding or recognition is reached, [2] Obtain a clear physical understanding of the data and methods of the proposed study, and [3] Establish a support network through the research group or elsewhere which will recognize the areas in which the student is behind and offer remedies in a supportive and productive manner. These strategies are based on my own personal experience changing from music to geophysics in my undergrad and working on projects spanning various subdisciplines of geophysics during my Masters and PhD. It is worthwhile for research groups to spend the time to mentor students switching from other disciplines because those students will in time be able to observe the research in a different way than their peers, and easily adapt to changes of direction within the research.

Better Categorizing Misconceptions Using a Contemporary Cognitive Science Lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, S. J.; Slater, T. F.

2013-12-01

Much of the last three decades of discipline-based education research in the geosciences has focused on the important work of identifying the range and domain of misconceptions students bring into undergraduate science survey courses. Pinpointing students' prior knowledge is a cornerstone for developing constructivist approaches and learning environments for effective teaching. At the same time, the development of a robust a priori formula for professors to use in mitigating students' misconceptions remains elusive. An analysis of the literature and our own research has persuaded researchers at the CAPER Center for Astronomy & Physics Education Research to put forth a model that will allow professors to operate on students' various learning difficulties in a more productive manner. Previously, much of the field's work binned erroneous student thinking into a single construct, and from that basis, curriculum developers and instructors addressed student misconceptions with a single instructional strategy. In contrast, we propose a model based on the notion that 'misconceptions' are a mixture of at least four learning barriers: incorrect factual information, inappropriately applied mental algorithms (phenomenological primitives), insufficient cognitive structures (e.g. spatial reasoning), and affective/emotional difficulties (e.g. students' spiritual commitments). In this sense, each of these different types of learning barriers would be more effectively addressed with an instructional strategy purposefully targeting these different attributes. Initial applications of this model to learning problems in geosciences have been fruitful, suggesting that an effort towards categorizing persistent learning difficulties in the geosciences beyond the single generalized category of 'misconceptions' might allow our community to more effectively design learning experiences for our students and the general public

Evaluating the impact of role-playing simulations on global competency in an online transnational engineering course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wold, Kari

Successfully interacting with those from different cultures is essential to excel in any field, particularly when global, transnational collaborations in the workplace are increasingly common. However, many higher education students in engineering are not explicitly taught how to display the global competency skills desired by future employers. To display global competency skills means students must be able to visibly respect and recognize differences among those from different cultures. Global competency also means students must be able to show they can adjust their behaviors and integrate others' ideas when working with those with cultural backgrounds other than their own. While these skills are now deemed essential for future engineers, many institutions are struggling with determining which strategies and activities are universally effective to allow students to practice the global competency skills now crucial for success. Immersing engineering students in interactive role-playing simulations in transnational environments is one way institutions are encouraging students to illustrate and develop global competency skills. Role-playing simulations in transnational education provide environments where students adopt roles, interact with other students, and together explore and address realistic global problems. However, no studies have addressed whether or how role-playing simulations can help develop global competency in transnational engineering courses, students' perceptions regarding whether they change their abilities to display global competency in those environments, and their perspectives the effectiveness of using role-playing simulations for this purpose. To address this gap, this study assesses the impact of two subsequent role-playing simulations involving nuclear energy policy in a transnational course involving engineering students from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, and from Technische Universitat Dortmund in Dortmund, Germany. The differences in students' self-reports regarding whether their behaviors showing global competency skills changed were insignificant from pretests and posttests. However, data obtained from observations, surveys, and interviews showed students did increase their abilities to display global competency, and they believed role-playing simulations were useful in helping them do so. Findings from this study inform program designers and instructors on how to help students display, and improve their abilities to display, the global competency skills that will help them succeed in the world that awaits them.

Preparing Graduate Students for Solar System Science and Exploration Careers: Internships and Field Training Courses led by the Lunar and Planetary Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaner, A. J.; Kring, D. A.

2015-12-01

To be competitive in 21st century science and exploration careers, graduate students in planetary science and related disciplines need mentorship and need to develop skills not always available at their home university, including fieldwork, mission planning, and communicating with others in the scientific and engineering communities in the U.S. and internationally. Programs offered by the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) address these needs through summer internships and field training programs. From 2008-2012, LPI hosted the Lunar Exploration Summer Intern Program. This special summer intern program evaluated possible landing sites for robotic and human exploration missions to the lunar surface. By the end of the 2012 program, a series of scientifically-rich landing sites emerged, some of which had never been considered before. Beginning in 2015 and building on the success of the lunar exploration program, a new Exploration Science Summer Intern Program is being implemented with a broader scope that includes both the Moon and near-Earth asteroids. Like its predecessor, the Exploration Science Summer Intern Program offers graduate students a unique opportunity to integrate scientific input with exploration activities in a way that mission architects and spacecraft engineers can use. The program's activities may involve assessments and traverse plans for a particular destination or a more general assessment of a class of possible exploration targets. Details of the results of these programs will be discussed. Since 2010 graduate students have participated in field training and research programs at Barringer (Meteor) Crater and the Sudbury Impact Structure. Skills developed during these programs prepare students for their own thesis studies in impact-cratered terrains, whether they are on the Earth, the Moon, Mars, or other solar system planetary surface. Future field excursions will take place at these sites as well as the Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field. Skills developed during the Zuni-Bandera training will prepare students for their own thesis studies of volcanic provinces on any solar system planetary surface where basaltic volcanism has occurred. Further details of these field trainings will also be discussed.

Using local research sites to engage undergraduates in environmental science research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varner, R. K.

2016-12-01

For the first time in their undergraduate experience, students in the University of New Hampshire's Techniques in Environmental Science course are immersed in learning approaches to scientific investigation that they can implement as part of their senior capstone research experience or other REU type programs. The course begins with an understanding of the value of note taking in the field and working collaboratively in groups. The students then embark upon a series of field experiences that include using both simple and complex tools for mapping elevation, species composition and above ground biomass estimates in a forest and wetland, carbon cycling through measurement of greenhouse gas exchange at both a wetland and at an organic dairy farm, assessing hydrology and water quality through both ground and surface water measurements at locations on campus, and finally analysis of atmospheric chemistry data collected locally. Over the course of a semester the students learn how to describe their methodology and the importance of their work concisely. Eventually the students are given instrumentation and a field site and learn to ask their own research question and develop their approach to answering it. This course model provides a foundation for students to pursue their capstone research experiences but also for understanding complex environmental questions such as the impact of land use change on water and air quality and carbon cycling and its role in our climate system. Students are provided a unique opportunity to address questions at field sites that are local and are part of larger research programs which allows for a larger context to place their work. This course has also been a framework for the NSF funded REU program- Northern Ecosystems Research for Undergraduates (EAR#1063037). Sallie's Fen, a wetland research site, is used as an initial field setting for students to learn techniques, build their ability to ask research questions and to plan research approaches, all skills required for them to be successful in their research in northern Sweden where they spend the next four weeks studying the impact of climate change in a region of thawing permafrost.

Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Structure from Motion teaching resources for undergraduate field education courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt-Sitaula, B. A.; Shervais, K.; Crosby, C. J.; Douglas, B. J.; Niemi, N. A.; Wang, G.; Charlevoix, D. J.

2015-12-01

Fieldwork is an integral part of the geosciences and there is a longstanding tradition of teaching field methods as part of the undergraduate curriculum. As new technology changes the ways in which we scientifically examine the Earth, and as workforce development demands evolve, there is growing interest in introducing these new technologies into field education courses. In collaboration with field education instructors, UNAVCO, the National Science Foundation's geodetic facility, has developed a module of teaching resources to integrate terrestrial lidar scanning into field courses. An NSF facility is well positioned to develop scalable resources that can then be distributed or adapted for broader implementation. The modules can also be accomplished using Structure from Motion methods in place of lidar scanning. Modules goals are for students to be able to: (A) design and conduct a complex TLS survey to address a geologic research question and (B) articulate the societal impetus for answering these research questions and identify why TLS is the appropriate method in some circumstances. The module is comprised of five units: (1) Introduction to survey design, (2) Stratigraphic section analysis, (3) Fault scarp analysis, (4) Geomorphic change detection, (5) Student-led survey design summative assessment. The modules, apart from the Introduction, are independent, thus select modules can be employed in a given field setting. Prototype module materials were developed from the last five years of UNAVCO support of undergraduate field courses. The current versions of the modules were tested in summer 2015 at the Indiana University and University of Michigan field camps. Results show that the majority of students are able to achieve the intended learning goals. Module materials are available on the UNAVCO Education and Community Engagement website.

Factors affecting the matriculation of African American undergraduate students in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Alfred L., II

Previous research studies indicated that African Americans remain severely underrepresented in the field of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET), making up only 3% of that workforce, while representing 11.1% of all professional and related workers and 12.6% of the general population. As this country moves towards a more culturally diverse population, then representation of African Americans in SMET-related fields must be addressed in order to ensure our nation's competitiveness in a global market. This research study analyzed characteristics of African American undergraduate SMET majors participating in the Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP) program in six different states located in the Southeast region of the United States. These states consisted of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. AMP program participants completed a survey questionnaire, which collected information about potential factors that could affect their matriculation in SMET programs of studies at their respective institutions. Follow-up interviews and focus group sessions were also conducted with AMP participants to provide supplemental information to the survey data. The results of student responses were analyzed according to the type of institution the students attended (Historically Black College or University and Majority White Institution) as well as by the statewide Alliance program in which the students were involved. The students responded to survey questions that asked for their reasons for majoring in their field of study, their level of satisfaction with their institution, their impressions of student support programs and persons, their impressions of faculty and advisors, their reasons for thinking of switching majors, and their level of high school preparation. Statistical analyses of the student responses found that African American AMP students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities differed from those attending Majority White Institutions in terms of their means for achieving future goals, their reasons for thinking of switching majors, their impressions of faculty and advisors, their beliefs that there was too much effort/stress involved in their major field, and their level of high school preparation and achievement. Further analyses determined that the five participating Alliances only differed in student opinions about the support provided by the AMP program/director.

Supporting Research and Technology Activities for a Microwave Observing Program to Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarter, Jill; Backus, Peter

1995-01-01

Curriculum materials based on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) were developed for grades 3 through 9 science classes. The project was supported in part by NASA. Six teacher's guides, plus ancillary visuals, addressing topics in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geosciences, and physics as well as mathematics, social sciences, and language arts, were designed by a team of teachers, scientists. curriculum developers, and artists. First drafts were piloted by 10 design team teachers; revised drafts were field tested by 109 teachers in 30 states. Extensive feedback from these teachers and their students and reviews by scientists were used to revise materials prior to submission to the publisher. The field test teachers overall ranking of all guides (data from individual lesson feedback forms) was 431 on a one low to five high scale; 85% found the content appropriate to course and grade level and 75% indicated they had no reservations about using the materials again or recommending them to colleagues. The ratio of liked to disliked student responses (from 1305 student letters) was 70:30. Most recommendations from the teachers, students, and science reviewers were incorporated in the final versions for the guides, published by Libraries Unlimited/Teacher Ideas Press, 1995.

Developing learning community model with soft skill integration for the building engineering apprenticeship programme in vocational high school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutrisno, Dardiri, Ahmad; Sugandi, R. Machmud

2017-09-01

This study aimed to address the procedure, effectiveness, and problems in the implementation of learning model for Building Engineering Apprenticeship Training Programme. This study was carried out through survey method and experiment. The data were collected using questionnaire, test, and assessment sheet. The collected data were examined through description, t-test, and covariance analysis. The results of the study showed that (1) the model's procedure covered preparation course, readiness assessment, assignment distribution, handing over students to apprenticeship instructors, task completion, assisting, field assessment, report writing, and follow-up examination, (2) the Learning Community model could significantly improve students' active learning, but not improve students' hard skills and soft skills, and (3) the problems emerging in the implementation of the model were (1) students' difficulties in finding apprenticeship places and qualified instructors, and asking for relevant tasks, (2) teachers' difficulties in determining relevant tasks and monitoring students, and (3) apprenticeship instructors' difficulties in assigning, monitoring, and assessing students.

Better Field Instruction by Using Jigsaw Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sammons, J. I.; Murray, D. P.

2006-12-01

Do any of these sound familiar? Most of my students do well at field stops, but there are always the few at the back. I'd like to guest speak at the local High School, but the students have too little background. I wish I could spark the interest of my introductory classes. Jigsaw is the solution to these problems. This easy-to-apply technique puts students in the driver's seat. They make the inferences-they own the discovery. You'll see that "A-ha!" as though it were a first time event. Jigsaw brings new excitement to familiar activities for every student in your class, even that guy in the back. Best of all, the technique does not depend on the style or force of personality of the instructor. It is easy to learn and suitable for use by Teaching Assistants. Here's how it works: 1. Identify the critical concepts necessary for a full understanding of the field stop or activity. 2. Divide your class into Expert Groups. The members of each Expert Group will master one of these critical concepts. 3.Dissolve the Expert Groups. Divide your class into new Jigsaw Groups to address the field stop or activity. Each Jigsaw Group includes members from each Expert Group. Like pieces of a puzzle, each Jigsaw Group member brings a critical piece to the problem. This talk will demonstrate Jigsaw Groups in action at a field stop. You'll see the crucial identification of critical concepts, small lab explorations carried out by the Expert Groups to master their assigned concepts, and Jigsaw Groups working a complex geological feature. You'll learn how to trouble-shoot less-than-successful first attempts and you'll leave with a step-by-step template that will allow you to adapt your existing activities to Jigsaw technique.

Getting to Know and Address Your State Science Standards to Connect Classroom Instruction and Field Trips During IYA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bednarski, Marsha; Larsen, K.

2008-05-01

Astronomy activities often pose problems for in-service teachers, especially at the elementary level, as many do not have a solid content background. Often astronomy instruction revolves around reading and answering questions. This is not an effective way to work with abstract concepts or engage students, and also fails to meet the standards of inquiry-based instruction recommended by the National Science Teachers Association and national and state standards. Science museums and planetariums bring unique and exciting perspectives to astronomy education. However, bringing students to the museum can sometimes be perceived as only a "cool field trip.” With mounting pressure for teachers to teach to the new standardized tests demanded by No Child Left Behind, and shrinking school budgets, field trips are rapidly becoming an endangered species. Coordinating museum, science center, and planetarium offerings with national and state science standards can renew interest in (and perceived relevance of) field trips. Therefore, university faculty, in-service teachers, and museum/planetarium staff can form successful partnerships which can both improve student learning and increase attendance at informal education science events and facilities. This workshop will first briefly introduce participants to national and representative state standards as well as research on in-service teachers’ astronomy content knowledge and the educational value of field trips. For the majority of the workshop, participants will engage in the actual steps of coordinating, planning, and writing inquiry-based astronomy curriculum embedded performance tasks that collectively meet the learning needs of students in elementary, middle, or high school. Participants are encouraged to bring a copy of their own state standards (available on their state's Department of Education website) for their preferred target age group.

Training in summarizing notes: Effects of teaching students a self-regulation study strategy in science learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nebres, Michelle

The last two decades of national data assessments reveal that there has been a sharp decline in nationwide standardized test scores. International assessment data show that in 2012 a very low amount of American students were performing at proficiency or above in science literacy. Research in science literacy education suggests that students benefit most when they are self-regulated (SR) learners. Unfortunately, SR poses a challenge for many students because students lack these skills. The effects of having learned few SR strategies at an early age may lead to long term learning difficulties--preventing students from achieving academic success in college and beyond. As a result, some researchers have begun to investigate how to best support students' SR skills. In order for studying to be successful, students need to know which SR study strategies to implement. This can be tricky for struggling students because they need study strategies that are well defined. This needs to be addressed through effective classroom instruction, and should be addressed prior to entering high school in order for students to be prepared for higher level learning. In this study, students underwent a treatment in which they were taught a SR study strategy called summarizing notes. A crossover repeated measures design was employed to understand the effectiveness of the treatment. Results indicated a weak, but positive correlation between how well students summarized notes and how well they performed on science tests. Self-regulation skills are needed because these are the types of skills young adults will use as they enter the workforce. As young adults began working in a professional setting, they will be expected to know how to observe and become proficient on their own. This study is pertinent to the educational field because it is an opportunity for students to increase SR, which affords students with the skills needed to be a lifelong learner.

Women, Innovation and Aerospace Event

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-03-08

NASA Deputy Administrator, Lori Garver, gives the keynote address at the Women, Innovation and Aerospace event celebrating Women's History Month at the George Washington University Jack Morton Auditorium, Thursday, March 8, 2012 in Washington. The WIA day-long event will help to foster a discussion for students and early career professionals about how to continue to encourage women to enter and succeed in the field of aerospace. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Women, Innovation and Aerospace Event

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-03-08

NASA Deputy Administrator, Lori Garver, far right, gives the keynote address at the Women, Innovation and Aerospace event celebrating Women's History Month at the George Washington University Jack Morton Auditorium, Thursday, March 8, 2012 in Washington. The WIA day-long event will help to foster a discussion for students and early career professionals about how to continue to encourage women to enter and succeed in the field of aerospace. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Does the Field of Study Influence the Choice of Leadership? A Cross Cultural Comparison of Business vs Non-Business Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monahan, Michael; Shah, Amit; Bao, Yan; Rana, Jyoti

2015-01-01

China and India are the two most populous countries on the planet. To deal with the myriad of challenges and opportunities these countries face will require leadership. The future leaders who will address many of these issues come from institutions of higher education. But, do these students have the requisite leadership training and does it vary…

Foreign nationals who receive science or engineering Ph.D.`s from US universities: Stay rates and characteristics of stayers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finn, M.G.; Pennington, L.A.; Anderson, K.H.

1995-04-01

This report studies the behavior of foreign nationals who received Ph.D. degrees in science or engineering from US universities during the period 1984--1990. It addresses two distinct questions: What proportion of foreign students stay to work in the United States after graduation; and do foreign students who leave the United States differ from those who stay? Descriptive statistics are provided to answer the first question. These estimates of stay rates have small margins of error because they were produced from the tax payment records of the Social Security Administration. The estimates of stay rates in also provide a partial answermore » to the second question as well as we are able to provide stay rates for different degree fields and different countries of citizenship, thereby identifying country-specific and field-specific differences in stay rates.« less

Student Perceptions of Peer Credibility Based on Email Addresses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Livermore, Jeffrey A.; Scafe, Marla G.; Wiechowski, Linda S.; Maier, David J.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate students' perceptions of their peer's credibility based on email addresses. The survey was conducted at a community college in Michigan where all students were registered and actively taking at least one course. The survey results show that a student's selection of an email address does influence other…

Faculty Perceptions of Student Credibility Based on Email Addresses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Livermore, Jeffrey A.; Wiechowski, Linda S.; Scafe, Marla G.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate faculty perceptions of student credibility based on email addresses. The survey was conducted at an upper division business school in Michigan where all students have completed at least two years of college courses. The survey results show that a student's selection of an email address does influence the…

ED51: Using International Networks to Develop the Future Global Geoscience Workforce

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velasco, E. E.; Pangman, P.; Jacobs, R. L.

2011-12-01

Developed nations face the immediate need to replace the current wave of retiring geoscientists at the same time developing nations need to build an infrastructure to train future geoscientists. But what does a successful geoscientist look like? Recruiters seem to favor candidates from respected universities that pair applied book knowledge with excellent communication skills and the ability to take a multidisciplinary approach to challenges. Students should be global thinking, business minded, and socially aware. The Society of Exploration Geophysicists as a successful global society addresses the needs of a growing diverse membership through an international approach. Student membership has doubled over the past five years to almost 10,000. The Society is building momentum through targeted, yet diverse programs. Students are eager to participate in the unique SEG/Chevron Student Leadership Symposium, SEG/ExxonMobil Student Education Program, Challenge Bowls, Student Expositions, Honorary Lecturer presentations and related events. These are transformative educational opportunities that provide the impetus for expanded and very effective international networking and transfer of knowledge. As SEG's students build on these relationships and newly acquired leadership skills, they affect the scope and breadth of SEG Student Chapter activities. There has been a resulting increase in multi-country field camps. The Geoscientists Without Borders° humanitarian program provides cross-cultural field opportunities that demonstrate how applied geoscience can make a difference in the global society, while providing students with valuable workforce skills that employers seek. These collaborative efforts are facilitated by social media and on-line communities that cause boundaries to dissolve and time zones to become irrelevant.

Setting policy priorities to address eating disorders and weight stigma: views from the field of eating disorders and the US general public

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The prevalence and health consequences of eating disorders and weight stigmatization have prompted increasing discussion of potential policy actions to address these public health issues. The present study aimed to assess support for policy strategies to address eating disorders and weight stigmatization among the general public and relevant health professionals. Methods An Internet survey was fielded to a national sample of 944 US adults and 1,420 members of professional organizations specializing in eating disorders to examine their support for 23 potential policy strategies to address eating disorders and weight stigma. Participants also rated policy actions according to their potential for positive impact and feasible implementation. Results Support for the majority of health and social policies was high in both samples. For example, strategies to 1) improve school-based health curriculum to include content aimed at preventing eating disorders, 2) require training for educators and health providers on the prevention and early identification of eating disorders, and 3) implement school-based anti-bullying policies that that protect students from being bullied about their weight, were supported by over two-thirds of participants. Conclusions Our findings suggest that both health and social policy actions will be important in broader policy initiatives to address eating disorders and weight stigma. PMID:24884645

The role of treatment fidelity on outcomes during a randomized field trial of an autism intervention

PubMed Central

Mandell, David S; Stahmer, Aubyn C; Shin, Sujie; Xie, Ming; Reisinger, Erica; Marcus, Steven C

2013-01-01

This randomized field trial comparing Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research and Structured Teaching enrolled educators in 33 kindergarten-through-second-grade autism support classrooms and 119 students, aged 5–8 years in the School District of Philadelphia. Students were assessed at the beginning and end of the academic year using the Differential Ability Scales. Program fidelity was measured through video coding and use of a checklist. Outcomes were assessed using linear regression with random effects for classroom and student. Average fidelity was 57% in Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research classrooms and 48% in Structured Teaching classrooms. There was a 9.2-point (standard deviation = 9.6) increase in Differential Ability Scales score over the 8-month study period, but no main effect of program. There was a significant interaction between fidelity and group. In classrooms with either low or high program fidelity, students in Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research experienced a greater gain in Differential Ability Scales score than students in Structured Teaching (11.2 vs 5.5 points and 11.3 vs 8.9 points, respectively). In classrooms with moderate fidelity, students in Structured Teaching experienced a greater gain than students in Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research (10.1 vs 4.4 points). The results suggest significant variability in implementation of evidence-based practices, even with supports, and also suggest the need to address challenging issues related to implementation measurement in community settings. PMID:23592849

A compelling practice: empowering future leaders in the medical humanities.

PubMed

Runyan, Aliye; Ellington, Katherine; Wershof Schwartz, Andrea

2013-12-01

Medical students and faculty explore the medical humanities for diverse reasons: as a medium for self-reflection, a means to cultivate professionalism and humanism, and a way to gain an appreciation for the broader contexts in which illness and health occur. One important area for development is increasing the exposure of learners and clinicians of various levels of training to the medical humanities and to role models in the field. Student-led programs in the medical humanities at the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) address these needs by offering unique opportunities for learning and sharing experiences. AMSA programs connect physicians-in-training using technology to create virtual communication and learning opportunities. These include monthly book discussion webinars, the Writers' Institute and the Medical Humanities Scholars Program (MHSP).

Mi-STAR Unit Challenges serve as a model for integrating earth science and systems thinking in a Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned curriculum.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gochis, E. E.; Tubman, S.; Matthys, T.; Bluth, G.; Oppliger, D.; Danhoff, B.; Huntoon, J. E.

2017-12-01

Michigan Science Teaching and Assessment Reform (Mi-STAR) is developing an NGSS-aligned middle school curriculum and associated teacher professional learning program in which science is taught and learned as an integrated body of knowledge that can be applied to address societal issues. With the generous support of the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, Mi-STAR has released several pilot-tested units through the Mi-STAR curriculum portal at mi-star.mtu.edu. Each of these units focuses on an ongoing `Unit Challenge' investigation that integrates STEM content across disciplinary boundaries, stimulates interest, and engages students in using scientific practices to address 21st century challenges. Each Mi-STAR unit is connected to a Unifying NGSS Crosscutting Concept (CCC) that allows students to recognize the concepts that are related to the phenomena or problems under investigation. In the 6th grade, students begin with an exploration of the CCC Systems and System Models. Through repeated applications across units, students refine their understanding of what a system is and how to model a complex Earth system. An example 6th grade unit entitled "Water on the Move: The Water Cycle," provides an example of how Mi-STAR approaches the use of Unifying CCCs and Unit Challenges to enhance middle school students' understanding of the interconnections of Earth system processes and human activities. Throughout the unit, students use a series of hands-on explorations and simulations to explore the hydrologic cycle and how human activity can alter Earth systems. Students develop new knowledge through repeated interactions with the Unit Challenge, which requires development of system models and construction of evidence-based arguments related to flooding problems in a local community. Students have the opportunity to make predictions about how proposed land-use management practices (e.g. development of a skate-park, rain garden, soccer field, etc.) can alter the earth-system processes. Students present their findings and recommendations in a public forum format. Student-learning outcomes are measured using a combination of formative and summative assessments that address students' proficiency with science and engineering content and practices in conjunction with the unit's Unifying CCC.

Staying Engaged: Knowledge and Research Needs in Student Engagement

PubMed Central

Wang, Ming-Te; Degol, Jessica

2016-01-01

In this article, we review knowledge about student engagement and look ahead to the future of study in this area. We begin by describing how researchers in the field define and study student engagement. In particular, we describe the levels, contexts, and dimensions that constitute the measurement of engagement, summarize the contexts that shape engagement and the outcomes that result from it, and articulate person-centered approaches for analyzing engagement. We conclude by addressing limitations to the research and providing recommendations for study. Specifically, we point to the importance of incorporating more work on how learning-related emotions, personality characteristics, prior learning experiences, shared values across contexts, and engagement in nonacademic activities influence individual differences in student engagement. We also stress the need to improve our understanding of the nuances involved in developing engagement over time by incorporating more extensive longitudinal analyses, intervention trials, research on affective neuroscience, and interactions among levels and dimensions of engagement. PMID:27087833

Ten years of Developing International Volcanology Graduate Study Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, W. I.

2010-12-01

In 2000 I reported at this symposium about multi-institutional graduate field trips to IAVCEI events, such as the Bali meeting and its importance in building international collegiality and awareness among the volcanology doctoral students. NSF was an enthusiastic supporter of these field sessions and this support has continued through the highly successful Pucon and Reykjavik sessions. International volcanology graduate program development began with several exchange programs. EHaz was a highly successful program (McGill, Simon Fraser, Michigan Tech, Buffalo, UNAM and Universidad de Colima) funded by the Department of Education (FIPSE) that moved students across North America where dozens of graduate students spent semesters of their study abroad and shared annual field trips and online student led graduate seminar classes. Michigan Tech’s volcanology graduate program started a Masters International program that combined Peace Corps service with hazards mitigation graduate study and students were placed by Peace Corps in countries with prominent natural hazards. The new program funded 2 year residences in foreign environments, principally in Pacific Latin America. NSF strongly supported this program from its inception, and eventually it gained NSF PIRE support. Dozens of students have initiated the 3 year program (15 completed) to date. A similar PIRE developed at UAF with a link to volcanology in the Russian Far East. One gain is the development of many socially-conscious research selections. Beginning this year transatlantic dual degree masters programs in volcanology are being offered by a consortium of US and European volcanology programs (Michigan Tech, Buffalo, Clermont Ferrand and University of Milan Bicocca), again aided by FIPSE funding. Students have dual advisors on both sides of the Atlantic and spend about half of their two year programs in Europe and half in US. Faculty also travel in the program and the four campuses are increasingly linked by coursework and research networks. Because the international developments of volcanology programs address the need for more robust coursework and research choices for students than are possible on one campus, and because they lead to a diverse network of professional contacts , we think the next decade will bring many more multi-university volcanology programs linked to field sites all over the world.

