Sea World Curriculum Guide. Program Theme: Behavior 4-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sea World, Inc., San Diego, CA.

This document provides science curriculum instructional material relating to marine biology. Items presented relate to live animal exhibits seen during visits to Sea World marine aquarium exhibits; however, all materials are also useful for in-class instruction without visits to Sea World displays. Ideally, material should be reviewed immediately…

Learning Science through Computer Games and Simulations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honey, Margaret A., Ed.; Hilton, Margaret, Ed.

2011-01-01

At a time when scientific and technological competence is vital to the nation's future, the weak performance of U.S. students in science reflects the uneven quality of current science education. Although young children come to school with innate curiosity and intuitive ideas about the world around them, science classes rarely tap this potential.…

Fostering Scientific Literacy and Critical Thinking in Elementary Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vieira, Rui Marques; Tenreiro-Vieira, Celina

2016-01-01

Scientific literacy (SL) and critical thinking (CT) are key components of science education aiming to prepare students to think and to function as responsible citizens in a world increasingly affected by science and technology (S&T). Therefore, students should be given opportunities in their science classes to be engaged in learning…

Hidden student voice: A curriculum of a middle school science class heard through currere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crooks, Kathleen Schwartz

Students have their own lenses through which they view school science and the students' views are often left out of educational conversations which directly affect the students themselves. Pinar's (2004) definition of curriculum as a 'complicated conversation' implies that the class' voice is important, as important as the teacher's voice, to the classroom conversation. If the class' voice is vital to classroom conversations, then the class, consisting of all its students, must be allowed to both speak and be heard. Through a qualitative case study, whereby the case is defined as a particular middle school science class, this research attempts to hear the 'complicated conversation' of this middle school science class, using currere as a framework. Currere suggests that one's personal relationship to the world, including one's memories, hopes, and dreams, should be the crux of education, rather than education being primarily the study of facts, concepts, and needs determined by an 'other'. Focus group interviews were used to access the class' currere: the class' lived experiences of science, future dreams of science, and present experiences of science, which was synthesized into a new understanding of the present which offered the class the opportunity to be fully educated. The interview data was enriched through long-term observation in this middle school science classroom. Analysis of the data collected suggests that a middle school science class has rich science stories which may provide insights into ways to engage more students in science. Also, listening to the voice of a science class may provide insight into discussions about science education and understandings into the decline in student interest in science during secondary school. Implications from this research suggest that school science may be more engaging for this middle school class if it offers inquiry-based activities and allows opportunities for student-led research. In addition, specialized academic and career advice in early middle school may be able to capitalize on this class' positive perspective toward science. Further research may include using currere to hear the voices of middle school science classes with more diverse demographic qualities.

A Sense of Place in the Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Membiela, Pedro; DePalma, Renee; Pazos, Mercedes Suarez

2011-01-01

Place-based science education engages with the laboratories of complex reality where natural processes combine with social practice, going beyond the physical world, to encompass the meanings and sense of attachment local residents feel for places. This brief report describes how a university science methods class in a primary teacher training…

Students' Views Concerning Worldview Presuppositions Underpinning Science: Is the World Really Ordered, Uniform, and Comprehensible?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansson, Lena

2014-01-01

That nature and the universe are ordered, uniform, and comprehensible is a starting point in science. However, such worldview presuppositions are often taken for granted, rather than explicitly mentioned, in science and in science class. This article takes a worldview perspective and reports from interviews (N = 26) with upper secondary students…

Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

Science.gov Websites

Investigators Division Staff Facilities and Centers Staff Jobs Safety Personnel Resources Committees In Case of ? Click Here! Commitment to Safety at MSD In the Materials Sciences Division, our mission is to do world -class science in a safe environment. We proudly support a strong safety culture in which all staff and

Hidden Wor(l)ds in Science Class: Conscientization and Politicization in Science Education Research and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seiler, Gale; Abraham, Anjali

2009-01-01

Conscientization involves a recursive process of reflection and action toward individual and social transformation. Often this process takes shape through encounters in/with diverse and often conflicting discourses. The study of student and teacher discourses, or scripts and counterscripts, in science classrooms can reveal asymmetrical power…

Astronautics Degrees for Space Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruntman, M.; Brodsky, R.; Erwin, D.; Kunc, J.

The Astronautics Program (http://astronautics.usc.edu) of the University of Southern California (USC) offers a full set of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Aerospace Engineering with emphasis in Astronautics. The Bachelor of Science degree program in Astronautics combines basic science and engineering classes with specialized astronautics classes. The Master of Science degree program in Astronautics offers classes in various areas of space technology. The Certificate in Astronautics targets practicing engineers and scientists who enter space-related fields and/or who want to obtain training in specific space-related areas. Many specialized graduate classes are taught by adjunct faculty working at the leading space companies. The Master of Science degree and Certificate are available through the USC Distance Education Network (DEN). Today, the Internet allows us to reach students anywhere in the world through webcasting. The majority of our graduate students, as well as those pursuing the Certificate, work full time as engineers in the space industry and government research and development centers. The new world of distance learning presents new challenges and opens new opportunities. We show how the transformation of distance learning and particularly the introduction of webcasting transform organization of the program and class delivery. We will describe in detail the academic focus of the program, student reach, and structure of program components. Program development is illustrated by the student enrollment dynamics and related industrial trends; the lessons learned emphasize the importance of feedback from the students and from the space industry.

Learning for Change in World Society: Reflections, Activities and Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

One World Trust, London (England).

The resource booklet contains readings and activities for British secondary school world affairs classes. The material lends itself toward incorporation into various curricula, including history, geography, social studies, humanities, environmental studies, language and literature, home economics, math, and science. Subject matter focuses on…

Astronautics degrees for the space industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruntman, M.; Brodsky, R. F.; Erwin, D. A.; Kunc, J. A.

2004-01-01

The Astronautics Program (http://astronautics.usc.edu) of the University of Southern California (USC) offers a full set of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Aerospace Engineering with emphasis in Astronautics. The Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree programs in Astronautics combine basic science and engineering classes with specialized classes in space technology. The Certificate in Astronautics targets practicing engineers and scientists who enter space-related fields and/or who want to obtain training in specific space-related areas. Many specialized graduate classes are taught by adjunct faculty working at the leading space companies. The Master of Science degree and Certificate are available entirely through the USC Distance Education Network (DEN). Today, the Internet allows us to reach students anywhere in the world through webcasting. The majority of our graduate students, as well as those pursuing the Certificate, work full time as engineers in the space industry and government research and development centers while earning their degrees. The new world of distance learning presents new challenges and opens new opportunities. Distance learning, and particularly the introduction of webcasting, transform the organization of the graduate program and class delivery. We describe in detail the program's academic focus, student reach, and structure of program components. Program development is illustrated by the student enrollment dynamics and related industrial trends; the lessons learned emphasize the importance of feedback from the students and from the space industry.

Experiencing a Changing World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Patricia

1994-01-01

Describes the Living in a Changing World program, a series of half-day classes offered by the Saint Louis archdiocesan schools at a zoo, historical museum, botanical garden, archaeological center, science center, and arboretum. Through letter writing, social events, and field trips, the program pairs and provides interaction between fourth-…

Teaching the Library at SIBL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thornton, Ann

1999-01-01

Describes the curriculum of free training courses offered at the New York Public Library Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL) that focus on information-seeking skills and information literacy. Classes offered include basic library skills, Internet and World Wide Web, business information, government information, and science information.…

The Evolving Relationship Between Technology and National Security in China: Innovation, Defense Transformation, and China’s Place in the Global Technology Order

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-12

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: This project examined China’s drive to become a world-class defense and dual -use technological and industrial power and...2211 China, science, technology, dual use, defense, security, innovation REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) 10...Place in the Global Technology Order Report Title This project examined China’s drive to become a world-class defense and dual -use technological and

Avenues to Inspiration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Ashley

2011-01-01

Integrating the worlds of art and science can be a perfect tool for engaging students who wouldn't be initially interested in a science class. Even those students who love science may delve deeper into the subject when it's associated with art. One way to make this connection is to explore the life and work of great nature artists of the past and…

World-Class Ambitions, Weak Standards: An Excerpt from "The State of State Science Standards 2012"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Educator, 2012

2012-01-01

A solid science education program begins by clearly establishing what well-educated youngsters need to learn about this multifaceted domain of human knowledge. The first crucial step is setting clear academic standards for the schools--standards that not only articulate the critical science content students need to learn, but that also properly…

Science-based stockpile stewardship at LANSCE

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

Browne, J.

1995-10-01

Let me tell you a little about the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) and how some of the examples you heard about from Sig Hecker and John Immele fit together in this view of a different world in the future where defense, basic and industrial research overlap. I am going to talk about science-based stockpile stewardship at LANSCE; the accelerator production of tritium (APT), which I think has a real bearing on the neutron road map; the world-class neutron science user facility, for which I will provide some examples so you can see the connection with defense science; andmore » lastly, testing concepts for a high-power spallation neutron target and waste transmutation.« less

Student Intern Freed Competes at Intel ISEF, Two Others Awarded at Local Science Fair | Poster

Cancer.gov

Class of 2014–2015 Werner H. Kirsten (WHK) student intern Rebecca “Natasha” Freed earned a fourth-place award in biochemistry at the 2015 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the largest high school science research competition in the world, according to the Society for Science & the Public’s website. Freed described the event as “transformative

Communicating Discovery-Based Research Results to the News: A Real-World Lesson in Science Communication for Undergraduate Students.

PubMed

Garcia, Julie Torruellas

2018-01-01

Communicating science effectively to the general public is a necessary skill that takes practice. Generally, undergraduate science majors are taught to communicate to other scientists but are not given formal training on how to communicate with a nonscientist. An opportunity to appear on a news segment can be used as a real-world lesson on science communication for your students. This article will describe how to contact a producer to get your class on a news segment, ideas for types of research that may be of interest to the media, and how to practice communicating the results effectively.

The deep underground science and engineering laboratory at Homestake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesko, Kevin T.

2009-06-01

The US National Science Foundation and the US underground science community are well into the campaign to establish a world-class, multi-disciplinary deep underground science and engineering laboratory — DUSEL. The NSF's review committee, following the first two NSF solicitations, selected Homestake as the prime site to be developed into an international, multidisciplinary, world-class research facility. Homestake DUSEL will provide much needed underground research space to help relieve the worldwide shortage, particularly at great depth, and will develop research campuses at different depths to satisfy the research requirements for the coming decades. The State of South Dakota has demonstrated remarkable support for the project and has secured the site with the transfer of the former Homestake Gold Mine and has initiated re-entry and rehabilitation of the facility to host a modest interim science program with state funds and those from a substantial philanthropic donor. I review the scientific case for DUSEL and the progress in developing the preliminary design of DUSEL in Homestake and the initial suite of experiments to be funded along with the facility.

The Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory at Homestake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesko, Kevin T.

2009-12-01

The US National Science Foundation and the US underground science community are well into the campaign to establish a world-class, multi-disciplinary deep underground science and engineering laboratory—DUSEL. The NSF's review committee, following the first two NSF solicitations, selected Homestake as the prime site to be developed into an international, multidisciplinary, world-class research facility. Homestake DUSEL will provide much needed underground research space to help relieve the worldwide shortage, particularly at great depth, and will develop research campuses at different depths to satisfy the research requirements for the coming decades. The State of South Dakota demonstrates remarkable support for the project and has secured the site with the transfer of the former Homestake Gold Mine and has initiated re-entry and rehabilitation of the facility to host a modest interim science program with state funds and those from a substantial philanthropic donor. I review the scientific case for DUSEL and the progress in developing the preliminary design of DUSEL in Homestake and the integrated suite of experiments to be funded along with the facility.

Engaging Adolescents' Interests, Literacy Practices, and Identities: Digital Collaborative Writing of Fantasy Fiction in a High School English Elective Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rish, Ryan M.

2011-01-01

This study investigates an elective English class, in which students in grades 10-12 collectively read and collaboratively wrote fantasy fiction in four groups. The purpose of the class was to have students consider the choices fantasy and science fictions writers, directors, and video game designers make when creating a fictional world. The…

The Sounds of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Julian

2017-01-01

In this article, Julian Grant, a Prep VI class teacher at Bridgewater School, Worsley, Manchester, explores the cross-curricular nature of language in scientific recording and how children can waken an audible science world with words. The ideas that came from what started as an applied vocabulary exercise demonstrated just how many…

Tour Brookhaven Lab's Future Hub for Energy Research: The Interdisciplinary Science Building

ScienceCinema

Gerry Stokes; Jim Misewich; Caradonna, Peggy; Sullivan, John; Olsen, Jim

2018-04-16

Construction is under way for the Interdisciplinary Science Building (ISB), a future world-class facility for energy research at Brookhaven Lab. Meet two scientists who will develop solutions at the ISB to tackle some of the nation's energy challenges, and tour the construction site.

Teaching internet use to adult learners: The LANL experience

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

Smith, S.; Comstock, D.

The Research library at Los Alamos National Laboratory has been teaching an Internet class to adult learners since May 1994. The class is a team effort, combining lecture/demo with hands-on practice using Gopher and the World Wide Web. What started out as a small short-term project has become a weekly class available to any Lab employee or associate. More than 250 people have been taught to find basic reference materials and to navigate the Internet on the Gopher and World Wide Web. The class is one of the first classes offered by the Research Library to be filled every month,more » and one Laboratory group has recommended that their staff attend this class in preparation for more advanced Internet and HTML classes as part of their group training. The success of this class spurred development by the Research Library of more specific subject classes using Internet resources, specifically business and general science resources.« less

Build a Catastrophe: Using Digital World and Policy Models to Engage Political Science Students with Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horodyskyj, L.; Lennon, T.; Mead, C.; Anbar, A. D.

2017-12-01

Climate change is a problem that involves science, economics, and politics. Particularly in the United States, political resistance to addressing climate change has been exacerbated by a concerted misinformation campaign against the basic science, a negative response to how the proposed solutions to climate change intersect with values. Scientists often propose more climate science education as a solution to the problem, but preliminary studies indicate that more science education does not necessarily reduce polarization on the topic (Kahan et al. 2012). Is there a way that we can better engage non-science students in topics related to climate change that improve their comprehension of the problem and its implications, overcoming polarization? In an existing political science course, "Do You Want to Build a Nation?", we are testing a new digital world-building model based on resource development and consequent environmental and societal impacts. Students spend half the class building their nations based on their assigned ideology (i.e., socialist, absolute monarchy, libertarian) and the second half of the class negotiating with other nations to resolve global issues while remaining true to their ideologies. The course instructor, co-author Lennon, and ASU's Center for Education Through eXploration have collaborated to design a digital world model based on resources linked to an adaptive decision-making environment that translates student policies into modifications to the digital world. The model tracks students' exploration and justification of their nation's policy choices. In the Fall 2017 offering of the course, we will investigate how this digital world model and scenarios built around it affect student learning outcomes. Specifically, we anticipate improved understanding of the policy trade-offs related to energy development, better understanding of the ways that different ideologies approach solutions to climate change, and that both will result in more realistic diplomatic negotiations in the latter half of the course. We will report on the technical details of how the digital world model and scenarios are constructed as well as how students responded to the scenario.

Girls and Science Education in Mauritius: A Study of Science Class Practices and Their Effects on Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naugah, Jayantee; Watts, Mike

2013-01-01

Background: The population of Mauritius consists of 52% females and scientific literacy is seen to be of vital importance for all young people if they are to be sufficiently equipped to meet the challenges of a fast changing world. Previous research shows, however, that science is not popular among girls. This paper explores one of many reasons…

Direct observation of melted Mott state evidenced from Raman scattering in 1T-TaS2 single crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Qing; Yin, Cong; Zhang, Leilei; Lei, Li; Wang, Zhengshang; Chen, Zhiyu; Tang, Jun; Ang, Ran

2018-01-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51771126 and 11774247), the Youth Foundation of Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province, China (Grant No. 2016JQ0051), and the World First-Class University Construction Funding.