Young Women's Conference in STEM: Our starting point for getting women into STEM fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, Deedee; Zwicker, Andrew; Greco, Shannon; Dominguez, Arturo

2015-11-01

The number of women in STEM careers is staggeringly low; just one in seven engineers are female and only 27% of all computer science jobs are held by women. A recent US Dept. of Commerce report found that between 2000-2011 women experienced no employment growth in STEM jobs. According to the AIP, the percentage of women in physics overall is 26% and women make up less than 7% of the fusion energy workforce. To address this problem we have, since 2001, run a conference to introduce young women to the wide range of careers in STEM fields in a way that is not part of their typical education. By introducing students in a meaningful way to successful women in STEM, from graduate students to senior researchers, the intent of the conference is to foster interest, develop mentoring relationships, and to provide role models that will have a positive influence on future educational and career choices. Data from surveys indicate that this is indeed the impact. For example, 86% of 2015 attendees indicated they are more likely to major in a scientific field after attending the conference then they were before. We are now in the process of expanding and improving the conference in order to reach more students and increase the overall impact.

The Importance of Spatial Reasoning Skills in Undergraduate Geology Students and the Effect of Weekly Spatial Skill Trainings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gold, Anne; Pendergast, Philip; Stempien, Jennifer; Ormand, Carol

2016-04-01

Spatial reasoning is a key skill for student success in STEM disciplines in general and for students in geosciences in particular. However, spatial reasoning is neither explicitly trained, nor evenly distributed, among students and by gender. This uneven playing field allows some students to perform geoscience tasks easily while others struggle. A lack of spatial reasoning skills has been shown to be a barrier to success in the geosciences, and for STEM disciplines in general. Addressing spatial abilities early in the college experience might therefore be effective in retaining students, especially females, in STEM disciplines. We have developed and implemented a toolkit for testing and training undergraduate student spatial reasoning skills in the classroom. In the academic year 2014/15, we studied the distribution of spatial abilities in more than 700 undergraduate Geology students from 4 introductory and 2 upper level courses. Following random assignment, four treatment groups received weekly online training and intermittent hands-on trainings in spatial thinking while four control groups only participated in a pre- and a posttest of spatial thinking skills. In this presentation we summarize our results and describe the distribution of spatial skills in undergraduate students enrolled in geology courses. We first discuss the factors that best account for differences in baseline spatial ability levels, including general intelligence (using standardized test scores as a proxy), major, video gaming, and other childhood play experiences, which help to explain the gender gap observed in most research. We found a statistically significant improvement of spatial thinking still with large effect sizes for the students who received the weekly trainings. Self-report data further shows that students improve their spatial thinking skills and report that their improved spatial thinking skills increase their performance in geoscience courses. We conclude by discussing the effects of the training modules on development of spatial skills, which helps to shed light on what types of interventions may be useful in leveling the playing field for students going into the geosciences and other STEM fields.

Visible Facebook profiles and e-professionalism in undergraduate medical students in India.

PubMed

Gupta, Setu; Singh, Satendra; Dhaliwal, Upreet

2015-01-01

This study aimed to assess medical students' presence on Facebook and the extent of their visible activity, with particular reference to online professionalism. This was a cross-sectional study including all medical students enrolled in the University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, India during the period of the study, which was conducted from 2011 to 2012. After approval by the Institutional Ethical Committee, the full names of all students were obtained from our institution. After creating a fictitious profile, Facebook was searched for students' profiles, and those found were examined for visible content and unprofessional behaviour. Of 611 students, 477 (78.1%) had detectable Facebook profiles. Out of 477 profiles, date of birth, address, email, phone number, religion, and political views were rarely shared; sexual orientation and relationship status were displayed on approximately one third of the profiles; and an identifiable profile picture (80.3%), field of study (51.6%), and institution (86.2%) were commonly shared . The visible content included friend lists (88.7%), photo albums (36.1%), and associations with diverse groups and pages (97.1%). Five profiles (1.05%) displayed unprofessional content, including one profile photograph depicting alcohol consumption, one association with groups relating to excessive alcohol consumption, two profiles containing sexually explicit language, and one association with a sexist page. Most of our students use Facebook's privacy settings to hide some content from others. Unprofessional content was rarely visible from a stranger's profile. However, even when hidden from strangers, unprofessional behaviour is still unprofessional behaviour. As Facebook is an integral part of life, it is important for medical educators and students to understand the implications and importance of e-professionalism. Professionalism curricula should address e-professionalism.

[Social representation of AIDS among students of Mexico City].

PubMed

Flores-Palacios, Fátima; Leyva-Flores, René

2003-01-01

To analyze the social representation of AIDS in a group of high school students aged 16 to 23 years in Mexico City. A non-probabilistic, cross-sectional research was carried out in a public high school in Mexico City. Students of all grades were invited to participate in the study, which took place between 1999 and 2000. Forty-six students participated; 28% male and 72% female. This exploratory field study consisted of three phases, each to address one of three dimensions: cognitive using free association techniques, representational field using semi-structured interviews; and context attitude by means of two discussion groups. In the latter, the information was previously collected for discussion. The cognitive nucleus on AIDS included the association between sex, disease, and death. The representational field of AIDS is constructed around the transmission-prevention unit. Construct elements are virus, contagion, sex, protection, and condom. An ambivalent attitude was identified towards HIV prevention and transmission: "We are only half responsible". Situations such as "rape, blood transfusions, infected syringes" were prominent in the discussion group, deemed beyond their control to prevent transmission, thus explaining the group's ambivalent attitude towards prevention. The usefulness of condoms was associated with prevention of pregnancy rather than with prevention of sexually transmitted infections. The social representation of HIV/AIDS in young students conforms a multidimensional corpus where different elements of scientific order and common sense converge and interact, such as beliefs, myths, taboos, and fears. All of these contribute to construct the meaning of AIDS. The English version of this paper is available at:http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html.

Mentoring for Inclusion: The Impact of Mentoring on Undergraduate Researchers in the Sciences

PubMed Central

Haeger, Heather; Fresquez, Carla

2016-01-01

Increasing inclusion of underrepresented minority and first-generation students in mentored research experiences both increases diversity in the life sciences research community and prepares students for successful careers in these fields. However, analyses of the impact of mentoring approaches on specific student gains are limited. This study addresses the impact of mentoring strategies within research experiences on broadening access to the life sciences by examining both how these experiences impacted student success and how the quality of mentorship affected the development of research and academic skills for a diverse population of students at a public, minority-serving institution. Institutional data on student grades and graduation rates (n = 348) along with postresearch experience surveys (n = 138) found that students mentored in research had significantly higher cumulative grade point averages and similar graduation rates as a matched set of peers. Examination of the relationships between student-reported gains and mentoring strategies demonstrated that socioemotional and culturally relevant mentoring impacted student development during mentored research experiences. Additionally, extended engagement in research yielded significantly higher development of research-related skills and level of independence in research. Recommendations are provided for using mentoring to support traditionally underrepresented students in the sciences. PMID:27543635

Socio-Scientific Issues in Health Contexts: Treading a rugged terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung Lee, Yeung

2012-02-01

The science-technology-society agenda has evolved over time to meet emerging educational aims in the light of changes in society and the environment. There is increasing emphasis on students' decision-making on socio-scientific issues (SSIs) not only to highlight the intricate relationships between science, technology, society, and the environment, but also to allow students to incorporate multiple viewpoints into the development of critical reasoning and responsible citizenship. Most research emphases have been on the rationality of reasoning rather than on the internal psychological context that underpins reasoning. This paper explores how these various aspects of reasoning interact in decision-making on SSIs in health contexts through case studies of recent issues in this field. The case studies reveal the negotiation of multiple influences in addressing SSIs in health contexts and the potential interactions between the psychological processes of individuals, science, and sociocultural perspectives. A tentative model to address these interactions emerges from this explorative study and has implications for the use of health-related issues in promoting SSI education.

A stepwise procedure for science communication in the field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nisancioglu, Kerim; Paasche, Øyvind

2017-04-01

Communicating and disseminating earth science to laypersons, high-school students and their teachers are becoming increasingly important considering the overwhelming impact human civilization have on the planet. One of the main challenges with this type of dissemination arises from the cross-disciplinary nature of the Earth system as it encompasses anything from cloud physics to the geological evidence of ice ages being played out on millennial time scales. During the last four years we have tested and developed an approach referred to as «Turspor» which can be translated to 'Trail Tracks'. The ambition with "Turspor" is to inspire participants to seek in-depth knowledge relating to observations of features made in the field (glacial moraines, active permafrost, clouds, winds and so forth) as we have come to learn that observations made in the field enhances students capability to grasp the bare essentials related to the phenomena in question. By engaging master and PhD students in the process we create a platform where students can improve their teaching and communicative skills through a stepwise procedure. The initial concept was tested on 35 high school students during the summer of 2012 in the mountainous area of Snøheim on Dovre, Southern Norway. Before the arrival of the high school students, the university students prepared one page written summaries describing relevant geological or meteorological features and trained on how to best disseminate a basic scientific understanding of these. Specific examples were patterned ground caused by permafrost, glacier flour, katabatic winds, and equilibrium line altitude of glaciers. Based on the success of the program over the past 4 years with field trips together with local schools, we are in the process of developing the concept to be offered as a course at the master and PhD level, including a week of training in didactics applied to topics in the geosciences as well as practical training in the field. The university students who complete the course will be in charge of guiding local high school students in the field (mostly at university field stations in the mountains of Norway), as well as follow up on the topics discussed in collaboration with the high-school teachers during a subsequent visit to the classroom. By participating in the program, high-school students will experience inquiry-based learning, adding to their understanding of the scientific process. Sites developed through this program so far have been documented with a GPS tag, detailed description, background and pictures and hosted by the Norwegian Trekking Association website: ut.no as well as an associated app. The stepwise procedure of this concept has been developed through continous interaction with teachers, students and the general public. As a consequence, our capability to address and explain many earth science features of large societal relevance such as glacier retreat, thawing permafrost, flooding, snow avalanches, vegetation dynamics and climate change in general has been greatly improved. For examples see https://www.ut.no/gruppe/8.1819/

An Analysis of Operational Art: Field Force Synchronization in Vietnam from 1965-1967

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-23

a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1...Degree Programs Robert F. Baumann, Ph.D. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student author and do not...military and social operational variables, the specific elements of operational design do not prove as useful. Muddled and cloudy perspectives of the

Research Opportunities for Undergraduate Students at Storm Peak Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas, W.; Hallar, G.

2009-12-01

GRASP (Geoscience Research at Storm Peak) is a program providing field research experiences for a diverse group of undergraduate students. GRASP is funded by the National Science Foundation. Its mission is to recruit students from underrepresented groups within the geoscience community allowing students to work and live at the Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL). Data previously collected at the facility forms the basis for continuing research projects that addresses climate change, atmospheric pollution, and cloud formation. Prior to arriving at SPL, students travel to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to learn about supercomputing, mathematical modeling, and scientific visualization. GRASP participants met at the campus of Howard University for a reunion workshop and presented their results in November 2008. This poster illustrates the given task and methods used to analyze an increased concentration of organic carbon detected between April 4 and 5, 2008 at SPL located at the summit of Mt. Warner in Steamboat Springs, Colorado at an elevation of 3,202 meters.

The Perceptions of Medical School Students and Faculty Toward Obesity Medicine Education: Survey and Needs Analysis

PubMed Central

Tanner, Bradley

2017-01-01

Background Recent trends in obesity show that over two-thirds of US adults are considered at least overweight (body mass index, BMI≥25 kg/m2) and of those, about one-third are categorized as obese (BMI≥30 kg/m2). Physicians can address the health impacts of obesity; yet research has suggested that physicians-in-training frequently fail to recognize obesity, are not properly educated regarding treatment options, and spend relatively little clinic time treating obesity. Medical school is a unique opportunity to address this area of need so that the doctors of tomorrow are prepared to treat obesity appropriately. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine perceptions of where clinical training for medical students on the topic of obesity and its treatment should improve and expand so that we could address the needs identified in a computerized clinical simulation. Methods We conducted a literature review, as well as a needs analysis with medical school students (N=17) and faculty (N=12). Literature review provided an overview of the current state of the field. Students provided input on their current needs, learning preferences, and opinions. Faculty provided feedback on current training and their perceptions of future needs. Results Most students were familiar with obesity medicine from various courses where obesity medicine was a subtopic, most frequently in Biochemistry or Nutrition, Endocrinology, and Wellness courses. Student knowledge about basic skills, such as measuring waist circumference, varied widely. About half of the students did not feel knowledgeable about recommending weight loss treatments. Most students did not feel prepared to provide interventions for patients in various categories of overweight/obesity, patients with psychosocial issues, obesity-related comorbidities, or failed weight loss attempts. However, most students did feel that it was their role as health professionals to provide these interventions. Faculty rated the following topics as most important to supplement the curriculum: patient-centered treatment of weight, bringing up the topic of weight, discussing weight and well-being, discussing the relationship between weight and comorbidities, and physician role with overweight or obese patients. Conclusions A review of the literature as well as surveyed medical students and faculty identified a need for supplementation of the current obesity medicine curriculum in medical schools. Specific needed topics and skills were identified. PMID:29122740

10 Years of Student Questions about the Sun and Solar Physics: Preparing Graduate Students to Work with Parker Solar Probe Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, N. A.; Hughes, W. J.; Wiltberger, M. J.

2017-12-01

The NSF funded CISM Space Weather Summer School is designed for graduate students who are just starting in space physics. It provides comprehensive conceptual background to the field. Insights about student understanding and learning from this summer school can provide valuable information to graduate instructors and graduate student mentors. During the school, students are invited to submit questions at the end of the lecture component each day. The lecturers then take the time to respond to these questions. We have collected over 4000 student questions over the last 15 years. A significant portion of the summer school schedule is devoted to solar physics and solar observations, and the questions submitted reflect this. As researchers prepare to work with graduate students who will analyze the data from the Parker Solar Probe, they should be aware of the sorts of questions these students will have as they start in the field. Some student questions are simply about definitions: - What is a facula/prominence/ribbon structure/arcade? - What is a Type 3 radio burst? - How is a solar flare defined? How is it different from a CME/energetic particle event? - What is the difference between "soft" and "hard" X-rays?Other student questions involve associations and correlations. - Why are solar flares associated with CME's? - Are all magnetic active regions associated with sunspots? - How does a prominence eruption compare to a CME? - Why do energetic particles follow the magnetic field lines but the solar wind does not? - Why are radio burst (F10.7 flux) associated with solar flares (EUV Flux)?Others can be topics of current research. - What is the source of the slow solar wind? - Why is there a double peak in the sunspot number the solar maximum? - Why is the corona hotter than the solar surface. What is the mechanism of coronal heating? The goal of this paper is to identify and categorize these questions for the community so that graduate educators can be aware of them and address them.

Modern Process Studies in Kongsfjord, Svalbard: Arctic Geoscience Research Experience for U.S. Undergraduates (Svalbard REU)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, R. D.; Brigham-Grette, J.

2011-12-01

The Svalbard REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program focuses on understanding how high latitude glaciers, meltwater streams, and sedimentation in lakes and fjords respond to changing climate. Since summer of 2004, six under-graduate students have been selected to participate in the summer field program. Students work on individual projects and in close conjunction with faculty advisors and other student researchers. They formulate their own research questions, develop their project, and complete their field research during a five-week program on Svalbard, Norway. Following the summer program, students complete their projects at their home institution during the following academic year as a senior thesis. A spring symposium brings all participants back together again with their final results. The most recent field season was completed in Kongsfjord (79N) showing that the contemporary studies of tidewater glacier margins provide an unparalleled opportunity for introducing motivated third year undergraduate students to the challenges and rewards of polar geoscientific field research. Rates of rapid change in this high-latitude Arctic environment emphasize the complexity of the Earth System at the interface of the ocean, atmosphere and cryosphere. Given background information in glacial and marine geology, glaciology, hydrology, climatology and fjord oceanography not routinely offered in undergraduate curricula, students develop the science questions to be addressed and establish a field plan for instrumentation and sampling. Working together in small boats in one of the most challenging natural environments, the students expand their leadership skills, learn the value of teamwork and collaborative data sharing while maintaining a strong sense of ownership over their individual science projects. The rigors of studying an actively calving tidewater glacier also builds on their outdoor skills, especially when it is necessary to improvise and become resourceful due to instrumentation failures or weather-related delays. Self-confidence and problem solving skills emerge from both field and laboratory research operations when students draw upon and expand their base of practical knowledge via trial and error. Logistical facilities in Ny Alesund offer an international experience with opportunities for dialog with scientists of a wide variety of disciplines working at research stations representing more than 12 different European and Asian countries. The program is funded by the NSF's Office of Polar Programs and has close ties and collaboration with the Norwegian University in Svalbard (UNIS) and Norsk Polar Institute scientists. NSF also funds a science teacher as a PolarTREC participant.

Bridging the Gap Between Scientists and Classrooms: Scientist Engagement in the Expedition Earth and Beyond Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, P. V.; Stefanov, W. L.; Willis, K. J.; Runco, S.

2012-01-01

Teachers in today s classrooms need to find creative ways to connect students with science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) experts. These STEM experts can serve as role models and help students think about potential future STEM careers. They can also help reinforce academic knowledge and skills. The cost of transportation restricts teachers ability to take students on field trips exposing them to outside experts and unique learning environments. Additionally, arranging to bring in guest speakers to the classroom seems to happen infrequently, especially in schools in rural areas. The Expedition Earth and Beyond (EEAB) Program [1], facilitated by the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Directorate Education Program at the NASA Johnson Space Center has created a way to enable teachers to connect their students with STEM experts virtually. These virtual connections not only help engage students with role models, but are also designed to help teachers address concepts and content standards they are required to teach. Through EEAB, scientists are able to actively engage with students across the nation in multiple ways. They can work with student teams as mentors, participate in virtual student team science presentations, or connect with students through Classroom Connection Distance Learning (DL) Events.

Core Competencies: The Challenge For Graduate Peace and Conflict Studies Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Windmueller, John; Wayne, Ellen Kabcenell; Botes, Johannes (Jannie)

2009-05-01

This article uses a case study of the assessment of a graduate program in negotiations and conflict management as a springboard for discussing several critical, but unanswered questions in our field. It raises questions regarding the lack of clear core competencies and expectations regarding curricula at the graduate-level of peace and conflict studies programs, as well as concerns over how educators in this field can or should assess their own work and train students for practice. It also addresses, via a comparative case analysis in Tajikistan, the degree to which the competencies and pedagogical approaches in this field are culturally bound. The picture that emerges from these case studies suggests that there have been important omissions in the way that the varied educational programs and the larger peace and conflict studies field itself have developed thus far.

Anthropology and Geosciences: Training and Collaboration Advancing Interdisciplinary Research of Human-environment Interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brondizio, E.; Moran, E.

2005-05-01

Over the past thirteen years the Anthropological Center for Training and Research on Global Environmental Change (ACT) at Indiana University has pioneered the use of anthropological and environmental research approaches to address issues of land use change, and population-environment interaction, particularly in the Amazon. Our research and training objectives focus on how particular local populations manage resources and how those activities may be studied by integrating time-tested ethnographic methods, survey instruments, ecological field studies, and the spatial and temporal perspectives of remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems. The globalization of the environment crisis bears the risk of the research and training at universities being purely global or large scale in nature. This would fail to take into account the highly variable local causes of human activities or to discover sustainable solutions to the use, conservation, and restoration of human ecosystems. Our approach combines institutional and international collaboration, formal and hands-on laboratory and field activities developed within an interdisciplinary environment, but based on the strength of disciplinary programs. Over the past years, we have particularly emphasized collaboration between American and Brazilian scholars and students and intense work with local farmers and communities both during data collection and field research, as well as in returning data and results using different formats. In this paper, we address our experience, the challenges and advantages of theoretical and methodological development for students approaching interdisciplinary problems, innovations in linking levels of analysis, and new opportunities for international and collaborative training and research on human-environment interaction.

The Discovery Dome: A Tool for Increasing Student Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, Corinne

2015-04-01

The Discovery Dome is a portable full-dome theater that plays professionally-created science films. Developed by the Houston Museum of Natural Science and Rice University, this inflatable planetarium offers a state-of-the-art visual learning experience that can address many different fields of science for any grade level. It surrounds students with roaring dinosaurs, fascinating planets, and explosive storms - all immersive, engaging, and realistic. Dickinson State University has chosen to utilize its Discovery Dome to address Earth Science education at two levels. University courses across the science disciplines can use the Discovery Dome as part of their curriculum. The digital shows immerse the students in various topics ranging from astronomy to geology to weather and climate. The dome has proven to be a valuable tool for introducing new material to students as well as for reinforcing concepts previously covered in lectures or laboratory settings. The Discovery Dome also serves as an amazing science public-outreach tool. University students are trained to run the dome, and they travel with it to schools and libraries around the region. During the 2013-14 school year, our Discovery Dome visited over 30 locations. Many of the schools visited are in rural settings which offer students few opportunities to experience state-of-the-art science technology. The school kids are extremely excited when the Discovery Dome visits their community, and they will talk about the experience for many weeks. Traveling with the dome is also very valuable for the university students who get involved in the program. They become very familiar with the science content, and they gain experience working with teachers as well as the general public. They get to share their love of science, and they get to help inspire a new generation of scientists.

Factors Influencing the Choice of Anesthesia as a Career by Undergraduates of the University of Rwanda.

PubMed

Chan, Denise M; Wong, Rex; Runnels, Sean; Muhizi, Epaphrodite; McClain, Craig D

2016-08-01

Rwanda currently faces a severe shortage of trained medical personnel, including physician anesthesiologists. The recruitment of residents into the anesthesia program has been consistently low. This study aimed at determining the factors that influence undergraduates' decision to pursue anesthesia as a career choice. A questionnaire was created and administered to final year undergraduate medical students at the University of Rwanda. The questionnaire was created based on factors identified from literature review and key informant interviews. The questionnaire was translated, field-tested, and refined. The final survey questionnaire contains 27 4-point Likert scale items and 4 free-text questions. Seventy-nine final year undergraduate medical students responded to the survey. Only 2 students (2.5%) chose anesthesia as their top choice for postgraduate training. The most frequently named factors for not choosing anesthesiology were long work hours and high stress level, insufficient mentorship, and low job opportunity. The issues identified by our survey must be considered when making efforts toward increasing anesthesia recruitment in Rwanda. Factors such as lack of material resources and high workload will not be easily addressed. Others can be addressed through changes in medical student anesthesiology rotations and better mentorship by anesthesiologists during formative years. Focusing on factors that can be changed now may increase enrollment into anesthesiology. Future studies will include broadening the survey population and further investigating the influencing factors elucidated by this study.

Teaching science in museums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Lynn Uyen

Museums are free-choice, non-threatening, non-evaluative learning and teaching environments. They enable learners to revisit contents, authentic objects, and experiences at their own leisure as they continually build an understanding and appreciation of the concepts. Schools in America have used museums as resources to supplement their curriculum since the 19 th century. Field trip research is predominantly from the teachers' and students' perspectives, and draws attention to the importance for classroom teachers and students to prepare prior to field trips, have tasks, goals, and objectives during their time at the museum, and follow up afterwards. Meanwhile, museum educators' contributions to field trip experiences have been scantily addressed. These educators develop and implement programs intended to help students' explore science concepts and make sense of their experiences, and despite their limited time with students, studies show they can be memorable. First, field trips are a break in the usual routine, and thus have curiosity and attention attracting power. Second, classroom science teaching literature suggests teachers' teaching knowledge and goals can affect their behaviors, and in turn influence student learning. Third, classroom teachers are novices at planning and implementing field trip planners, and museum educators can share this responsibility. But little is reported on how the educators teach, what guides their instruction, how classroom teachers use these lessons, and what is gained from these lessons. This study investigates two of these inquiries. The following research questions guided this investigation. (1) How do educators teaching one-hour, one-time lessons in museums adapt their instruction to the students that they teach? (2) How do time limitations affect instruction? (3) How does perceived variability in entering student knowledge affect instruction? Four educators from two museums took part in this participant observation study to examine one aspect of the teaching culture in museums, that is instruction during one-time science lessons. The researcher remained a passive participant in all 23 lessons observed. Data included observations, interviews, and researcher field notes. An inductive analysis model incorporating constant comparison and domain analysis methods was adopted to analyze the data. Five major findings emerged from this analysis. (1) Repeating lessons develop comfort and insight to compensate one-time nature of lessons. (2) Details within science lessons can vary according to the students. (3) A lifelong learning perspective forms the foundation for educators' choices. (4) Refine teaching to use time efficiently. (5) Educators designate roles to teachers and chaperones to maximize time. These findings had implications for museum educators, classroom teachers, and all those involved in school field trips. Recommendations for action and future research emerging from this study were listed and discussed.

Alternative conceptions of introductory geoscience students and a method to decrease them

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kortz, Karen Melissa

College students often leave introductory geoscience courses with alternative conceptions, and these alternative conceptions are a barrier to their grasp of geological conceptions. This dissertation clarifies the problem and suggests pedagogical strategies for correcting it. It is an integration of research on students' conceptions of geoscience topics with the application of that knowledge to the development of materials to change these conceptions to be more scientifically accurate. This research identifies and documents alternative conceptions students have in several key geoscience topics and the consequences of these alternative conception in terms of preventing understanding. After documenting the alternative conceptions, I investigate their sources. In addition, I develop ways in which the alternative conceptions can be addressed in classrooms in terms of non-traditional teaching techniques, and I assess the success of these methods. Chapter 1 addresses alternative conceptions in general introductory geoscience topics. I use known student alternative conceptions to develop a series of interactive materials to help reduce students' alternative conceptions. After their development, I assess the efficacy of these materials, and my research indicates that they are successful in helping students better learn the geoscience concepts. Chapter 2 deals with a particularly difficult topic for students---that of phylogenetic systematics. Students have an intuitive way of categorizing organisms, and this categorization is different from the system used by experts within the field. My investigation indicates the conceptual change required of students to fully understand the topic leads to great difficulties with learning. Drawing upon results of the research in Chapter 1, I developed and assessed interactive materials to help students better understand phylogenetic systematics. Using the insight gained from Chapters 1 and 2, Chapters 3 and 4 further examine students' conceptions in an area critical to understanding geology: rocks and their formation. My research indicates that students view rocks as objects independent from the processes that form and change them. In addition, I document students' alternative conceptions of rocks. Using these alternative conceptions, I look more deeply into the underlying factors that cause the difficulties students have with learning rocks, their formation, and their importance to the geosciences.

Willing Retention of Misbelief

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, John W.

2003-12-01

Students also ought to get a better picture of how useful chemistry is and what insights it can provide regarding crucial problems that face society. A student who has completed a general chemistry course ought to have some understanding of how chemists are addressing major problems involving energy resources, adequate supplies of pure food and water, degradation of the environment, poverty, disease, and terrorism. Even better, the student should be aware that these problems are intertwined and solving one of them at the expense of any or all of the others is not a true solution. Better yet, the student should realize that with appropriate education and experience, the student could contribute significantly to society’s efforts to solve these problems. Former ACS President Ronald Breslow has suggested on numerous occasions that students are more likely to be attracted to a field in which the student can participate in solving important problems, but we persist in teaching chemistry as if it is a dead science, where everything is already known. Both learning and the unknown are powerful challenges that can motivate students to put forth their best efforts. We ought to make better use of them.

The Seventh Annual National Conference of Black Physics Students

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crawley, Gerard M.

1993-01-01

The National Conference of Black Physics Students began in 1986 when several Black physics graduate students at MIT and Harvard decided to address the 'pipeline problem' of African Americans in physics by organizing a conference for Black physics undergraduates. The goals of the conference were: (1) to develop a network within the Black physics community, (2) to make Black students in physics, particularly at graduate level, aware of academic and professional opportunities and (3) to bring important issues and developments in the field to the attention of these students. We are pleased to announce the Seventh Annual National Conference of Black Physics Students held February 12 and 13, 1993 served the largest population of students so far. The largest conference previous to this one hosted 150 students. We registered and prepared for 240 students with 210 actually attenting. We received so many qualified abstracts for technical talks by students that instead of NCBPS's tradition of 3-4 student presentations, we ran 4 parallel sessions in different rooms with 4-5 presentations in each room. In response to comments from previous conferences, the program contained 3 workshop/discussion sessions. The topics for the interactive discussion workshops were: 'Getting Ready for Graduate School,' 'How to Succeed in Graduate School,' and 'Issues Facing Black Scientists.'