Space: The Final Frontier in the Learning of Science?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milne, Catherine

2014-01-01

In "Space", relations, and the learning of science", Wolff-Michael Roth and Pei-Ling Hsu use ethnomethodology to explore high school interns learning shopwork and shoptalk in a research lab that is located in a world class facility for water quality analysis. Using interaction analysis they identify how spaces, like a research…

Picture Science: Using Digital Photography to Teach Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neumann-Hinds, Carla

2007-01-01

Young children love to investigate the natural world, and they love to take photographs. "Picture Science" goes beyond just documenting class projects. The book shows how to use digital photography to make each step in the scientific process--from posing a question, to gathering data, to showing findings--concrete and fun for children. Keyed…

Demographics, Dollars and Difficulties in Graduate Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Richard C.

In a discussion of the crisis in graduate education in the sciences and engineering, focus is on factors that threaten American capability to produce world-class science in universities. While finances play a part, the causes are basically structural--the rigidity of university faculties, stemming from a significant expansion in tenured positions,…

Using Art To Teach Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winrich, Ralph A.

This booklet describes 14 student art projects to be used in science classes. Creative skills involved in the process of artistic expression seem to translate very well into the problem solving world of technology. Even in the elementary level it can help build confidence, as well as the development of abstract skills that so often lead to…

Safely Caring for Animals during Inquiry Investigations: Exploring Microecosystems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marek, Edmund A.; Parker, Chad A.

2010-01-01

"Science is a process of discovering and exploring the natural world. Exploration occurs in the classroom, laboratory or in the field. As part of your science class, you will be doing many activities and investigations that will involve the use of various materials, equipment, and chemicals…" (NSTA, 2010). Safety is always of utmost…

Integration, Authenticity, and Relevancy in College Science through Engineering Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Ken L., Jr.; Hoffman, Adam R.

2018-01-01

Engineering design is an ideal perspective for engaging students in college science classes. An engineering design problem-solving framework was used to create a general chemistry lab activity focused on an important environmental issue--dead zones. Dead zones impact over 400 locations around the world and are a result of nutrient pollution, one…

SRA Economics Materials in Grades One and Two. Evaluation Reports.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaver, James P.; Larkins, A. Guy

A class of first graders and a class of second graders in four Salt Lake City schools comprised the experimental sample in a study whose objectives were (1) to develop a test for assessing learning with "Our Working World" materials, published by Science Research Associate (SRA), and (2) to determine if students using the materials made…

Teaching 5th grade science for aesthetic understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girod, Mark A.

Many scientists speak with great zeal about the role of aesthetics and beauty in their science and inquiry. Few systematic efforts have been made to teach science in ways that appeal directly to aesthetics and this research is designed to do just that. Drawing from the aesthetic theory of Dewey, I describe an analytic lens called learning for aesthetic understanding that finds power in the degree to which our perceptions of the world are transformed, our interests and enthusiasm piqued, and our actions changed as we seek further experiences in the world. This learning theory is contrasted against two other current and popular theories of science learning, that of learning for conceptual understanding via conceptual change theory and learning for a language-oriented or discourse-based understanding. After a lengthy articulation of the pedagogical strategies used to teach for aesthetic understanding the research is described in which comparisons are drawn between students in two 5th grade classrooms---one taught for the goal of conceptual understanding and the other taught for the goal of aesthetic understanding. Results of this comparison show that more students in the treatment classroom had aesthetic experiences with science ideas and came to an aesthetic understanding when studying weather, erosion, and structure of matter than students in the control group. Also statistically significant effects are shown on measures of interest, affect, and efficacy for students in the treatment class. On measures of conceptual understanding it appears that treatment class students learned more and forgot less over time than control class students. The effect of the treatment does not generally depend on gender, ethnicity, or prior achievement except in students' identity beliefs about themselves as science learners. In this case, a significant interaction for treatment class females on science identity beliefs did occur. A discussion of these results as well as elaboration and extension of the pedagogical model used in teaching for aesthetic understanding is discussed.

Medical Communication as Art--An Interview with Christine Borland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Peih-ying

2010-01-01

The artist Christine Borland, born in Scotland, is well known for fusing art and science. She was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1997, and developed an early interest in the representation of the body. This interest blossomed into a broader exploration of the medical world through art with such works as "Second Class Male, Second Class Female,"…

Active Learning in the Atmospheric Science Classroom and beyond through High-Altitude Ballooning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coleman, Jill S. M.; Mitchell, Melissa

2014-01-01

This article describes the implementation of high-altitude balloon (HAB) research into a variety of undergraduate atmospheric science classes as a means of increasing active student engagement in real-world, problem-solving events. Because high-altitude balloons are capable of reaching heights of 80,000-100,000 ft (24-30 km), they provide a…

Developing Low-Income Preschoolers' Social Studies and Science Vocabulary Knowledge through Content-Focused Shared Book Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Jorge E.; Pollard-Durodola, Sharolyn; Simmons, Deborah C.; Taylor, Aaron B.; Davis, Matthew J.; Kim, Minjun; Simmons, Leslie

2011-01-01

This study evaluated the effects of integrating science and social studies vocabulary instruction into shared book reading with low-income preschool children. Twenty-one preschool teachers and 148 children from their classrooms were randomly assigned at the class level to either the Words of Oral Reading and Language Development (WORLD)…

Science - Are We World Class?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaving, Harriet; Whitehouse, Gillian

2013-01-01

Analysis of international surveys on measured performance by students at various levels is often used by the media to indicate that education in Britain is not as good as it should be. However, this article (which is confined to science in England) shows that, although England might not win the league, it is certainly a dependable member of the…

Other Worlds, Other Earths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunbury, Susan; Gould, R. R.

2011-05-01

The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics is developing a two-to-three week NSF-funded program for middle and high school students using telescope-based investigations of real world cutting edge scientific questions. The goal is to reveal and enhance students' understanding of core concepts in the physical sciences as well as to develop their proficiency in the practice of scientific inquiry. Specifically, students and teachers are joining scientists in the search for habitable worlds by exploring transiting exoplanets. Using robotic telescopes, image processing software and simulations, students take images and then measure the brightness of their target star to create a portrait of a transiting planet including how large it is; the tilt of its orbit; how far it is from its star and what its environment might be like. Once classes collect and analyze their own data, they can begin to compare, combine, and communicate their findings with others in the community. Interactive models help students predict what they might expect to find and interpret what they do find. During the past two years, the Center for Astrophysics has tested the concept in fifty middle-and high-school classrooms, enrichment classes and after school science clubs in 13 states across the United States. To date, astronomy, earth science, and physics students have successfully detected Jupiter-sized planets transiting stars such as TRES-3, HATP-10, and HATP-12. Preliminary results indicate that learning of core concept did occur. Gains in content were most significant in middle school students as this project delivered new information to them while it served primarily as a review of concepts and application of skills for advanced placement classes. A significant change also occurred in students’ self reported knowledge of exoplanets. There was also an increase in students’ awareness of exoplanets and attitudes about science after participating in this project.

Children Making Sense of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Clíona; Murphy, Colette; Kilfeather, Paula

2011-03-01

This study explored the effects that the incorporation of nature of science (NoS) activities in the primary science classroom had on children's perceptions and understanding of science. We compared children's ideas in four classes by inviting them to talk, draw and write about what science meant to them: two of the classes were taught by `NoS' teachers who had completed an elective nature of science (NoS) course in the final year of their Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree. The `non-NoS' teachers who did not attend this course taught the other two classes. All four teachers had graduated from the same initial teacher education institution with similar teaching grades and all had carried out the same science methods course during their B.Ed programme. We found that children taught by the teachers who had been NoS-trained developed more elaborate notions of nature of science, as might be expected. More importantly, their reflections on science and their science lessons evidenced a more in-depth and sophisticated articulation of the scientific process in terms of scientists "trying their best" and "sometimes getting it wrong" as well as "getting different answers". Unlike children from non-NoS classes, those who had engaged in and reflected on NoS activities talked about their own science lessons in the sense of `doing science'. These children also expressed more positive attitudes about their science lessons than those from non-NoS classes. We therefore suggest that there is added value in including NoS activities in the primary science curriculum in that they seem to help children make sense of science and the scientific process, which could lead to improved attitudes towards school science. We argue that as opposed to considering the relevance of school science only in terms of children's experience, relevance should include relevance to the world of science, and NoS activities can help children to link school science to science itself.

ScienceCast 115: The Strange Attraction of Hot Jupiters

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-08-08

An exotic class of exoplanets called "hot Jupiters" are even weirder than astronomers imagined. While these worlds may have Earth-like blue skies, new data show that they are anything but Earth-like.

Transformative Pedagogy, Leadership and School Organisation for the Twenty-First-Century Knowledge-Based Economy: The Case of Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimmock, Clive; Goh, Jonathan W. P.

2011-01-01

Singapore has a high performing school system; its students top international tests in maths and science. Yet while the Singapore government cherishes its world class "brand", it realises that in a globally competitive world, its schools need to prepare students for the twenty-first-century knowledge-based economy (KBE). Accordingly,…

Around the World in Science Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubino, Ann M; Duerling, Carolyn K.

1991-01-01

Interdisciplinary learning modules called "Maude Visits..." are described. The modules apply basic scientific concepts to current and future problems facing people in various countries such as the Soviet Union. Activities using maps, money, and convection currents are included. (KR)

Do You and Your Class Dare Visit the Real World?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossman, Michael

1982-01-01

A science teacher relates his feelings as he discussed modern warfare with his sixth-grade students. The students' reactions to moral questions and issues behind civil defense procedures and radioactivity are also discussed. (FG)

Energy Project professional development: Promoting positive attitudes about science among K-12 teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Amy D.; Daane, Abigail R.

2017-12-01

Promoting positive attitudes about science among teachers has important implications for teachers' classroom practice and for their relationship to science as a discipline. In this paper, we report positive shifts in teachers' attitudes about science, as measured by the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science (CLASS) survey, over the course of their participation in a professional development course that emphasized the flexible use of energy representations to understand real world scenarios. Our work contributes to the larger effort to make the case that professional development matters for teacher learning and attitudes.

Starting Small, Thinking Big - Continuum Magazine | NREL

Science.gov Websites

field of urban science by preparing cities with world-class decision support. -Written by Kevin Eber How generation of clean energy decision science. Photo of two long cabins with a view of one roof, which is solar power systems to the grid in the U.S. Virgin Islands have led to a significant growth in installed

Connecting Children Internationally for Science Instruction: Using the Internet to Support Learning about Lunar Phases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Walter S.; Cheon, Jongpil; Jabri, Faiza; Reynolds, Stephen; Zebedi, Amira

2012-01-01

This study investigated the effect on children's science understanding of Internet-based instruction in which children from around the world in grades 4 to 8 observed the Moon for several weeks and then shared their lunar data internationally to find global patterns in the Moon's behavior. Students in two American and one Australian class took the…

Using a Web Site in an Elementary Science Methods Class: Are We Opening a Pandora's Box?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Scott P.; O'Brien, George E.

This paper describes the introduction and use of the World Wide Web (WWW) in an elementary science methods course at Florida International University (FIU). The goals of creating a web site include engaging conversations among educators, providing access to local resources for students, and examining student use of web sites and the Internet. The…

75 FR 57545 - The Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC) Subcommittee on Labor and World-Class Workforce...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-21

... future employment requirements of the aviation industry: (1) The need for science, technology... prevention, system design, training and fact-finding services. DATES: The meeting will be held on October 1...

Hanford`s innovations for science education

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

Carter, D.

1996-12-31

In recognition of declining science literacy in the United States and a projected shortfall of scientists, engineers and technologists to address environmental problems nationally and internationally during the 21st century, Westinghouse Hanford Company has launched several innovative science education projects at the US Department of Energy Hanford Site. The Hanford Site is very rich in resources that can be brought to bear on the problem: world-class technical experts, state of the art facilities and equipment, and the largest environmental laboratory in the world. During the past two years, several innovative science education initiatives have been conceived and pursued at themore » secondary education level including the International Academy for the Environment (residential high school with an environmental theme), Environmental BATTmobile Program (mobile middle school science education program), and Multicultural Experiences in Math and Science (education program based on cultural contributions to math and science). Hanford scientists, engineers and administrators have worked with the education community (K-12 and college-university) to develop innovative approaches to science education.« less

Students' meaning making in science: solving energy resource problems in virtual worlds combined with spreadsheets to develop graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krange, Ingeborg; Arnseth, Hans Christian

2012-09-01

The aim of this study is to scrutinize the characteristics of conceptual meaning making when students engage with virtual worlds in combination with a spreadsheet with the aim to develop graphs. We study how these tools and the representations they contain or enable students to construct serve to influence their understanding of energy resource consumption. The data were gathered in 1st grade upper-secondary science classes and they constitute the basis for the interaction analysis of students' meaning making with representations. Our analyses demonstrate the difficulties involved in developing students' orientation toward more conceptual orientations to representations of the knowledge domain. Virtual worlds do not in themselves represent a solution to this problem.

Teacher and student perspectives on motivation within the high school science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickens, Melanie Turnure

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher and student perspectives on the motivation of high school science students and to explore specific motivational strategies used by teachers as they attempt to enhance student motivation. Four science teachers took part in an initial audio-taped interview, classroom observations with debriefing conversations, and a final audio-taped interview to discuss findings and allow member checking for data triangulation and interpretation. Participating teachers also took part in a final focus group interview. Student participants from each teacher's class were given a Likert style anonymous survey on their views about motivation and learning, motivation in science class, and specific motivational strategies that emerged in their current science class. This study focused on effective teaching strategies for motivation commonly used by the four teachers and on specific teaching strategies used by two of these four teachers in different tracks of science classes. The intent was to determine not only what strategies worked well for all types of science classes, but also what specific motivational approaches were being used in high and low tracked science classes and the similarities and differences between them. This approach provided insight into the differences in motivating tracked students, with the hope that other educators in specific tracks might use such pedagogies to improve motivation in their own science classrooms. Results from this study showed that science teachers effectively motivate their students in the following ways: Questioning students to engage them in the lesson, exhibiting enthusiasm in lesson presentations, promoting a non-threatening environment, incorporating hands-on activities to help learn the lesson concepts, using a variety of activities, believing that students can achieve, and building caring relationships in the classroom. Specific to the higher tracked classroom, effective motivational strategies included: Use of teacher enthusiasm, promoting a non-threatening class atmosphere, and connecting the adolescent world to science. In the lower tracked classroom, specific effective strategies were: Encouraging student-student dialogue, making lessons relevant using practical applications, building student self-confidence, and using hands-on inquiry activities. Teachers who incorporate such strategies into their classrooms regardless of the track will likely increase motivation and also enhance learning for all students.

Action Research Step-by-Step: A Tool for Educators to Change Their Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brighton, Catherine M.; Moon, Tonya R.

2007-01-01

Mr. Hartman is an honors-level and Advanced Placement science teacher in a diverse, urban high school where he has been teaching for the last 20 years. In recent years, Mr. Hartman has become increasingly more concerned with the lack of ethnic/cultural diversity in his advanced science classes. On the other hand, Mrs. Rodriguez is a principal in a…

Shirakatsi Astronomical and Natural Philosophical Views

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mkrtchyan, Lilit

2016-12-01

Our work is aimed at presenting Shirakatsi astronomical and natural philosophical views. Karl Anania Shirakatsi is classified as one of the world-class intellectual geniuses. He was endowed with exceptional talent and analyzing scientific understanding of natural phenomena. He refers his philosophical works to almost all fields of science, cosmography, mathematics, calendarology, historiography, etc. Shirakatsy's earnings of natural science and natural philosophy in medieval is too big He was the first prominent scholar and thinker of his time, creating a unique, comprehensive gitapilisopayakan system that still feeds the human mind. The scientific value of Shirakatsi has great importance not only for Armenians but also for the whole world of science, history, culture and philosophy. Shirakatsi can be considered not only national but also universal greatness.