Genetic Counseling Graduate Student Debt: Impact on Program, Career and Life Choices

PubMed Central

Kuhl, Ashley; Reiser, Catherine; Eickhoff, Jens; Petty, Elizabeth M

2015-01-01

The cost of education is rising, increasing student financial aid and debt for students pursuing higher education. A few studies have assessed the impact of student debt in medicine, physical therapy and social work, but little is known about the impact of student debt on genetic counseling students and graduates. To address this gap in knowledge, a web-based study of 408 recent alumni of genetic counseling programs in North America was conducted to assess the impact of student debt on program, career and life choices. Over half (63%; n=256/408) of the participants reported that loans were extremely important in their ability to attend their training program, with most using subsidized loans no longer available to current graduate students. While participants were generally satisfied with their genetic counseling education, 83% (n=282/342) of participants with student debt reported feeling burdened by their debt, which had a median of $40,000-$50,000. This debt is relatively close to the median starting salary reported by survey participants ($45,000-$50,000), breaching the “20-10 rule” that states student debt should not exceed 20% of annual net income. In response to this critical issue, we propose recommendations for the genetic counseling field that may help alleviate student debt impact and burden. PMID:24578121

Can Financial Aid Help to Address the Growing Need for STEM Education? The Effects of Need-Based Grants on the Completion of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Courses and Degrees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castleman, Benjamin L.; Long, Bridget Terry; Mabel, Zachary

2018-01-01

Although workers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields earn above-average wages, the number of college graduates prepared for STEM jobs lags behind employer demand. A key question is how to recruit and retain college students in STEM majors. We offer new evidence on the role of financial aid in supporting STEM attainment.…

A Selected Annotated Bibliography of Educational Materials for Teachers of Limited English Speaking Vocational Students and a Selected Review of Its Literature. Technical Assistance Services: Illinois Special Needs Populations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, JoAnn; Kang, Margaret

The annotated bibliography contained in the second part of this two-part document is a presentation of the literature related to the field of English language teaching within a vocational training framework. The review, the first two/thirds of the document, addresses itself primarily to the monolingual vocational teacher who may not have at his or…

A multimedia patient simulation for teaching and assessing endodontic diagnosis.

PubMed

Littlefield, John H; Demps, Elaine L; Keiser, Karl; Chatterjee, Lipika; Yuan, Cheng H; Hargreaves, Kenneth M

2003-06-01

Teaching and assessing diagnostic skills are difficult due to relatively small numbers of total clinical experiences and a shortage of clinical faculty. Patient simulations could help teach and assess diagnosis by displaying a well-defined diagnostic task, then providing informative feedback and opportunities for repetition and correction of errors. This report describes the development and initial evaluation of SimEndo I, a multimedia patient simulation program that could be used for teaching or assessing endodontic diagnosis. Students interact with a graphical interface that has four pull-down menus and related submenus. In response to student requests, the program presents patient information. Scoring is based on diagnosis of each case by endodontists. Pilot testing with seventy-four junior dental students identified numerous needed improvements to the user interface program. A multi-school field test of the interface program using three patient cases addressed three research questions: 1) How did the field test students evaluate SimEndo I? Overall mean evaluation was 8.1 on a 0 to 10 scale; 2) How many cases are needed to generate a reproducible diagnostic proficiency score for an individual student using the Rimoldi scoring procedure? Mean diagnostic proficiency scores by case ranged from .27 to .40 on a 0 to 1 scale; five cases would produce a score with a 0.80 reliability coefficient; and 3) Did students accurately diagnose each case? Mean correct diagnosis scores by case ranged from .54 to .78 on a 0 to 1 scale. We conclude that multimedia patient simulations offer a promising alternative for teaching and assessing student diagnostic skills.

Student Perceptions of Faculty Credibility Based on Email Addresses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Livermore, Jeffrey A.; Scafe, Marla G.; Wiechowski, Linda S.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate students' perceptions of faculty credibility based on email addresses. The survey was conducted at an upper division business school in Michigan where all students have completed at least two years of college courses. The survey results show that a faculty member's selection of an email address does…

From Fysics to Phorestry: How do I engage diverse audiences in land-air interaction?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, C. K.

2011-12-01

The educational component of the CAREER award "A New Direction into Near-Surface Transport for Weak-Wind Conditions in Plant Canopies" (AGS #0955444) calls for an integration of in-classroom teaching and a new field class to provide students from across the disciplines with an opportunity to explore and learn mechanisms of land-air interactions. The charge is clear, but how do I best do this? This contribution presents a concept of how to address the diverse interests and needs with backgrounds ranging from atmospheric science & engineering to botany & forestry by emphasizing the underlying physical principles of light, heat, and water exchange that are of common interest to many scientific disciplines. The idea behind the teaching technique is to let the students escape from their rather passive role in the classroom by providing opportunities for active participation and discovery through a) developing an online syllabus created by the students for the students, b) offering field excursions to expose students to the research activities funded through this award, c) helping small student teams formulate their own research questions, develop their own experimental design, and collect and evaluate measurements in the field class. In addition to discussing the concept and giving some concrete topical examples, a summary of the student feedback received to date will also be included. However, since the award is just about to enter its second year at the time of writing, a major part of this concept still awaits implementation. Seeking input from other awardees and experienced teachers and educators is therefore intended. A secondary objective of this contribution is to describe the many positive impacts on my career that are evident even after the first year by exposing my research and teaching activities to a much broader audience including the Long-Term Ecological Research community at the HJ Andrews experimental forest in Oregon.

Beta Testing StraboSpot: Perspectives on mobile field mapping and data collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunse, E.; Graham, K. A.; Rufledt, C.; Walker, J. D.; Müller, A.; Tikoff, B.

2017-12-01

Geologic field mapping has recently transitioned away from traditional techniques (e.g. field notebooks, paper mapping, Brunton compasses) and towards mobile `app' mapping technology. The StraboSpot system (Strabo) is an open-source solution for collection and storage for geologic field, microstructural, and lab-based data. Strabo's mission is to "enable recording and sharing data within the geoscience community, encourage interdisciplinary research, and facilitate the investigation of scientific questions that cannot currently be addressed" (Walker et al., 2015). Several mobile application beta tests of the system, on both Android and Apple iOS platforms using smartphones and tablets, began in Summer 2016. Students at the 2016 and 2017 University of Kansas Field Camps used Strabo in place of ArcGIS for Desktop on Panasonic Toughbooks, to field map two study areas. Strabo was also field tested by students of graduate and undergraduate level for both geo/thermochronologic sample collection and reconnaissance mapping associated with regional tectonic analysis in California. Throughout this period of testing, the app was geared toward structural and tectonic geologic data collection, but is versatile enough for other communities to currently use and is expanding to accommodate the sedimentology and petrology communities. Overall, users in each of the beta tests acclimated quickly to using Strabo for field data collection. Some key advantages to using Strabo over traditional mapping methods are: (1) Strabo allows for consolidation of materials in the field; (2) helps students track their position in the field with integrated GPS; and (3) Strabo data is in a uniform format making it simple for geologists to collaborate. While traditional field methods are not likely to go out of style in the near future, Strabo acts as a bridge between professional and novice geologists by providing a tool that is intuitive on all levels of geological and technological experience and allows for more effective collaboration in the field. Walker, J. Douglas, et al. (2015), Development of Structural Geology and Tectonics Data System with Field and Lab Interface, Abstract IN21E-04 presented at 2015 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 14-18 Dec.

Minoritized Students In STEM Pathways at Community Colleges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babcock, Michael Jason

Community colleges are a prominent academic pathway for future scientists, engineers, and mathematicians, and serve as a gateway to higher education for traditionally marginalized student populations. Because of this, community colleges are uniquely positioned to combat the underrepresentation of African American, Latino/a, Native American, and Pacific Islander students in STEM. Research on students of color in STEM, however, has traditionally focused on K-12 schools and four-year colleges and universities, leaving a gap in our understanding about the role of community colleges in shaping student intentions to pursue STEM careers. To address that gap, this study examined students as they pursued a degree in STEM at a community college, for the purposes of contributing to our understandings of students of color in these environments. Utilizing science identity framing and longitudinal multi-case study methods, this study followed thirteen students as they navigated the community college and made decisions regarding their pursuit of a future in STEM fields. Specifically, this study illuminates the racialized nature of STEM at a community college, student thinking around choices to opt into or out of STEM, and the decision-making around choices to persist. Insight into the social and contextual factors underlying students' persistence demonstrates that students of color (especially women of color) do encounter hostile experiences within STEM contexts at community colleges, but how they respond to those hostilities influences persistence. Students who attribute hostilities such as micro-aggressions to the biases of others are more likely to persist. Students who do not attribute those hostilities to others are more likely to assume their experiences are attributable to the fact they do not belong in STEM. The findings establish the importance of recognizing and acknowledging the racialized and gendered nature of STEM, both in academic settings and at home, for those working to find belonging in fields where they have traditionally been excluded.

Improving Health with Science: Exploring Community-Driven Science Education in Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leak, Anne Emerson

This study examines the role of place-based science education in fostering student-driven health interventions. While literature shows the need to connect science with students' place and community, there is limited understanding of strategies for doing so. Making such connections is important for underrepresented students who tend to perceive learning science in school as disconnected to their experiences out of school (Aikenhead, Calabrese-Barton, & Chinn, 2006). To better understand how students can learn to connect place and community with science and engineering practices in a village in Kenya, I worked with community leaders, teachers, and students to develop and study an education program (a school-based health club) with the goal of improving knowledge of health and sanitation in a Kenyan village. While students selected the health topics and problems they hoped to address through participating in the club, the topics were taught with a focus on providing opportunities for students to learn the practices of science and health applications of these practices. Students learned chemistry, physics, environmental science, and engineering to help them address the health problems they had identified in their community. Surveys, student artifacts, ethnographic field notes, and interview data from six months of field research were used to examine the following questions: (1) In what ways were learning opportunities planned for using science and engineering practices to improve community health? (2) In what ways did students apply science and engineering practices and knowledge learned from the health club in their school, homes, and community? and (3) What factors seemed to influence whether students applied or intended to apply what they learned in the health club? Drawing on place-based science education theory and community-engagement models of health, process and structural coding (Saldana, 2013) were used to determine patterns in students' applications of their learning. Students applied learning across health topics they identified as interesting and relevant to their community: hand-washing, disease-prevention, first aid, balanced diet, and water. Students' application of their learning was influenced by internal, external, and relational factors with the community, science education factors, and cultural factors. Some factors, which may have been barriers for students to apply their learning, were turned into supports via bridging strategies used by the students and teacher. Bridging strategies allowed students to connect between their place and science in meaningful ways in the classroom. These strategies were critical in bringing students' place into the classroom and enabling students to apply their learning toward place. The model resulting from the identified factors informed existing models for sociocultural considerations in community-based health interventions. The community-engagement applied practices of science (CAPS) model serves to conceptualize findings in this study and informs an integrated method for using community-engagement education as a stimuli for students to become cultural brokers and improve community health. In addition to focusing on teaching practices of science and encouraging students to apply their learning, this research suggests that bridging strategies can be used to connect science with a students' place in meaningful ways that serve both students and their local communities.

Addressing Student Diversity and Equity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Januszyk, Rita; Miller, Emily C.; Lee, Okhee

2016-01-01

While student demographics continue to change nationwide, science achievement gaps persist, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NCES 2012). As traditional racial and ethnic minority students have become the numeric majority (NCES 2013), teaching science for all increasingly means addressing diverse student populations.…

Identifying the mathematics middle year students use as they address a community issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshman, Margaret

2017-03-01

Middle year students often do not see the mathematics in the real world whereas the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics aims for students to be "confident and creative users and communicators of mathematics" (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] 2012). Using authentic and real mathematics tasks can address this situation. This paper is an account of how, working within a Knowledge Producing Schools' framework, a group of middle year students addressed a real community issue, the problem of the lack of a teenage safe space using mathematics and technology. Data were collected for this case study via journal observations and reflections, semi-structured interviews, samples of the students' work and videos of students working. The data were analysed by identifying the mathematics the students used determining the function and location of the space and focused on problem negotiation, formulation and solving through the statistical investigation cycle. The paper will identify the mathematics and statistics these students used as they addressed a real problem in their local community.

Canopy in the Clouds: Integrating Science and Media to Inspire a New Generation of Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldsmith, G. R.; Fulton, A. D.; Witherill, C. D.

2008-12-01

Innovative approaches to science education are critical for inspiring a new generation of scientists. In a world where students are inundated with digital media inviting them to explore exciting, emerging disciplines, science often lags behind in using progressive media techniques. Additionally, science education media often neglects to include the scientists conducting research, thereby disconnecting students from the excitement, adventure, and beauty of conducting research in the field. Here we present initial work from a science education media project entitled Canopy in the Clouds. In particular, we address the goals and approach of the project, the logistics associated with generating educational material at a foreign field site, and the challenges associated with effectively integrating science and media. Canopy in the Clouds is designed to engage students in research, motivate a new generation of young scientists, and promote conservation from the perspective of a current research project being conducted in the canopy of a tropical montane cloud forest located in Monteverde, Costa Rica. The project seeks to generate curriculum based on multiple, immersive forms of novel digital media that attract and maintain student attention. By doing so from the perspective of an adventurous research project in a beautiful and highly biodiverse region, we hope to engage students in science and enhance bioliteracy. However, there are considerable logistic considerations associated with such an approach, including safety, travel, permitting, and equipment maintenance. Additionally, the goals of both the scientific research and the educational media project must be balanced in order to meet objectives in a timely fashion. Finally, materials generated in the field must be translated to viable final products and distributed. Work associated with Canopy in the Clouds will thus provide insight into this process and can serve to inform future science education and outreach efforts.

DC Rocks! Using Place-Based Learning to Introduce Washington DC's K-12 Students to the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayberry, G. C.; Mattietti, G. K.

2017-12-01

The Washington DC area has interesting geology and a multitude of agencies that deal with the geosciences, yet K-12 public school students in DC, most of whom are minorities, have limited exposure to the geosciences. Geoscience agencies in the DC area have a unique opportunity to address this by introducing the geosciences to local students who otherwise may not have such an opportunity, by highlighting the geology in the students' "backyard," and by leveraging partnerships among DC-based geoscience-related agencies. The USGS and George Mason University are developing a project called DC Rocks, which will give DC's students an exciting introduction into the world of geoscience with place-based learning opportunities that will make geoscience relevant to their lives and their futures. Both the need in DC and the potential for lasting impact are great; the geosciences have the lowest racial diversity of all the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, 89% of students in DC public schools are minorities, and there is no dedicated geoscience curriculum in DC. DC Rocks aims to give these students early exposure to the earth sciences, and encourage them to consider careers in the profession. DC Rocks will work with partner agencies to apply several methods that are recommended by researchers to increase the participation of minority students in the geosciences, including providing profoundly positive experiences that spark interest in the geosciences (Levine et al., 2007); increasing students' sense of belonging in the geosciences (Huntoon, et al, 2016); and place-based teaching practices that emphasize the study of local sites (Semken, 2005), such as DC's Rock Creek Park. DC Rocks will apply these methods by coordinating local geoscientists and resources to provide real-world examples of the geosciences' impact on students' lives. Through the DC Rocks website, educators will be able to request geoscience-related resources such as class presentations by local scientists and curricula, and students will be able to access information about geoscience-related opportunities in DC such as field trips. DC Rocks has the potential to encourage minority students to consider higher education in the geosciences by exposing them to the field early on and ultimately these students may pursue geoscience careers.

Increasing student engagement in science through field-based research: University of Idaho's WoW STEMcore Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Squires, A. L.; Boylan, R. D.; Rittenburg, R.; Boll, J.; Allan, P.

2013-12-01

A recent statewide survey assessing STEM perceptions in Idaho showed that high school student interest in science and preparation for college are declining. To address this decline we are piloting an interdisciplinary, community and field-based water science education approach for 10th - 12th grade science courses during the 2013-14 school year called WoW STEMcore. The program is led by graduate students in the University of Idaho (UI) Waters of the West (WoW) program. Our methods are based on proven best practices from eight years of NSF GK-12 experience at UI and over a decade of GK-12 experience at more than 300 programs in the U.S. WoW STEMcore works to strengthen partnerships between WoW graduate students, high school teachers, and regional organizations that work on natural resource management or place-based science education with the intent of sustaining and merging efforts to increase scientific literacy among high school students and to better prepare them for higher education. In addition, graduate students gain outreach, education and communication experience and teachers are exposed to new and relevant research content and methods. WoW STEMcore is fostering these partnerships through water themed projects at three northern Idaho high schools. The pilot program will culminate in Spring 2014 with a regional Water Summit in which all participating students and partners will converge at a two-day youth scientific conference and competition where they can showcase their research and the skills they gained over the course of the year. We hypothesize that through a graduate student-led, field-based program that gets students out of the classroom and thinking about water resource issues in their communities, we will 1) fuel high school students' interest in science through hands on and inquiry-based pedagogy and 2) improve preparation for higher education by providing graduate student mentors to discuss the pathway from high school to college to a career. In this presentation, we will share lessons learned from the first semester of the program, including the planning and design of the program, building partnerships, and leading high school students through the research process. We will also present preliminary results from a pre- and mid-year evaluation of student attitudes towards science and higher education.

Making Connections: Building Artistic Insight for Digital Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garone, Eugene A.

2010-01-01

Using three groups of community college students, this study addresses the process students Using three groups of community college students, this study addresses the process students use to construe, reformulate, and synthesize knowledge, and discusses the connection between drawing skills, sketching, and digital design production. In addition…

Promoting First-Generation College Students' Mental Well-Being: Student Perceptions of an Academic Enrichment Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanbrow Becker, Martin A.; Schelbe, Lisa; Romano, Kelly; Spinelli, Carmella

2017-01-01

Academic enrichment programs seek to address the challenges first-generation students face, but research tends to focus on academic outcomes. In this study we investigated first-generation students' perceptions of how a program addresses their mental well-being. A total of 25 undergraduate students who were enrolled in an academic enrichment…

ESSA, Equity of Opportunity, and Addressing Barriers to Learning. Research for School Improvement and Transformation. Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA, 2016

2016-01-01

The "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA) recognizes that significant numbers of students require supports to successfully meet challenging state academic standards. This brief (1) analyzes the act to assess how it addresses the nature and scope of supports to address barriers to learning and re-engage disconnected students and (2)…

Expanding Astronomy Education Innovations to the International Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Stephanie J.; Slater, Timothy F.; Tatge, Coty; Guffey, Sarah Katie

2015-08-01

In the course of learning astronomy, it is generally accepted that successful science learning experiences should result in learners developing a meaningful understanding of the nature of science as inquiry where: (i) students are engaged in questions; (ii) students are designing plans to pursue data; and (iii) students are generating and defending conclusions based on evidence they have collected. In support of these goals, we have systematically field-test three separate instructional tools that are ready to be field-tested beyond the United States. The first of these is called LECTURE-TUTORIALS. These are self-contained, classroom-ready, collaborative group activities. The materials are designed specifically to be easily integrated into the lecture course and directly address the needs of busy faculty for effective, student-centered, classroom-ready materials that do not require a drastic course revision for implementation. Students are asked to reason about difficult concepts, while working in pairs, and to discuss their ideas openly. The second of these is a series of computer-mediated, inquiry learning experiences based upon an inquiry-oriented teaching approach framed by the notions of BACKWARDS-FADED SCAFFOLDING as an overarching theme for instruction that leverage online science data. BFS is a strategy where the conventional and rigidly linear scientific method is turned on its head and students are first taught how to create conclusions based on evidence, then how experimental design creates evidence, and only at the end introduces students to - what we believe is the most challenging part of inquiry - inventing scientifically appropriate questions. Third, contemporary ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS, including the TOAST and EGGS surveys, for astronomy & geology have been developed to help teachers measure the success of their implementation. Evaluation results consistently suggest that these tools help teachers better engage students in self-directed scientific discourse and increase their knowledge.

A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Latina Engineering Students at a Community College: Intersection of Race, Gender, and Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melendez, Marnie

The United States Science, Technology, and Engineering and Math (STEM) workforce is vital to this country's economic development interests, and its ability to compete effectively in the global market. One of the greatest challenges facing that industry in the US is the current and projected shortage of engineers serving the STEM industry. Policymakers, educators, and industry leaders in the US are concerned that if the noted challenge is not addressed, the projected shortage particularly in the engineering sector, will have a significant negative impact on the economic well-being of the U.S. (Hagedorn & Purnamasari, 2012). Research supports the need to widen the net when seeking out potential STEM students, and experts have pointed to increasing recruitment of women and underrepresented students into the STEM majors and fields. This study sought a deeper understanding of the lived experience of Latinas pursuing an engineering major at a California community college. Having the Latin engineering students describe in their own words what it is like to be women of color pursuing an engineering degree at a community college made their struggle real. It helped to explore new strategies and provoke change in policies to increase student success rates for Latinas in the STEM fields specifically in engineering. To attract and retain women of color (e.g., Latinas) in STEM programs, the effort must start where many of them typically begin their higher education, in the community college system. The researcher is also recommending that educators concerned with increasing retention, persistence, and academic performance, also examine and promote practices that serve to enhance the sense of belonging among all students, especially students of color. Furthermore, this research recommends that school administrators within the community college system should reaffirm their stated mission to eradicate racial and gender discrimination within the classroom and throughout the campus. Essentially, this stresses that college administration can play a huge role in enhancing the student success of historically disadvantaged students, including women of color pursuing or aspiring to pursue a degree within the STEM field.

Reducing the ecological impact of field research.

PubMed

Bezanson, Michelle; Stowe, Rochelle; Watts, Sean M

2013-01-01

Researchers and students at biological field stations, especially in remote areas, are subject to leaving "footprints," as we conduct research, work, and live in sensitive ecosystems. These footprints include travel, personal trash and waste, and field equipment (e.g. flagging, tree markers, plot markers, trail markers, monitoring devices, etc.). In this commentary, we argue that the field of primatology's commitment to minimum impact research should be more explicitly and visibly integrated into our ethical protocols with regard to field research and instruction in sensitive environments. We review current ethical codes and potential solutions to reducing our "researcher footprints" while conducting fieldwork. Using Costa Rica as an example, we address how sustainable fieldwork differs among varying cultural contexts and argue that researchers should be made responsible and accountable for how our presence, research, and teaching might impact the environment. We conclude by recommending a set of guidelines to be added to ethical protocols regarding research design, station policies, and the conduct of research and teaching in the field. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A systematic approach to engineering ethics education.

PubMed

Li, Jessica; Fu, Shengli

2012-06-01

Engineering ethics education is a complex field characterized by dynamic topics and diverse students, which results in significant challenges for engineering ethics educators. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a systematic approach to determine what to teach and how to teach in an ethics curriculum. This is a topic that has not been adequately addressed in the engineering ethics literature. This systematic approach provides a method to: (1) develop a context-specific engineering ethics curriculum using the Delphi technique, a process-driven research method; and (2) identify appropriate delivery strategies and instructional strategies using an instructional design model. This approach considers the context-specific needs of different engineering disciplines in ethics education and leverages the collaboration of engineering professors, practicing engineers, engineering graduate students, ethics scholars, and instructional design experts. The proposed approach is most suitable for a department, a discipline/field or a professional society. The approach helps to enhance learning outcomes and to facilitate ethics education curriculum development as part of the regular engineering curriculum.

Teaching contact metamorphism, isograds, and mixed-volatile reactions: A suite-based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peck, W. H.

2003-12-01

An important goal of teaching Introductory Petrology is to demonstrate how different kinds of approaches are integrated in studying petrologic problems. Depending on the goals of the study data used can be from the field, hand-sample, microscope, electron beam instrument, or mass spectrometer. A suite of samples with a known geographical and geological context can help students in drawing connections between different petrologic approaches, as the `geologic story' of the samples becomes a unifying theme. For teaching a unit on calc-silicates I use a suite of siliceous dolomite samples collected from the Ubehebe contact aureole (Death Valley, NV) as well as published data (Roselle et al., 1997; 1999) in a linked series of laboratory exercises and problem sets. The geology of the contact aureole is introduced in a three-hour laboratory exercise, where students identify the appearance of tremolite, forsterite, and periclase/brucite and the disappearance of quartz as the intrusion is approached. A concurrent problem set uses simplified mineral assemblage maps from the aureole. In the problem set students delineate isograds and determine the balanced metamorphic reactions by which the metamorphic minerals formed. Lecture material during this unit focuses on the physical properties of fluids in the crust and the mineralogical evidence for fluid-flow (with an emphasis on mixed-volatile reactions and T-XCO2 diagrams). A concrete field example helps focus student attention on the interrelation of disparate approaches by which petrologic problems addressed. The Ubehebe suite then becomes a unifying theme throughout the course: the specimens or regional geology are used in subsequent laboratories and lectures when introducing concepts such as grain nucleation and growth, reaction overstepping, and replacement textures. A virtual field trip of the Alta aureole, UT (using field photographs, maps, and photomicrographs) concludes the unit. The geology of the Alta aureole is similar to that of Ubehebe, and the virtual field trip acts as a review that emphases the general usefulness of the approaches discussed.

Preparing for Fiscal Leadership in Student Affairs: The Senior Student Affairs Officer Voice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Stephanie C.; Williams, Terry E.

2010-01-01

Success within today's challenging economic environment mandates that senior student affairs officers in higher education possess a sophisticated financial and budgetary skill set. Limited research addresses avenues through which professionals might best acquire the financial acumen needed. To address this gap, 19 senior student affairs officers…

Wellness-Based Group Counseling with Elementary Students in Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perepiczka, Michelle

2009-01-01

Students in Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEPs) have a variety of behavior problems. School counselors in DAEPs have the opportunity to address emotional, academic, social, and behavioral concerns of these students. Counselors may use the strengths-based wellness paradigm as an alternative method of addressing students' holistic…

Addressing Student Debt in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perkins, David; Johnston, Tim; Lytle, Rick

2016-01-01

Student debt is a national concern. The authors address debt in the classroom to enhance students' understanding of the consequences of debt and the need for caution when financing their education. However, student feedback indicates this understanding has a delayed effect on borrowing behavior and underscores the importance of making difficult…

Challenges Facing Chinese International Students Studying in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ching, Yuerong; Renes, Susan L.; McMurrow, Samantha; Simpson, Joni; Strange, Anthony T.

2017-01-01

Chinese international students often find it challenging to adjust to attending college in the United States (US). There is limited research addressing Chinese international college students' adjustment in the US. Drawing on what literature exists combined with research addressing Chinese immigrants' transition and international students'…

Automated expert modeling for automated student evaluation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abbott, Robert G.

The 8th International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems provides a leading international forum for the dissemination of original results in the design, implementation, and evaluation of intelligent tutoring systems and related areas. The conference draws researchers from a broad spectrum of disciplines ranging from artificial intelligence and cognitive science to pedagogy and educational psychology. The conference explores intelligent tutoring systems increasing real world impact on an increasingly global scale. Improved authoring tools and learning object standards enable fielding systems and curricula in real world settings on an unprecedented scale. Researchers deploy ITS's in ever larger studies and increasingly use datamore » from real students, tasks, and settings to guide new research. With high volumes of student interaction data, data mining, and machine learning, tutoring systems can learn from experience and improve their teaching performance. The increasing number of realistic evaluation studies also broaden researchers knowledge about the educational contexts for which ITS's are best suited. At the same time, researchers explore how to expand and improve ITS/student communications, for example, how to achieve more flexible and responsive discourse with students, help students integrate Web resources into learning, use mobile technologies and games to enhance student motivation and learning, and address multicultural perspectives.« less

An approach to improving science knowledge about energy balance and nutrition among elementary- and middle-school students.

PubMed

Moreno, Nancy P; Denk, James P; Roberts, J Kyle; Tharp, Barbara Z; Bost, Michelle; Thomson, William A

2004-01-01

Unhealthy diets, lack of fitness, and obesity are serious problems in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control, Surgeon General, and Department of Health and Human Services are calling for action to address these problems. Scientists and educators at Baylor College of Medicine and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute teamed to produce an instructional unit, "Food and Fitness," and evaluated it with students in grades 3-7 in Houston, Texas. A field-test group (447 students) completed all unit activities under the guidance of their teachers. This group and a comparison group (343 students) completed pre and postassessments measuring knowledge of concepts covered in the unit. Outcomes indicate that the unit significantly increased students' knowledge and awareness of science concepts related to energy in living systems, metabolism, nutrients, and diet. Pre-assessment results suggest that most students understand concepts related to calories in food, exercise and energy use, and matching food intake to energy use. Students' prior knowledge was found to be much lower on topics related to healthy portion sizes, foods that supply the most energy, essential nutrients, what "diet" actually means, and the relationship between body size and basal metabolic rate.

A summer academic research experience for disadvantaged youth.

PubMed

Kabacoff, Cathryn; Srivastava, Vasudha; Robinson, Douglas N

2013-01-01

Internships are an effective way of connecting high school students in a meaningful manner to the sciences. Disadvantaged minorities have fewer opportunities to participate in internships, and are underrepresented in both science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors and careers. We have developed a Summer Academic Research Experience (SARE) program that provides an enriching academic internship to underrepresented youth. Our program has shown that to have a successful internship for these disadvantaged youth, several issues need to be addressed in addition to scientific mentoring. We have found that it is necessary to remediate and/or fortify basic academic skills for students to be successful. In addition, students need to be actively coached in the development of professional skills, habits, and attitudes necessary for success in the workplace. With all these factors in place, these youths can become better students, compete on a more level playing field in their internships, and increase their potential of participating actively in the sciences in the future.

A Summer Academic Research Experience for Disadvantaged Youth

PubMed Central

Kabacoff, Cathryn; Srivastava, Vasudha; Robinson, Douglas N.

2013-01-01

Internships are an effective way of connecting high school students in a meaningful manner to the sciences. Disadvantaged minorities have fewer opportunities to participate in internships, and are underrepresented in both science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors and careers. We have developed a Summer Academic Research Experience (SARE) program that provides an enriching academic internship to underrepresented youth. Our program has shown that to have a successful internship for these disadvantaged youth, several issues need to be addressed in addition to scientific mentoring. We have found that it is necessary to remediate and/or fortify basic academic skills for students to be successful. In addition, students need to be actively coached in the development of professional skills, habits, and attitudes necessary for success in the workplace. With all these factors in place, these youths can become better students, compete on a more level playing field in their internships, and increase their potential of participating actively in the sciences in the future. PMID:24006390

Making the Most of a Limited Opportunity: Empowering our Future Earth Science Educators by Engaging Them in Field-Based Inquiry.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levy, R.; David, H.; Carlson, D.; Kunz, G.

2004-12-01

Geoscience courses that engage students in our K-12 learning environments represent a fundamental method to increase public awareness and understanding of Earth systems science. K-12 teachers are ultimately responsible for developing and teaching these courses. We recognize that it is our role as university instructors to ensure that our future K-12 teachers receive a high-quality and practical Earth science education; unfortunately many education majors at our institution receive no formal exposure to geoscience. Furthermore, for those students who choose to take a geoscience course, the experience is typically limited to a large introductory lecture-lab. While these courses are rich in content they neither provide opportunities for students to experience `real' Earth science nor address the skills required to teach Earth science to others. In 2002 we began to develop a field-based introductory geoscience course designed specifically for education students. Our major goal was to attract education majors and provide a field-based geoscience learning experience that was challenging, exciting, and directly applicable to their chosen career. Specific objectives of our project were to: (1) teach geoscience concepts and skills that K-12 teachers are expected to understand and teach to their students (outlined in national standards); (2) provide students with an opportunity to learn through scientific inquiry; (3) enhance student confidence in their ability to teach geoscience in the K-12 classroom. We piloted a two-week field course during summer 2004. The field excursion followed a route through Nebraska and Wyoming. Instructors focused on exposing students to the Earth systems concepts and content outlined in national education standards. The primary instructional approach was to engage students in inquiry-based learning. Students were provided many opportunities to utilize science process skills including: observation, documentation, classification, questioning, formulation of hypotheses and models, and interpretation and debate. Evening `classes' on effective teaching practices were conducted at camp. A mobile library, comprising a range of K-12 Earth science curricular materials and activities, was provided for students to utilize, examine, and critique. Students were given sample boxes so that they could collect and curate Earth materials to build their own `teaching set'. Digital cameras were used to record images of natural phenomena. Each student will receive a DVD of the images to use in their future classroom activities. Near the end of the course students were asked to generate a series of lesson plans to teach plate tectonics. Evaluation of our pilot project comprised a series of pre and post instruments to measure: geoscience content knowledge, science process skills, confidence for teaching science related courses, self-efficacy for self-regulation, and student perceptions of classroom knowledge-building. Results indicate significant gains in all measures. The course instructors have also spent time reflecting on instructional approach and associated activities and will use student feedback to modify and improve the course for the future. We are currently applying the evaluation instruments to education majors taking a large lecture-lab course in order to compare outcomes between the two course models. Results will help guide future geoscience education course development.

Visible Facebook profiles and e-professionalism in undergraduate medical students in India

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Purpose: This study aimed to assess medical students’ presence on Facebook and the extent of their visible activity, with particular reference to online professionalism. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including all medical students enrolled in the University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, India during the period of the study, which was conducted from 2011 to 2012. After approval by the Institutional Ethical Committee, the full names of all students were obtained from our institution. After creating a fictitious profile, Facebook was searched for students’ profiles, and those found were examined for visible content and unprofessional behaviour. Results: Of 611 students, 477 (78.1%) had detectable Facebook profiles. Out of 477 profiles, date of birth, address, email, phone number, religion, and political views were rarely shared; sexual orientation and relationship status were displayed on approximately one third of the profiles; and an identifiable profile picture (80.3%), field of study (51.6%), and institution (86.2%) were commonly shared . The visible content included friend lists (88.7%), photo albums (36.1%), and associations with diverse groups and pages (97.1%). Five profiles (1.05%) displayed unprofessional content, including one profile photograph depicting alcohol consumption, one association with groups relating to excessive alcohol consumption, two profiles containing sexually explicit language, and one association with a sexist page. Conclusion: Most of our students use Facebook’s privacy settings to hide some content from others. Unprofessional content was rarely visible from a stranger’s profile. However, even when hidden from strangers, unprofessional behaviour is still unprofessional behaviour. As Facebook is an integral part of life, it is important for medical educators and students to understand the implications and importance of e-professionalism. Professionalism curricula should address e-professionalism. PMID:26582630

The value of place-based and in-field education for climate literacy in the Great Lakes: What role for climate and ecological researchers?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, A. R.

2012-12-01

Climate change is fundamentally global in scope and consequently, much education has focused on understanding and addressing global trends, impacts, and solutions. However, for education and outreach at the undergraduate and adult-learner level, the globe, seen as a whole, is a very abstract concept. What exactly does global temperature mean? The nature of this field can make it a frustrating experience when researchers and scholars try to educate their audiences about climate. How can climate scientists and ecologists, with limited time and training in pedagogy, make best use of their local research for regional climate education? Over the past several years, I have sought to use place-based and field-based education methods with undergraduate and graduate students at UW-Madison, tribal college students at the College of Menominee Nation, land managers, and the general public, including journalists, to help provide more concrete understanding of climate impacts in the Great Lakes region. Ecological research site fieldtrips, renewable energy installation visits, local climate measurement investigations, and short field experiments potentially have great value in this regard. I will present some case studies from these experiences and discuss what I have learned from them on effective ways that field experiences can help make the abstract global climate into concrete regional climate literacy.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Estuarine and Atmospheric Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aller, J. Y.

2009-12-01

Our program in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University is unique in emphasizing the interdisciplinary study of coastal ocean and atmospheric processes. We attract a large number of both male and female undergraduate applicants representing diverse ethnic groups from across the country. Many are multi-discipline majors merging geology, biology, chemistry, or physics with engineering, and/or mathematics and welcome the opportunity to combine their academic training to examine environmental problems. Our goal is a program reflective of today’s world and environmental challenges, one that provides a ‘hands-on’ research experience which illustrates the usefulness of scientific research for understanding real-world problems or phenomena, and one in which students are challenged to apply their academic backgrounds to develop intuition about natural systems and processes. Projects this past summer focused on assessing climate change and its effects on coastal environments and processes. Projects addressed the implications of a changing global climate over the next 50 years on hydrologic cycles and coastal environments like barrier islands and beaches, on seasonal weather conditions and extreme events, on aerosols and the Earth’s radiative balance, and on aquatic habitats and biota. Collaborative field and laboratory or computer-based projects involving two or three REU students, graduate students, and several mentors, enable undergraduate students appreciate the importance of teamwork in addressing specific scientific questions or gaining maximum insight into a particular phenomenon or process. We believe that our approach allows students to understand what their role will be as scientists in the next phase of our earth’s evolution.

A Survey of Interventional Radiology Awareness Among Final-Year Medical Students in a European Country

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leong, Sum; Keeling, Aoife N.; Lee, Michael J., E-mail: mlee@rcsi.i

2009-07-15

Interventional radiology (IR) is a rapidly expanding specialty that is facing the challenges of turf wars and personnel shortages. Appropriate exposure of medical students to this field can be vital to recruitment of potential future trainees or referring physicians. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge and views of final-year medical students in a single EU country regarding various aspects of IR. An electronic survey was sent via e-mail to all final-year medical students in a European country. The students were given a month to respond to the questionnaire. A total of 234 students of 675 (34.5%)more » replied to the survey. Of the respondents, 35% had previously completed an attachment to the radiology department. The majority of students (63%) thought their knowledge in radiology in general was poor. The percentage of students who correctly identified procedures performed by interventional radiologists was 69% for Hickman line insertion, 79% for fibroid embolization, and 67.5% for lower limb angioplasty. Sixty percent, 30%, and 47% thought that interventional radiologists perform cardiac angioplasties, perform arterial bypasses, and create AV fistulas, respectively. Forty-nine percent felt that interventional radiologists are surgically trained. Eighty-three percent of students were first made aware of angioplasty by a cardiologist. Thirty-one percent thought that interventional radiologists do ward rounds, 24% thought that interventional radiologists have admitting rights, and 26% felt that interventional radiologists run an outpatient practice. A significant number of students (76%) thought that the job prospects in IR are good or excellent but only 40.5% were willing to consider a career in IR. In conclusion, this study indicates that IR remains a nascent but attractive specialty to the majority of medical students. Further development of the existing informal undergraduate curriculum to address shortcomings will ensure that IR continues to attract the brightest talents to the field.« less

Teaching Sustainability as a Large Format Environmental Science Elective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, C.; Frisch, M.; Wagner, J.

2012-12-01

A challenge in teaching sustainability is engaging students in the global scale and immediacy of environmental impacts, and degree of societal change required to address environmental challenges. Succeeding in a large format Environmental Science elective course with a many as 100 students is an even greater challenge. ENVSC 322 Environmental Sustainability is an innovative new course integrating multiple disciplines, a wide range of external expert speakers and a hands-on community engagement project. The course, in its third year, has been highly successful and impacting for the students, community and faculty involved. The determination of success is based on student and community impacts. Students covered science topics on Earth systems, ecosystem complexity and services through readings and specialist speakers. The interconnection of society and climate was approached through global and local examples with a strong environmental justice component. Experts in a wide range of professional fields were engaged to speak with students on the role and impacts of sustainability in their particular field. Some examples are: Region VII Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Justice Director engaged students in both urban and rural aspects of environmental justice; a Principle Architect and national leader in Green architecture and redevelopment spoke with students regarding the necessity and potential for green urbanism; and industry innovators presented closed-cycle and alternative energy projects. The capstone project and highlight of the course was an individual or team community engagement project on sustainability, designed and implemented by the students. Community engagement projects completed throughout the Kansas City metro area have increased each year in number, quality and impact from 35 the first year to 70 projects this past spring. Students directly engage their communities and through this experience integrate knowledge of environmental systems with how their own society uses and impacts these systems. The direct nature of "doing" a project, not its success, can and has been transformative for many students.

A survey of interventional radiology awareness among final-year medical students in a European country.

PubMed

Leong, Sum; Keeling, Aoife N; Lee, Michael J

2009-07-01

Interventional radiology (IR) is a rapidly expanding specialty that is facing the challenges of turf wars and personnel shortages. Appropriate exposure of medical students to this field can be vital to recruitment of potential future trainees or referring physicians. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge and views of final-year medical students in a single EU country regarding various aspects of IR. An electronic survey was sent via e-mail to all final-year medical students in a European country. The students were given a month to respond to the questionnaire. A total of 234 students of 675 (34.5%) replied to the survey. Of the respondents, 35% had previously completed an attachment to the radiology department. The majority of students (63%) thought their knowledge in radiology in general was poor. The percentage of students who correctly identified procedures performed by interventional radiologists was 69% for Hickman line insertion, 79% for fibroid embolization, and 67.5% for lower limb angioplasty. Sixty percent, 30%, and 47% thought that interventional radiologists perform cardiac angioplasties, perform arterial bypasses, and create AV fistulas, respectively. Forty-nine percent felt that interventional radiologists are surgically trained. Eighty-three percent of students were first made aware of angioplasty by a cardiologist. Thirty-one percent thought that interventional radiologists do ward rounds, 24% thought that interventional radiologists have admitting rights, and 26% felt that interventional radiologists run an outpatient practice. A significant number of students (76%) thought that the job prospects in IR are good or excellent but only 40.5% were willing to consider a career in IR. In conclusion, this study indicates that IR remains a nascent but attractive specialty to the majority of medical students. Further development of the existing informal undergraduate curriculum to address shortcomings will ensure that IR continues to attract the brightest talents to the field.

Undergraduate Research in Earth Science Classes: Engaging Students in the First Two Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mogk, D. W.; Wysession, M. E.; Beauregard, A.; Reinen, L. A.; Surpless, K.; O'Connell, K.; McDaris, J. R.

2014-12-01

The recent PCAST report (2012), Engage to Excel, calls for a major shift in instructional modes in introductory (geo)science courses by "replacing standard laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses". An increased emphasis is recommended to engage students in experiments with the possibility of true discovery and expanded use of scientific research courses in the first two years. To address this challenge, the On the Cutting Edge program convened a workshop of geoscience faculty to explore the many ways that true research experiences can be built into introductory geoscience courses. The workshop goals included: consideration of the opportunities, strategies and methods used to provide research experiences for students in lower division geoscience courses; examination of ways to develop students' "geoscience habits of mind" through participation in authentic research activities; exploration of ways that student research projects can be designed to contribute to public science literacy with applications to a range of issues facing humanity; and development of strategies to obtain funding for these research projects, to make these programs sustainable in departments and institutions, and to scale-up these programs so that all students may participate. Access to Earth data, information technology, lab and field-based instrumentation, and field experiences provide unprecedented opportunities for students to engage in authentic research at early stages in their careers. Early exposure to research experiences has proven to be effective in the recruitment of students to the geoscience disciplines, improved retention and persistence in degree programs, motivation for students to learn and increase self-efficacy, improved attitudes and values about science, and overall increased student success. Workshop outcomes include an online collection of tested research projects currently being used in geoscience classes, resources related to effective design, implementation and assessment of student research projects, and all workshop activities are posted on the website: http://serc.carleton.edu/74960

Innovation in Graduate Education for Health Professionals in Humanitarian Emergencies

PubMed Central

Evans, Dabney P.; Anderson, Mark; Shahpar, Cyrus; del Rio, Carlos; Curran, James W.

2017-01-01

The objective of this report was to show how the Center for Humanitarian Emergencies (the Center) at Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia USA) has trained graduate students to respond to complex humanitarian emergencies (CHEs) through innovative educational programs, with the goal of increasing the number of trained humanitarian workers. Natural disasters are on the rise with more than twice as many occurring from 2000–2009 as there were from 1980–1989. In 2012 alone, 144 million people were affected by a natural disaster or displaced by conflict worldwide. This has created an immense need for trained humanitarian workers to respond effectively to such disasters. The Center has developed a model for educational programming that targets learners along an educational continuum ranging from the undergraduate level through continuing professional education. These programs, based in the Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) of Emory University, include: a competency-based graduate certificate program (the Certificate) in humanitarian emergencies; a fellowship program for mid-career professionals; and funded field practica. The competency-based Certificate program began in 2010 with a cohort of 14 students. Since then, 101 students have received the Certificate with 50 more due for completion in 2016 and 2017 combined. The fellowship program for mid-career professionals has hosted four fellows from conflict-affected or resource-poor countries, who have then gone on to assume leadership positions with humanitarian organizations. From 2009–2015, the field practicum program supported 34 students in international summer practicum experiences related to emergency response or preparedness. Students have participated in summer field experiences on every continent but Australia. Together the Certificate, funded field practicum opportunities, and the fellowship comprise current efforts in providing innovative education and training for graduate and post-graduate students of public health in humanitarian response. These modest efforts are just the beginning in terms of addressing the global shortage of skilled public health professionals that can coordinate humanitarian response. Evaluating existing programs will allow for refinement of current programs. Ultimately, these programs may influence the development of new programs and inform others interested in this area. PMID:27492749

Designing and implementing an undergraduate health administration program for nontraditional students.

PubMed

Borkowski, Nancy; Gordon, Jean; Rushing, John

2005-01-01

This paper describes the development and implementation of an undergraduate health administration program for nontraditional students at a Hispanic serving institution. The program had to meet the needs of a diverse, adult student population, the local community, and the future leadership requirements of the healthcare industry. As such, the program was designed as a "bridge" for full-time employed healthcare licensed professionals seeking to complete a baccalaureate degree and obtain positions in the healthcare management field. It answered the call of the local community to strengthen partnerships between business and education by offering the program at healthcare employer worksites. Furthermore, the program addressed three needs of the healthcare industry: (1) the recognized shortage of future healthcare leaders, (2) the under-representation of minorities in the industry, and (3) proposed changes in health administration programs' curricula to focus on competencies in the areas of communication skills, decision making, ethical leadership, and self-development.

Introduction to the Symposium "Leading Students and Faculty to Quantitative Biology through Active Learning".

PubMed

Waldrop, Lindsay D; Miller, Laura A

2015-11-01

The broad aim of this symposium and set of associated papers is to motivate the use of inquiry-based, active-learning teaching techniques in undergraduate quantitative biology courses. Practical information, resources, and ready-to-use classroom exercises relevant to physicists, mathematicians, biologists, and engineers are presented. These resources can be used to address the lack of preparation of college students in STEM fields entering the workforce by providing experience working on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary problems in mathematical biology in a group setting. Such approaches can also indirectly help attract and retain under-represented students who benefit the most from "non-traditional" learning styles and strategies, including inquiry-based, collaborative, and active learning. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Diverse Millennial Students in College: Implications for Faculty and Student Affairs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonner, Fred A., II, Ed.; Marbley, Aretha F., Ed.; Howard-Hamilton, Mary F., Ed.

2011-01-01

While many institutions have developed policies to address the myriad needs of Millennial college students and their parents, inherent in many of these initiatives is the underlying assumption that this student population is a homogeneous group. This book is significant because it addresses and explores the characteristics and experiences of…

Little Known, Much Needed: Addressing the Cocurricular Needs of LGBTQ Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivory, Brian T.

2012-01-01

Due to the invisible nature of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) undergraduate population, it is difficult for student affairs professionals at community colleges to identify and address the needs of sexual minority students on campus. Given the lack of literature regarding LGBTQ students at community colleges, student…

Response to Intervention with Older Students with Reading Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughn, Sharon; Fletcher, Jack M.; Francis, David J.; Denton, Carolyn A.; Wanzek, Jeanne; Wexler, Jade; Cirino, Paul T.; Barth, Amy E.; Romain, Melissa A.

2008-01-01

Addressing the literacy needs of secondary school students involves efforts to raise the achievement levels of all students and to address specifically the needs of struggling readers. One approach to this problem is to consider the application of a Response to Intervention (RTI) model with older students. We describe an approach to enhanced…

School Nurses' Perceived Prevalence and Competence to Address Student Mental Health Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephan, Sharon H.; Connors, Elizabeth H.

2013-01-01

Due to under-identification of student mental health problems and limited specialty mental health providers in schools, school nurses are often faced with identifying and addressing student mental health needs. This exploratory study assessed prevalence and types of student mental health problems encountered by school nurses, as well as their…

Comic Relief: Graduate Students Address Multiple Meanings for Technology Integration with Digital Comic Creation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sockman, Beth Rajan; Sutton, Rhonda; Herrmann, Michele

2016-01-01

This study determined the usefulness of digital comic creation with 77 graduate students in a teacher technology course. Students completed an assigned reading and created digital comics that addressed technology integration concerns in the schools and society. Using practical action research, 77 student-created comics were analyzed. The findings…

Going deeper: teaching more than the mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruck, R. A.

2013-02-01

What follows is a description of an introductory holography course titled "Lasers and Holography," taught by the author at Columbia College Chicago since 1997. Because this is a science class at an arts college with an open admissions policy, these students have many different levels of education, dissimilar backgrounds, and varied fields of interest. There are few science majors. Therefore, specific learning objectives are developed. The author contends that for many of these students it is not enough to teach the physics of making holograms. To inspire and instill a lifelong appreciation for science and physics, one must go still deeper. Students need to be touched on more than just an intellectual level. Consequently, a broader approach is used. Ultimately, it may stir students to want to learn more, and to be confident they can. The paper addresses: 1) Becoming aware of one's individual state of seeing 2) Perceptual illusions: their impact on the advancement of science 3) Promoting artistic applications and exposing students to fine art holography 4) Teaching holography as an information processing, as well as an image-making technology 5) Introducing and exploring philosophical implications of holographic principles.

Assessment Data-Informed Guidance to Individualize Kindergarten Reading Instruction: Findings from a Cluster-Randomized Control Field Trial

PubMed Central

Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Connor, Carol M; Folsom, Jessica Sidler; Greulich, Luana; Meadows, Jane; Li, Zhi

2010-01-01

The purpose of this cluster-randomized control field trial was to was to examine the extent to which kindergarten teachers could learn a promising instructional strategy, wherein kindergarten reading instruction was differentiated based upon students’ ongoing assessments of language and literacy skills and documented child characteristic by instruction (CXI) interactions; and to test the efficacy of this differentiated reading instruction on the reading outcomes of students from culturally diverse backgrounds. The study involved 14 schools and included 23 treatment (n = 305 students) and 21 contrast teacher (n = 251 students). Teachers in the contrast condition received only a baseline professional development that included a researcher-delivered summer day-long workshop on individualized instruction. Data sources included parent surveys, individually administered child assessments of language, cognitive, and reading skills and videotapes of classroom instruction. Using Hierarchical Multivariate Linear Modeling (HMLM), we found students in treatment classrooms outperformed students in the contrast classrooms on a latent measure of reading skills, comprised of letter-word reading, decoding, alphabetic knowledge, and phonological awareness (ES = .52). Teachers in both conditions provided small group instruction, but teachers in the treatment condition provided significantly more individualized instruction. Our findings extend research on the efficacy of teachers using Individualized Student Instruction to individualize instruction based upon students’ language and literacy skills in first through third grade. Findings are discussed regarding the value of professional development related to differentiating core reading instruction and the challenges of using Response to Intervention approaches to address students’ needs in the areas of reading in general education contexts. PMID:21818158

SIGKit: a New Data-based Software for Learning Introductory Geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Kruse, S.; George, O.; Esmaeili, S.; Papadimitrios, K. S.; Bank, C. G.; Cadmus, A.; Kenneally, N.; Patton, K.; Brusher, J.

2016-12-01

Students of diverse academic backgrounds take introductory geophysics courses to learn the theory of a variety of measurement and analysis methods with the expectation to be able to apply their basic knowledge to real data. Ideally, such data is collected in field courses and also used in lecture-based courses because they provide a critical context for better learning and understanding of geophysical methods. Each method requires a separate software package for the data processing steps, and the complexity and variety of professional software makes the path through data processing to data interpretation a strenuous learning process for students and a challenging teaching task for instructors. SIGKit (Student Investigation of Geophysics Toolkit) being developed as a collaboration between the University of South Florida, the University of Toronto, and MathWorks intends to address these shortcomings by showing the most essential processing steps and allowing students to visualize the underlying physics of the various methods. It is based on MATLAB software and offered as an easy-to-use graphical user interface and packaged so it can run as an executable in the classroom and the field even on computers without MATLAB licenses. An evaluation of the software based on student feedback from focus-group interviews and think-aloud observations helps drive its development and refinement. The toolkit provides a logical gateway into the more sophisticated and costly software students will encounter later in their training and careers by combining essential visualization, modeling, processing, and analysis steps for seismic, GPR, magnetics, gravity, resistivity, and electromagnetic data.

The Lived Experiences of Academic Advisors with Counseling Degrees in Addressing Wellness with College Student-Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerlach, Jennifer M.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of academic advisors who have master's degrees in counseling in addressing wellness with college student-athletes. Of particular note was to explore if they addressed wellness and, if so, how they addressed wellness. Extant literature is replete with…

A personal connection: Promoting positive attitudes towards teaching and learning.

PubMed

Lujan, Heidi L; DiCarlo, Stephen E

2017-09-01

Students' attitudes towards teaching and learning must be addressed with the same seriousness and effort as we address content. Establishing a personal connection and addressing our students' basic psychological needs will produce positive attitudes towards teaching and learning and develop life-long learners. It will also promote constructive student-teacher relationships that have a profound influence on our students' approach towards school. To begin this process, consider the major tenets of the Self-Determination Theory. The Self-Determination Theory of human motivation focuses on our students' innate psychological needs and the degree to which an individual's behavior is self-motivated and self-determined. Faculty can satisfy the innate psychological needs by addressing our students' desire for relatedness, competence and autonomy. Relatedness refers to our students' need to feel connected to others, to be a member of a group, to have a sense of communion and to develop close relationships with others. Competence is believing our students can succeed , challenging them to do so and imparting that belief in them. Autonomy involves considering the perspectives of the student and providing relevant information and opportunities for student choice and initiating and regulating their own behaviors. Establishing a personal connection and addressing our students' basic psychological needs will improve our teaching, inspire and engage our students and promote positive attitudes towards teaching and learning while reducing competition and increasing compassion. These are important goals because unless students are inspired and motivated and have positive attitudes towards teaching and learning our efforts will fail to meet their full potential. Anat Sci Educ 10: 503-507. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

Learning Styles Preferences of Statistics Students: A Study in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the UAE University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yousef, Darwish Abdulrahman

2016-01-01

Purpose: Although there are many studies addressing the learning styles of business students as well as students of other disciplines, there are few studies which address the learning style preferences of statistics students. The purpose of this study is to explore the learning style preferences of statistics students at a United Arab Emirates…

"Give It Your Best Shot!": Address to Columbia College Students Elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kroeber, Karl

2012-01-01

This article presents the address delivered by the author to Columbia college students elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society on May 18, 2009. In the address, the author talks about the work he had done that might be of interest to these students. He emphasizes two kinds of work that are interlocking, yet distinct: (1) teaching; and (2)…

An opportunity for success: Understanding motivation and learning from urban youth participation in an after school science program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catlin, Janell Nicole

This dissertation is an ethnographic study that documents through student voice the untold stories of urban student motivation to learn and engage in science through the contexts of an after school science program and the students' in-school science classrooms. The purpose of this study is to add to the literature in science education on motivation of urban youth to learn and engage in science through thick and rich descriptions of student voice. This study addresses issues in educational inequity by researching students who are historically marginalized. The focus of the study is four middle school students. The methodology employed was critical ethnography and case study. The data sources included participant observations and field notes, interviews, student artifacts, Snack and Chat, autophotography, and the researcher's reflective journal. The findings of this study state that motivating factors for urban middle school students' learning and engaging in science include a flexible and engaging curriculum, that students are empowered and motivated to learn when teachers are respectful, that urban middle school science students hold positive images about scientists, themselves and knowing science, and that urban teachers of the dominant culture believe that their urban middle school science students are motivated. In using Sociotransformative Constructivism (STC) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) the researcher informs the issues of inequity and racism that emerge from historical perspectives and students' stories about their experiences inside and outside of school. The implications state that allowing for a flexible curriculum that motivates students to make choices about what and how they want to learn and engage in science are necessary science teaching goals for urban middle school students, it is necessary that teachers are conscious of their interactions with their students, diversifying the science field through educating and empowering all students through learning science is key, and to get teachers to the point of an anti-deficit view of urban education more positive stories told by and research done with White urban science teachers must be documented.