The cultural production of "science" and "scientist" in high school physics: Girls' access, participation, and resistance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlone, Heidi Berenson

2000-10-01

For over three decades, the gender gap in science and science education has received attention from teachers, policy makers, and scholars of various disciplines. During this time, feminist scholars have posited many reasons why the gender gap in science and science education exists. Early feminist discourse focused on girls' "deficits," while more recent work has begun to consider the problems with science and school science in the quest for a more gender inclusive science. Specifically, feminist scholars advocate a transformation of both how students learn science and the science curriculum that students are expected to learn. This study was designed to examine more deeply this call for a changed science curriculum and its implications for girls' participation, interest, and scientist identities. If we reinvisioned ways to "do" science, "learn" science, and "be a scientist" in school science, would girls come to see science as something interesting and worth pursuing further? This question framed my ethnographic investigation. I examined the culturally produced meanings of "science" and "scientist" in two high school physics classrooms (one traditional and one non-traditional class framed around real-world themes), how these meanings reproduced and contested larger sociohistorical (and prototypical) meanings of science and scientist, and how girls participated within and against these meanings. The results complicate the assumption that a classroom that enacts a non-traditional curriculum is "better" for girls. This study explained how each classroom challenged sociohistorical legacies of school science in various "spaces of possibility" and how prototypical meanings pushed the potential of these spaces to the margins. Girls in the traditional physics class generally embraced prototypical meanings because they could easily access "good student" identities. Girls in the non-traditional class, though attracted to alternative practices, struggled with the conflicting promoted student identities that did not allow them easy access to "good student" identities. In neither class were girls' perceptions of what it meant to do science and be a scientist challenged. And, in neither class did girls connect to a legitimate scientist identity. These findings leave unanswered the question of whether changes in pedagogy and curriculum alone will produce more gender fair school science.

Impact of Multimedia and Network Services on an Introductory Level Course

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russ, John C.

1996-01-01

We will demonstrate and describe the impact of our use of multimedia and network connectivity on a sophomore-level introductory course in materials science. This class services all engineering students, resulting in large (more than 150) class sections with no hands-on laboratory. In 1990 we began to develop computer graphics that might substitute for some laboratory or real-world experiences, and demonstrate relationships hard to show with static textbook images or chalkboard drawings. We created a comprehensive series of modules that cover the entire course content. Called VIMS (Visualizations in Materials Science), these are available in the form of a CD-ROM and also via the internet.

Teaching Introductory Oceanography through Case Studies: Project based approach for general education students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farnsworth, K. L.; House, M.; Hovan, S. A.

2013-12-01

A recent workshop sponsored by SERC-On the Cutting Edge brought together science educators from a range of schools across the country to discuss new approaches in teaching oceanography. In discussing student interest in our classes, we were struck by the fact that students are drawn to emotional or controversial topics such as whale hunting and tsunami hazard and that these kinds of topics are a great vehicle for introducing more complex concepts such as wave propagation, ocean upwelling and marine chemistry. Thus, we have developed an approach to introductory oceanography that presents students with real-world issues in the ocean sciences and requires them to explore the science behind them in order to improve overall ocean science literacy among non-majors and majors at 2 and 4 year colleges. We have designed a project-based curriculum built around topics that include, but are not limited to: tsunami hazard, whale migration, ocean fertilization, ocean territorial claims, rapid climate change, the pacific trash patch, overfishing, and ocean acidification. Each case study or project consists of three weeks of class time and is structured around three elements: 1) a media analysis; 2) the role of ocean science in addressing the issue; 3) human impact/response. Content resources range from textbook readings, popular or current print news, documentary film and television, and data available on the world wide web from a range of sources. We employ a variety of formative assessments for each case study in order to monitor student access and understanding of content and include a significant component of in-class student discussion and brainstorming guided by faculty input to develop the case study. Each study culminates in summative assessments ranging from exams to student posters to presentations, depending on the class size and environment. We envision this approach for a range of classroom environments including large group face-to-face instruction as well as hybrid and fully online courses.

Space science in the 1990's and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huntress, Wesley T., Jr.; Kicza, Mary E.; Feeley, T. Jens

NASA's Office of Space Sciences is changing its approach to our missions, both current and future. Budget realities are necessitating that we change the way we do business and the way we look at our role in the Federal Government. These challenges are being met by a new and innovative approach that focuses on achieving a balanced world-class space science program that requires far less resources while providing an enhanced role for technology and education as integral components of our Research and Development (R&D) programs.

Space science in the 1990's and beyond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huntress, Wesley T., Jr.; Kicza, Mary E.; Feeley, T. Jens

1994-01-01

NASA's Office of Space Sciences is changing its approach to our missions, both current and future. Budget realities are necessitating that we change the way we do business and the way we look at our role in the Federal Government. These challenges are being met by a new and innovative approach that focuses on achieving a balanced world-class space science program that requires far less resources while providing an enhanced role for technology and education as integral components of our Research and Development (R&D) programs.

Attitudes about high school physics in relationship to gender and ethnicity: A mixed method analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafza, Rabieh Jamal

There is an achievement gap and lack of participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by minority females. The number of minority females majoring in STEM related fields and earning advanced degrees in these fields has not significantly increased over the past 40 years. Previous research has evaluated the relationship between self-identity concept and factors that promote the academic achievement as well the motivation of students to study different subject areas. This study examined the interaction between gender and ethnicity in terms of physics attitudes in the context of real world connections, personal interest, sense making/effort, problem solving confidence, and problem solving sophistication. The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) was given to 131 students enrolled in physics classes. There was a statistically significant Gender*Ethnicity interaction for attitude in the context of Real World Connections, Personal Interest, Sense Making/Effort, Problem Solving Confidence, and Problem Solving Sophistication as a whole. There was also a statistically significant Gender*Ethnicity interaction for attitude in the context of Real World Connections, Personal Interest, and Sense Making/Effort individually. Five Black females were interviewed to triangulate the quantitative results and to describe the experiences of minority females taking physics classes. There were four themes that emerged from the interviews and supported the findings from the quantitative results. The data supported previous research done on attitudes about STEM. The results reported that Real World Connections and Personal Interest could be possible factors that explain the lack of participation and achievement gaps that exists among minority females.

SmallSat Spinning Landers for Ocean Worlds Exploration Missions - Future ESPA-Class Hitchhikers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridenoure, R.; Angel, S. M.; Aslam, S.; Gorius, N.; Hewagama, T.; Nixon, C. A.; Sharma, S.

2017-02-01

It is recommended that spinning lander concept studies should proceed in the next few years so that the necessary technologies, power sources, landing legs, landing radar, and CubeSat science payloads can be matured and demonstrated by 2050.

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.

A Model for the Development of Web-Based, Student-Centered Science Education Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murfin, Brian; Go, Vanessa

The purpose of this study was to evaluate The Student Genome Project, an experiment in web-based genetics education. Over a two-year period, a team from New York University worked with a biology teacher and 33 high school students (N=33), and a middle school science teacher and a class of students (N=21) to develop a World Wide Web site intended…

Increasing Engagement in Science through an Authentic Crop Protection Experiment for Year 9 School Students Working with Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Richard; Rybak, Kasia; Gruber, Cornelia; Nicholls, Graeme; Roberts, Graeme; Mengler, Janet; Oliver, Mary

2011-01-01

Practical work is often considered to be a highlight of science classes for students. However, there are few opportunities for students to engage in an investigation which is situated in a real world problem and students are required to contribute their own ideas to the design and conduct of an experiment. This paper reports on a Scientists in…

A Powerful Antidote, a Strange Camel and Turkish Pepper: Iberian Science, the Discovery of the New World and the Early Modem Czech Lands.

PubMed

Cerna, Jana

2016-08-01

This article analyses the reception of knowledge about new world nature, and, more specifically, the reception of Iberian scientific knowledge of nature in the Americas, in the early modem Czech lands. It shows how the process of the reception of information about nature in the new world differed among the urban classes, intellectuals and the nobility; particular attention is paid to herbals, cosmographical works and travel reports. On the one hand, the study reveals that the efforts of Central European intellectuals to interpret new world nature were limited by the lack of necessary data and experience, which led to some misinterpretations and simplifications. On the other hand, it shows these Central European scholars to be fully-fledged members of an information network, whose works share many of the same characteristics as Iberian and, in general, early modem European science.

Creating Science Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trimble, Leslie

2017-01-01

Building a website allows students to find and evaluate resources, pose and answer scientific questions, and connect class content to real-world problems and possible solutions. Writing explanations for a particular audience, instead of only the teacher, requires students to state concepts clearly, leading to increased comprehension. Finding the…

World views: Their nature and function in the biology classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, Kerri Lynn

There has been sufficient research in the area of conceptual change that indicates that students' conceptions or alternative theories are much more resistant to change than was previously thought. The work of cultural anthropologists and, more recently science educators, points to the role of individual world views in the learning of science concepts. A world view is one's fundamental assumptions and presuppositions concerning perceptions of reality. The purpose of this ethnographic investigation was to shed light on the dynamic interaction of individual world views within the college biology classroom in relation to understanding key biological concepts in genetics, evolution and natural selection, and ecology and ecological relationships. The subjects for this study were 22 students enrolled in an introductory level non-majors biology class at the Community College of Philadelphia. Ten of these students participated in the interviews reported here. The outcomes of this investigation revealed that students do not view themselves as part of science or nature. The investigation also uncovered students' views of the self, nonself, relationship and causality that affect their learning and apprehension of key biological concepts. This investigation provides further demonstration of the influence of world views and the interplay of those views with the notion of scientific literacy.

Teaching about teaching and instruction on instruction: a challenge for health sciences library education.

PubMed

Detlefsen, Ellen Gay

2012-10-01

This is a review of the master's-level curricula of the fifty-eight America Library Association-accredited library and information science programs and iSchools for evidence of coursework and content related to library instruction. Special emphasis is placed on the schools and programs that also offer coursework in medical or health sciences librarianship. Fifty-eight school and program websites were reviewed. Course titles and course descriptions for seventy-three separate classes were analyzed. Twenty-three syllabi were examined. All North American library education programs offer at least one course in the general area of library instruction; some programs offer multiple courses. No courses on instruction, however, are focused directly on the specialized area of health sciences librarianship. Master's degree students can take appropriate classes on library instruction, but the medical library profession needs to offer continuing education opportunities for practitioners who want to have specific instruction for the specialized world of the health sciences.

Student Intern Freed Competes at Intel ISEF, Two Others Awarded at Local Science Fair | Poster

Cancer.gov

Class of 2014–2015 Werner H. Kirsten (WHK) student intern Rebecca “Natasha” Freed earned a fourth-place award in biochemistry at the 2015 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the largest high school science research competition in the world, according to the Society for Science & the Public’s website. Freed described the event as “transformative experience,” where she was able to present her research to “experts, including Nobel laureates, as well as members of the general community and, of course, to [other students].”

A Good Move

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakota, Gregory J.; Essary, Andrew; Bast, William D.; Dicaprio, Ralph; Symmes, Arthur H.; McDonald, Edward T.

2006-11-01

An underground exhibit space constructed at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry now serves as the home of the German submarine U-505 -- the only vessel of its class captured by the United States during World War II. The careful lifting and moving of the vessel required precise coordination and meticulous reviews.

Se substitution and micro-nano-scale porosity enhancing thermoelectric Cu2Te

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Xiaoman; Wang, Guoyu; Wang, Ruifeng; Zhou, Xiaoyuan; Xu, Jingtao; Tang, Jun; Ang, Ran

2018-04-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51771126 and 11774247), the Youth Foundation of Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province, China (Grant No. 2016JQ0051), Sichuan University Outstanding Young Scholars Research Funding (Grant No. 2015SCU04A20), the World First-Class University Construction Funding, and the Fundamental and Frontier Research Project in Chongqing (Grant No. CSTC2015JCYJBX0026).

Explorers Program Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Volpe, Frank; Comberiate, Anthony B. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The mission of the Explorer Program is to provide frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific investigations from space within the following space science themes: 1) Astronomical Search for Origins and Planetary Systems; 2) Structure and Evolution of the Universe; and 3) The Sun-Earth Connection. America's space exploration started with Explorer 1 which was launched February 1, 1958 and discovered the Van Allen Radiation Belts. Over 75 Explorer missions have flown. The program seeks to enhance public awareness of, and appreciation for, space science and to incorporate. educational and public outreach activities as integral parts of space science investigations.

Science Students Creating Hybrid Spaces when Engaging in an Expo Investigation Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramnarain, Umesh; de Beer, Josef

2013-02-01

In this paper, we report on the experiences of three 9th-grade South African students (13-14 years) in doing open science investigation projects for a science expo. A particular focus of this study was the manner in which these students merge the world of school science with their social world to create a hybrid space by appropriating knowledge and resources of the school and home. Within this hybrid space they experienced a deeper, more meaningful and authentic engagement in science practical work. This hybrid space redefined the landscape of the science learning experience for these students, as they could derive the twofold benefit of appropriating support when necessary and at the same time maintain their autonomy over the investigation. For South Africa and quite probably other countries; these findings serve as a guideline as to how opportunities can be created for students to do open science investigations, against prevailing school factors such as large classes, a lack of physical resources, the lack of time for practical work and the demands of syllabus coverage.

Simulating Issue Networks in Small Classes using the World Wide Web.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Josefson, Jim; Casey, Kelly

2000-01-01

Provides background information on simulations and active learning. Discusses the use of simulations in political science courses. Describes a simulation exercise where students performed specific institutional role playing, simulating the workings of a single congressional issue network, based on the reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act.…

Using "Game of Thrones" to Teach International Relations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Laura D.; Carranza Ko, Ñusta; Perrin, Michael

2018-01-01

Despite the known benefits of long-term, game-based simulations they remain underutilized in Political Science classrooms. Simulations used are typically designed to reinforce a concept and are short-lived, lasting one or two class sessions; rarely are entire courses designed around a single simulation. Creating real-world conditions in which…

A Wittgenstein Approach to the Learning of OO-Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmboe, Christian

2004-01-01

The paper uses Ludwig Wittgenstein's theories about the relationship between thought, language, and objects of the world to explore the assumption that OO-thinking resembles natural thinking. The paper imports from research in linguistic philosophy to computer science education research. I show how UML class diagrams (i.e., an artificial…

Real-World Writing in a Secondary-School Earth-Science Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millette, Patricia Marie

1991-01-01

Author describes how 22 first-year high school students became politically active concerning coastal-zone management and wetlands protection. Students translated regulations of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection into plain English. Students wrote their opinions in a concise manner and appeared at a board meeting to influence its…

A World Class Education: Strategic Plan, 2010-2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Mexico Public Education Department, 2010

2010-01-01

New Mexico's unique demographics and rich intellectual assets, including two of the three largest national engineering and science research laboratories in the country (Sandia and Los Alamos), provide an excellent national setting for educational transformation. With approximately 320,000 K-12 students, New Mexico's demographics are distinctive:…

Scientific Literacy: The Missing Ingredient. CenterView

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, 2011

2011-01-01

Students' academic success in science is widely seen by political and business leaders as key to the nation's economic rebirth and future competitiveness. President Obama has made clear his belief in the importance of scientific literacy by stating that "our nation's long-term economic prosperity depends on providing a world-class education…

Bringing Science out of the Lab into the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-03-01

Science is moving more rapidly than ever; one groundbreaking discovery chases the next at an incredible speed. School teachers have trouble keeping up with the pace, and many pupils call science classes "boring". Today, Europe's major research organisations launch Science in School, the first international, multidisciplinary journal for innovative science teaching, to provide a platform for communication between science teachers, practising scientists and other stakeholders in science education. ESO PR Photo 12/06 ESO PR Photo 12/06 First Issue! "Science is becoming increasingly international and interdisciplinary," says Eleanor Hayes, editor of the journal. "The most exciting development of the day may happen anywhere in any field: students may suddenly want to talk about a discovery on Mars, a medical breakthrough or a natural disaster. On such days it would be a shame not to put the textbooks aside and to capitalise on that curiosity." Published by EIROforum, a partnership between Europe's seven largest intergovernmental research organisations, Science in School will bridge the gap between the worlds of research and schools. One extremely powerful tool to achieve this is the journal's web-based discussion forum that will establish a direct dialogue between science teachers and researchers across national and subject boundaries. Science in School will appear quarterly online and in print and will feature news about the latest scientific discoveries, teaching materials, interviews with inspiring teachers and scientists, reviews of books, films and websites, suggestions for class trips, training opportunities and many other useful resources for science teachers. Contributors to the first issue include the world-renowned neurologist and author Oliver Sachs, and scientists and teachers from nine countries. "We urgently need to engage young people in science. This is why the research community and the European Commission are committed to outreach and education activities," says Bill Stirling, Director General of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), representing EIROforum at the launch event. "Scientists across Europe, including those in EIROforum labs, are continually making discoveries that they would be willing and able to explain to young people, but there's no central mechanism to help do so - we think that this new journal can help fulfil that function." "Motivating more young people to take an interest in understanding and learning science at school is important not only because science careers are exciting and rewarding, but also because young people need to know about how science and technology is changing our world - their world!," says Stephen Parker, Head of Education and Science of the European Commission. "Science in School is just one of the initiatives being supported by the Commission to take this forward." EIROforum sustains many other education activities including the Science on Stage festival, a sort of European teaching Olympics where teachers present their most inventive methods. The best projects from last year's Science on Stage festival will be featured in Science in School.

MSTD 2007 Publications and Patents

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

King, W E

2008-04-01

The Materials Science and Technology Division (MSTD) supports the central scientific and technological missions of the Laboratory, and at the same time, executes world-class, fundamental research and novel technological development over a wide range of disciplines. Our organization is driven by the institutional needs in nuclear weapons stockpile science, high-energy-density science, nuclear reactor science, and energy and environment science and technology. We maintain expertise and capabilities in many diverse areas, including actinide science, electron microscopy, laser-materials interactions, materials theory, simulation and modeling, materials synthesis and processing, materials science under extreme conditions, ultrafast materials science, metallurgy, nanoscience and technology, nuclear fuelsmore » and energy security, optical materials science, and surface science. MSTD scientists play leadership roles in the scientific community in these key and emerging areas.« less

NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS): A U.S. Network of Data Centers Serving Earth Science Data: A Network Member of ICSU WDS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behnke, Jeanne; Ramapriyan, H. K. " Rama"

2016-01-01

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) has been in operation since August 1994, and serving a diverse user community around the world with Earth science data from satellites, aircraft, field campaigns and research investigations. The ESDIS Project, responsible for EOSDIS is a Network Member of the International Council for Sciences (ICSU) World Data System (WDS). Nine of the 12 Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), which are part of EOSDIS, are Regular Members of the ICSUWDS. This poster presents the EOSDIS mission objectives, key characteristics of the DAACs that make them world class Earth science data centers, successes, challenges and best practices of EOSDIS focusing on the years 2014-2016, and illustrates some highlights of accomplishments of EOSDIS. The highlights include: high customer satisfaction, growing archive and distribution volumes, exponential growth in number of products distributed to users around the world, unified metadata model and common metadata repository, flexibility provided to uses by supporting data transformations to suit their applications, near-real-time capabilities to support various operational and research applications, and full resolution image browse capabilities to help users select data of interest. The poster also illustrates how the ESDIS Project is actively involved in several US and international data system organizations.

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'.

Chemistry vs. Physics: A Comparison of How Biology Majors View Each Discipline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perkins, K. K.; Barbera, J.; Adams, W. K.; Wieman, C. E.

2007-01-01

A student's beliefs about science and learning science may be more or less sophisticated depending on the specific science discipline. In this study, we used the physics and chemistry versions of the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) to measure student beliefs in the large, introductory physics and chemistry courses, respectively. We compare how biology majors — generally required to take both of the courses — view these two disciplines. We find that these students' beliefs are more sophisticated about physics (more like the experts in that discipline) than they are about chemistry. At the start of the term, the average % Overall Favorable score on the CLASS is 59% in physics and 53% in chemistry. The students' responses are statistically more expert-like in physics than in chemistry on 10 statements (P ⩽ 0.01), indicating that these students think chemistry is more about memorizing disconnected pieces of information and sample problems, and has less to do with the real world. In addition, these students' view of chemistry degraded over the course of the term. Their favorable scores shifted -5.7% and -13.5% in `Overall' and the `Real World Connection' category, respectively, in the physics course, which used a variety of research-based teaching practices, these scores shifted 0.0% and +0.3%, respectively. The chemistry shifts are comparable to those previously observed in traditional introductory physics courses.

The World Soil Museum: education and advocacy on soils of the world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantel, Stephan; Land, Hiske

2013-04-01

The World Soil Museum (WSM) in Wageningen, is part of ISRIC World Soil Information and was founded in 1966 on request of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Soil Science Society. The World Soil Museum has a collection of over 1100 soil profiles from more than 70 countries. This soil profiles are vertical sections and show the composition, layering and structure of the soil. The collection is unique in the world and includes a significant number of soil profiles from the Netherlands. The Dutch soil collection is important for serving broader visitor groups, as some visitors, such as secondary school classes, are specifically interested in the Dutch landscape and soils. Broadly speaking, the World Soil Museum has five functions: (i) education and courses, (ii) research, (iii) information and edutainment, (iv) social function, and (v) a real museum function (Art). The World Soil Museum (World Soil Museum) is well known in national and international circles soil and the English name has almost 1,000 references on the Internet. The World Soil Museum is visited by about 1000 people a year, mainly university and college students from Western Europe. Other visitor groups that have found their way to the museum are students from disciplines broader then soil science, such as geography and rural development. Secondary school classes visit the museum for geography classes. The uniqueness and the value of the collection of soil profiles (soil monoliths) and associated collections, such as soil samples, hand pieces, thin sections, slides, is emphasized by the fact ISRIC is the only World Data Centre for Soils (WDC-Soils) within the World Data System of the International Council of Science (ICSU). The collection provides an insight in and overview of the diversity of soils in the world, their properties and their limitations and possibilities for use. A new building is under construction for the WSM, which is expected to be ready mid-2013. The location is appropriately placed on the Wageningen University Campus, close to the students and research centres of the University. The new exposition space will provide new opportunities for serving different visitor groups. The selection of about 80 soil monoliths representing the world's soils will be maintained in the new exposition. In addition, interactive displays will support education. A circular, interactive map of the world will be placed centrally in the exposition and will serve as a portal to the soil information. The map data refer to the monoliths on the walls and vice versa. Around the central map six theme stations communicate current topics that show the relevance of soil in different fields. For the general public it will explain the principles of soil formation and it will show the relevance to actual issues like food production and climate change. High school students in their final years can come here for work assignments and orientation days. Academic students and scientists, from both the Netherlands and other (mainly) northern European countries can continue to come to the WSM for education, study and research.

The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) for use in Biology.

PubMed

Semsar, Katharine; Knight, Jennifer K; Birol, Gülnur; Smith, Michelle K

2011-01-01

This paper describes a newly adapted instrument for measuring novice-to-expert-like perceptions about biology: the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Biology (CLASS-Bio). Consisting of 31 Likert-scale statements, CLASS-Bio probes a range of perceptions that vary between experts and novices, including enjoyment of the discipline, propensity to make connections to the real world, recognition of conceptual connections underlying knowledge, and problem-solving strategies. CLASS-Bio has been tested for response validity with both undergraduate students and experts (biology PhDs), allowing student responses to be directly compared with a consensus expert response. Use of CLASS-Bio to date suggests that introductory biology courses have the same challenges as introductory physics and chemistry courses: namely, students shift toward more novice-like perceptions following instruction. However, students in upper-division biology courses do not show the same novice-like shifts. CLASS-Bio can also be paired with other assessments to: 1) examine how student perceptions impact learning and conceptual understanding of biology, and 2) assess and evaluate how pedagogical techniques help students develop both expertise in problem solving and an expert-like appreciation of the nature of biology.

The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) for Use in Biology

PubMed Central

Semsar, Katharine; Knight, Jennifer K.; Birol, Gülnur; Smith, Michelle K.

2011-01-01

This paper describes a newly adapted instrument for measuring novice-to-expert-like perceptions about biology: the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Biology (CLASS-Bio). Consisting of 31 Likert-scale statements, CLASS-Bio probes a range of perceptions that vary between experts and novices, including enjoyment of the discipline, propensity to make connections to the real world, recognition of conceptual connections underlying knowledge, and problem-solving strategies. CLASS-Bio has been tested for response validity with both undergraduate students and experts (biology PhDs), allowing student responses to be directly compared with a consensus expert response. Use of CLASS-Bio to date suggests that introductory biology courses have the same challenges as introductory physics and chemistry courses: namely, students shift toward more novice-like perceptions following instruction. However, students in upper-division biology courses do not show the same novice-like shifts. CLASS-Bio can also be paired with other assessments to: 1) examine how student perceptions impact learning and conceptual understanding of biology, and 2) assess and evaluate how pedagogical techniques help students develop both expertise in problem solving and an expert-like appreciation of the nature of biology. PMID:21885823

Neuroscience in middle schools: a professional development and resource program that models inquiry-based strategies and engages teachers in classroom implementation.

PubMed

MacNabb, Carrie; Schmitt, Lee; Michlin, Michael; Harris, Ilene; Thomas, Larry; Chittendon, David; Ebner, Timothy J; Dubinsky, Janet M

2006-01-01

The Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota and the Science Museum of Minnesota have developed and implemented a successful program for middle school (grades 5-8) science teachers and their students, called Brain Science on the Move. The overall goals have been to bring neuroscience education to underserved schools, excite students about science, improve their understanding of neuroscience, and foster partnerships between scientists and educators. The program includes BrainU, a teacher professional development institute; Explain Your Brain Assembly and Exhibit Stations, multimedia large-group presentation and hands-on activities designed to stimulate student thinking about the brain; Class Activities, in-depth inquiry-based investigations; and Brain Trunks, materials and resources related to class activities. Formal evaluation of the program indicated that teacher neuroscience knowledge, self-confidence, and use of inquiry-based strategies and neuroscience in their classrooms have increased. Participating teachers increased the time spent teaching neuroscience and devoted more time to "inquiry-based" teaching versus "lecture-based teaching." Teachers appreciated in-depth discussions of pedagogy and science and opportunities for collegial interactions with world-class researchers. Student interest in the brain and in science increased. Since attending BrainU, participating teachers have reported increased enthusiasm about teaching and have become local neuroscience experts within their school communities.

Neuroscience in Middle Schools: A Professional Development and Resource Program That Models Inquiry-based Strategies and Engages Teachers in Classroom Implementation

PubMed Central

MacNabb, Carrie; Schmitt, Lee; Michlin, Michael; Harris, Ilene; Thomas, Larry; Chittendon, David; Ebner, Timothy J.

2006-01-01

The Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota and the Science Museum of Minnesota have developed and implemented a successful program for middle school (grades 5–8) science teachers and their students, called Brain Science on the Move. The overall goals have been to bring neuroscience education to underserved schools, excite students about science, improve their understanding of neuroscience, and foster partnerships between scientists and educators. The program includes BrainU, a teacher professional development institute; Explain Your Brain Assembly and Exhibit Stations, multimedia large-group presentation and hands-on activities designed to stimulate student thinking about the brain; Class Activities, in-depth inquiry-based investigations; and Brain Trunks, materials and resources related to class activities. Formal evaluation of the program indicated that teacher neuroscience knowledge, self-confidence, and use of inquiry-based strategies and neuroscience in their classrooms have increased. Participating teachers increased the time spent teaching neuroscience and devoted more time to “inquiry-based” teaching versus “lecture-based teaching.” Teachers appreciated in-depth discussions of pedagogy and science and opportunities for collegial interactions with world-class researchers. Student interest in the brain and in science increased. Since attending BrainU, participating teachers have reported increased enthusiasm about teaching and have become local neuroscience experts within their school communities. PMID:17012205

Discussing underrepresentation as a means to facilitating female students' physics identity development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lock, Robynne M.; Hazari, Zahra

2016-12-01

Despite the fact that approximately half of high school physics students are female, only 21% of physics bachelor's degrees are awarded to women. In a previous study, drawn from a national survey of college students in introductory English courses, five factors commonly proposed to positively impact female students' choice of a physical science career were tested using multivariate matching methods. The only factor found to have a positive effect was the explicit discussion of the underrepresentation of women in physics. In order to explore this further, a case study of the classes of one teacher reported to discuss the underrepresentation of women was conducted. Two classroom underrepresentation discussions were recorded, students and teacher were interviewed, and relevant student work was collected. Analyzing the case study data using a figured worlds framework, we found that discussing the underrepresentation of women in science explicitly creates an opportunity for students' figured worlds of professional and school science to change, and facilitates challenging their own implicit assumptions about how the world functions. Subsequently, the norms in students' figured worlds may change or become less rigid allowing for a new openness to physics identity development amongst female students.

Using the First-Year English Class to Develop Scientific Thinking Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNamara, B. J.; Burnham, C.; Green, S.; Ball, E.; Schryer, A.

2002-12-01

This poster presents the preliminary results from an experimental approach to teaching first-year writing using the scientific method as an organizing theme. The approach presumes a close connection between the classical scientific method: observing, hypothesis forming, hypothesis testing, and generalizing from the results of the testing, and the writing process: inventing and prewriting, drafting, and revising. The project has four goals: 1. To introduce students to the relations between scientific method, academic inquiry, and the writing process; 2. To help students see that academic inquiry, the work of generating, testing, and validating knowledge and then applying that knowledge in real contexts, is actually a hybrid form of the scientific method; 3. To encourage students to connect the work they are doing in the writing classroom with the work they are doing in other classes so they can transfer the skills learned in one context to the other; and 4. To cause students who have previously been alienated by science and science teaching to reconsider their attitudes, and to see the powerful influence of science and scientific thinking in our world. In short, we are teaching science literacy in a humanities classroom. The materials we use include science-based reading and the kinds of writing typically required in science classes. The poster presents the basic premises of the project, samples of class materials, and preliminary results of a controlled pre- and post-test of student attitudes toward science and writing, analyzed especially according to gender and minority status. We also present insights by participating instructors including a female graduate teaching assistant who had been trained as a scientist and a male who had not.

Einstein for Schools and the General Public

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johansson, K. E.; Kozma, C; Nilsson, Ch

2006-01-01

In April 2005 the World Year of Physics (Einstein Year in the UK and Ireland) was celebrated with an Einstein week in Stockholm House of Science. Seven experiments illustrated Einstein's remarkable work in 1905 on Brownian motion, the photoelectric effect and special relativity. Thirteen school classes with 260 pupils, 30 teachers and 25 members…

Technology assessment of advanced automation for space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Six general classes of technology requirements derived during the mission definition phase of the study were identified as having maximum importance and urgency, including autonomous world model based information systems, learning and hypothesis formation, natural language and other man-machine communication, space manufacturing, teleoperators and robot systems, and computer science and technology.

College Students' Misconceptions of Environmental Issues Related to Global Warming.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groves, Fred H.; Pugh, Ava F.

Students are currently exposed to world environmental problems--including global warming and the greenhouse effect--in science classes at various points during their K-12 and college experience. However, the amount and depth of explosure to these issues can be quite variable. Students are also exposed to sources of misinformation leading to…

Utilizing On-Campus Foodservice Facilities as a Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dallmeyer, Martha A.