Measuring students' attitudes toward college education's role in addressing social issues.

PubMed

Weber, James E; Weber, Paula S; Craven, Barney L

2008-06-01

As service-learning projects have spread throughout academia, efforts to assess the service-learning experience have assumed a greater importance. The BERSI scale (Business Education's Role in addressing Social Issues) was developed as a measure of business students' attitudes toward social issues being addressed as part of a business education. As such, it was intended to be useful in assessing attitudinal outcomes of service learning. In order for the BERSI to be useful for nonbusiness students, the scale would need to be reconceptualized and revalidated. This study modified the BERSI items with a focus on college students in general rather than business students, making the resulting scale, College Education's Role in addressing Social Issues (CERSI), potentially helpful to service-learning researchers in a broader setting. The CERSI scale was then validated using standard techniques and normative data were reported.

Data mining and education.

PubMed

Koedinger, Kenneth R; D'Mello, Sidney; McLaughlin, Elizabeth A; Pardos, Zachary A; Rosé, Carolyn P

2015-01-01

An emerging field of educational data mining (EDM) is building on and contributing to a wide variety of disciplines through analysis of data coming from various educational technologies. EDM researchers are addressing questions of cognition, metacognition, motivation, affect, language, social discourse, etc. using data from intelligent tutoring systems, massive open online courses, educational games and simulations, and discussion forums. The data include detailed action and timing logs of student interactions in user interfaces such as graded responses to questions or essays, steps in rich problem solving environments, games or simulations, discussion forum posts, or chat dialogs. They might also include external sensors such as eye tracking, facial expression, body movement, etc. We review how EDM has addressed the research questions that surround the psychology of learning with an emphasis on assessment, transfer of learning and model discovery, the role of affect, motivation and metacognition on learning, and analysis of language data and collaborative learning. For example, we discuss (1) how different statistical assessment methods were used in a data mining competition to improve prediction of student responses to intelligent tutor tasks, (2) how better cognitive models can be discovered from data and used to improve instruction, (3) how data-driven models of student affect can be used to focus discussion in a dialog-based tutoring system, and (4) how machine learning techniques applied to discussion data can be used to produce automated agents that support student learning as they collaborate in a chat room or a discussion board. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Teaching Resources and Instructor Professional Development for Integrating Laser Scanning, Structure from Motion, and GPS Surveying into Undergraduate Field Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt-Sitaula, B.; Charlevoix, D. J.; Douglas, B. J.; Crosby, B. T.; Crosby, C. J.; Lauer, I. H.; Shervais, K.

2017-12-01

Field experiences have long been considered an integral part of geoscience learning. However, as data acquisition technologies evolve, undergraduate field courses need to keep pace so students gain exposure to new technologies relevant to the modern workforce. Maintaining expertise on new technologies is also challenging to established field education programs. Professional development and vetted curriculum present an opportunity to advance student exposure to new geoscience data acquisition technology. The GEodesy Tools for Societal Issues (GETSI) Field Collection, funded by NSF's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program, addresses these needs in geodesy field education. Geodesy is the science of accurately measuring Earth's size, shape, orientation, mass distribution and the variations of these with time. Modern field geodesy methods include terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), kinematic and static GPS/GNSS surveying (global positioning system/global navigation satellite system), and structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry. The GETSI Field Collection is a collaborative project between UNAVCO, Indiana University, and Idaho State University. The project is provides curriculum modules and instructor training (in the form of short courses) to facilitate the inclusion of SfM, TLS, and GPS surveying into geoscience courses with field components. The first module - Analyzing High Resolution Topography with TLS and SfM - is available via SERC; (serc.carleton.edu/getsi/teaching_materials/high-rez-topo) the second module - "High Precision Positioning with Static and Kinematic GPS/GNSS" - will be published in 2018. The module development and assessment follows the standards of the InTeGrate Project (an NSF STEP Center)previously tested on geodesy content in the GETSI classroom collection (serc.carleton.edu/getsi). This model emphasizes use of best practices in STEM education, including situating learning in the context of societal importance. Analysis of student work during development and testing shows a high level of achievement of module learning goals. Two four-day short courses have been run to train instructors on best practices for integration of these topics into field courses. Overall participant satisfaction with the short courses has been 9 out of 10.

Transforming the First Year of College for Students of Color. The First-Year Experience Monograph Series No. 38

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rendon, Laura I., Ed.; Garcia, Mildred, Ed.; Person, Dawn, Ed.

2004-01-01

"Transforming the First Year of College for Students of Color" addresses some of the unique challenges and transition issues for African-American, Latino/a, Asian-Pacific American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and multiracial college students. Chapters address specific strategies for working with these student populations to ensure their success…

Addressing Stereotypes by Moving along the Continuum of Cultural Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Cheryl James

2013-01-01

Programs to help middle school students deal with racism and hate have been in place for some years, yet almost monthly we hear of students committing suicide or killing other students due to issues of isolation or harassment. Within the confines of a safe classroom, doctoral students in Educational Leadership addressed issues of stereotypes and…

Accessing Resources for Identity Development by Urban Students and Teachers: Foregrounding Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luehmann, April Lynn

2009-01-01

Many attempt to address the documented achievement gap between urban and suburban students by offering special programs to enrich urban students' academic experiences and proficiencies. Such was the case in the study described by DeGennaro and Brown in which urban students participated in an after-school technology course intended to address the…

Addressing Student Diversity and Equity: The "Next Generation Science Standards" Are Leading a New Wave of Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Januszyk, Rita; Miller, Emily C.; Lee, Okhee

2016-01-01

While student demographics continue to change nationwide, science achievement gaps persist, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NCES 2012). As traditional racial and ethnic minority students have become the numeric majority (NCES 2013), teaching science for all increasingly means addressing diverse student populations.…

Introducing Astronomy Related Research into Non-Astronomy Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Douglas

The concern over the insufficient number of students choosing to enter the science and engineering fields has been discussed and documented for years. While historically addressed at the national level, many states are now recognizing that the lack of a highly-skilled technical workforce within their states' borders has a significant effect on their economic health. Astronomy, as a science field, is no exception. Articles appear periodically in the most popular astronomy magazines asking the question, "Where are the young astronomers?" Astronomy courses at the community college level are normally restricted to introductory astronomy I and II level classes that introduce the student to the basics of the night sky and astronomy. The vast majority of these courses is geared toward the non-science major and is considered by many students to be easy and watered down courses in comparison to typical physics and related science courses. A majority of students who enroll in these classes are not considering majors in science or astronomy since they believe that science is "boring and won't produce any type of career for them." Is there any way to attract students? This paper discusses an approach being undertaken at the Estrella Mountain Community College to introduce students in selected mathematics courses to aspects of astronomy related research to demonstrate that science is anything but boring. Basic statistical techniques and understanding of geometry are applied to a large virgin data set containing the magnitudes and phase characteristics of sets of variable stars. The students' work consisted of developing and presenting a project that explored analyzing selected aspects of the variable star data set. The description of the data set, the approach the students took for research projects, and results from a survey conducted at semester's end to determine if student's interest and appreciation of astronomy was affected are presented. Using the data set provided, the students were provided the opportunity for original research and discoveries.

Enhancing Teacher and Student Engagement and Understanding of Marine Science Through Classroom Citizen Science Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodale, T. A.

2016-02-01

Overview This paper presentation shares findings from a granted funded project that sought to expand teacher content knowledge and pedagogy within the fields of marine science and coastal resource management through the implementation of classroom citizen science projects. A secondary goal was to increase middle and high school student interest and participation in marine science and natural resources research. Background A local science & engineering fair has seen a rapid decline in secondary student participants in the past four years. Research has demonstrated that when students are a part of a system of knowledge production (citizen science) they become much more aware, involved and conscious of scientific concepts compared to traditional school laboratory and nature of science activities. This project's primary objectives were to: (a) enhance teacher content expertise in marine science, (b) enrich teacher professional learning, (c) support citizen science classroom projects and inspire student activism and marine science engagement. Methods Project goals were addressed through classroom and meaningful outdoor educational experiences that put content knowledge into field based practices. Teachers learned to apply thier expanded content knowlege through classroom citizen science projects that focus on marine resource conservation issues such as fisheries management, water quality, turtle nesting and biodiversity of coastal ecosystems. These projects would eventually become potential topics of citizen science research topics for their students to pursue. Upon completion of their professional development, participants were urged to establish student Marine Science clubs with the goal of mentoring student submissions into the local science fair. Supplemental awards were possible for the students of project participants. Findings Based on project measures participants significantly increased their knowledge and awareness of presented material marine science and coastal resources. 11/14 teacher participants established citizen science clubs that focused on marine related issues. Science fair participation increased by 42% and of those students whose mentor teacher was a project participant 90% stated they would likely pursue a marine science related major in college.

School Counselors Improving Attendance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, LaWanda

2013-01-01

This study examined the outcomes of interventions used to address attendance issues at a middle school located in the Southern United States. School-wide interventions were implemented to address absenteeism of all students and individual interventions were implemented to address absenteeism with targeted students. An explanation of each…

Advanced Technology Training System on Motor-Operated Valves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiederholt, Bradley J.; Widjaja, T. Kiki; Yasutake, Joseph Y.; Isoda, Hachiro

1993-01-01

This paper describes how features from the field of Intelligent Tutoring Systems are applied to the Motor-Operated Valve (MOV) Advanced Technology Training System (ATTS). The MOV ATTS is a training system developed at Galaxy Scientific Corporation for the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry in Japan and the Electric Power Research Institute in the United States. The MOV ATTS combines traditional computer-based training approaches with system simulation, integrated expert systems, and student and expert modeling. The primary goal of the MOV ATTS is to reduce human errors that occur during MOV overhaul and repair. The MOV ATTS addresses this goal by providing basic operational information of the MOV, simulating MOV operation, providing troubleshooting practice of MOV failures, and tailoring this training to the needs of each individual student. The MOV ATTS integrates multiple expert models (functional and procedural) to provide advice and feedback to students. The integration also provides expert model validation support to developers. Student modeling is supported by two separate student models: one model registers and updates the student's current knowledge of basic MOV information, while another model logs the student's actions and errors during troubleshooting exercises. These two models are used to provide tailored feedback to the student during the MOV course.

RICO Graduate Student Research Flight: The Island Tail Objective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Small, J. D.; Anderson-Bereznicki, S. D.; Medeiros, B.; Nuijens, L.; Henry, C. K.; O'Donnell, D. M.; Morales, F.; Shen, H.

2005-12-01

The Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean (RICO) project was an intensive field project aimed to study and understand precipitation processes in trade wind cumulus. The project took place from Nov 23, 2004 until Jan 25, 2005 on two small islands of the Lesser Antilles, Antigua and Barbuda, where trade wind cumulus fields frequently occur during suppressed wintertime conditions. RICO provided a unique combination of research and education by offering the RICO Graduate Seminar Series and the development and implementation of a graduate student designed and directed research flight. One of the main goals of the graduate student research flight was to allow graduate students to participate in the process of developing a research flight plan and identifying scientific goals and objectives first-hand. Added benefits included the possibility of addressing scientific questions not included in the main RICO objectives. This also involved collaboration when discussing different ideas and initiatives and the full development of all stages of the research flight including the coordination of two research aircraft (NCAR-C130, University of Wyoming King Air), one research vessel (RV Seward Johnson), S-Pol radar site and real time operations center satellite information. Seventeen graduate students from both the US and Europe developed two different plans to be presented to RICO project principle investigators; both of which were approved. The island tail objective aimed at characterizing the line of clouds known as 'island tails' that frequently form off the leeward coast of the Caribbean islands. This objective was successful in its implementation on Jan 18, 2005 with measurements made in vigorous, waterspout producing tail clouds immediately downwind of Barbuda. The investigation of these 'tails' fills a void in current cloud physics research since it is the first time this ubiquitous feature of trade-wind islands has been the focus of careful study. Scientific questions to be addressed with data collected on the island tail include: 1) Are these clouds forced by a heated island effect or another dynamical mechanism? 2) Do islands serve merely as source regions of aerosol which act as nucleation sites? 3) Where in the island tail does rain develop, if at all? A description of the unique learning experience and the educational and scientific benefits of the graduate student research flight island tail objective are outlined and discussed.

The Impact of E-Mail Address on Credibility in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Livermore, Jeffrey A.; Scafe, Marla G.; Asher, Corinne

2016-01-01

The researchers have often been surprised to see the e-mail addresses used by our students and colleagues. Many students and faculty choose their own user names and choose their providers. E-mail addresses may provide an insight into the background and employment situation of the user. This study quantifies the impact that e-mail address choices…

"A Future for Fisheries?" Setting of a Field-based Class for Evaluation of Aquaculture and Fisheries Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macko, Stephen; O'Connell, Matthew

2016-04-01

For the first time in 2015, aquaculture yields approximately equaled global wild capture fisheries. Are either of these levels of production sustainable? This course explored the limitations of both sources of fishery landings and included legal limitations, environmental concerns and technological problems and adaptations. It made use of visits to aquaculture facilities, government laboratories like NOAA , as well as large fish distribution centers like J.J. McDowell's Seafood (Jessup, MD), and included presentations by experts on legalities including the Law of the Sea. In addition, short day-long trips to "ocean-related" locations were also used to supplement the experience and included 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 National Zoo) 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 grocery stores, or larger city markets in Washington, Baltimore and Virginia Beach, enhance the exposure to productivity in the ocean, and viability of the fisheries sustainability. 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. This new approach to such a course supplement addresses the requests by utilizing local resources and short field trips for a limited number of students 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. 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 class was encouraged to post web-based journals of experiences in order to share opinions of observations in each of the settings, including the evaluation of the foods they were consuming during the class.

The role of social cognitive theory in farm-to-school-related activities: implications for child nutrition.

PubMed

Berlin, Linda; Norris, Kimberly; Kolodinsky, Jane; Nelson, Abbie

2013-08-01

Farm-to-school (FTS) programs are gaining attention for many reasons, one of which is the recognition that they could help stem the increase in childhood overweight and obesity. Most FTS programs that have been evaluated have increased students' selection or intake of fruits and vegetables following the incorporation of FTS components. However, the wide range of activities that are typically part of FTS programs make it difficult to pinpoint which components have the greatest potential to improve students' health behaviors. Within the field of nutrition education, theory-based interventions that target the key underlying factors influencing health behavior offer the most promise. We review existing research on dietary health impacts and implications of 3 key FTS-related activities and explore the component activities of FTS in terms of their potential to address the key constructs of social cognitive theory (SCT)--which is a current best practice in the field of nutrition--suggesting that FTS programs incorporating a diverse set of activities appear to be most promising. We find that components of FTS programs incorporate many of the key theoretical constructs in SCT, and show that FTS programs have great potential to facilitate movement toward desired dietary changes. However, it is unlikely that a set of activities in any one current FTS program addresses multiple constructs of the theory in a systematic manner. More intentional inclusion of diverse activities would likely be beneficial. Future research can test these assertions. © 2013, American School Health Association.

New research on women's low participation in science and technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stout, Jane

It is well known that women have historically been and continue to be grossly underrepresented in technical fields (i.e., the physical sciences, engineering, and computing). This presentation will address the following research questions: What dissuades women from entering into a technical career track, and what are women's experiences like within technical fields? At the same time, this presentation will acknowledge a shortcoming of decades of social science research and interventions designed to improve women's interest and persistence in technical fields: a narrow definition of ``women''. Given that the majority of women in colleges and universities (i.e., the typical sites of social science research) tend to be affluent and/or White, STEM education research that relies on convenience samples at colleges and universities paints a skewed picture of gender issues in technical fields. This presentation will showcase research findings that call into question conventional conceptions of gender disparities in technical fields. Specifically, the presentation will emphasize the importance of recognizing that women constitute more than their gender; women come from a diverse array of backgrounds, which no doubt play a role in the experience of being a woman in technical fields. By understanding the experiences of women from a broad array of demographics groups, the STEM education community can develop a corresponding set of strategies to recruit and retain women with diverse interests, experiences, and values (e.g., first generation versus second college students; women of different racial/ethnic backgrounds). The aim of this presentation is to promote social science research and interventions that acknowledge the nuanced experiences of diverse women in technical fields, in order to address the seemingly intractable problem of women's underrepresentation in technical fields. NSF DUE-1431112, NSF CNS-1246649.

Student Loan Debt: Problems & Prospects. Proceedings from a National Symposium (Washington, DC, December 10, 1997).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Resources Inst., Boston, MA.

These proceedings include five papers presented at a symposium on issues related to the increasing amounts of student borrowing and resulting student debt. Also included is a synopsis of a roundtable discussion addressing core questions framed by the symposium, as well as several public policy options for addressing student loan debt burden. The…

Achieving Success with More Students: Addressing the Problem of Students At Risk, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg.

This resource book was developed to provide information that state and local leaders can use to stimulate discussion of the problem of students at risk and support the planning of initiatives that address the problem. An overview defines students at risk, summarizes the content of the book, and lists recent reports and publications on the problem…

Students as Spectators: Their Academic and Social Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clopton, Aaron

2009-01-01

There is extensive research literature addressing the impact that the college experience has on students, linking the campus environment to their persistence and graduation, satisfaction, sense of community, academic and social integration, and academic performance. Researchers have yet to fully address the connection between students identifying…

A Personal Connection: Promoting Positive Attitudes towards Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lujan, Heidi L.; DiCarlo, Stephen E.

2017-01-01

Students' attitudes towards teaching and learning must be addressed with the same seriousness and effort as we address content. Establishing a personal connection and addressing our students' basic psychological needs will produce positive attitudes towards teaching and learning and develop life-long learners. It will also promote constructive…

Earth Stewardship Science: International Research Networks based in Africa (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaines, S. M.

2010-12-01

The role of networking in student and early career years is critical in the development of international interdisciplinary earth system science. These networks - both peer and mentor-based - can build community, foster enthusiasm and further research applications in addition to the traditional goal of identifying and obtaining work. UNESCO has nearly 40 years of experience in building international research teams through the International Geoscience Program (IGCP) and has recently focused their attention on the status of the earth sciences in Africa. UNESCO’s Earth Science Education Initiative in Africa ran a series of regional scoping workshops around the continent in order to develop an integrated status report on the earth sciences in Africa. The results, which are globally relevant, indicate that the field is limited by the level of basic science education of incoming students and restricted laboratory facilities, but also by a lack of connectedness. This isolation relates both to the interaction between researchers within countries and around the world but also the divide between Universities and Industry and the failure of the field to communicate its relevance to the public. In a context where livelihood opportunities are the driver of study and the earth sciences provide a major source of income, practical academic ties to industry are an essential element of the attractiveness of the field to students. Actions and ideas for addressing this situation will be presented to reinforce the role of the earth sciences in improving human and environmental well-being.

Beyond the Classroom: The Impact of Informal STEM Experiences on Student Attitudes and Interest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scinski, Lidia

A lack of social capital can be a critical factor impeding underrepresented minority (URM) students from obtaining the mathematical and scientific background required to achieve educational and career success in STEM fields. In this study, the effects of generating and utilizing social capital within an informal STEM outreach summer camp are examined as resources in strengthening the academic pipeline for Hispanic students towards careers in STEM. Empirical studies have shown that economically disadvantaged and minority students experience larger learning losses during "unschooled" periods of time than their middle-class and White counterparts. The "faucet theory" explains how the achievement gap widens during unschooled periods of time when the resource faucet is turned off and families of students from disadvantaged backgrounds are unable to make up for these resources. Consequently, minority and students of disadvantaged backgrounds are quickly shortcircuited in taking advantage of opportunities to pursue careers in STEM fields. To address the research questions, this study employed a qualitative research design, specifically an instrumental case study design using mixed methods within a bounded program. The methods included multiple measures to collect and analyze data from focus group interviews, electronic documents, observations, and survey administrations. The sample population included forty-nine Hispanic 7th and 8th grade students from middle schools in San Diego County. Results of the study demonstrated that the informal STEM outreach summer camp positively impacted Hispanic students and increased interest and attitudes toward STEM choices. STEM programs offered during out-of-school time need to be relationship based to support young students' social and emotional development (Goldstein, Lee, & Chung, 2010). The resource faucet continued to flow during the summer for iQUEST science camp participants because they were able to tap into social capital in the surrounding community. More specifically, participants were able to generate social capital in two key forms of institutional support: "funds of knowledge" and "emotional and moral support".

Striving for Gender Equity in Academic Medicine Careers: A Call to Action

PubMed Central

Bates, Carol; Gordon, Lynn; Travis, Elizabeth; Chatterjee, Archana; Chaudron, Linda; Fivush, Barbara; Gulati, Martha; Jagsi, Reshma; Sharma, Poonam; Gillis, Marin; Ganetzky, Rebecca; Grover, Amelia; Lautenberger, Diana; Moses, Ashleigh

2018-01-01

Women represent approximately half of students entering medical schools and more than half of those entering PhD programs. When advancing through the academic and professional fields, however, women continually face barriers that men do not. In this Commentary, the authors offer ideas for coordinating the efforts of organizations, academic institutions, and leaders throughout the scientific and medical professions to reduce barriers that result in inequities and, instead, strive for gender parity. Specific areas of focus outlined by the authors include facilitating women’s access to formal and informal professional networks, acknowledging and addressing the gender pay gap as well as the lack of research funding awarded to women in the field, and updating workplace policies that have not evolved to accommodate women’s lifestyles. As academic institutions seek access to top talent and the means to develop those individuals capable of generating the change medicine and science needs, the authors urge leaders and change agents within academic medicine to address the systemic barriers to gender equity that impede us from achieving the mission to improve the health of all. PMID:27332868

Striving for Gender Equity in Academic Medicine Careers: A Call to Action.

PubMed

Bates, Carol; Gordon, Lynn; Travis, Elizabeth; Chatterjee, Archana; Chaudron, Linda; Fivush, Barbara; Gulati, Martha; Jagsi, Reshma; Sharma, Poonam; Gillis, Marin; Ganetzky, Rebecca; Grover, Amelia; Lautenberger, Diana; Moses, Ashleigh

2016-08-01

Women represent approximately half of students entering medical schools and more than half of those entering PhD programs. When advancing through the academic and professional fields, however, women continually face barriers that men do not. In this Commentary, the authors offer ideas for coordinating the efforts of organizations, academic institutions, and leaders throughout the scientific and medical professions to reduce barriers that result in inequities and, instead, strive for gender parity. Specific areas of focus outlined by the authors include facilitating women's access to formal and informal professional networks, acknowledging and addressing the gender pay gap as well as the lack of research funding awarded to women in the field, and updating workplace policies that have not evolved to accommodate women's lifestyles. As academic institutions seek access to top talent and the means to develop those individuals capable of generating the change medicine and science needs, the authors urge leaders and change agents within academic medicine to address the systemic barriers to gender equity that impede us from achieving the mission to improve the health of all.

Accessible Earth: An accessible study abroad capstone for the geoscience curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, R. A.; Lamb, D. A.

2017-12-01

International capstone field courses offer geoscience-students opportunities to reflect upon their knowledge, develop intercultural competence, appreciate diversity, and recognize themselves as geoscientists on a global scale. Such experiences are often described as pivotal to a geoscientist's education, a right of passage. However, field-based experiences present insurmountable barriers to many students, undermining the goal of inclusive excellence. Nevertheless, there remains a widespread belief that successful geoscientists are those able to traverse inaccessible terrain. One path forward from this apparent dilemma is emerging as we take steps to address a parallel challenge: as we move into the 21st century the geoscience workforce will require an ever increasing range of skills, including analysis, modeling, communication, and computational proficiency. Computer programing, laboratory experimentation, numerical simulation, etc, are inherently more accessible than fieldwork, yet equally valuable. Students interested in pursuing such avenues may be better served by capstone experiences that align more closely with their career goals. Moreover, many of the desirable learning outcomes attributed to field-based education are not unique to immersion in remote inaccessible locations. Affective and cognitive gains may also result from social bonding through extended time with peers and mentors, creative synthesis of knowledge, project-based learning, and intercultural experience. Developing an inclusive course for the geoscience curriculum requires considering all learners, including different genders, ages, physical abilities, familial dynamics, and a multitude of other attributes. The Accessible Earth Study Abroad Program endeavors to provide geoscience students an inclusive capstone experience focusing on modern geophysical observation systems (satellite based observations and permanent networks of ground-based instruments), computational thinking and methods of data science, scientific collaboration, and professional development. In this presentation, we will describe our thought process for creating the Accessible Earth curriculum, our successes to-date, and the anticipated challenges ahead.

Pulsejet engine dynamics in vertical motion using momentum conservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheche, Tiberius O.

2017-03-01

The momentum conservation law is applied to analyse the dynamics of a pulsejet engine in vertical motion in a uniform gravitational field in the absence of friction. The model predicts the existence of a terminal speed given the frequency of the short pulses. The conditions where the engine does not return to the starting position are identified. The number of short periodic pulses after which the engine returns to the starting position is found to be independent of the exhaust velocity and gravitational field intensity for a certain frequency of pulses. The pulsejet engine and turbojet engine aircraft models of dynamics are compared. Also the octopus dynamics is modelled. The paper is addressed to intermediate undergraduate students of classical mechanics and aerospace engineering.

Are medical students influenced by preceptors in making career choices, and if so how? A systematic review.

PubMed

Stagg, P; Prideaux, D; Greenhill, J; Sweet, L

2012-01-01

Increasingly medical students undertake clinical training in distributed learning environments. The driving factor for this is predominantly to address medical workforce shortages. In these environments students are often taught by private practitioners, residents, house staff and registrars, as well as faculty. Through a mix of short- and long-term preceptorships, clerkships and rotations, medical students are exposed to a wider range of preceptors, mentors and role models than has traditionally been the case. The aim of this systematic review was to understand if and how medical students' career choices are influenced by their interactions with preceptors. A search of Ovid Medline, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, PubMed, Eric and CIHNAL was undertaken. The search was structured around the key terms: Medical Student, Career Choice and Preceptor, and variants of these terms. Search limits were set to English-language publications between 1995 and 2010. A total of 36 articles met the selection criteria from the 533 citations sourced from the search. Required preceptorships as short as 3 weeks' duration influence the career choice of students when they rate the preceptor as a high quality teacher. Preceptors who are judged (by students) as high quality teachers have the greatest influence on student career choice by up to four-fold. When students judged a preceptor as being a negative role model, a poor teacher or lacking discipline specific knowledge they will turn away from that field. The positive influence of relationships between preceptors and students on career choice is strongest where there is continuity of preceptors, continuity of care, and continuity of patient interactions. The longer the duration of the preceptorship the greater the influence on student career choice, particularly in primary cares environments. This review adds to the literature by identifying how differing components and combinations of components of a preceptorship influence medical student career choices. Multiple components of the preceptorship combined have a greater influence. In free choice, longitudinal integrated clerkships' duration of placement and continuity relationships with preceptors have the greatest influence on medical students in pursuing a primary care career. This information informs medical schools, curriculum designers and policy-makers in reforming medical education to address workforce shortages.

Assessing Christian-Faith and Cognitive Development in College Students: CFCDS Instrument Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foote, Laura S.

2013-01-01

What happens when students go to college? An important outcome of college attendance is student cognitive development. Part of that developmental process is learning how to address contrasting values, beliefs, knowledge structures, and worldviews critically. This study addressed the relationship between cognitive and Christian-faith development in…

An Ethnomethodological Perspective on How Middle School Students Addressed a Water Quality Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belland, Brian R.; Gu, Jiangyue; Kim, Nam Ju; Turner, David J.

2016-01-01

Science educators increasingly call for students to address authentic scientific problems in science class. One form of authentic science problem--socioscientific issue--requires that students engage in complex reasoning by considering both scientific and social implications of problems. Computer-based scaffolding can support this process by…

"Back-Stage" Dissent: Student Twitter Use Addressing Instructor Ideology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linvill, Darren L.; Boatwright, Brandon C.; Grant, Will J.