2012-01-01

In 2008, the Family and Consumer Sciences Department at Bradley University recognized the need to improve the quality of the laboratory experience in foodservice classes. A hands-on, real-world, learning experience was desired. Simultaneously, the university administration wanted to provide an on-campus foodservice for students from 8:00 p.m. to…

A World-Class University in China? The Case of Tsinghua

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Rui; Welch, Anthony

2012-01-01

Higher education, an integral part of China's nation-building project, is a critical element in China's strategic policy initiative of building national strength through science and education. One way to achieve this goal is to develop a higher education system of international stature. Perhaps more than any other country, through national…

Thinking, Teaching, and Learning Science outside the Boxes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McComas, William F., Ed.

2009-01-01

In both universities and K-12 schools, students leave one world and enter another as they attend classes in discipline-specific domains. But how can students gain the experiences necessary to make discoveries--for personal satisfaction, for academic enlightenment, and perhaps even for the betterment of humankind--without educators who see the…

Motivating Non-science Majors: The Technology of Electromagnetic Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henrich, Victor E.

2018-01-01

To address the need for physics courses that stimulate non-STEM majors' interest in, and appreciation of, science, the Department of Applied Physics has developed a popular course for Yale College undergraduates, The Technological World, that explains the physics behind technologies that students use every day. The course provides an in-depth development of electromagnetic waves, applying them to technologies as diverse as LCD displays, GPS, fiber optics, CAT scans, LEDs, and stealth aircraft. It utilizes a conventional lecture format, with many in-class demonstrations.

Joint the Center for Applied Scientific Computing

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

Gamblin, Todd; Bremer, Timo; Van Essen, Brian

The Center for Applied Scientific Computing serves as Livermore Lab’s window to the broader computer science, computational physics, applied mathematics, and data science research communities. In collaboration with academic, industrial, and other government laboratory partners, we conduct world-class scientific research and development on problems critical to national security. CASC applies the power of high-performance computing and the efficiency of modern computational methods to the realms of stockpile stewardship, cyber and energy security, and knowledge discovery for intelligence applications.

Band engineering and precipitation enhance thermoelectric performance of SnTe with Zn-doping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhiyu; Wang, Ruifeng; Wang, Guoyu; Zhou, Xiaoyuan; Wang, Zhengshang; Yin, Cong; Hu, Qing; Zhou, Binqiang; Tang, Jun; Ang, Ran

2018-04-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51771126), the Youth Foundation of Science & Technology Department of Sichuan Province, China (Grant No. 2016JQ0051), the Sichuan University Talent Introduction Research Funding (Grand No. YJ201537), the Sichuan University Outstanding Young Scholars Research Funding (Grant No. 2015SCU04A20), the World First-Class University Construction Funding, and the Fundamental and Frontier Research in Chongqing (Grant No. CSTC2015JCYJBX0026).

State-of-the-Art for Small Satellite Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Khary I.

2016-01-01

The NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC) is in the business of performing world-class, space-based, scientific research on various spacecraft platforms, which now include small satellites (SmallSats). In order to perform world class science on a SmallSat, NASA/GSFC requires that their components be highly reliable, high performing, have low power consumption, at the lowest cost possible. The Propulsion Branch (Code 597) at NASA/GSFC has conducted a SmallSat propulsion system survey to determine their availability and level of development. Based on publicly available information and unique features, this paper discusses some of the existing SmallSat propulsion systems.. The systems described in this paper do not indicate or imply any endorsement by NASA or NASA/GSFC over those not included.

Science and Cooking: Motivating the Study of Freshman Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weitz, David

2011-03-01

This talk will describe a course offered to Harvard undergraduates as a general education science course, meant to intrduce freshman-level science for non-science majors. The course was a collaboration between world-class chefs and science professors. The chefs introduced concepts of cooking and the professors used these to motivate scientific concepts. The lectures were designed to provide a coherent introduction to freshman physics, primarily through soft matter science. The lectures were supplemented by a lab experiments, designed by a team of very talented graduate students and post docs, that supplemented the science taught in lecture. The course was very successful in motivating non-science students to learn, and even enjoy, basic science concepts. This course depended on contributions from Michael Brenner, Otger Campas, Amy Rowat and a team of talented graduate student teaching fellows.

Astronomy TV outreach, CUBA experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez, Oscar

2015-08-01

As professional astronomer and science communicator, I want to share my personal experience communicating Astronomy and general science principles in maybe, the most popular science outreach devoted TV program in Cuba. It is broadcasted nationwide in a prime time schedule every Sunday. The Science Popularization on TV, is in a Third World Country hard to do if you want to produce attractive materials for a broad audience. Budgets constraints in most of the cases and lack of the technical equipment required to produce first class visual materials conspire, against motivation and creativity of local scientists and media professionals. A way to show the advance of the national scientific community in Science fields and connecting them in a friendly relation with a broad majority of the people, is to combine the wisdom and knowledge of the local scientists together with the most spectacular TV production of the first world countries. Commenting, analyzing and conveying the hard science into the public debate of the common citizens. Here is shown a way to convey cutting edge science to the general public, using limited resources to produce imaginative television productions, highlighting the development, knowledge and wisdom of the local scientists.

The Utility of Inquiry-Based Exercises in Mexican Science Classrooms: Reports from a Professional Development Workshop for Science Teachers in Quintana Roo, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Racelis, A. E.; Brovold, A. A.

2010-12-01

The quality of science teaching is of growing importance in Mexico. Mexican students score well below the world mean in math and science. Although the government has recognized these deficiencies and has implemented new policies aimed to improve student achievement in the sciences, teachers are still encountering in-class barriers to effective teaching, especially in public colleges. This paper reports on the utility of inquiry based exercises in Mexican classrooms. In particular, it describes a two-day professional development workshop with science teachers at the Instituto Tecnologico Superior in Felipe Carrillo Puerto in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Felipe Carrillo Puerto is an indigenous municipality where a significant majority of the population speak Maya as their first language. This alone presents a unique barrier to teaching science in the municipality, but accompanied with other factors such as student apathy, insufficient prior training of both students and teachers, and pressure to deliver specific science curriculum, science teachers have formidable challenges for effective science teaching. The goals of the workshop were to (1) have a directed discussion regarding science as both content and process, (2) introduce inquiry based learning as one tool of teaching science, and (3) get teachers to think about how they can apply these techniques in their classes.

Emergence of a World Class Atmospheric Science Facility in the Central Himalayan Regions of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taori, A.; Sunilkumar, S. V.; Pant, P.; Sagar, R.

A new institute Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observation Sciences ARIES has re-borne in year 2004 when the Department of Science and Technology Govt of India took over the 50 year old State Observatory Nainital situated at 2km above the mean sea level in the Shivalik range of central Himalayas Understanding the importance of Nainital 29 4 N 79 5 E it was decided that prime focus should be to set up a world-class research facility for atmospheric sciences apart from the existing astronomy and astrophysics Reason for the above being the strategic location of Nainital to study the free tropospheric aerosols stratosphere-troposphere exchange monsoon dynamics and atmospheric waves These waves can be seeded by the Himalayan topography and may propagate up to the mesosphere-lower thermosphere altitudes and manifest themselves as an important coupling agent between lower middle and upper atmosphere Advance facilities to study the middle atmospheric dynamics are getting established For this an 84-cm Rayleigh lidar is under development to study the thermal structure of the middle atmosphere which will be commissioned by year 2009 A new project has already been approved to set up a stratosphere-troposphere ST radar facility which will further help understanding the thermal structure and wind field measurements in troposphere-stratosphere altitudes To supplement these several airglow experiments will also be stationed for simultaneous measurements Such facilities are of great importance for coordination with the space borne measurements After

A Workshop for Developing Learning Modules for Science Classes Based on Biogeochemical Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrington, James M.; Gardner, Terrence G.; Amoozegar, Aziz; Andrews, Megan Y.; Rivera, Nelson A.; Duckworth, Owen W.

2013-01-01

A challenging aspect of educating secondary students is integrating complex scientific concepts related to modern research topics into lesson plans that students can relate to and understand at a basic level. One method of encouraging the achievement of learning outcomes is to use real-world applications and current research to fuel student…

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…

2015 Enterprise Strategic Vision

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

None

2015-08-01

This document aligns with the Department of Energy Strategic Plan for 2014-2018 and provides a framework for integrating our missions and direction for pursuing DOE’s strategic goals. The vision is a guide to advancing world-class science and engineering, supporting our people, modernizing our infrastructure, and developing a management culture that operates a safe and secure enterprise in an efficient manner.

Use of Technology in College and University English Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Bethany; Lassmann, Marie E.

2016-01-01

Many forms of technology are available to college and university instructors. Technology has become an important part of today's world and an important part of instruction in various classrooms. Many may see technology as reasonable to use in a science, mathematics, or art class. In this paper, different types of technology used in college and…

THESIS: terrestrial and habitable zone infrared spectroscopy spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasisht, G.; Swain, M. R.; Akeson, R. L.; Burrows, A.; Deming, D.; Grillmair, C. J.; Greene, T. P.

2008-07-01

THESIS is a concept for a medium class mission designed for spectroscopic characterization of extrasolar planets between 2-14 microns. The concept leverages off the recent first-steps made by Spitzer and Hubble in characterizing the atmospheres of alien gas giants. Under favourable circumstances, THESIS is capable of identifying biogenic molecules in habitable-zone planets, thereby determining conditions on worlds where life might exist. By systematically characterizing many worlds, from rocky planets to gas-giants, THESIS would deliver transformational science of profound interest to astronomers and the general public.

Can economics be a physical science?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foley, Duncan K.

2016-12-01

Economics and other social sciences stem from the same methodological scientific revolution that gave birth to the natural sciences. The natural and social sciences share a commitment to the dialectical process of theory formation on the basis of empirical findings and theory revision to incorporate empirical anomalies. Claims that the subject matter of social and natural sciences differ qualitatively in terms of mathematical formalism, statistical modeling, or reductionism are unconvincing. The notion of a "value-free" character to natural sciences fails historical and critical tests. Natural and social sciences share an ideological component in their representation of the relation between the subject and the external natural and social world. Natural sciences arise from the struggles of human beings with nature in the process of social reproduction, while social sciences arise from the struggles of human beings with each other and with the class divisions social reproduction imposes.

Aerial Views of KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-23

The Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory (SERPL) is a major new research facility under construction at the International Space Research Park located on KSC. Being developed as a partnership between KSC and the State of Florida, it will serve as the primary gateway to the International Space Station for science experiments and as a world-class home to ground-based investigations in fundamental and applied biological science. NASA’s life sciences contractor will be the primary tenant of the facility, leasing space to conduct flight experiment processing and NASA-sponsored research. About 20 percent of the facility will be available for use by Florida’s university researchers through the Florida Space Research Institute.

Astronomy for Astronomical Numbers with Massive Open Online Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-01-01

Massive Open Online Classes (MOOCs) have shown their ability to reach missions of adults across the world with science content. We have been experimenting with pedagogy in two MOOCs, provided through Udemy and Coursera, that have reached over 80,000 people. Although the completion rate is low, just under 10%, the cumulative outreach impact of nearly half a million hours of astronomy video watched is substantial. A similar fraction of learners is heavily engaged and participate in online discussions, live question and answer sessions, and social media connected to the class. MOOCs are valuable for testing pedagogy that might later be employed in online for-credit classes, with the caveat that the motivations and modes of engagement of free-choice learners can differ from those of college students.

Soft Biological and Composite Nanomaterials

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

Firestone, Millicent

2016-04-01

The goal of the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) is to plays a leadership role in integration of nanostructured materials to enable novel capabilities and applications through its function as a Department of Energy/Office of Science Nanoscale Science Research Center (NSRC) national user facility. By coupling open access to unique and world-class capabilities and scientific expertise to an active user community, CINT supports high-impact research that no other single institution could achieve – the whole of CINT including its user community is greater than the sum of its parts.

Nanophotonics and Optical Nanomaterials

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

Doorn, Stephen

The goal of the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) is to plays a leadership role in integration of nanostructured materials to enable novel capabilities and applications through its function as a Department of Energy/Office of Science Nanoscale Science Research Center (NSRC) national user facility. By coupling open access to unique and world-class capabilities and scientific expertise to an active user community, CINT supports high-impact research that no other single institution could achieve – the whole of CINT including its user community is greater than the sum of its parts.

A safe place to grow: Children, animals and caring in a life science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, Leslie

The ecological systems of the earth are in crisis. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact an elementary school life science education program based on an ethic of care had on children's ability to value the natural world. It is a study of how care-based science education supports personal connections to animals and nature; and how strength-based science education emphasizes creativity as a means for students to explore and express scientific knowledge through the arts. This qualitative study was conducted in a life science classroom filled with a wide variety of animals: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals the students studied and developed caring relationships with. The participants were 55 fourth, fifth and sixth-grade students who spent two years studying the natural world both inside the classroom and outside in the field. Invertebrates, trees, birds, mammals and wildflowers were studied in fourth grade. Evolution, and the study of vertebrate animals, were studied in the fifth grade. As teacher researcher, I collected data including audio-taped interviews, observations, field notes, and artifacts including children's creative projects expressing their factual understanding and thoughts about the animals and the natural world. This study revealed themes reflecting children's caring for animals, scientific knowledge, creative expression of knowledge, and the natural world. The themes are illustrated through four "portraits of care" based on students' voices, experiences, and class-work. The findings indicate that caring relationships with animals supported personal connections to the natural world and scientific knowledge. Children had better understanding and retained knowledge due to their personal connections to the animals. The concepts of evolution and interdependence of living organisms enhanced their relationships with animals and nature. Through the arts, students expressed scientific knowledge in ways that had personal meaning and a high level of active engagement. Concerned about the environment, some students used their knowledge to affect the behavior of others by creating school newspapers and websites. Inasmuch as an ethic of care in life science supports personal connections to understanding and valuing the natural world, the implications include the recommendation that preservice and inservice science education should support these connections.

Using immersive healthcare simulation for physiology education: initial experience in high school, college, and graduate school curricula.

PubMed

Oriol, Nancy E; Hayden, Emily M; Joyal-Mowschenson, Julie; Muret-Wagstaff, Sharon; Faux, Russell; Gordon, James A

2011-09-01

In the natural world, learning emerges from the joy of play, experimentation, and inquiry as part of everyday life. However, this kind of informal learning is often difficult to integrate within structured educational curricula. This report describes an educational program that embeds naturalistic learning into formal high school, college, and graduate school science class work. Our experience is based on work with hundreds of high school, college, and graduate students enrolled in traditional science classes in which mannequin simulators were used to teach physiological principles. Specific case scenarios were integrated into the curriculum as problem-solving exercises chosen to accentuate the basic science objectives of the course. This report also highlights the historic and theoretical basis for the use of mannequin simulators as an important physiology education tool and outlines how the authors' experience in healthcare education has been effectively translated to nonclinical student populations. Particular areas of focus include critical-thinking and problem-solving behaviors and student reflections on the impact of the teaching approach.

Insects & Other Arthropods. Animal Life in Action[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2000

This 23-minute videotape for grades 5-8, presents the myriad of animal life that exists on the planet. Students can view and perform experiments and investigations that help explain animal traits and habits. They also learn that there are more species of insects than any other animal class in the world. Insects are incredible creatures with many…

Senator Fred Harris's National Social Science Foundation proposal: Reconsidering federal science policy, natural science-social science relations, and American liberalism during the 1960s.

PubMed

Solovey, Mark

2012-03-01

During the 1960s, a growing contingent of left-leaning voices claimed that the social sciences suffered mistreatment and undue constraints within the natural science-dominated federal science establishment. According to these critics, the entrenched scientific pecking order in Washington had an unreasonable commitment to the unity of the sciences, which reinforced unacceptable inequalities between the social and the natural sciences. The most important political figure who advanced this critique, together with a substantial legislative proposal for reform, was the Oklahoma Democratic Senator Fred Harris. Yet histories of science and social science have told us surprisingly little about Harris. Moreover, existing accounts of his effort to create a National Social Science Foundation have misunderstood crucial features of this story. This essay argues that Harris's NSSF proposal developed into a robust, historically unique, and increasingly critical liberal challenge to the post-World War II federal science establishment's treatment of the social sciences as "second-class citizens."

Explorers of the Southern Sky: A History of Australian Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haynes, Raymond; Haynes, Roslynn D.; Malin, David; McGee, Richard

1996-06-01

This well-illustrated volume is the most comprehensive account of Australian astronomy to date. It is both an indispensable reference book on the history of astronomy in Australia, and a highly readable study of a scientific discipline in the context of emerging nationhood. It covers not only the science, but the individuals involved and the social and economic climate in which they worked. Starting from the ancient Aboriginal beliefs about the Sky World - the earliest known astronomy, anywhere in the world - we are led through to the most exciting high-tech current and projected research being carried out at Australia's world-class national astronomy facilities, and by groups in Australian universities. All branches of astronomy are covered - optical, infrared, X-ray, gamma-ray, microwave, gravitational wave and theoretical - including the contribution of amateur astronomers. The non-technical language, many illustrations, and explanatory figures, ensure that this guide will appeal to a wide range of readers - including professional astronomers, historians of science, students, amateur astronomers and general readers.

Cumulative advantages and social capabilities in scientific mobility in the Health Sciences: The Spanish case.

PubMed

Aceituno-Aceituno, Pedro; Melchor, Lorenzo; Danvila-Del-Valle, Joaquín; Bousoño-Calzón, Carlos

2017-01-01

The big problem in global public health, arising from the international migration of physicians from less-developed to more-developed countries, increases if this migration also affects scientists dedicated to health areas. This article analyzes critical variables in the processes of Spanish scientific mobility in Health Sciences to articulate effective management policies for the benefit of national public health services and the balance between local and global science. This study develops a survey to measure and analyze the following crucial variables: research career, training, funding, working with a world-class team, institutional prestige, wages, facilities/infrastructure, working conditions in the organization of the destination country, fringe benefits in the organization of the destination country and social responsibility in the organization of the departure country. A total of 811 researchers have participated in the survey, of which 293 were from the health sector: Spanish scientists abroad (114), scientists that have returned to Spain (32) and young researchers in Spain (147). The most crucial variables for Spanish scientists and young researchers in Spain in Health Sciences moving abroad are the cumulative advantages (research career, training, funding and institutional prestige) plus wages. On the other hand, the return of Spanish scientists in the Health Sciences is influenced by cumulative variables (working with a world-class team, research career and institutional prestige) and also by other variables related to social factors, such as working conditions and fringe benefits in the destination country. Permanent positions are rare for these groups and their decisions regarding mobility depend to a large extent on job opportunities. Spanish health organizations can influence researchers to return, since these decisions mainly depend on job opportunities. These organizations can complement the cumulative advantages offered by the wealthier countries with the intensification of social factors.

Comparative Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA): Interplay of discourses (D/D1) as third grade urban and suburban science students engage in hypothesis formulation and observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, Carmen Irene Reyes

This qualitative research project is a comparative analysis of Discourses (D/D1) while focused upon the science processes of hypothesis generation and observation in an urban versus suburban elementary science classroom. D designates the instructional and formal academic science Discourse and D1 represents the students' informal, social or home language D1iscourses. In particular, this research study is a critical discourse analysis that examines how the science processes of hypothesis formulation and observation are constituted through the interplay of classroom Discourses (D/D1) as two third grade science teachers teach the same kit-based, inquiry science lessons with their respective urban and suburban students. The research also considers ethnicity, social class, language, and the central role science teachers play mediating between children's everyday world and the world of science. Communicative approach and distinctive patterns of interaction between the European American teachers and their respective students are analyzed through a critical lens to examine underlying issues of equity and power embedded in the instructional Discourse of science. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) provides both the theoretical framework and analytical lens. The research informs development of linguistic-based "best" practices to contribute toward promoting greater science teacher awareness in creating linguistic environments that support all students' learning science Discourse and to serve as a springboard for future educational science researchers' use of CDA.

From art to applied science.

PubMed

Schatzberg, Eric

2012-09-01

Before "applied science" and "technology" became keywords, the concept of art was central to discourse about material culture and its connections to natural knowledge. By the late nineteenth century, a new discourse of applied science had replaced the older discourse of art. This older discourse of art, especially as presented in Enlightenment encyclopedias, addressed the relationship between art and science in depth. But during the nineteenth century the concept of fine art gradually displaced the broader meanings of "art," thus undermining the utility of the term for discourse on the relationship between knowledge and practice. This narrowed meaning of "art" obscured key aspects of the industrial world. In effect, middle-class agents of industrialism, including "men of science," used the rhetoric of "applied science" and, later, "technology" to cement the exclusion of artisanal knowledge from the discourse of industrial modernity.

Scientists and Classroom Teachers Working Together, a Win-win Scenario Demonstrated Over a Ten Year Period of Collaboration Through Arctic Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvellas, B.; Grebmeier, J. M.; Cooper, L. W.

2016-02-01

From 2002-2012 NSF and NOAA have supported a Vermont high school biology teacher to work with Dr. Jackie Grebmeier on 8 research cruises to the Arctic. Not only was the teacher embedded in Dr. Grebmeier's research team efforts, but her students were able to follow the work on board through her daily journals and photos. Subsequently, Dr. Grebmeier traveled to Vermont for a personal visit to students in multiple classes, grades 4-12. The opportunity for teachers to be teamed with a researcher, especially over an extended period of time as we will discuss in our presentation, allows their students to share in the tremendous learning experience and gain a deeper understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of science. The result is that the students begin to understand how the content they learn in the classroom is utilized in a real world setting. We will also discuss the more subtle benefits that occurred throughout the school year through connecting academic content with personal examples of "real" science. Note that the recently released Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), when fully implemented, will change the way students learn science. Appendix A of the NGSS lists 7 Conceptual Shifts in these new standards. #1 states "K-12 Science Education Should Reflect the Interconnected Nature of Science as it is Practiced and Experienced in the Real World" and #4 calls for a "Focus on Deeper Understanding of Content as well as Application of Content." What better way to address the standards than bringing real world science research into the classroom? Many K-12 science teachers, particularly those in elementary classrooms, have never had the opportunity to pursue their own research and even fewer have experienced first hand the real world work of a research scientist. This presentation will provide insights about our successful collaboration and value-added aspects to enhance the educational experience.

Ocean Filmmaking Camp @ Duke Marine Lab: Building Community with Ocean Science for a Better World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Oca, M.; Noll, S.

2016-02-01

A democratic society requires that its citizens are informed of everyday's global issues. Out of all issues those related to ocean conservation can be hard to grasp for the general public and especially so for disadvantaged racial and ethnic groups. Opportunity-scarce communities generally have more limited access to the ocean and to science literacy programs. The Ocean Filmmaking Camp @ Duke Marine Lab (OFC@DUML) is an effort to address this gap at the level of high school students in a small coastal town. We designed a six-week summer program to nurture the talents of high school students from under-represented communities in North Carolina with training in filmmaking, marine science and conservation. Our science curriculum is especially designed to present the science in a locally and globally-relevant context. Class discussions, field trips and site visits develop the students' cognitive abilities while they learn the value of the natural environment they live in. Through filmmaking students develop their voice and their media literacy, while connecting with their local community, crossing class and racial barriers. By the end of the summer this program succeeds in encouraging students to engage in the democratic process on ocean conservation, climate change and other everyday affairs affecting their local communities. This presentation will cover the guiding principles followed in the design of the program, and how this high impact-low cost program is implemented. In its first year the program was co-directed by a graduate student and a local high school teacher, who managed more than 20 volunteers with a total budget of $1,500. The program's success was featured in the local newspaper and Duke University's Environment Magazine. This program is an example of how ocean science can play a part in building a better world, knitting diverse communities into the fabric of the larger society with engaged and science-literate citizens living rewarding lives.

Big Ideas in Volcanology-a new way to teach and think about the subject?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, W. I.

2011-12-01

As intense work with identifying and presenting earth science to middle school science teachers in the MiTEP project advances, I have realized that tools used to connect with teachers and students of earth science in general and especially to promote higher levels of learning, should be advantageous in graduate teaching as well. In my last of 40 years of teaching graduate volcanology, I have finally organized the class around ideas based on Earth Science Literacy Principles and on common misconceptions. As such, I propose and fully explore the twelve "big ideas" of volcanology at the rate of one per week. This curricular organization highlights the ideas in volcanology that have major impact beyond volcanology itself and explores the roots and global ramifications of these ideas. Together they show how volcanology interfaces with the science world and the "real" world or how volcanologists interface with "real" people. In addition to big ideas we explore difficult and misunderstood concepts and the public misconceptions associated with each. The new organization and its focus on understanding relevant and far reaching concepts and hypotheses provides a refreshing context for advanced learning. It is planned to be the basis for an interactive website.

Lava Lamp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leif, Todd R.

2008-04-01

This past semester I brought a Lava Lite® Lamp into my classroom. Why bring such a thing into class? Many of today's students are part of the "retro" movement. They buy clothes from the '60s, they wear their hair like people did in the '60s, and they look for the ideals and themes related to living in the 1960s. Physics education reform is also examining ideas from the "retro" world of science. This was the post-Sputnik era, a time when science was done by actually doing it and not necessarily by lecturing about it. Cliff Swartz, former TPT editor, once mentioned during a presentation at a Texas AAPT meeting, "The world of physics teaching is cyclic, like a swinging pendulum. We as physics teachers jump from `new ideas' back to our old ones, each generation testing what works best for them."

Munazza's story: Understanding science teaching and conceptions of the nature of science in Pakistan through a life history study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halai, Nelofer

In this study I have described and tried to comprehend how a female science teacher understands her practice. Additionally, I have developed some understanding of her understanding of the nature of science. While teaching science, a teacher projects messages about the nature of science that can be captured by observations and interviews. Furthermore, the manner is which a teacher conceptualizes science for teaching, at least in part, depends on personal life experiences. Hence, I have used the life history method to understand Munazza's practice. Munazza is a young female science teacher working in a private, co-educational school for children from middle income families in Karachi, Pakistan. Her stories are central to the study, and I have represented them using a number of narrative devices. I have woven in my own stories too, to illustrate my perspective as a researcher. The data includes 13 life history interviews and many informal conversations with Munazza, observations of science teaching in classes seven and eight, and interviews with other science teachers and administrative staff of the school. Munazza's personal biography and experiences of school and undergraduate courses has influenced the way she teaches. It has also influenced the way she does not teach. She was not inspired by her science teachers, so she has tried not to teach the way she was taught science. Contextual factors, her conception of preparation for teaching as preparation for subject content and the tension that she faces in balancing care and control in her classroom are some factors that influence her teaching. Munazza believes that science is a stable, superior and value-free way of knowing. In trying to understand the natural world, observations come first, which give reliable information about the world leading inductively to a "theory". Hence, she relies a great deal on demonstrations in the class where students "see" for themselves and abstract the scientific concept from the activity. I believe this inquiry is significant because it has led to a better understanding of a science teacher's practice and her conceptions of the nature of science in a school in Pakistan. Moreover, the study has utilized research methods that advocates a more equitable researcher-researched relationship.

System Definition of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lundquist, Ray; Aymergen, Cagatay; VanCampen, Julie; Abell, James; Smith, Miles; Driggers, Phillip

2008-01-01

The Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) provides the critical functions and the environment for the four science instruments on JWST. This complex system development across many international organizations presents unique challenges and unique solutions. Here we describe how the requirement flow has been coordinated through the documentation system, how the tools and processes are used to minimize impact to the development of the affected interfaces, how the system design has matured, how the design review process operates, and how the system implementation is managed through reporting to ensure a truly world class scientific instrument compliment is created as the final product.

A Comparative Case Analysis of the Innovation in Five STEM Schools Based on Zhao's Framework for 21st Century World Class Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, Patricia A.

2015-01-01

STEM Schools purport to prepare students to learn and work in the 21st Century by providing students with innovative learning experiences through the interdisciplinary integration of science, technology, engineering, and math (Tsupros, 2009). Advocates of STEM and innovative school models argue that the traditional school system does not and…

Socio-Economic Forces and the Rise of the World-Class Research University in the Post-Soviet Higher Education Space: The Case of Ukraine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oleksiyenko, Anatoly

2014-01-01

Mixed data analysis from 14 national research universities in Ukraine provides insights into the challenges faced by higher education reformers, as they push academic science to a higher position in the emerging knowledge economy, but are halted by deeply entrenched economic and political legacies. This paper examines competing forces that…

Theoretical study on electronic structure and thermoelectric properties of PbS x Te1-x (x = 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75) solid solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Yong; Li, Kai-yue; Zhang, Xiao-lin; Huang, Yan; Shao, Xiao-hong

2018-02-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11647010 and 11704020), the Higher Education and High-quality and World-class Universities (Grant No. PY201611), and the Fund for Disciplines Construction from Beijing University of Chemical Technology (Grant No. XK1702).

The Effect of Dual-Language Immersion on Student Achievement in Math, Science, and English Language Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steele, Jennifer L.; Slater, Robert; Li, Jennifer; Zamarro, Gema; Miller, Trey

2013-01-01

Confronted with many challenges to improving the quality of U.S. public K-12 education, many policymakers have viewed the study of a second language as a useful but nonessential ingredient of a world-class education system. However, others point out that dual-language education can be a powerful intervention for closing the achievement gap for…

A Non-science Major Undergraduate Seminar on the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS): A Student Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weatherford, V. L.; Redemann, J.

2003-12-01

Titled "Observing Climate Change From Space-what tools do we have?", this non-science major freshman seminar at UCLA is the culmination of a year-long interdisciplinary program sponsored by the Institute of the Environment and the College Honors programs at the University. Focusing on the anthropogenic and natural causes of climate change, students study climate forcings and learn about satellite and other technological means of monitoring climate and weather. NASA's Terra satellite is highlighted as one of the most recent and comprehensive monitoring systems put into space and the role of future NASA platforms in the "A-train"-constellation of satellites is discussed. Course material is typically presented in a Power-Point presentation by the instructor, with assigned supplementary reading to stimulate class discussion. In addition to preparing lectures for class presentation, students work on a final term paper and oral presentation which constitutes the majority of their grade. Field trips to the San Gabriel mountains to take atmospheric measurements with handheld sunphotometers and to JPL, Pasadena (CA) to listen to a NASA scientist discuss the MISR instrument aboard the Terra satellite help bring a real-world perspective to the science learned in the classroom. In this paper, we will describe the objectives and structure of this class and present measurement results taken during the field trip to the San Gabriel Mountains. In this context we will discuss the potential relevance of hands-on experience to meeting class objectives and give a student perspective of the overall class experience.

Hierarchical socioeconomic fractality: The rich, the poor, and the middle-class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliazar, Iddo; Cohen, Morrel H.

2014-05-01

Since the seminal work of the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, the study of wealth and income has been a topic of active scientific exploration engaging researches ranging from economics and political science to econophysics and complex systems. This paper investigates the intrinsic fractality of wealth and income. To that end we introduce and characterize three forms of socioeconomic scale-invariance-poor fractality, rich fractality, and middle-class fractality-and construct hierarchical fractal approximations of general wealth and income distributions, based on the stitching of these three forms of fractality. Intertwining the theoretical results with real-world empirical data we then establish that the three forms of socioeconomic fractality-amalgamated into a composite hierarchical structure-underlie the distributions of wealth and income in human societies. We further establish that the hierarchical socioeconomic fractality of wealth and income is also displayed by empirical rank distributions observed across the sciences.

The Missing Curriculum in Physics Problem-Solving Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Mobolaji

2018-05-01

Physics is often seen as an excellent introduction to science because it allows students to learn not only the laws governing the world around them, but also, through the problems students solve, a way of thinking which is conducive to solving problems outside of physics and even outside of science. In this article, we contest this latter idea and argue that in physics classes, students do not learn widely applicable problem-solving skills because physics education almost exclusively requires students to solve well-defined problems rather than the less-defined problems which better model problem solving outside of a formal class. Using personal, constructed, and the historical accounts of Schrödinger's development of the wave equation and Feynman's development of path integrals, we argue that what is missing in problem-solving education is practice in identifying gaps in knowledge and in framing these knowledge gaps as questions of the kind answerable using techniques students have learned. We discuss why these elements are typically not taught as part of the problem-solving curriculum and end with suggestions on how to incorporate these missing elements into physics classes.