2018-01-01

In this content analysis, we explored how students address instructor ideology in the university classroom through the social media platform Twitter. We employed Boolean search operators through Salesforce Marketing Cloud Radian6 software to gather tweets and identified English language tweets by how students referenced their instructor's…

The Research Student's Guide to Success.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cryer, Pat

This practical guide offers a British perspective to beginning, pursuing, and completing a research degree and is designed to aid graduate students in addressing a wide range of new and unfamiliar roles, expectations, and needs. Some issues addressed are specific to foreign students. An introductory section describes the guide's rationale and…

Strategies Reported Used by Instructors to Address Student Alternate Conceptions in Chemical Equilibrium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piquette, Jeff S.; Heikkinen, Henry W.

2005-01-01

This study explores general-chemistry instructors' awareness of and ability to identify and address common student learning obstacles in chemical equilibrium. Reported instructor strategies directed at remediating student alternate conceptions were investigated and compared with successful, literature-based conceptual change methods. Fifty-two…

Mental Health and Students at Risk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Alan B.

2016-01-01

This chapter addresses issues pertaining to students who are at risk, possibly due to a psychological disability. Some of the challenges institutions of higher education confront in addressing at-risk students' struggles are identified, with specific focus placed on risk management and evolving legal mandates. No content is intended to represent…

The effectiveness of the 1996 Wood Magic Science Fair as an experiential field trip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, Robert Wayne

In response to the need for evaluating the effectiveness of the 1996 Wood Magic Science Fair (WMSF) at Mississippi State University's Forest and Wildlife Research Center/Forest Products Laboratory, two tests were developed. One test was designed for third-grade students and one for fourth-grade students who would attend the WMSF. Both tests have multiple choice answers and contained thirteen questions each. Five of the questions addressed general issues of the forest products industry that would be mentioned in an opening video but not stressed in the oral presentations of the WMSF. The students would have no active involvement in these presentations. These general issue questions represent passive involvement teaching. The eight remaining questions addressed specific information that would be stressed in the WMSF oral presentations and would allow students to actively participate in the presentations. The participation of the students in these presentations represents participatory teaching. The tests were given to the students (third and fourth grades) both before they attended the fair as a pre-test and after their attendance as a post-test with the only difference being that the multiple choice answers were arranged in a different order. Classroom teachers administered the tests to the students. The test results were evaluated for each class individually. Each question was evaluated and the results recorded in a table. The general information questions were grouped together as were the specific information questions. This grouping allowed a comparison to be made between passive and participatory learning. The results from the tests will help those making the science fair presentations evaluate their materials and methods. Statistical analysis of the results would indicate which questions had a significant change in the number of correct answers between the pre-test and post-test. This information will help the Fair planners and presenters in developing future programs.

How can we strengthen students' social relations in order to reduce school dropout? An intervention development study within four Danish vocational schools.

PubMed

Ingholt, Liselotte; Sørensen, Betina Bang; Andersen, Susan; Zinckernagel, Line; Friis-Holmberg, Teresa; Frank, Vibeke Asmussen; Stock, Christiane; Tjørnhøj-Thomsen, Tine; Rod, Morten Hulvej

2015-05-22

This article describes the rationale and contents of an intervention program aimed at strengthening students' social relations in order to reduce dropout from vocational schools in Denmark. Taking its theoretical cue from the concept of 'social participation', a qualitative study was performed to investigate the specific relationships between the social environment within the schools and the institutional structures in order to analyse reasons for school dropout and their relation to well-being, cigarette smoking and substance use. The development study was based on ethnographic methods, including 22 qualitative interviews with students 17-19 years old and fieldwork with participant observations at four vocational schools over 40 days, including informal interviews and discussion meetings with managers, teachers, counselors and students. As part of the fieldwork, four additional qualitative interviews and four group interviews were conducted with students 16-25 years old. The qualitative data collection resulted in seven major themes to be addressed in the intervention: social relations, sole focus on professional skills, institutionalized individualization, importance of the introduction period, physical surroundings and schedules, tobacco and cannabis use and communication about drug use. The program addressing these themes incorporates suggestions that are meant to improve how teachers welcome new students, to enable greater integration of social and educational activities and to enhance the capacity of teachers and counselors to deal with drug use problems among students. The development of new intervention programs might benefit from adopting a theoretical and methodological perspective that enables a closer exploration of the everyday social practices in which interventions are embedded. Thus, we aimed to create a comprehensive intervention that worked through organizational changes in everyday school practices. Intervention programs must be planned in dialogue and collaboration with practitioners in the field to ensure the pertinence and usability of the program.

A Course on Terror Medicine: Content and Evaluations.

PubMed

Cole, Leonard A; Natal, Brenda; Fox, Adam; Cooper, Arthur; Kennedy, Cheryl A; Connell, Nancy D; Sugalski, Gregory; Kulkarni, Miriam; Feravolo, Michael; Lamba, Sangeeta

2016-02-01

The development of medical school courses on medical responses for disaster victims has been deemed largely inadequate. To address this gap, a 2-week elective course on Terror Medicine (a field related to Disaster and Emergency Medicine) has been designed for fourth year students at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey (USA). This elective is part of an overall curricular plan to broaden exposure to topics related to Terror Medicine throughout the undergraduate medical education. A course on Terror Medicine necessarily includes key aspects of Disaster and Emergency Medicine, though the converse is not the case. Courses on Disaster Medicine may not address features distinctively associated with a terror attack. Thus, a terror-related focus not only assures attention to this important subject but to accidental or naturally occurring incidents as well. The course, implemented in 2014, uses a variety of teaching modalities including lectures, videos, and tabletop and hands-on simulation exercises. The subject matter includes biological and chemical terrorism, disaster management, mechanisms of injury, and psychiatry. This report outlines the elective's goals and objectives, describes the course syllabus, and presents outcomes based on student evaluations of the initial iterations of the elective offering. All students rated the course as "excellent" or "very good." Evaluations included enthusiastic comments about the content, methods of instruction, and especially the value of the simulation exercises. Students also reported finding the course novel and engaging. An elective course on Terror Medicine, as described, is shown to be feasible and successful. The student participants found the content relevant to their education and the manner of instruction effective. This course may serve as a model for other medical schools contemplating the expansion or inclusion of Terror Medicine-related topics in their curriculum.

Horizontal integration of OMIM across the medical school preclinical curriculum for early reinforcement of clinical genetics principles.

PubMed

Diehl, Adam C; Reader, Lauren; Hamosh, Ada; Bodurtha, Joann N

2015-02-01

With the relentless expansion of genetics into every field of medicine, stronger preclinical and clinical medical student education in genetics is needed. The explosion of genetic information cannot be addressed by simply adding content hours. We proposed that students be provided a tool to access accurate clinical information on genetic conditions and, through this tool, build life-long learning habits to carry them through their medical careers. Surveys conducted at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine revealed that medical students in all years lacked confidence when approaching genetic conditions and lacked a reliable resource for accurate genetic information. In response, the school created a horizontal thread that stretches across the first-year curriculum and is devoted to teaching students how to use Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) (http://omim.org) and the databases to which it links as a starting point for approaching genetic conditions. The thread improved the first-year students' confidence in clinical genetics concepts and encouraged use of OMIM as a primary source for genetic information. Most students showed confidence in OMIM as a learning tool and wanted to see the thread repeated in subsequent years. Incorporating OMIM into the preclinical curriculum improved students' confidence in clinical genetics concepts.

An Approach to Improving Science Knowledge About Energy Balance and Nutrition Among Elementary- and Middle-School Students

PubMed Central

Moreno, Nancy P.; Denk, James P.; Roberts, J. Kyle; Tharp, Barbara Z.; Bost, Michelle; Thomson, William A.

2004-01-01

Unhealthy diets, lack of fitness, and obesity are serious problems in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control, Surgeon General, and Department of Health and Human Services are calling for action to address these problems. Scientists and educators at Baylor College of Medicine and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute teamed to produce an instructional unit, “Food and Fitness,” and evaluated it with students in grades 3–7 in Houston, Texas. A field-test group (447 students) completed all unit activities under the guidance of their teachers. This group and a comparison group (343 students) completed pre and postassessments measuring knowledge of concepts covered in the unit. Outcomes indicate that the unit significantly increased students' knowledge and awareness of science concepts related to energy in living systems, metabolism, nutrients, and diet. Pre-assessment results suggest that most students understand concepts related to calories in food, exercise and energy use, and matching food intake to energy use. Students' prior knowledge was found to be much lower on topics related to healthy portion sizes, foods that supply the most energy, essential nutrients, what “diet” actually means, and the relationship between body size and basal metabolic rate. PMID:15257340

College Students' Alcohol Use and Their Adherence to Health Principles: Optimism, Values, Self-Care, Relationships, Community, Nature, and Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, April

2009-01-01

Prevention of high-risk use of alcohol by college students has been studied for over 20 years. Most prevention methodology has focused on reducing supply to students rather than addressing the root causes that students use alcohol in self-abusive manner. One holistic health approach that addresses the root causes of alcohol abuse promotes the…

What Learning Environments Best Address 21st-Century Students' Perceived Needs at the Secondary Level of Instruction?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemley, J. Brett; Schumacher, Gary; Vesey, Winona

2014-01-01

The purpose of a recent study was to determine what learning environments best address the needs of 21st-century students at the secondary level. This study concluded that the presence of a positive 21st-century learning environment is related to student satisfaction and student-teacher relationships. While the majority of the literature on…

Addressing Student Mental Health Needs by Providing Direct and Indirect Services and Building Alliances in the Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaffenberger, Carol J.; O'Rorke-Trigiani, Judith

2013-01-01

Given that 20% of students experience mental health issues that interfere with school performance and most of these students will turn first to their school for help, school counselors need to consider how they can best serve this population. This article describes how school counselors can address the mental health needs of students by providing…

Extraterrestrial Virtual Field Experience: Water at Meridiani

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duggan-Haas, D.; Million, C.; Sullivan, R. J., Jr.; Hayes, A. G., Jr.; Ross, R. M.; St Clair, M.

2014-12-01

The Spacecraft Planetary Imaging Facility (SPIF) at Cornell University, in collaboration with Million Concepts and the Paleontological Research Institute (PRI), has developed the Extraterrestrial Virtual Field Experience (EVFE), a web-based, game-like and inquiry-driven classroom activity targeted to middle school through undergraduate introductory Earth science classrooms. Students play the role of mission scientists for a NASA rover mission, tasked with targeting the rover's scientific instruments to investigate a specific scientific question about the landing site. As with the real mission, the student operators must optimize the efficient use of limited resources and time against the need to make observations to address working hypotheses. The activity uses only real--not artificial or simulated--mission data, and students are guided throughout by a "Mission Manager" who provides hints and advice about the scientific meaning of observations within the broader context of the mission objectives. The MER Opportunity EVFE is a pilot effort, the first of five EVFE modules planned a rate of one per year that will feature different NASA missions and scientific topics. The MER Opportunity EVFE has already been developed and focuses on the investigation of the history of water on Mars at the Meridiani landing site of the Opportunity rover. The module includes a teacher guide and is currently available to educators through the SPIF website.

Mathematically precocious and female: Self-efficacy and STEM course choices among high achieving middle grade students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burt, Stacey M.

The problem addressed in this project is the lack of mathematically gifted females choosing to pursue advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in secondary education due to deficiencies in self-efficacy. The purpose of this project was to study the effects of a child-guided robotics program as it relates to the self-efficacy of mathematically gifted 6th grade female students and their future course choices in the advanced STEM content areas. This mixed-model study utilized a STEM attitude survey, artifacts, interviews, field notes, and standardized tests as measurement tools. Significance was found between genders in the treatment group for the standardized science scores, indicating closure in the achievement gap. Research suggests that STEM enrichment is beneficial for mathematically gifted females.

Cross-cultural medical education: conceptual approaches and frameworks for evaluation.

PubMed

Betancourt, Joseph R

2003-06-01

Given that understanding the sociocultural dimensions underlying a patient's health values, beliefs, and behaviors is critical to a successful clinical encounter, cross-cultural curricula have been incorporated into undergraduate medical education. The goal of these curricula is to prepare students to care for patients from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, and to recognize and appropriately address racial, cultural, and gender biases in health care delivery. Despite progress in the field of cross-cultural medical education, several challenges exist. Foremost among these is the need to develop strategies to evaluate the impact of these curricular interventions. This article provides conceptual approaches for cross-cultural medical education, and describes a framework for student evaluation that focuses on strategies to assess attitudes, knowledge, and skills, and the impact of curricular interventions on health outcomes.

TEACHING PHYSICS: The quantum understanding of pre-university physics students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ireson, Gren

2000-01-01

Students in England and Wales wishing to read for a physics-based degree will, in all but the more exceptional situations, be required to follow the two-year GCE Advanced-level physics course. This course includes, in its mandatory core, material that addresses the topic of `quantum phenomena'. Over the years journals such as this have published teaching strategies, for example Lawrence (1996), but few studies addressing what students understand of quantum phenomena can be found. This paper aims to address just this problem.

Implementing an Industrial Approach into Physics Graduate Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vickers, Ken

2006-04-01

Physics graduate education has attracted a student population with a both high independence and interest in individual professional work. These personality tendencies have been validated in the students' eyes by both the observed professional behaviors of the majority of their faculty, and by the public acceptance of the persona of ``eccentric but brilliant'' physics students. This has resulted in a self-perpetuating cycle of professionals entering the academic workplace whose interest in whole-organization optimization, as well as the skills needed to optimize organizations, are low to non-existent. But at the same time the needs of the country's technical work force, as defined by national gatherings of prominent leaders from academic, industrial, and governmental communities, continue to list human interaction ``soft skills'' as one of the most important professional traits needed by professionals in their careers. This gap between the physics graduate education and requirements needed by next generation physicists provided an opportunity for experimental approaches to graduate physics education. The University of Arkansas' Physics Department lead the formation of a new experimental approach to interdisciplinary education in the broad field of microelectronics and photonics (microEP) in 1998, resulting in the formation of a stand-alone MS/PhD microEP program. This program implemented an industrial work group approach to graduate education, and won several educational grants including a NSF IGERT and a Department of Education FIPSE. The FIPSE grant in 2001 supported the modification of the industrial work group approach for implementation by the UA physics graduate program to address the gap between national need and current education. This talk will address the key goals of this implementation, the tactics that were put in place to address the goals, and the results of this educational approach since its implementation with the Fall 2001 entering class.

Solar Heliospheric and INterplanetary Environment (SHINE) Students - Student Representatives' Perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pahud, D. M.; Niembro, T.

2014-12-01

The SHINE workshop is an annual meeting of solar and heliospheric scientists which, in addition to aiming to improve understanding of solar disturbances and their propagation to, and effect, on the Earth (shinecon.org), is dedicated to actively supporting students. This dedication is substantiated in part through the National Science Foundation (NSF) providing funding for student attendance to the workshop, which enables student participation. Another example of SHINE's commitment to its student members is the incorporation of a Student Day prior to the workshop since 2003, entirely organized and run by two student representatives. While there are variations in format from year to year, Student Day consists of tutorials and research talks exclusively by student volunteers to an audience of only students. The day is intended to provide a low-stress environment for students to learn about the various topics addressed during the workshop, to ask questions freely, and to engage in scientific discussion with other students which hopefully is a catalyst for collaboration. As a result of positive experiences, over the past decade student attendance and participation in the workshop have increased. At the SHINE 2014 workshop, nearly a third of attendees were students. SHINE student visibility has increased over the years, with student posters being advertised at breakfast, inclusion of a student day summary by the student representatives during a plenary session, and continued support from the steering committee. Students are also promoting a broader impact of SHINE sciences via increased social media presence. From a student representative's perspective, SHINE has built and fostered a healthy student community and encourages students to engage in shaping the future of the field.

Identical Profiles, Different Paths: Addressing Self-Selection Bias in Learning Community Cohorts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zobac, Stephanie; Spears, Julia; Barker, Gregory

2014-01-01

This article presents a method for addressing the self-selection bias of students who participate in learning communities (LCs). More specifically, this research utilizes equivalent comparison groups based on selected incoming characteristics of students, known as bootstraps, to account for self-selection bias. To address the differences in…

Field Instructors' Perspectives on Foundation Year MSW Students' Preplacement Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenthal Gelman, Caroline

2011-01-01

This study elicited 39 field instructors' perspectives on the anxiety that students experience as they begin field placements. Field instructors rated students as significantly more anxious than did students themselves, and although field instructors believed anxiety interferes with learning to a greater extent than did students, they did not…

Evaluation of educational program in the Master of Medical Education by Eisner's educational connoisseurship and criticism model.

PubMed

Khanipoor, Fariba; Amini, Mitra; Bazrafcan, Laila

2017-01-01

To be more successful in medical education and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum in this field, assessment of the students' views, graduates, professors, and experts is essential. The aim of this qualitative assessment was to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the medical education curriculum. This research is a qualitative study using the Eisner's educational connoisseurship and criticism model that was conducted in Shiraz Medical Sciences University in 2014. In this research, graduate medical education curriculum was criticized by a team of educational experts. Fifteen professors in the first stage of the focus group meeting addressed the three stages of educational criticism. In the second stage, several interviews were conducted with the above-mentioned people. In the third phase, the implementation of video recordings from the focus group meeting was performed in written form. In the fourth stage, conventional content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. This curriculum has advantages and disadvantages in the constituent elements of the program. Its weaknesses include lack of written a guide for practical courses, lack of consideration of joint practical exercise to make integrate between lessons, lack of sufficient attention to aspects of practical and functional knowledge in this field, lack of attention to performance evaluation and development, and lack of routine review of the curriculum. On the other hand, the strengths of this study include the suitability of this field for professors and its positive impact on professors and students performance in the classroom. As medical education is partly an emerging field in Iran and considering the weaknesses, reviewing the curriculum based on the main part of program, the outcomes, curriculum content, teaching strategies, student assessment, and course management are recommended.

Quantum Optics in Phase Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schleich, Wolfgang P.

2001-04-01

Quantum Optics in Phase Space provides a concise introduction to the rapidly moving field of quantum optics from the point of view of phase space. Modern in style and didactically skillful, Quantum Optics in Phase Space prepares students for their own research by presenting detailed derivations, many illustrations and a large set of workable problems at the end of each chapter. Often, the theoretical treatments are accompanied by the corresponding experiments. An exhaustive list of references provides a guide to the literature. Quantum Optics in Phase Space also serves advanced researchers as a comprehensive reference book. Starting with an extensive review of the experiments that define quantum optics and a brief summary of the foundations of quantum mechanics the author Wolfgang P. Schleich illustrates the properties of quantum states with the help of the Wigner phase space distribution function. His description of waves ala WKB connects semi-classical phase space with the Berry phase. These semi-classical techniques provide deeper insight into the timely topics of wave packet dynamics, fractional revivals and the Talbot effect. Whereas the first half of the book deals with mechanical oscillators such as ions in a trap or atoms in a standing wave the second half addresses problems where the quantization of the radiation field is of importance. Such topics extensively discussed include optical interferometry, the atom-field interaction, quantum state preparation and measurement, entanglement, decoherence, the one-atom maser and atom optics in quantized light fields. Quantum Optics in Phase Space presents the subject of quantum optics as transparently as possible. Giving wide-ranging references, it enables students to study and solve problems with modern scientific literature. The result is a remarkably concise yet comprehensive and accessible text- and reference book - an inspiring source of information and insight for students, teachers and researchers alike.

Lessons Learned for Recruiting and Retaining Native Hawaiians in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, B. A.; Brock, L.; Levine, R.; Spencer, L.; Wai, B.; Puniwai, N.

2008-12-01

Many Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island (NHPI) college students are unaware of the majors or career possibilities within geoscience disciplines. This notably can be seen by the low number of NHPI students who graduate with a bachelor's degree in an ocean or Earth science-related field within the University of Hawaii (UH) System. To help address this disparity, the Ka'Imi'Ike Program, which is funded through the Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (OEDG) Program at NSF, was started at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to attract and support NHPI students in the geosciences. A key component of the program is the recruiting of NHPI students to disciplines in the geosciences through linking geoscience concepts with their culture and community. This includes a 3-week Explorations in the Geosciences summer institute that introduces incoming freshmen and current UH sophomores to the earth, weather, and ocean sciences via hands-on field and lab experiences. Ka'Imi'Ike also provides limited support for current geoscience majors through scholarships and internship opportunities. Results from student journals and pre- and post- questionnaires given to students during the summer institute have shown the program to be successful in increasing student interest and knowledge of the geoscience disciplines. Demonstrating the links between scientific thought and NHPI culture has been crucial to peaking the students' interest in the geosciences. The results also show that there is a need to include more specifics related to local career options, especially information that can be shared with the students' family and community as our data show that parents play a formidable role in the career path a student chooses. Moreover, in order to provide a more contiguous pipeline of support for NHPI students, Ka'Imi'Ike is beginning to network its students from the summer institute to other programs, such as the C-MORE Scholars Program, which offer undergraduate research experiences in the ocean and earth sciences. Though the Ka'Imi'Ike Program has been quite successful in facilitating NHPI participation in undergraduate research projects, the program is continually evolving by seeking and developing cutting edge approaches to strengthen its recruitment of NHPI into geoscience majors and careers.

Impacting the Science Community through Teacher Development: Utilizing Virtual Learning.

PubMed

Boulay, Rachel; van Raalte, Lisa

2014-01-01

Commitment to the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) pipeline is slowly declining despite the need for professionals in the medical field. Addressing this, the John A. Burns School of Medicine developed a summer teacher-training program with a supplemental technology-learning component to improve science teachers' knowledge and skills of Molecular Biology. Subsequently, students' skills, techniques, and application of molecular biology are impacted. Science teachers require training that will prepare them for educating future professionals and foster interest in the medical field. After participation in the program and full access to the virtual material, twelve high school science teachers completed a final written reflective statement to evaluate their experiences. Using thematic analysis, knowledge and classroom application were investigated in this study. Results were two-fold: teachers identified difference areas of gained knowledge from the teacher-training program and teachers' reporting various benefits in relation to curricula development after participating in the program. It is concluded that participation in the program and access to the virtual material will impact the science community by updating teacher knowledge and positively influencing students' experience with science.

The Influence of Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits on Academic Development Among Youth.

PubMed

Horan, Jacqueline M; Brown, Joshua L; Jones, Stephanie M; Aber, J Lawrence

2016-06-01

The present study attempted to address developmental differences within the large group of youth with conduct problems through an examination of the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and academic outcomes in an effort to expand the field's understanding of heterogeneity in outcomes associated with behavior problems. Data were collected from a cohort of 3rd grade students (N = 942; 51 % female; 45.6 % Hispanic/Latino, 41.1 % Black/African American, 4.7 % Non-Hispanic White; mean age = 8.07 years) in eighteen public elementary schools, as well as their parents and teachers. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that callous-unemotional traits were associated with lower quality student-teacher relationships and worse performance on standardized math and reading exams over and above the effects of conduct problems. These findings suggest that school-based interventions may be particularly effective in ameliorating some of the deficits noted within this subset of youth exhibiting conduct problems. This finding has important policy implications as the field of developmental science attempts to design and enrich programs that focus on improving social-emotional learning.

Building technology services that address student needs.

PubMed

Le Ber, Jeanne M; Lombardo, Nancy T; Wimmer, Erin

2015-01-01

A 16-question technology use survey was conducted to assess incoming health sciences students' knowledge of and interest in current technologies, and to identify student device and tool preferences. Survey questions were developed by colleagues at a peer institution and then edited to match this library's student population. Two years of student responses have been compiled, compared, and reviewed as a means for informing library decisions related to technology and resource purchases. Instruction and event programming have been revised to meet student preferences. Based on the number of students using Apple products, librarians are addressing the need to become more proficient with this platform.

Assessing Medical Students' Awareness of and Sensitivity to Diverse Health Beliefs Using a Standardized Patient Station.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robins, Lynne S.; White, Casey B.; Alexander, Gwen L.; Gruppen, Larry D.; Grum, Cyril M.

2001-01-01

Assessed students' competence in addressing the health beliefs and cultural concerns of a standardized patient, an African American woman with diabetes, during a clinical interview. Found that minority students displayed greater competence in addressing the patient's concerns about altering culturally-based dietary behaviors; white students…

A Call for Self-Compassion in Social Work Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iacono, Gio

2017-01-01

Many social work students approach the end of their formal training unprepared to utilize self-care approaches to prevent burnout. Providing students more comprehensive self-care training can help address this issue. One approach to fostering self-care and addressing stress and burnout in social work students is the attitude and practice of…

The Challenges and Triumphs in Addressing Students' Intersectional Identities for Black Culture Centers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Jessica C.; Patton, Lori D.

2017-01-01

This study examines how directors of Black culture centers (BCCs) address Black students' intersectional identities. We highlight the challenges that directors of BCCs face as they attempt to preserve a race salient agenda, while accounting for other critical facets of students' social identities. Findings explore how directors hold differing…

Justice for All? Suspension Bans and Restorative Justice Programs in the Los Angeles Unified School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hashim, Ayesha K.; Strunk, Katharine O.; Dhaliwal, Tasminda K.

2018-01-01

To address disproportionalities in suspensions for students of color, many districts have prohibited schools from suspending students for willful defiance of school authorities and implemented restorative justice programs (RJP) that address student misconduct using alternative conflict resolution practices. However, there is limited evidence on…

Medical Students' Perceptions and Preferences for Sexual Health Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zamboni, Brian; Bezek, Katelyn

2017-01-01

Sexual health topics are not well-covered in US medical schools. Research has not typically asked medical students what sexual health topics they would like addressed and their preferred methods of sexual health education. This study attempted to address this deficit via an online survey of medical students at an institution where little sexual…

Briefly...Unplanned Pregnancy among College Students and Strategies to Address It

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2015

2015-01-01

As colleges strive to improve student success and completion, helping students delay pregnancy and parenting (or having additional children) means one less factor that can interfere with their college education. However, pregnancy planning and prevention is not something most colleges address, especially at the community college level. There are…

The Transition to Diverse Online Teaching and Student Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Melissa L.

2015-01-01

This paper addresses the concern of educating diverse university students in an increasingly digital environment. Specifically, educators question the quality of student online research skills and how to address gaps in research skills in both the virtual and physical classroom. A 2012 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in collaboration…

Raising the Bar: Using Coaching Conversations to Address Issues of Low Expectations for Students in Urban Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramkellawan, Reshma; Bell, Jacobe

2017-01-01

Two instructional coaches explore the effectiveness of targeted coaching conversations to address teachers' perceptions of their students' capacities. In this study, the researchers focus on how specific questions can promote teachers' metacognition of underlying biases held toward their students. Researchers also explore the implications for…

Addressing Escape-Maintained Behavior for Students with Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review of School-Based Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dart, Evan H.; Radley, Keith C.; Mason, Benjamin A.; Allen, Justin P.

2018-01-01

Students with developmental disabilities have been found to exhibit higher rates of problem behavior in the classroom than their typically developing peers. Effectively addressing these students' behavior concerns requires the identification of interventions that can be implemented in an educational setting. Furthermore, matching intervention…

Perceived Competence in Addressing Student Substance Abuse: A National Survey of Middle School Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burrow-Sanchez, Jason J.; Lopez, Adriana L.; Slagle, Clark P.

2008-01-01

Background: Student substance abuse is a serious concern for middle school personnel. School counselors are most likely to deliver mental health services, including substance abuse, in school settings. However, limited research is available on the perceived competence of middle school counselors for addressing student substance abuse concerns. The…

Strategies to Increase Student Attendance at an Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzpatrick-Doria, Geraldine Ann

2013-01-01

This action research study addressed the need to increase student attendance at an elementary school. Previously, this school's Average Daily Attendance (ADA) has been 92%. With having nearly 900 students, there are approximately 70 daily absences, 1,400 monthly absences, and 13,000 yearly absences. To address the challenge, the researcher…

Involvement in Learning for Low-Achieving Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richman, Barbara Smey

This resource document is one of a series of nine resource documents, each of which addresses a separate factor in the "Assessment of School Needs for Low-Achieving Students" survey that can help determine a student's academic success and each of which contains information that responds to specific survey items. This document addresses the factor…

2001 Gordon Research Conference on Archaea: Ecology [sic], Metabolism. Final progress report [agenda and attendee list

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daniels, Charles

2001-08-10

The Gordon Research Conference on Archaea: Ecology, Metabolism [and Molecular Biology] was held at Proctor Academy, Andover, New Hampshire, August 5-10, 2001. The conference was attended by 135 participants. The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field, coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, and included US and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. Emphasis was placed on current unpublished research and discussion of the future target areas in this field. There was a conscious effort to stimulate discussion about the key issues in the field today. Session topics included the following: Ecology and genetic elements;more » Genomics and evolution; Ecology, genomes and gene regulation; Replication and recombination; Chromatin and transcription; Gene regulation; Post-transcription processing; Biochemistry and metabolism; Proteomics and protein structure; Metabolism and physiology. The featured speaker addressed the topic: ''Archaeal viruses, witnesses of prebiotic evolution?''« less

An integrated approach to addressing addiction and depression in college students.