The ongoing educational anomaly of earth science placement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Messina, P.; Speranza, P.; Metzger, E.P.; Stoffer, P.

2003-01-01

The geosciences have traditionally been viewed with less "aCademic prTstige" than other science curricula. Among the results of this perception are depressed K-16 enrollments, Earth Science assignments to lower-performing students, and relegation of these classes to sometimes under-qualified educators, all of which serve to confirm the widely-held misconceptions. An Earth Systems course developed at San Jos??e State University demonstrates the difficulty of a standard high school Earth science curriculum, while recognizing the deficiencies in pre-college Earth science education. Restructuring pre-college science curricula so that Earth Science is placed as a capstone course would greatly improve student understanding of the geosciences, while development of Earth systems courses that infuse real-world and hands-on learning at the college level is critical to bridging the information gap for those with no prior exposure to the Earth sciences. Well-crafted workshops for pre-service and inservice teachers of Earth Science can heIp to reverse the trends and unfortunate "sTatus" in geoscience education.

Lessons Learned in Student Venture Creation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caner, Edward

The Physics Entrepreneurship Master's Program (PEP) at Case Western Reserve University is now in its 15th year of operation. PEP is a 27 credit-hour Master of Science in Physics, Entrepreneurship Track. The curriculum can be tailored to the needs of each student. Coursework consists of graduate-level classes in science, business, intellectual property law, and innovation. A master's thesis is required that is based on a real-world project in innovation or entrepreneurship within an existing company or startup (possibly the student's). PEP faculty help students connect with mentors, advisors, partners, funding sources and job opportunities. In this talk I will chronicle several pitfalls that we have encountered with our ''real world'' student projects and start-up businesses, several of which met their complete demise despite showing great promise for success. I will discuss how we have learned to avoid most of these pitfalls by taking surprisingly simple actions.

Global knowledge, local implications: a community college's response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentin, Marjorie R.; Stroup, Margaret H.; Donnelly, Judith F.

2005-10-01

Three Rivers Community College (TRCC), with federal funding, provided a customized laser program for Joining Technologies in Connecticut, which offers world-class resources for welding and joining applications. This program addresses the shortage of skilled labor in the laser arena, lack of knowledge of fundamental science of applied light, and an increase in nonperforming product. Hiring and retraining a skilled workforce are important and costly issues facing today's small manufacturing companies.

The Quest for World Class Universities in China: Critical Reflections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngok, Kinglun; Guo, Weiqing

2008-01-01

Building world-class universities has become a national policy priority in China since then-President Jiang Zemin announced in May 1998 that China must have several world-class universities of international advanced level. This article aims to offer critical reflections on the policy in relation to building world-class universities in China. It…

Student Enrollment in World Languages: "L'égalité Des Chances?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baggett, Hannah Carson

2016-01-01

Students enrolled in world language classes experience many positive academic and developmental outcomes, and world language classes are often gateways to institutions of higher education in the United States. However, not all learners have access to world language classes. Differences in language class availability exist not only between school…

Aerial Views of KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-23

The Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory (SERPL) is a major new research facility under construction at the International Space Research Park located on KSC. At right is S.R. 3, which leads into the Center from Merritt Island. Being developed as a partnership between KSC and the State of Florida, SERPL will serve as the primary gateway to the International Space Station for science experiments and as a world-class home to ground-based investigations in fundamental and applied biological science. NASA’s life sciences contractor will be the primary tenant of the facility, leasing space to conduct flight experiment processing and NASA-sponsored research. About 20 percent of the facility will be available for use by Florida’s university researchers through the Florida Space Research Institute.

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

Adams, C.; Arsenlis, T.; Bailey, A.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Campus Capability Plan for 2018-2028. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is one of three national laboratories that are part of the National Nuclear Security Administration. LLNL provides critical expertise to strengthen U.S. security through development and application of world-class science and technology that: Ensures the safety, reliability, and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile; Promotes international nuclear safety and nonproliferation; Reduces global danger from weapons of mass destruction; Supports U.S. leadership in science and technology. Essential to the execution and continued advancement of these mission areas are responsive infrastructure capabilities. This report showcases each LLNLmore » capability area and describes the mission, science, and technology efforts enabled by LLNL infrastructure, as well as future infrastructure plans.« less

Queer (v.) queer (v.): biology as curriculum, pedagogy, and being albeit queer (v.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broadway, Francis S.

2011-06-01

In order to advance the purpose of education as creating a sustainable world yet to be imagined, educationally, queer (v.) queer (v.) expounds curriculum, pedagogy and being, which has roots in sexuality—the public face of the private confluence of sexuality, gender, race and class, are a necessary framework for queer. If queer is a complicated conversation of strangers' eros, then queer facilitates the creation of space, revolution and transformation. In other words, queer, for science education, is more than increasing and privileging the heteronormative and non-heteronormative science content that extends capitalism's hegemony, but rather science as the dignity, identity, and loving and caring of and by one's self and fellow human beings as strangers.

Earth at Rest. Aesthetic Experience and Students' Grounding in Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Østergaard, Edvin

2017-07-01

Focus of this article is the current situation characterized by students' de-rootedness and possible measures to improve the situation within the frame of education for sustainable development. My main line of argument is that science teachers can practice teaching in such a way that students are brought in deeper contact to the environment. I discuss efforts to promote aesthetic experience in science class and in science teacher education. Within a wide range of definitions, my main understanding of aesthetic experience is that of pre-conceptual experience, relational to the environment and incorporated in students' embodied knowledge. I ground the idea of Earth at rest in Husserl's phenomenological philosophy and Heidegger's notion of science' deprivation of the world. A critique of the ontological reversal leads to an ontological re-reversal that implies giving lifeworld experience back its value and rooting scientific concepts in students' everyday lives. Six aspects of facilitating grounding in sustainability-oriented science teaching and teacher education are highlighted and discussed: students' everyday knowledge and experience, aesthetic experience and grounding, fostering aesthetic sensibility, cross-curricular integration with art, ontological and epistemological aspects, and belongingness and (re-)connection to Earth. I conclude that both science students and student-teachers need to practice their sense of caring and belonging, as well as refining their sensibility towards the world. With an intension of educating for a sustainable development, there is an urgent need for a critical discussion in science education when it comes to engaging learners for a sustainable future.

Poverty crisis in the Third World: the contradictions of World Bank policy.

PubMed

Burkett, P

1991-01-01

Politicians, the mainstream media, and orthodox social science have all been telling us of a final victory of capitalism over socialism, suggesting that capitalism is the only viable option for solving the world's problems. Yet, the global capitalist system is itself entering the third decade of a profound structural crisis, the costs of which have been borne largely by the exploited and oppressed peoples of the underdeveloped periphery. While the World Bank's latest World Development Report recognizes the current poverty crisis in the third world, its "two-part strategy" for alleviating poverty is based on an inadequate analysis of how peripheral capitalist development marginalizes the basic needs of the third world poor. Hence, the World Bank's assertion that free-market policies are consistent with effective antipoverty programs does not confront the class structures and global capitalist interests bound up with the reproduction of mass poverty in the third world. The World Bank's subordination of the basic needs of the poor to free-market adjustments and reforms in fact suggests that the real purpose of its "two-part strategy" is to ensure continued extraction of surplus from third world countries by maintaining the basic structure of imperialist underdevelopment.

Improving student achievement through daily activities and assessments in Introduction to Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppins, Kelly Ann

The combination of a hands-on approach to science with the accountability of daily assessments provides a greater opportunity for students who traditionally receive below-average grades to be successful in science classes. The addition of competitive elements and real world applications plays to their strengths as kinesthetic learners without sacrificing the rigor required to meet graduation standards. Further, daily assessment allows students to develop test-taking skills they will need for the standardized tests used by the state and for college admission. Finally, the combination of daily feedback and daily accountability prevents a struggling student from slipping through the cracks.

Computational Physics in a Nutshell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schillaci, Michael

2001-11-01

Too often students of science are expected to ``pick-up'' what they need to know about the Art of Science. A description of the two-semester Computational Physics course being taught by the author offers a remedy to this situation. The course teaches students the three pillars of modern scientific research: Problem Solving, Programming, and Presentation. Using FORTRAN, LaTeXe, MAPLE V, HTML, and JAVA, students learn the fundamentals of algorithm development, how to implement classes and packages written by others, how to produce publication quality graphics and documents and how to publish them on the world-wide-web. The course content is outlined and project examples are offered.

THESIS: the terrestrial habitable-zone exoplanet spectroscopy infrared spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swain, Mark R.; Vasisht, Gautam; Henning, Thomas; Tinetti, Giovanna; Beaulieu, Jean-Phillippe

2010-07-01

THESIS, the Transiting Habitable-zone Exoplanet Spectroscopy Infrared Spacecraft, is a concept for a medium/Probe class exoplanet mission. Building on the recent Spitzer successes in exoplanet characterization, THESIS would extend these types of measurements to super-Earth-like planets. A strength of the THESIS concept is simplicity, low technical risk, and modest cost. The mission concept has the potential to dramatically advance our understanding of conditions on extrasolar worlds and could serve as a stepping stone to more ambitious future missions. We envision this mission as a joint US-European effort with science objectives that resonate with both the traditional astronomy and planetary science communities.

Here's the beef: A case study in organizational transformation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huseonica, William F.; Giardino, Marco J.

1992-01-01

The Science and Technology Lab (STL) is tasked with the design, development, and application of the science and engineering services. Formed in the early 1970's STL adhered to many traditional attitudes including barriers to communication, excessive management control, parochial strategies, unclear measures of success, lack of customer focus, underutilization of people, and excessive administrative burdens on scientists and engineers. The challenge for the STL was to maximize customer satisfaction through the effective and efficient application of the notable skills and talents of the STL's workforce. In this way, the Lab would begin its exciting journey toward becoming world class. A discussion of this on-going transformation is presented.

Inside KSC! for June 2, 2017

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-06

Preparations are underway to launch the latest resupply run to the International Space Station. Another SpaceX Falcon 9 will lift off from historic Launch Complex 39A. The Dragon spacecraft will spend about a month attached to the space station and return to Earth in early July. The spacecraft is filled with supplies and experiments for more than 250 science and research investigations - all prepared in Kennedy’s world-class Space Station Processing Facility.

Committing to creating time for integrating contemporary environmental issues into a traditional introduction to Earth Science course, one topic at a time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, H. M.

2014-12-01

I teach an Earth Science course, designed as an introductory science class that also fulfills the Earth Science requirement for pre-service teachers preparing to take their state content exam. This course provides an introduction to astronomy, geology, oceanography, and meteorology. By design, the class is content-heavy. Despite this, with so many current environmental and societal issues directly tied to the Earth Sciences, it is essential to address contemporary problems and to educate students about the changes and challenges in the world around them. I have made a commitment to doing this by incorporating relevant societal and environmental issues into every topic and every class session. While this may sound basic, doing so requires diligence and research. For example, when teaching about weathering and erosion, I discuss soils, soil quality and erosion, and the impact this has on our global food supply. A hands-on mineral activity lends itself to looking at the energy and waste involved in ore extraction. A lecture on ocean circulation results in an opportunity to analyze the consequences of the interruption of this pattern due to global warming. Through this approach, students are provided with necessary content; furthermore, by linking traditional content to modern issues on a regular basis, students see the relevance of what they are learning and become more aware of the environmental issues facing society today. Student evaluations indicate that this approach has been successful: 100% of students reported that they learned a great deal from the course, and 100% of students agreed that the quality of the course was high. In addition, prior to the class 55.8% of the students indicated interested in the content; whereas, after the course 88.6% indicated interest, with strong interest in the content increasing from 16.3% to 41%.

Cumulative advantages and social capabilities in scientific mobility in the Health Sciences: The Spanish case

PubMed Central

Melchor, Lorenzo; Danvila-del-Valle, Joaquín; Bousoño-Calzón, Carlos

2017-01-01

Background The big problem in global public health, arising from the international migration of physicians from less-developed to more-developed countries, increases if this migration also affects scientists dedicated to health areas. This article analyzes critical variables in the processes of Spanish scientific mobility in Health Sciences to articulate effective management policies for the benefit of national public health services and the balance between local and global science. Methods This study develops a survey to measure and analyze the following crucial variables: research career, training, funding, working with a world-class team, institutional prestige, wages, facilities/infrastructure, working conditions in the organization of the destination country, fringe benefits in the organization of the destination country and social responsibility in the organization of the departure country. A total of 811 researchers have participated in the survey, of which 293 were from the health sector: Spanish scientists abroad (114), scientists that have returned to Spain (32) and young researchers in Spain (147). Results The most crucial variables for Spanish scientists and young researchers in Spain in Health Sciences moving abroad are the cumulative advantages (research career, training, funding and institutional prestige) plus wages. On the other hand, the return of Spanish scientists in the Health Sciences is influenced by cumulative variables (working with a world-class team, research career and institutional prestige) and also by other variables related to social factors, such as working conditions and fringe benefits in the destination country. Permanent positions are rare for these groups and their decisions regarding mobility depend to a large extent on job opportunities. Conclusions Spanish health organizations can influence researchers to return, since these decisions mainly depend on job opportunities. These organizations can complement the cumulative advantages offered by the wealthier countries with the intensification of social factors. PMID:28296901

Sampling in the Snow: High School Winter Field Experiences Provide Relevant, Real World Connections Between Scientific Practices and Disciplinary Core Ideas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, E. W.; Burakowski, E. A.

2014-12-01

For much of the northern United States, the months surrounding the winter solstice are times of increased darkness, low temperatures, and frozen landscapes. It's a time when many high school science educators, who otherwise would venture outside with their classes, hunker down and are wary of the outdoors. However, a plethora of learning opportunities lies just beyond the classroom. Working collaboratively, a high school science teacher and a snow scientist have developed multiple activities to engage students in the scientific process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting the winter world using snow data to (1) learn about the insulative properties of snow, and (2) to learn about the role of snow cover on winter climate through its reflective properties while participating in a volunteer network that collects snow depth, albedo (reflectivity), and density data. These outdoor field-based snow investigations incorporate Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and disciplinary core ideas, including ESS2.C: The roles of water in Earth's surface processes and ESS2.D: Weather and Climate. Additionally, the lesson plans presented address Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Mathematics, including the creation and analysis of bar graphs and time series plots (CCSS.Math.HSS-ID.A.1) and xy scatter plots (CCSS.Math.HSS-ID.B.6). High school students participating in the 2013/2014 snow sampling season described their outdoor learning experience as "authentic" and "hands-on" as compared to traditional class indoors. They emphasized that learning outdoors was essential to their understanding of underlying content and concepts because they "learn through actual experience."

Graduate Education in Coastal Science: Then and Now

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inman, D. L.