PubMed

Eisen, Arri; Kushner, Howard; McLeod, Mark; Queen, Edward; Gordon, Jonathan; Ford, John L

2009-01-01

The authors present an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to address the problem of increasing student mental health issues on college campuses. The model uses addiction and depression as lenses into the problem and links residence life and academic and community internship experiences. The project has a positive impact on student attitudes and actions and strengthens and broadens the campus network required to ensure optimal student mental health.

Introduction of basic obstetrical ultrasound screening in undergraduate medical education.

PubMed

Hamza, A; Solomayer, E-F; Takacs, Z; Juhasz-Boes, I; Joukhadar, R; Radosa, J C; Mavrova, R; Marc, W; Volk, T; Meyberg-Solomayer, G

2016-09-01

Teaching ultrasound procedures to undergraduates has recently been proposed to improve the quality of medical education. We address the impact of applying standardized ultrasound teaching to our undergraduates. Medical students received an additional theoretical and practical course involving hands-on ultrasound screening during their mandatory practical training week in obstetrics and gynecology. The students' theoretical knowledge and fetal image recognition skills were tested before and after the course. After the course, the students were asked to answer a course evaluation questionnaire. To standardize the teaching procedure, we used Peyton's 4-Step Approach to teach the skills needed for a German Society of Ultrasound in Medicine Level 1 ultrasound examiner. The multiple-choice question scores after the course showed statistically significant improvement (50 vs. 80 %; P < 0.001). The questionnaire revealed that students were satisfied with the course, felt that it increased their ultrasound knowledge, and indicated that they wanted more sonographic hands-on training in both obstetrics and gynecology and other medical fields. Using practical, hands-on medical teaching is an emerging method for undergraduate education that should be further evaluated, standardized, and developed.

Tools for Reflection: Video-Based Reflection Within a Preservice Community of Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawkins, Susan; Park Rogers, Meredith

2016-06-01

Current reform in science education calls for teachers to understand student thinking within a lesson to effectively address students' needs (NRC in A framework for K-12 science education: practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2012; NRC in Guide to implementing the Next Generation Science Standards. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2015). This study investigates how to scaffold preservice teachers with learning to attend to students' thinking for the purpose of guiding curricular decisions. The study focuses on one team teaching a science unit during their early field experience. We sought to understand how participants' thoughts and abilities changed through participation in a moderated community of practice using video of their own teaching as a reflective tool. We examined how these changes affected both their classroom practice and their decision-making for future lessons. Evidence shows growth in participants' ability to identify opportunities to elicit, assess, and use students' thinking to guide instructional decisions. Implications for use of the approach used in this study to begin developing novice teachers' pedagogical content knowledge for teaching science are discussed.

An empirical investigation of differences between mathematics specialists and non-specialists at the high school level in Cyprus: A Logistic regression Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papanastasiou, Elena C.; Zembylas, Michalinos

2006-12-01

AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MATHEMATICS SPECIALISTS AND NON-SPECIALISTS AT THE HIGH-SCHOOL LEVEL in Cyprus - The data obtained from high-school seniors for the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) for the country of Cyprus appear to be contradictory. Although Cypriot students did not perform well in mathematics in elementary school, middle school, and in the non-advanced sectors of high school, students in advanced mathematics courses in high school managed to perform exceptionally well. In seeking to account for this apparent disparity, the present study examines the differences between mathematics specialists and non-specialists at the high-school level and discusses the implications that these have for teaching practice. It shows how students educated in an environment that might not be optimal for producing high-achieving students in mathematics and science in elementary and middle school (according to the TIMSS) might nonetheless manage to excel in these fields at the end of their schooling. In conclusion, the authors address the implications of their study for similar educational systems in other developing countries.

SUNY Oneonta Earth Sciences Outreach Program (ESOP) - Generating New Drilling Prospects for Geoscience Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, T. D.; Ebert, J. R.

2010-12-01

The SUNY Oneonta ESOP is a National Science Foundation-funded program that, since 2005, has striven to address the dearth of students graduating with baccalaureate degrees in geoscience disciplines. In large part, its goal has been to provide talented STEM-oriented students with dual-enrollment college-level geoscience programs run by their local teachers for college credit. These high-school upperclassman experiences have been shown to be effective in recruiting talented students to geoscience fields, and we believe that this program is a model by which more baccalaureate programs can locate "new drilling prospects" to keep the pipeline of talented and trained geoscientists flowing into the workforce. In this presentation, we will highlight the current efforts to expand ESOP to other high schools around the country and in recruiting other colleges and universities to create their own dual-enrollment programs. We will also highlight how a senior-level geoscience course is ideal for providing students with meaningful geoscience inquiry experiences, and how we plan to support such efforts through the online teaching and learning cohorts designed to foster collaborative inquiry activities.

Confidence in palliative care issues by medical students and internal medicine residents.

PubMed

Storarri, Ana Carolina Montouro; de Castro, Giovana Dalmedico; Castiglioni, Lilian; Cury, Patricia Maluf

2017-12-16

Palliative care (PC) is a relatively new field in Brazil, but this knowledge is of great importance in medical practice. To evaluate the degree of confidence among medical students and first-year and second-year internal medicine residents in addressing issues of death and terminal illness with patients and their families. A modified version of the Self-Efficacy in Palliative Care Scale was applied to 293 students in their first year to sixth year at the School of Medicine of São José do Rio Preto and to 43 residents in their first year or second year of medical practice at the same institution in Brazil, in 2015. The questionnaire evaluated students' opinions on the need to include theoretical and practical classes on PC in the medical school. Students in their fifth year of medical school were more confident than the students in their first, second, third and fourth years; there were no statistically significant differences between fifth-year students, sixth-year students and the internal medicine residents. Residents were more confident than all of the medical school students except those in their fifth year (P<0.05) because they have more contact with terminally ill patients than other students do; fifth-year medical students are likely overestimating their abilities. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

`Human nature': Chemical engineering students' ideas about human relationships with the natural world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldman, Daphne; Ben-Zvi Assaraf, Orit; Shemesh, Julia

2014-05-01

While importance of environmental ethics, as a component of sustainable development, in preparing engineers is widely acknowledged, little research has addressed chemical engineers' environmental concerns. This study aimed to address this void by exploring chemical engineering students' values regarding human-nature relationships. The study was conducted with 247 3rd-4th year chemical engineering students in Israeli Universities. It employed the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP)-questionnaire to which students added written explanations. Quantitative analysis of NEP-scale results shows that the students demonstrated moderately ecocentric orientation. Explanations to the NEP-items reveal diverse, ambivalent ideas regarding the notions embodied in the NEP, strong scientific orientation and reliance on technology for addressing environmental challenges. Endorsing sustainability implies that today's engineers be equipped with an ecological perspective. The capacity of Higher Education to enable engineers to develop dispositions about human-nature interrelationships requires adaptation of curricula towards multidisciplinary, integrative learning addressing social-political-economic-ethical perspectives, and implementing critical-thinking within the socio-scientific issues pedagogical approach.

A Program to Prepare Graduate Students for Careers in Climate Adaptation Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huntly, N.; Belmont, P.; Flint, C.; Gordillo, L.; Howe, P. D.; Lutz, J. A.; Null, S. E.; Reed, S.; Rosenberg, D. E.; Wang, S. Y.

2017-12-01

We describe our experiences creating a graduate program that addresses the need for a next generation of scientists who can produce, communicate, and help implement actionable science. The Climate Adaptation Science (CAS) graduate program, funded by the National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) program, prepares graduate students for careers at the interfaces of science with policy and management in the field of climate adaptation, which is a major 21st-century challenge for science and society. The program is interdisciplinary, with students and faculty from natural, social, and physical sciences, engineering, and mathematics, and is based around interdisciplinary team research in collaboration with partners from outside of academia who have climate adaptation science needs. The program embeds students in a cycle of creating and implementing actionable science through a two-part internship, with partners from government, non-governmental organizations, and industry, that brackets and informs a year of interdisciplinary team research. The program is communication-rich, with events that foster information exchange and understanding across disciplines and workplaces. We describe the CAS program, our experiences in developing it, the research and internship experiences of students in the program, and initial metrics and feedback on the effectiveness of the program.

Attracting Students to Space Science Fields: Mission to Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Congdon, Donald R.; Lovegrove, William P.; Samec, Ronald G.

Attracting high school students to space science is one of the main goals of Bob Jones University's annual Mission to Mars (MTM). MTM develops interest in space exploration through a highly realistic simulated trip to Mars. Students study and learn to appreciate the challenges of space travel including propulsion life support medicine planetary astronomy psychology robotics and communication. Broken into teams (Management Spacecraft Design Communications Life Support Navigation Robotics and Science) they address the problems specific to each aspect of the mission. Teams also learn to interact and recognize that a successful mission requires cooperation. Coordinated by the Management Team the students build a spacecraft and associated apparatus connect computers and communications equipment train astronauts on the mission simulator and program a Pathfinder-type robot. On the big day the astronauts enter the spacecraft as Mission Control gets ready to support them through the expected and unexpected of their mission. Aided by teamwork the astronauts must land on Mars perform their scientific mission on a simulated surface of mars and return home. We see the success of MTM not only in successful missions but in the students who come back year after year for another MTM.

Expanding the Horizon: A Journey to Explore and Share Effective Geoscience Research Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolman, J.

2013-12-01

The Indian Natural Resource Science and Engineering Program (INRSEP) has worked diligently over the past 40 + years to ensure the success of Tribal, Indigenous and Underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students in geoscience and natural resources fields of study. Central to this success has been the development of cultural relevant research opportunities directed by Tribal people. The research experiences have been initiated to address culturally relevant challenges on Tribal and non-Tribal lands. It has become critically important to ensure students have multiple research experiences across North America as well as throughout the continent. The INRSEP community has found creating and maintaining relationships with organizations like the Geoscience Alliance, Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MSPHD's) and the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program has greatly improved the success of students matriculating to graduate STEM programs. These relationships also serve an immense capacity in tracking students, promoting best practices in research development and assessing outcomes. The presentation will highlight lessons learned on how to 1) Develop a diverse cohort or 'community' of student researchers; 2) Evolve intergenerational mentoring processes and outcomes; 3) Tether to related research and programs; and Foster the broader impact of geoscience research and outcomes.

Does peer-assisted learning improve academic performance? A scoping review.

PubMed

Williams, Brett; Reddy, Priya

2016-07-01

Due to the diverse and ever-changing nature of the healthcare industry, teaching pedagogies such as peer-assisted learning (PAL) are being implemented to align with external competency standards. A scoping review was conducted in order to map the breadth of literature available on PAL and its impact on student performance. This review used Arksey and O'Malley's six stage scoping methodology. The databases searched included: Cinahl, Ovid Medline, Proquest and Embase as well as grey literature sites and dissertations. 22 articles were included in this review, 10 of which were mixed methods randomised controlled trials, one retrospective study, four controlled trials, two randomised cross over controlled trial, three prospective randomised controlled trials, one thesis and one comparative research design. Analysis of the included articles identified three major themes outlining student performance. Student teachers themselves showed the most significant improvement in objective outcomes. The predominant healthcare field addressed were medical students with very few studies being completed on other professions. The search indicated an overall positive response to PAL with the measurable outcome of student tutors being of most significance. Further research is required to determine the relevance for the wider healthcare community. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International Permafrost Field Courses in Siberia: the Synthesis of Research and Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ablyazina, D.; Boitsov, A.; Grebenets, V.; Kaverin, D.; Klene, A.; Kurchatova, A.; Pfeiffer, E. M.; Zschocke, A.; Shiklomanov, N.; Streletskiy, D.

2009-04-01

During summers of 2007 and 2008 a series of International University Courses on Permafrost (IUCP) were conducted in West Siberia, Russia. Courses were organized as part of the International Permafrost Association (IPA) International Polar Year activities. The North of West Siberia region was selected to represent diverse permafrost, climatic and landscape conditions. The courses were jointly organized by the Moscow State University (MSU) and the Tumen' Oil and Gas University (TOGU) with the help from German and U.S. institutions. The program attracted undergraduate and graduate students with diverse interests and backgrounds from Germany, Russia and the U.S. and involved instructors specializing in different aspects of permafrost research. Courses were designed to address three major topics of permafrost-related research: a) permafrost environments characteristic of the discontinuous and continuous zones; b) field instrumentation and techniques; c) permafrost engineering and problems of development in permafrost regions. Methodologically, courses consisted of systematic permafrost investigations at long-term monitoring sites and survey-type expeditions. Systematic, process-based investigations were conducted at a network of sites which constitute the TEPO established by TOGU in collaboration with the gas company NadymGasProm. The observation complex includes an array of 30-m deep boreholes equipped with automatic data collection systems and representing characteristic permafrost landscapes of West Siberia. Boreholes are complemented by sites for snow cover, vegetation, soil, ground ice, and geomorphologic investigations. As part of student research activities, four new Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) sites were established in proximity to boreholes for monitoring spatial distribution and long-term dynamic of the active layer. New sites represent diverse landscapes characteristic of the West Siberian previously underrepresented in the CALM network. Specific emphasis was made on the study of permafrost soils. Throughout the course students were exposed to a wide range of field techniques, including surveying, coring, geothermal monitoring, thaw-depth measurements, landscape characterization, geomorphologic investigations, soil description and classification according to International, Russian, German, and U.S. classification schemes, and hydrologic and botanical field investigations. Significant portion of the course curriculum was devoted to problems of industrial development in permafrost regions. Pipelines, material sites, operating gas wells, processing plants, pump stations, and permafrost engineering testing facilities associated with three major gas fields (Yamburg, Yubileinoe, and Zapolyarnoe) were visited as part of the field excursions. Several meetings with Russian gas industry executives and workers were arranged to openly discuss economic and political issues associated with GasProm activities in West Siberia. The field work was complemented by daily lectures prepared by instructors and students, covering a wide range of topics. Students also participated in active permafrost research through daily data collection and analysis activities. Analysis of the diverse data sets obtained during the course was conducted at Moscow State University, presented in a series of detailed reports. The data collected by students were contributed to the international IPY permafrost monitoring programmes. Several students have presented results of their research at the Ninth International Conference on Permafrost and other national and international scientific meetings. This presentation describes research and educational activities of the IUCP, provides results of student research, and outlines the plan for the future.

Attitudes of medical students to medical leadership and management: a systematic review to inform curriculum development.

PubMed

Abbas, Mark R; Quince, Thelma A; Wood, Diana F; Benson, John A

2011-11-14

There is a growing acknowledgement that doctors need to develop leadership and management competences to become more actively involved in the planning, delivery and transformation of patient services. We undertook a systematic review of what is known concerning the knowledge, skills and attitudes of medical students regarding leadership and management. Here we report the results pertaining to the attitudes of students to provide evidence to inform curriculum development in this developing field of medical education. We searched major electronic databases and citation indexes within the disciplines of medicine, education, social science and management. We undertook hand searching of major journals, and reference and citation tracking. We accessed websites of UK medical institutions and contacted individuals working within the field. 26 studies were included. Most were conducted in the USA, using mainly quantitative methods. We used inductive analysis of the topics addressed by each study to identity five main content areas: Quality Improvement; Managed Care, Use of Resources and Costs; General Leadership and Management; Role of the Doctor, and Patient Safety. Students have positive attitudes to clinical practice guidelines, quality improvement techniques and multidisciplinary teamwork, but mixed attitudes to managed care, cost containment and medical error. Education interventions had variable effects on students' attitudes. Medical students perceive a need for leadership and management education but identified lack of curriculum time and disinterest in some activities as potential barriers to implementation. The findings from our review may reflect the relatively little emphasis given to leadership and management in medical curricula. However, students recognise a need to develop leadership and management competences. Although further work needs to be undertaken, using rigorous methods, to identify the most effective and cost-effective curriculum innovations, this review offers the only currently available summary of work examining the attitudes of students to this important area of development for future doctors.

Attitudes of medical students to medical leadership and management: a systematic review to inform curriculum development

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background There is a growing acknowledgement that doctors need to develop leadership and management competences to become more actively involved in the planning, delivery and transformation of patient services. We undertook a systematic review of what is known concerning the knowledge, skills and attitudes of medical students regarding leadership and management. Here we report the results pertaining to the attitudes of students to provide evidence to inform curriculum development in this developing field of medical education. Methods We searched major electronic databases and citation indexes within the disciplines of medicine, education, social science and management. We undertook hand searching of major journals, and reference and citation tracking. We accessed websites of UK medical institutions and contacted individuals working within the field. Results 26 studies were included. Most were conducted in the USA, using mainly quantitative methods. We used inductive analysis of the topics addressed by each study to identity five main content areas: Quality Improvement; Managed Care, Use of Resources and Costs; General Leadership and Management; Role of the Doctor, and Patient Safety. Students have positive attitudes to clinical practice guidelines, quality improvement techniques and multidisciplinary teamwork, but mixed attitudes to managed care, cost containment and medical error. Education interventions had variable effects on students' attitudes. Medical students perceive a need for leadership and management education but identified lack of curriculum time and disinterest in some activities as potential barriers to implementation. Conclusions The findings from our review may reflect the relatively little emphasis given to leadership and management in medical curricula. However, students recognise a need to develop leadership and management competences. Although further work needs to be undertaken, using rigorous methods, to identify the most effective and cost-effective curriculum innovations, this review offers the only currently available summary of work examining the attitudes of students to this important area of development for future doctors. PMID:22082174

From the Field to the Classroom: Developing Scientifically Literate Citizens Using the Understanding Global Change Framework in Education and Citizen Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toupin, C.; Bean, J. R.; Gavenus, K.; Johnson, H.; Toupin, S.

2017-12-01

With the copious amount of science and pseudoscience reported on by non-experts in the media, it is critical for educators to help students develop into scientifically literate citizens. One of the most direct ways to help students develop deep scientific understanding and the skills to critically question the information they encounter is to bring science into their daily experiences and to contextualize scientific inquiry within the classroom. Our work aims to use a systems-based models approach to engage students in science, in both formal and informal contexts. Using the Understanding Global Change (UGC) and the Understanding Science models developed at the Museum of Paleontology at UC Berkeley, high school students from Arizona were tasked with developing a viable citizen science program for use at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies in Homer, Alaska. Experts used the UGC model to help students define why they were doing the work, and give context to the importance of citizen science. Empowered with an understanding of the scientific process, excited by the purpose of their work and how it could contribute to the scientific community, students whole-heartedly worked together to develop intertidal monitoring protocols for two locations while staying at Peterson Bay Field Station, Homer. Students, instructors, and scientists used system models to communicate and discuss their understanding of the biological, physical, and chemical processes in Kachemak Bay. This systems-based models approach is also being used in an integrative high school physics, chemistry, and biology curriculum in a truly unprecedented manner. Using the Understanding Global Change framework to organize curriculum scope and sequence, the course addresses how the earth systems work, how interdisciplinary science knowledge is necessary to understand those systems, and how scientists and students can measure changes within those systems.

An Imperative for Leadership Preparation Programs: Preparing Future Leaders to Meet the Needs of Students, Schools, and Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beyer, Bonnie

2009-01-01

This paper addresses the structure, philosophy, and curriculum of educational leadership preparation programs and the importance of preparing schools leaders to address the unique needs of students and communities. In particular, it will address how programs can be enhanced by integrating organizational research and philosophies from educational,…

Thirty Years of Nearshore Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanton, T. P.

2006-12-01

An assessment of Ed Thornton's contributions to nearshore wave, current and morphology research on the eve of his retirement reveals his ability to identify important unresolved processes, and to participate in multidisciplinary research programs that address those issues. While doing this, he has consistently helped foster the new generations of field scientists both by supervising strong masters and PhD students from around the world, and through working with successful postdoctoral students, many of whom will present talks in this session. This presentation will summarize the major field programs that he has very actively participated in starting from my first field work with him as a colleague/helper in the NSTS Blacks Beach and Santa Barbara experiments. In reviewing these experiments it is interesting to see the evolution of our understanding of the surf zone from simplified 2D wave breaking processes to the 3D wave/current/sediment transport problems seen in morphologically controlled rip currents, both through our ability to measure these processes, but also in the sophistication of numerical models of the nearshore. This review also shows how the consistent and well directed basic research funding from the Coastal Geosciences program at ONR has greatly benefited the Navy and the community at large. I know the nearshore community looks forward to continued associations with him during his very active retirement.

Hypnosis Training and Education: Distinctive Features of Training Hypnosis Educators.

PubMed

Linden, Julie H; Anbar, Ran

2017-01-01

Much of the field of hypnosis education focuses on what to teach (content) and who to teach (professional identities). A deserving area of focus, and less often addressed, is how to teach basic hypnosis concepts. Worldwide models for teaching hypnosis have mostly included lecture, demonstration, and practice, with little attention paid to the meta-level of educational principles (i.e., what makes an expert trainer). Trainers in hypnosis have been compared to parents: They teach the way they were taught (adults parent the way they were parented). There is a human tendency to repeat what we have experienced. This propensity can be seen while watching the new student use the same induction, in the same way, as his or her first "operator" did when s/he was a subject of his/her first hypnotic experience. Mirroring is a part of all learning, and this article asks what else is needed in faculty education for the trainer to take students beyond mere mimicry to scientifically informed, skilled, and clinically creative uses of hypnosis. This article addresses the unique requirements for teaching hypnosis, reviews a teaching program for clinical hypnosis educators developed by the authors, and looks to future innovations in clinical hypnosis training.

Difficulties that Students Face with Two-Dimensional Motion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mihas, P.; Gemousakakis, T.

2007-01-01

Some difficulties that students face with two-dimensional motion are addressed. The difficulties addressed are the vectorial representation of velocity, acceleration and force, the force-energy theorem and the understanding of the radius of curvature.

Innovation in Graduate Education for Health Professionals in Humanitarian Emergencies.

PubMed

Evans, Dabney P; Anderson, Mark; Shahpar, Cyrus; Del Rio, Carlos; Curran, James W

2016-10-01

The objective of this report was to show how the Center for Humanitarian Emergencies (the Center) at Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia USA) has trained graduate students to respond to complex humanitarian emergencies (CHEs) through innovative educational programs, with the goal of increasing the number of trained humanitarian workers. Natural disasters are on the rise with more than twice as many occurring from 2000-2009 as there were from 1980-1989. In 2012 alone, 144 million people were affected by a natural disaster or displaced by conflict worldwide. This has created an immense need for trained humanitarian workers to respond effectively to such disasters. The Center has developed a model for educational programming that targets learners along an educational continuum ranging from the undergraduate level through continuing professional education. These programs, based in the Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) of Emory University, include: a competency-based graduate certificate program (the Certificate) in humanitarian emergencies; a fellowship program for mid-career professionals; and funded field practica. The competency-based Certificate program began in 2010 with a cohort of 14 students. Since then, 101 students have received the Certificate with 50 more due for completion in 2016 and 2017 combined. The fellowship program for mid-career professionals has hosted four fellows from conflict-affected or resource-poor countries, who have then gone on to assume leadership positions with humanitarian organizations. From 2009-2015, the field practicum program supported 34 students in international summer practicum experiences related to emergency response or preparedness. Students have participated in summer field experiences on every continent but Australia. Together the Certificate, funded field practicum opportunities, and the fellowship comprise current efforts in providing innovative education and training for graduate and post-graduate students of public health in humanitarian response. These modest efforts are just the beginning in terms of addressing the global shortage of skilled public health professionals that can coordinate humanitarian response. Evaluating existing programs will allow for refinement of current programs. Ultimately, these programs may influence the development of new programs and inform others interested in this area. Evans DP , Anderson M , Shahpar C , del Rio C , Curran JW . Innovation in graduate education for health professionals in humanitarian emergencies. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):532-538.

Student Privacy versus Campus Safety: Has Recent Legislation Compromised Privacy Rights?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Kaay, Christopher D.

This study highlights major legislation addressing campus safety and crime reporting and discusses its impact on a student's right to privacy. The 1974 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, commonly referred to as the "Buckley Amendment," was among the first pieces of legislation to address the notion of student privacy and confidentiality.…

Helping Students Come to Grips with the Meaning of Division

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aubrecht, Gordon J., II

2004-01-01

Many years ago, Arons pointed out the incomprehension science students exhibit of the basic mathematical operations multiplication and division and the need to address the problem in physics classes to assure student understanding of the physical world. McDermott et al.'s Physics by Inquiry program does address this need directly and in detail (by…

Persistence of Latino Students in Community Colleges: An Empowerment Model Addressing Acculturative Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Judy C.

2012-01-01

College student persistence has been a concern of researchers and practitioners since the early 1960s. Traditional models have addressed the need for students to be integrated into the academic and social domains of the college campus. Recently, critical theorists and researchers have been questioning the relevance of the traditional models for…

Identifying and Addressing Student Difficulties and Misconceptions: Examples from Physics and from Materials Science and Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenblatt, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Here I present my work identifying and addressing student difficulties with several materials science and physics topics. In the first part of this thesis, I present my work identifying student difficulties and misconceptions about the directional relationships between net force, velocity, and acceleration in one dimension. This is accomplished…

The Efficacy of Screencasts to Address the Diverse Academic Needs of Students in a Large Lecture Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinder-Grover, Tershia; Green, Katie R.; Millunchick, Joanna Mirecki

2011-01-01

In large lecture courses, it can be challenging for instructors to address student misconceptions, supplement background knowledge, and identify ways to motivate the various interests of all students during the allotted class time. Instructors can harness instructional technology such as screencasts, recordings that capture audio narration along…

Gender Peer Effects in School: Does the Gender of School Peers Affect Student Achievement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cabezas, Veronica

2010-01-01

This research addresses gender peer effects in education and their impact on student achievement in Chile. We address the topic from three different level of analysis: (a) whether the proportion of girls in a cohort influences students' educational outcomes (b) whether assignment to a classroom with a higher proportion of girls influences…

Addressing the Challenges and Needs of English-Speaking Caribbean Immigrant Students: Guidelines for School Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Stephaney; Bryan, Julia

2014-01-01

Caribbean students are among the distinct immigrant groups in U.S. public schools with particular needs to be addressed by school counselors. This article discusses the challenges Caribbean immigrant students face that create obstacles to their academic and personal/social success. Guidelines for school counselors are outlined, which can be used…

Student Teachers as Advocates for Student-Led Research-Informed Socioscientific Activism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bencze, J. Lawrence; Sperling, Erin R.

2012-01-01

Progress has been made in addressing socioscientific issues, such as debates about merits of nuclear power, by encouraging school students to consider complex issues and take positions about them. We contend, however, that they also need to learn to take research-informed actions to address issues. In the study reported here, we concluded--based…

Addressing Common Student Errors with Classroom Voting in Multivariable Calculus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cline, Kelly; Parker, Mark; Zullo, Holly; Stewart, Ann

2012-01-01

One technique for identifying and addressing common student errors is the method of classroom voting, in which the instructor presents a multiple-choice question to the class, and after a few minutes for consideration and small group discussion, each student votes on the correct answer, often using a hand-held electronic clicker. If a large number…

How Are 2-Year US Colleges Addressing Student Alcohol Use and Related Problems?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenk, Kathleen M.; Nelson, Toben F.; Erickson, Darin J.; Toomey, Traci L.

2015-01-01

A considerable amount of attention and research has been dedicated to addressing alcohol use and related problems among students at 4-year colleges; however, less attention has been given to alcohol-related issues among students at 2-year technical/community colleges. This article describes research that expands on a study by Chiauzzi and…

The New Orleans OneApp: Centralized Enrollment Matches Students and Schools of Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Douglas N.; Valant, Jon; Gross, Betheny

2015-01-01

In most of the U.S., the process for assigning children to public schools is straightforward: take a student's home address, determine which school serves that address, and assign the student accordingly. However, states and cities are increasingly providing families with school choices. A key question facing policymakers is exactly how to place…

Women Engineers: Factors and Obstacles Related to the Pursuit of a Degree in Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wentling, Rose Mary; Camacho, Cristina

Research on women in engineering confirms the presence of gender barriers that affect the recruitment and retention of women in engineering. These barriers stop some women from choosing engineering as a field of study, and impede some women from completing a degree in engineering. However, there are some young female students who complete their engineering education despite the presence of obstacles throughout their college years. This study addressed the factors that have hindered, motivated, and assisted women who graduated with a degree in engineering. By studying and understanding the barriers that hinder women in deciding to pursue and in completing a degree in engineering, as well as the factors that assist and encourage them, we can learn how to break down the barriers and how to facilitate the educational journey of female engineering students. This study provides valuable insights and created a framework from which high schools, universities, researchers, and female students can directly benefit.

Objective structured clinical examination for pharmacy students in Qatar: cultural and contextual barriers to assessment.

PubMed

Wilby, K J; Black, E K; Austin, Z; Mukhalalati, B; Aboulsoud, S; Khalifa, S I

2016-07-10

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and psychometric defensibility of implementing a comprehensive objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) on the complete pharmacy programme for pharmacy students in a Middle Eastern context, and to identify facilitators and barriers to implementation within new settings. Eight cases were developed, validated, and had standards set according to a blueprint, and were assessed with graduating pharmacy students. Assessor reliability was evaluated using inter-class coefficients (ICCs). Concurrent validity was evaluated by comparing OSCE results to professional skills course grades. Field notes were maintained to generate recommendations for implementation in other contexts. The examination pass mark was 424 points out of 700 (60.6%). All 23 participants passed. Mean performance was 74.6%. Low to moderate inter-rater reliability was obtained for analytical and global components (average ICC 0.77 and 0.48, respectively). In conclusion, OSCE was feasible in Qatar but context-related validity and reliability concerns must be addressed prior to future iterations in Qatar and elsewhere.

Mentornet - E-Mentoring for Women Students in Engineering and Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Single, Peg Boyle; Muller, Carol B.; Cunningham, Christine M.; Single, Richard M.; Carlsen, William S.

MentorNet www.MentorNet.net;, the E-Mentoring Network for Diversity in Engineering and Science, addresses the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics "STEM". MentorNet offers a multiinstitutional, structured, electronic mentoring "e-mentoring" program that pairs undergraduate and graduate students, primarily women, with professionals and supports them through e-mentoring relationships of specified lengths. The program evaluations established that over 90% of the participants would recommend MentorNet to a friend or colleague. The e-mentoring program allowed participants to establish satisfactory and beneficial e-mentoring relationships based on investments of approximately 20 minutes per week - in between more serious exchanges, email exchanges that included light-hearted social interactions and jokes were an important aspect of sustaining e-mentoring relationships. Participation in MentorNet increased the students' self-confidence in their f elds - desire to obtain work in industry, national laboratories, or national agencies; and intent to pursue careers in their fields. Three years of evaluation results support the need for and efficacy of the program.

An Assessment of Information Literacy Instruction in Physics Curricula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fosmire, Michael

1999-10-01

Although the information landscape in scientific and technical fields in general and physics in particular is becoming increasingly complicated, a survey of physics librarians found that information literacy instruction for undergraduate and graduate physics students is almost nonexistent. The rise of electronic (and often unrefereed) communication, through websites, electronic discussion lists, and eprint servers, has made the system of information dissemination even more complex. Despite this increased complexity, in physics curricula formal instruction on navigating and intelligently consuming information resources is minimal. The limited instruction that is done appears to be very pragmatic training on how to use specific resources and does not address issues of information literacy. Research literature indicates that students with immediate and concrete information needs (e.g., course assignments) are most receptive to information literacy instruction. Thus, faculty and librarians need to work together to co-ordinate instruction efforts in a way that is not currently being done, so students with information needs have the appropriate skills to fill those needs.

The Student as Teacher: Reflections on Collaborative Learning in a Senior Seminar

PubMed Central

Kurczek, Jake; Johnson, Jacob

2014-01-01

A major influence on education since the 1950’s has been Bloom’s Taxonomy, a classification of learning objectives across multiple domains meant to educate the whole student (Anderson and Krathwohl, 2001). Although it has influenced educational pedagogy in primary education, higher education remains, in antiquity, heavily lecture based; viewing the instructor as an expert who professes their vast knowledge to their students. However, when students serve as instructor, it is difficult to apply this traditional view to the college classroom. Here we discuss the development, pedagogical approach, and experience of a senior level seminar course in which the students and instructor collaboratively explored an emerging field, embodied cognition, which combines research and theory from psychology and neuroscience among other disciplines, in which neither the students nor instructor were an expert. Students provided feedback and evaluations at three time points over the course of the semester, before class started, at midterm and at the end of the semester in order to address the experience and effectiveness of a collaborative seminar experience in which the instructor assumed a role closer to an equal of the students. Student responses revealed both high levels of satisfaction and degrees of perceived learning within the course at both the midterm and final evaluation. The approach of this seminar may be beneficial when applied to other seminars or course formats as students in this course felt as though they were learning more and appreciated being a more equal partner in their own learning process. PMID:24693265

The Dragon and Uncle Sam: Shaping the World for Prosperity or Destruction?

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-03

student academic research paper are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department...5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER...expressed in this student academic research paper are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army

Impact of Adaptive Materials on Teachers and their Students with Visual Impairments in Secondary Science and Mathematics Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rule, Audrey C.; Stefanich, Greg P.; Boody, Robert M.; Peiffer, Belinda

2011-04-01

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, important in today's world, are underrepresented by students with disabilities. Students with visual impairments, although cognitively similar to sighted peers, face challenges as STEM subjects are often taught using visuals. They need alternative forms of access such as enlarged or audio-converted text, tactile graphics, and involvement in hands-on science. This project focused on increasing teacher awareness of and providing funds for the purchase of supplemental adaptive resources, supplies, and equipment. We examined attitude and instructional changes across the year of the programme in 15 science and mathematics teachers educating students with visual impairments. Positive changes were noted from pretest to posttest in student and teacher perspectives, and in teacher attitudes towards students with disabilities in STEM classes. Teachers also provided insights into their challenges and successes through a reflective narrative. Several adolescent students resisted accommodations to avoid appearing conspicuous to peers. Teachers implemented three strategies to address this: providing the adaptations to all students in the class; convincing the student of the need for adaptation; and involving the class in understanding and accepting the student's impairment. A variety of teacher-created adaptations for various science and mathematics labs are reported. Another finding was many adaptations provided for the student with visual impairment benefitted the entire class. This study supports the claim that given knowledgeable, supportive teachers, and with appropriate accommodations such as tactile or auditory materials, students with visual impairments can be as successful and engaged as other students in science and mathematics.

Perceptions on the importance of gerontological education by teachers and students of undergraduate health sciences.

PubMed

Mendoza-Núñez, Víctor Manuel; Martínez-Maldonado, María de la Luz; Correa-Muñoz, Elsa

2007-01-19

The main challenge of higher education institutions throughout the world is to develop professionals capable of understanding and responding to the current social priorities of our countries. Given the utmost importance of addressing the complex needs of an increasingly elderly population in Mexico, the National Autonomous University of Mexico has systematically incorporated modules dealing with primary gerontological health care into several of its undergraduate programs in health sciences. The objective of this study was to analyze teacher's and student's perceptions about the current educational practices on gerontology. A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 26 teachers and 122 undergraduate students. Subjects were administered interviews and responded survey instrument. A vast proportion of the teachers (42%) reported students' attitudes towards their academic training as the most important factor affecting learning in the field of gerontology, whereas students reported that the main problems of education in gerontology were theoretical (32%) and methodological (28%). In addition, 41% of students considered education on ageing matters as an essential element for their professional development, as compared to 19% of teachers (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that the teachers' perceptions about the low importance of education on ageing matters for the professional practice of health sciences could be a negative factor for gerontology teaching.

An integrated biochemistry and genetics outreach program designed for elementary school students.

PubMed

Ross, Eric D; Lee, Sarah K; Radebaugh, Catherine A; Stargell, Laurie A

2012-02-01

Exposure to genetic and biochemical experiments typically occurs late in one's academic career. By the time students have the opportunity to select specialized courses in these areas, many have already developed negative attitudes toward the sciences. Given little or no direct experience with the fields of genetics and biochemistry, it is likely that many young people rule these out as potential areas of study or career path. To address this problem, we developed a 7-week (~1 hr/week) hands-on course to introduce fifth grade students to basic concepts in genetics and biochemistry. These young students performed a series of investigations (ranging from examining phenotypic variation, in vitro enzymatic assays, and yeast genetic experiments) to explore scientific reasoning through direct experimentation. Despite the challenging material, the vast majority of students successfully completed each experiment, and most students reported that the experience increased their interest in science. Additionally, the experiments within the 7-week program are easily performed by instructors with basic skills in biological sciences. As such, this program can be implemented by others motivated to achieve a broader impact by increasing the accessibility of their university and communicating to a young audience a positive impression of the sciences and the potential for science as a career.

Title IX and Pregnancy Discrimination in Higher Education: The New Frontier.

PubMed

Mason, Mary Ann; Younger, Jaclyn

2014-01-01

Pregnancy discrimination is a little known area covered by Title IX. According to the Title IX regulations, areas of prohibited discrimination include: admissions; hiring; coursework accommodations and completion; pregnancy leave policies and status protection upon return from leave; and health insurance coverage. These regulations will soon get more attention as the Obama Administration insists on Title IX dissemination and compliance in an effort to stop the leaky pipeline for women in the STEM fields. Research shows that pregnancy and childbirth are the major reasons why women drop out of research science in much greater numbers than men; this dropout is most likely to occur among graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are in their peak childbearing years. A similar pattern of dropout can be seen in all fields, including related professional schools. Research also reveals that there are currently few established policies in higher education which adequately address pregnancy and childbirth in formal policies for students. This article will address new efforts by the United States Department of Education and the federal agencies to begin to seek compliance relating to Title IX and pregnancy discrimination in educational institutions. It will discuss the recent successful efforts of the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in investigating and settling pregnancy discrimination claims as well as the lessons learned in private action lawsuits under Title IX. Title IX private action suits have transformed athletics for women, and more recently Title IX has been applied in sexual harassment cases. Pregnancy discrimination is now the new frontier.

Integrating Global Hydrology Into Graduate Engineering Education and Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffis, V. W.

2007-12-01

Worldwide, polluted water affects the health of 1.2 billion people and contributes to the death of 15 million children under five every year. In addition poor environmental quality contributes to 25 per cent of all preventable ill health in the world. To address some of these problems, at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, the world community set the goal of halving, by the year 2015, the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Solving sanitation and water resource management problems in any part of the world presents an interdisciplinary, complex challenge. However, when we attempt to solve these problems in an international context, our technical approaches must be tempered with cultural sensitivity and extraordinary management strategies. To meet this challenge, Michigan Tech has developed a unique global partnership with the U.S. Peace Corps to address our acknowledgement of the importance of placing engineering solutions in a global context. The program has graduated 30 students. Program enrollment is now over 30 and over 20 countries have hosted our students. The objective of this presentation is to demonstrate how this unique partnership can be integrated with graduate engineering education and research and also show how such a program may attract a more diverse student population into engineering. All graduate students enrolled in our Master's International Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering must complete specific coursework requirements before departing for their international experience. In CE5993 (Field Engineering in the Developing World) students learn to apply concepts of sustainable development and appropriate technology in the developing world. In FW5770 (Rural Community Development Planning and Analysis) students learn how one involves a community in the decision making process. A common theme in both courses is the role of woman in successful development projects. Technical specialization allows a student to take coursework in hydrology, water planning and management, and water quality engineering. The 2-3 semester residence on campus is then followed by three months of cultural, language, and technical training with the Peace Corps. After training students complete two years of service in the Peace Corps, typically working as a water/sanitation engineer while also completing a research project related to their Peace Corps experience. Some unique aspects of the Peace Corps experience is that it provides students with cultural awareness, language proficiency, community organizing skills, skills in consensus building and sustainable development, appreciation for technology that is economically and culturally sensitive, and a long-term field experience to develop an indepth overseas research project. Perhaps one of the greatest aspects of the Peace Corps experience is it provides students a basis to consider the social, economic, and environmental limitations of water projects in the developing world. Some examples of research projects that have been integrated into this program are: (a) culturally appropriate watershed planning and management, (b) technical capacity building of water supply systems, and (c) life cycle thinking approach applied to water and sanitation projects.

Addressing the Academic and Social Needs of Young Male Students through School-Based Mentoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alston, Curtis E.

2013-01-01

This study addressed the problem within the U.S. public school system to sustainably meet the academic and social needs of its African American male students. The administrative team of the elementary school in this study desired an evaluation of a school-based male mentoring program that was designed to address these needs. The program, Gentlemen…

Is Psychology Headed in the Right Direction? Yes, No, and Maybe.

PubMed

Dweck, Carol S

2017-07-01

In this piece, I first celebrate the growing contribution of psychology to the understanding and solution of pressing social issues. Then, despite these exciting developments, I worry about whether we have created a field that our students want to spend their lives in, and I suggest concerns that might fruitfully be addressed. Finally, I worry about the potential fragmentation of psychology and applaud programs of research that have shown the unique and important contributions to be made when the methods and perspectives of neuroscience, cognitive science, and computational modeling are integrated with those of social, personality, and developmental psychology. In sum, although this is an exciting time for our field, we can do more to ensure its vigor and its truly interdisciplinary nature as we move forward.

KazRAM: Build Your Own Raman Spectrometer for Environmental Science Education in Kazakhstan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redfern, S. A. T.; Seitkan, A.

2016-12-01

The development of field-based spectroscopic investigations in Eastern Kazakhstan has been held-back by the lack of access to spectroscopic methods and technologies. This has been addressed in this project, in which we use a modular system of construction to allow a Raman spectrometer to be built in the University classroom. In collaboration with scientists at East Kazakhstan State University the team at Cambridge University have designed and developed an instrument that can be replicated in the near-field environment in Central Asia. This allows students to gain a first-hand understanding of the principles and practise of Raman spectroscopy by constructing their own instrument. The project will then allow measurement of key samples in both biological ecology settings as well as in geological and mining exploration contexts.

A sociodrama: an innovative program engaging college students to learn and self-reflect about alcohol use.

PubMed

Haleem, Diane M; Winters, Justin

2011-08-01

A sociodrama addressing college drinking.   This article reports on the development, production, and evaluation of an innovative sociodrama addressing college drinking mental health professionals caring for students who drink at levels that cause negative consequences can use techniques addressed in the sociodrama to help students self-reflect on their alcohol use. The goal is to help students make healthy choices to decrease the negative consequences as a result of drinking. A script for the sociodrama was developed and five students acted out the sociodrama. A facilitator engaged the audience of college students, at scripted pauses, during the production to reflect on the scenes presented. The purpose of the sociodrama is to foster a discussion, to aid in student understanding concerning college drinking, to have students consider and commit to use harm reduction techniques, to access resources, and to correct misperceptions about drinking. The sociodrama format can help address communication challenges, problem solving, and self-awareness. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to test commitment to use harm reduction techniques, assess the perception of a student's own drinking pattern to the perception of their fellow student colleague drinking, assess the student use of resources, and assess the effectiveness of the sociodrama as a means of learning. This research was Institutional Review Board approved. Over 41% of students reported not consuming alcohol the last time they partied or socialized yet reported only 3.8% of their students colleagues did not consume alcohol. Most students (94%) reported that drinking five or more drinks would place them at risk as opposed to estimating that the same amount would put fewer students at risk (75%). Students significantly increased their commitment to use harm reduction techniques. A sociodrama is an effective method of involving students in discussions about college drinking and engaging them in conversation and self-reflection. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Trauma, stress, and self-care in clinical training: Predictors of burnout, decline in health status, secondary traumatic stress symptoms, and compassion satisfaction.

PubMed

Butler, Lisa D; Carello, Janice; Maguin, Eugene

2017-07-01

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 9(4) of Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy (see record 2016-54155-001). In the article, there was an error in Table 4 of the Results. The Outcomes and Predictors columns were not clearly categorized from one another. The corrected table is present in the erratum.] Objective: Courtois and Gold (2009) have called for the inclusion of trauma in the curriculum for all mental health training programs. The present study investigated the impact of trauma-related content, stress, and self-care (SC) on trainees in such a program. Method: The study examined potential risk factors (trauma exposures in training [being faced with or reacting to trauma-related field work experiences and course content] and perceptions of stress in field and coursework) and protective factors (SC effort and importance) in relation to burnout (BO), health status (HS), secondary traumatic stress symptoms (STSS), and compassion satisfaction (CS) among 195 students in a graduate social work training program. Results: All students reported trauma exposures in their field placements and/or coursework, including retraumatization experiences that were associated with higher STSS and BO. Field stress and SC effort were both consistent predictors across outcomes. Higher field stress levels predicted higher BO and STSS, a greater likelihood of decline in HS, and lower CS. Lower SC effort was also associated with higher BO and STSS, and a greater likelihood of decline in HS, while higher SC effort predicted higher CS. Older students, those with traumatized field clients, and those whose field work addressed trauma, also reported higher CS. Conclusions: These findings suggest that clinical training involving trauma content can be both rewarding and stressful, and may evoke distress in some trainees. Given that learning about and working with trauma are essential to adequate clinical training, the authors suggest adopting a trauma-informed approach within clinical training programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The Challenges of Designing and Implementing Effective Professional Development for Out-of-Field High School Physics Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escalada, Lawrence T.; Moeller, Julia K.

2006-02-01

With the existing shortage of qualified high school physics teachers and the current mandate of the No Child Left Behind Act requiring teachers to be "highly qualified" in all subjects they teach, university physics departments must offer content courses and programs that would allow out-of-field high school physics teachers to meet this requirement. This paper will identify how the University of Northern Iowa Physics Department is attempting to address the needs of the high school physics teacher through its course offerings and professional development programs for teachers. The effectiveness of one such physics professional development program, the UNI Physics Institute (UNI-PI), on secondary science teachers' and their students' conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics, and the teachers' instructional practices was investigated. Twenty-one Iowa out-of-field high school physics teachers participating in the program were able to complete the physics coursework required to obtain the State of Iowa 7-12 Grade Physics Teaching endorsement. Twelve of the participants completed a two-year program during the 2002 and 2003 summers. Background information, pre- and post-test physics conceptual assessments and other data was collected from participants throughout the Institute. Participants collected pre and post-test conceptual assessment data from their students during the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 academic years. This comprehensive assessment data revealed the Institute's influence on participants' and students' conceptual understanding of Newtonian Mechanics. The results of this investigation, the insights we have gained, and possible future directions for professional development will be shared.

Service Learning Course in Which Undergraduates and Middle School Students Investigate Levels of Pathogen Indicating Bacteria in Beach Sand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imamura, G.; Mika, K.; Lin, T.; Lee, C.; Lin, C.; Jay, J.

2007-12-01

Service-learning is a pedagogy that combines academic rigor with activities that address human and community needs. Over the past three years, we have developed a service-learning course that involves UCLA students working with 6th graders in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood to address issues of environmental science and health. This past year UCLA students conducted a research project in collaboration with a middle school class to investigate levels of pathogen-indicating organisms in beach sand near the Santa Monica pier. All students were taught necessary methods in class by the UCLA professor, and then met at the field site. Fieldwork involved collection of water and sand samples from various locations, extraction of bacteria from sand by shaking with buffer and decanting, and addition of sample to growth media that allow quantification of two organisms, Escherichia coli and enterococci. These organisms are typically used to indicate fecal contamination of water. Methods were straightforward and were accomplished by the 6th graders with only modest supervision by the UCLA students. Results showed extremely high levels of pathogen indicating organisms in the vicinity of a diverted stormdrain, indicating a continuing problem with the diversion. Levels decreased with distance away from the stormdrain, indicating migration of the organisms from the site of the diversion. UCLA students then visited the sixth grade classroom to help the sixth graders create Powerpoint posters including statement of hypotheses, graphs of the results, pictures of the entire process, and conclusions. Middle school students then visited UCLA to tour the campus and present their posters at a poster session hosted by the Center for Embedded Networked Sensing at UCLA. Desired outcomes at the 6th grade level included: 1) increased interest in science; 2) greater knowledge of and interest in attending college; and 3) enhanced knowledge of and feeling of political empowerment concerning environmental health issues. Outcomes for the UCLA students included: 1) gains in learning through the action of teaching; 2) awareness of education justice issues in Los Angeles; and 3) enhanced feeling of personal commitment to community and political advocacy work.

The Big Sky Model: A Regional Collaboration for Participatory Research on Environmental Health in the Rural West

PubMed Central

Ward, Tony J.; Vanek, Diana; Marra, Nancy; Holian, Andrij; Adams, Earle; Jones, David; Knuth, Randy

2010-01-01

The case for inquiry-based, hands-on, meaningful science education continues to gain credence as an effective and appropriate pedagogical approach (Karukstis 2005; NSF 2000). An innovative community-based framework for science learning, hereinafter referred to as the Big Sky Model, successfully addresses these educational aims, guiding high school and tribal college students from rural areas of Montana and Idaho in their understanding of chemical, physical, and environmental health concepts. Students participate in classroom lessons and continue with systematic inquiry through actual field research to investigate a pressing, real-world issue: understanding the complex links between poor air quality and respiratory health outcomes. This article provides background information, outlines the procedure for implementing the model, and discusses its effectiveness as demonstrated through various evaluation tools. PMID:20428505

Use of Animation in Teaching Cell Biology

PubMed Central

2004-01-01

To address the different learning styles of students, and because students can access animation from off-campus computers, the use of digital animation in teaching cell biology has become increasingly popular. Sample processes from cell biology that are more clearly presented in animation than in static illustrations are identified. The value of animation is evaluated on whether the process being taught involves motion, cellular location, or sequential order of numerous events. Computer programs for developing animation and animations associated with cell biology textbooks are reviewed, and links to specific examples of animation are given. Finally, future teaching tools for all fields of biology will increasingly benefit from an expansion of animation to the use of simulation. One purpose of this review is to encourage the widespread use of animations in biology teaching by discussing the nature of digital animation. PMID:15526065

A case-based, problem-based learning approach to prepare master of public health candidates for the complexities of global health.

PubMed

Leon, Juan S; Winskell, Kate; McFarland, Deborah A; del Rio, Carlos

2015-03-01

Global health is a dynamic, emerging, and interdisciplinary field. To address current and emerging global health challenges, we need a public health workforce with adaptable and collaborative problem-solving skills. In the 2013-2014 academic year, the Hubert Department of Global Health at the Rollins School of Public Health-Emory University launched an innovative required core course for its first-year Master of Public Health students in the global health track. The course uses a case-based, problem-based learning approach to develop global health competencies. Small teams of students propose solutions to these problems by identifying learning issues and critically analyzing and synthesizing new information. We describe the course structure and logistics used to apply this approach in the context of a large class and share lessons learned.

Addressing Barriers to Learning and Teaching to Enhance Equity of Opportunity. Report from the National Summit on ESSA and Learning Supports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA, 2017

2017-01-01

Passage of the "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA) provides opportunities to improve how schools address barriers to learning and teaching and re-engage disconnected students and families. Of particular relevance to these concerns, ESSA replaces what has been described as a maze of programs with a "Student Support and Academic…

Formal or Informal? The Impact of Style of Dress and Forms of Address on Business Students' Perceptions of Professors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sebastian, Richard J.; Bristow, Dennis

2008-01-01

In this article, the authors examine the effects of style of dress, forms of address, and gender of the stimulus person on business students' perceptions of professors' attributes. Student participants (125 women, 132 men) rated the stimulus person on indexes of attractiveness, trustworthiness, credibility, and likeability. Style of dress and form…

The Effect of Athletic Identity and Locus of Control on the Stress Perceptions of Community College Student-Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Joshua C.

2016-01-01

Over 72,000 student-athletes compete annually in athletic programs at the community college level. However, research addressing the effect of athletic participation on the psychological well-being of the community college student-athlete is sparse. This study represents an attempt to address this gap by examining the relationship among perceived…

Enhancing Students' Interest in Science and Technology through Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration and Active Learning Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Donna M.; Malloy, Alisha D.; Hollowell, Gail P.

2013-01-01

Twenty-nine rising high school 12th grade students participated in a 4-week summer program designed to increase their interest in science and technology. The program was a blend of hands-on biology, chemistry, and technology modules that addressed the global issue of obesity. Student groups developed websites to address obesity in one of five…

Students' Perception of Blended Learning Environment: A Case Study of the University of Education, Winneba, Kumasi-Campus, Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gyamfi, Samuel Adu; Gyaase, Patrick Ohemeng

2015-01-01

The increasing utilization of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in addressing various societal needs has catalysed the need to deploy this all important tool in education in developing countries to address the need of the increasing student enrolment in universities. This study was conducted to assess students' perception of blended…

Research and Teaching: Transforming Discussion in General Chemistry with Authentic Experiences for Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crippen, Kent J.; Boyer, Treavor H.; Korolev, Maria; de Torres, Trisha; Brucat, Phil J.; Wu, Chang-Yu

2016-01-01

Undergraduate engineering education in the United States is in need of reform that addresses the recruitment and retention of a diverse population of students. Change Chem is a curriculum reform model that has been created to address this issue for freshman students. This article reports on a mixed method efficacy study of Change Chem, which uses…

An Exploration of Students' Own Explanations about Dropout in Vocational Education in a Danish Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanggaard, Lene

2013-01-01

The present paper addresses the phenomenon of student dropout from vocational education in Denmark. It does so by addressing the need to critically discuss the term "drop-out" taking the perspective of students' own reflections on the topic. The empirical findings indicate that dropout is considered in terms of two very different, but…

Religious Identity and Cultural Refashioning: Educational Constraints for Migrant Muslim Hui University Students in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Dong

2014-01-01

This study discusses the educational constraints facing Muslim Hui students and the measures that should be pondered by the Chinese government to address these constraints. Three key research questions are addressed: (1) How does the mainstream Han, Confucian, or the state ideology interact with Hui students' culture? (2) In what ways do ethnic…

Student and Early Career Mobility Patterns among Highly Educated People in Germany, Finland, Italy, and the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindberg, Matti E.

2009-01-01

This article addresses the question of how great are higher education students' incentives to change study programs or institutions to improve one's personal employability in the course of the higher education-to-work transition process. The posed question is addressed at a system level. Students' mobility between programs and institutions is…

Association between School District Policies That Address Chronic Health Conditions of Students and Professional Development for School Nurses on Such Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, S. Everett; Brener, Nancy D.; Bergren, Martha Dewey

2015-01-01

Supportive school policies and well-prepared school nurses can best address the needs of students with chronic health conditions. We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study to examine whether districts with policies requiring that schools provide health services to students with chronic…

The Implementation of Research-Based Instructional Strategies Using Technology: An Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoff, Paula

2014-01-01

Students are entering a suburban middle school with significant achievement gaps. The skill deficits that students bring to the school setting must be addressed based on data that reflect their greatest area of need. At the middle school level, it is critical to address the learning gaps and prepare students for success at the high school level.…

Enhancing students' higher order thinking skills through computer-based scaffolding in problem-based learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Nam Ju

This multiple paper dissertation addressed several issues in Problem-based learning (PBL) through conceptual analysis, meta-analysis, and empirical research. PBL is characterized by ill-structured tasks, self-directed learning process, and a combination of individual and cooperative learning activities. Students who lack content knowledge and problem-solving skills may struggle to address associated tasks that are beyond their current ability levels in PBL. This dissertation addressed a) scaffolding characteristics (i.e., scaffolding types, delivery method, customization) and their effects on students' perception of optimal challenge in PBL, b) the possibility of virtual learning environments for PBL, and c) the importance of information literacy for successful PBL learning. Specifically, this dissertation demonstrated the effectiveness of scaffolding customization (i.e., fading, adding, and fading/adding) to enhance students' self-directed learning in PBL. Moreover, the effectiveness of scaffolding was greatest when scaffolding customization is self-selected than based on fixed-time interval and their performance. This suggests that it might be important for students to take responsibility for their learning in PBL and individualized and just-in-time scaffolding can be one of the solutions to address K-12 students' difficulties in improving problem-solving skills and adjusting to PBL.