2002-12-01

Coastal science began in the early 20th century in geology disciplines with descriptive field studies of ancient shorelines (G. K. Gilbert, 1885) and coastal observations (Douglas Johnson, 1919). World War II placed a strong emphasis on the importance of coastal processes in military operations. The most profound impact was associated with the interdisciplinary approach to coastal science demonstrated by The Oceans (1942). The first organized graduate program in oceanography opened at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1946 and offered courses in marine geology as well as physical oceanography, biology at the sea, chemistry of sea water and applied mathematics. Those first classes and the new "Sverdrup" curriculum inspired the rapid growth and transfer of knowledge in the new oceanographic sciences. Graduates of these classes established Sverdrup-type interdisciplinary curricula throughout the world. Research and descriptive understanding of the world's oceans and coasts burgeoned during the 1950s. The aqualung, introduced to Shepard's students in 1948 by Jacques Cousteau, became a new scientific tool for studies in nearshore waters, and instruments were designed for studying waves, currents, and sediment transport. A new quantitative coastal science emerged from the concepts of Bagnold and others. Funding came from the Office of Naval Research, coastal engineering (Beach Erosion Board), and the oil industry. A significant contribution to the literature of classical nearshore processes was the series of Conferences on Coastal Engineering sponsored by the University of California and edited by Joe Johnson. Starting with the first conference held in Long Beach in 1950, the conferences brought together researchers from diverse backgrounds and published their findings expeditiously. This research soon was synthesized into textbooks such as Shepard's Submarine Geology (2nd edition, 1963); Hill's 1963 edited volume The Sea v. 3 The Earth Beneath the Sea, with the first discussion of "Beach and Nearshore Processes"; Wiegel's Oceanographical Engineering in 1964; and Ippen's Estuary and Coastline Hydrodynamics in 1966. An excellent example of the transition from descriptive to quantitative nearshore processes is given by comparison between the first edition in 1948 and the second edition in 1963 of Submarine Geology, with sections added on the mechanics of waves, currents, and sediment transport. In the last two decades, the global scale of environmental research and the power of computers have shifted the focus of coastal research to large scale experiments and process modeling.

Brazil's Exception to the World-Class University Movement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alperin, Juan Pablo

2013-01-01

The continued importance of university rankings has only served to fuel the growth of the "world-class" university movement. There is a growing impression that, in a globalised and interconnected world, no country can do without a world-class university. No country, that is, except Brazil. While Brazil has the resources necessary to…

Physical experience enhances science learning.

PubMed

Kontra, Carly; Lyons, Daniel J; Fischer, Susan M; Beilock, Sian L

2015-06-01

Three laboratory experiments involving students' behavior and brain imaging and one randomized field experiment in a college physics class explored the importance of physical experience in science learning. We reasoned that students' understanding of science concepts such as torque and angular momentum is aided by activation of sensorimotor brain systems that add kinetic detail and meaning to students' thinking. We tested whether physical experience with angular momentum increases involvement of sensorimotor brain systems during students' subsequent reasoning and whether this involvement aids their understanding. The physical experience, a brief exposure to forces associated with angular momentum, significantly improved quiz scores. Moreover, improved performance was explained by activation of sensorimotor brain regions when students later reasoned about angular momentum. This finding specifies a mechanism underlying the value of physical experience in science education and leads the way for classroom practices in which experience with the physical world is an integral part of learning. © The Author(s) 2015.

Research on same-gender grouping in eighth-grade science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friend, Jennifer Ingrid

This study examined two hypotheses related to same-gender grouping of eighth-grade science classes in a public middle-school setting in suburban Kansas City. The first hypothesis, male and female students enrolled in same-gender eighth-grade science classes demonstrate more positive science academic achievement than their male and female peers enrolled in mixed-gender science classes. The second hypothesis, same-gender grouping of students in eighth-grade science has a positive effect on classroom climate. The participants in this study were randomly assigned to class sections of eighth-grade science. The first experimental group was an eighth-grade science class of all-male students (n = 20) taught by a male science teacher. The control group used for comparison to the male same-gender class consisted of the male students (n = 42) in the coeducational eighth-grade science classes taught by the same male teacher. The second experimental group was an eighth-grade science class of all-female students (n = 23) taught by a female science teacher. The control group for the female same-gender class consisted of female students (n = 61) in the coeducational eighth-grade science classes taught by the same female teacher. The male teacher and the female teacher did not vary instruction for the same-gender and mixed-gender classes. Science academic achievement was measured for both groups through a quantitative analysis using grades on science classroom assessment and overall science course grades. Classroom climate was measured through qualitative observations and through qualitative and quantitative analysis of a twenty-question student survey administered at the end of each trimester grading period. The results of this study did not indicate support for either hypothesis. Data led to the conclusions that same-gender grouping did not produce significant differences in student science academic achievement, and that same-gender classes did not create a more positive classroom climate for male or female students. There is evidence in the literature to support further investigations in gender differences in science education to address the unique needs of male and female students in order to create gains in student science achievement and to encourage positive attitudes toward science.

A Comparison of Geographic Information Systems, Complex Networks, and Other Models for Analyzing Transportation Network Topologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexandrov, Natalia (Technical Monitor); Kuby, Michael; Tierney, Sean; Roberts, Tyler; Upchurch, Christopher

2005-01-01

This report reviews six classes of models that are used for studying transportation network topologies. The report is motivated by two main questions. First, what can the "new science" of complex networks (scale-free, small-world networks) contribute to our understanding of transport network structure, compared to more traditional methods? Second, how can geographic information systems (GIS) contribute to studying transport networks? The report defines terms that can be used to classify different kinds of models by their function, composition, mechanism, spatial and temporal dimensions, certainty, linearity, and resolution. Six broad classes of models for analyzing transport network topologies are then explored: GIS; static graph theory; complex networks; mathematical programming; simulation; and agent-based modeling. Each class of models is defined and classified according to the attributes introduced earlier. The paper identifies some typical types of research questions about network structure that have been addressed by each class of model in the literature.

NOAA's world-class weather and climate prediction center opens at

Science.gov Websites

StumbleUpon Digg More Destinations NOAA's world-class weather and climate prediction center opens at currents and large-scale rain and snow storms. Billions of earth observations from around the world flow operations. Investing in this center is an investment in our human capital, serving as a world class facility

Using News Media Databases (LexisNexis) To Identify Relevant Topics For Introductory Earth Science Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cervato, C.; Jach, J. Y.; Ridky, R.

2003-12-01

Introductory Earth science courses are undergoing pedagogical changes in universities across the country and are focusing more than ever on the non-science majors. Increasing enrollment of non-science majors in these introductory Earth science courses demands a new look at what is being taught and how the content can be objectively chosen. Assessing the content and effectiveness of these courses requires a quantitative investigation of introductory Earth science topics and their relevance to current issues and concerns. Relevance of Earth science topics can be linked to improved students' attitude toward science and a deeper understanding of concepts. We have used the Internet based national news search-engine LexisNexis Academic Universe (http://www.lexisnexis.org/) to select the occurrence of Earth science terms over the last 12 months, five and ten years both regionally and nationally. This database of term occurrences is being used to examine how Earth sciences have evolved in the news through the last 10 years and is also compared with textbook contents and course syllabi from randomly selected introductory earth science courses across the nation. These data constitute the quantitative foundation for this study and are being used to evaluate the relevance of introductory earth science course content. The relevance of introductory course content and current real-world issues to student attitudes is a crucial factor when considering changes in course curricula and pedagogy. We have examined students' conception of the nature of science and attitudes towards science and learning science using a Likert-scale assessment instrument in the fall 2002 Geology 100 classes at Iowa State University. A pre-test and post-test were administered to see if the students' attitudes changed during the semester using as reference a control group comprised of geoscience undergraduate and graduate students, and faculty. The results of the attitude survey have been analyzed in terms of student demographics and socioeconomic variables (e.g., year in school, gender).

SESAME: science for intercultural dialogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paolucci, Giorgio

2015-04-01

SESAME is an international research organization located in Jordan, in the Middle-East. Based on a synchrotron radiation source, it will allow scientist from the region to access a world-class research infrastructure to boost their research and scientific knowledge. At the same time its international nature will allow scientists with different cultures, different religions and different experiences to interact with each other. It is therefore an excellent opportunity for the regional development. The talk will introduce synchrotron radiation as a method to study matter, with examples in various disciplines, from physics to life sciences. The organisational structure of SESAME will be described, emphasising how this project is expected to enhance cooperation and mutual comprehension in the Middle East.

Teaching and Learning Science in Hungary, 1867-1945: Schools, Personalities, Influences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, Tibor

2012-03-01

The article provides an overview of the development of teaching science in Hungary during both the time of the dual monarchy and the newly established independent Hungary after 1920. The integration of Hungary into the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (1867-1918) strengthened the effect of German speaking European science, the results of which were quickly channelled into the Hungarian school system at all levels. The Hungarian Academy as well as the University of Budapest (today Eötvös Loránd University) played a leading role in the „nationalization" of European science in the educational system. Scientific developments in Hungary strengthened the position of rational and secular thinking in a highly religious society and contributed to the erosion of the mental power of the church tradition, particularly that of the Roman Catholic Church. Toward World War I, influenced by the Protestant Churches, the Jewish tradition, and agnosticism, the public picture of science became more international, occasionally ready to consider challenges of the accepted world view, and sometimes less dogmatic. Leading Hungarian figures with an international reputation who played a decisive role in making science part of Hungarian thinking included the physicists Baron Loránd Eötvös and Sándor Mikola, the mathematicians László Rácz and George Pólya as well as a host of others in related fields. Emigration, mostly Jewish, after World War I, contributed to the curtailment of efforts to teach science effectively as some of the best people left Hungary for, mostly, Germany, Britain, and the United States. However, the interwar school system, the Hungarian version of the German Gymnasium, continued to disseminate scientific thought in Hungarian education. Much of the information was foreign and appeared simply in translation—but an impressive array of indigeneous scientific results paved the way to a larger educated middle class then in the making.

Strategic Approach for Developing World-Class Universities in Egypt

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, Hanaa Ouda Khadri

2015-01-01

In the past decade, the term "world-class university" "WCU"--also called "globally competitive universities", "world-class", "elite", or "flagship" universities--has become a catch phrase, not simply for improving the quality of learning and research in higher education but also, more…

Class categories and the subjective dimension of class: the case of Denmark.

PubMed

Harrits, Gitte Sommer; Pedersen, Helene Helboe

2018-03-01

Class relations have been proven to affect various aspects of social life, even in modern individualized societies. However, following claims on individualization and the so-called 'death of class' thesis, studying the subjective dimension of class - that is, the way individuals perceive of class relations and their own position within them - has gone out of style. We argue that even in equalized societies, subjective class perceptions may still influence attitudes and behaviour as they evolve to fit modern class relations. To explore the existence as well as structure and content of perceived social classes, this article investigates how people describe society and social groups in focus group discussions. We find that groups in different positions in terms of education and economy all tend to apply hierarchical class categories to describe Danish society, which is normally seen as one of the most equal societies and political systems in the world. In addition, we find that economic resources serve as a baseline for the hierarchical ordering, often supplemented with notions of education, lifestyle and/or occupational profile. Even though people are somewhat uncomfortable with the notion of class, their descriptions of Danish society and classes are surprisingly similar within and across groups. We conclude that not only do class relations matter; people are also highly aware of the existing classes and able to position themselves and others according to their notion of classes. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

Creating world-class supply chains.

PubMed

Katzorke, M; Lee, W B

2000-08-01

This article will share knowledge in two areas: The elements of world-class supply chains and the linking processes from customers' customers to suppliers' suppliers and the management approaches needed to engage the people and the organization in an effective implementation process to achieve world-class status.

Novartis School Lab: bringing young people closer to the world of research and discovering the excitement of science.

PubMed

Michel, Christiane Röckl; Standke, Gesche; Naef, Reto

2012-01-01

The Novartis School Lab (http://www.novartis.ch/schullabor) is an institution with an old tradition. The School Lab reaches about 5000 students through internal courses and an additional 5000 children at public science events where they can enjoy hands-on science in disciplines of biomedical research. The subjects range from chemistry, physics, molecular biology and genetics to toxicology and medical topics. The Novartis School Lab offers a variety of activities for youngsters aged 10-20 ranging from lab courses for school classes, continuing education for teachers and development of teaching kits, support for individual research projects to outreach for public science events. Innovation and adaptation to changes of current needs are essential aspects for the Novartis School Lab. Ongoing activities to shape the Novartis Biomedical Learning Lab include design of new teaching experiments, exploration into additional disciplines of biomedical science and the creation of a fascinating School Lab of the future.

Regiomontanus or learning how to play with science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marian, Anca-Catalina

2016-04-01

Although at the international school competitions, Romanian students are in the top, but few students decide to learn science in school. The major problem is "how to motivate students to study science?" In cooperation with Meridian Zero Astroclub, Oradea, we provide students non-formal space where non-formal activities can approach them to the work of a researcher. Five days in September, ten to fifteen students are invited in a journey through the science world. • Formation of the Moon's craters • Solar radiation • Solar cycles • Constellations • Solar System • Eratosthenes experiment These topics are examples from our activities. Working with students from 4 years old to 18 years old, all activities are developed in the form of games, combining mathematical skills with physics or astronomy. Older students are put in the position of teachers for younger students. Results: A better understanding of physical processes, a higher interest in science, a better application of mathematical concepts in class.

Assessing the development & implementation of a student-centered, "flipped" secondary physics curriculum in which IO-lab digital sensors are issued to students on a 1-to-1 basis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunnings, Christopher P.

This teacher-driven, action research dissertation study chronicles the development and implementation of a transformative, two-pronged, student-centered secondary physics education curriculum. From an instructional perspective, the curriculum was situated in the "flipped classroom" teaching approach, which minimizes in-class lecturing and instead predicates classroom learning on collaborative, hands-on, and activity-based lessons. Additionally, all students were issued IO-Lab digital sensors--learning tools developed by professors at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign capable of collecting a vast array of real-time physical data-- on a 1-to-1, 24/7 basis for both in-class and at-home use. In-class, students participated in predominantly activity-based learning, with a sizeable portion of in-class activities incorporating IO-Labs for experimental data collection. Outside of class, students designed real-world research projects using their IO-Labs to study the physics underlying their everyday experiences, and all projects were video recorded, uploaded to YouTube, and then watched in-class to simulate a "mock science conference" in which students provided constructive feedback to each other on their experimental methods and results. The synergistic blending of a) flipped physics instruction, and b) perpetual access to state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, the two prongs forming the basis of this research study, inspired the curriculum title "Flipped IO-Lab," or "F-IO" curriculum. This dissertation study will provide a comprehensive assessment of the benefits and challenges that emerged while designing and implementing the F-IO curriculum from a practitioner's perspective. The assessment of the F-IO curriculum came about through a mixed-methods research methodology during kinematics and dynamics instruction. Specifically, this study includes "Force Concept Inventory" (FCI) pretest/posttest analysis to gauge changes in students' conceptual understanding of physics, as well as "Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey" (CLASS) pre/post data to monitor students' shifts in scientific attitudes throughout the study. The aforementioned pre/post data will be triangulated with field notes and web-based "course opinion survey questions" to provide a comprehensive view of the F-IO curriculum. Significant analysis of the development of the course, as well as the relevant benefits, challenges, and considerations for "flipping" physics instruction, is also contained in this dissertation. The results of the research study include an FCI normalized gain of 0.74 (a "high gain" course), which indicates significant improvement in students' conceptual understanding of Newtonian Mechanics. Additionally, CLASS results indicate significant shifts in student attitudes from generally novice initial scientific perspectives to predominantly expert scientific perspectives by the conclusion of the research study. Of particular interest was students' acknowledgement and appreciation of the real-world implications of what they learned in physics class, as evidenced by CLASS survey data, real-world video challenge projects, and student comments before, during, and after class sessions. However, even despite all of the positive results that emerged throughout the study, a variety of challenges and concerns also materialized with regards to the utilization of F-IO curriculum principles, with the most pronounced being a subset of students whom remained unwilling to embrace web-based and/or flipped instructional teaching methods, preferring instead a more traditional instructional approach. The results and implications of this research study may not only be of interest to physics instructors, but also STEM educators, secondary curriculum designers, digital learning tool designers and researchers, and educational researchers.

Interpreting the relationships between single gender science classes and girls' academic motivation and interest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Sonya L.

The purpose of this study was to determine how and to what extent single gender science classes affect motivation to learn scientific concepts, interest in science, and college major intent among high school and middle school girls. This study was designed to determine whether students' motivation to learn science changes when they are placed in a single gender science class. The study also measured whether the students' level of interest in science and desire to major in science changes based on their enrollment in a single gender class. Finally, the study investigated the career and college major intentions of the sample population used in the study. Girls in single gender groupings engage in more academic risk taking and participate more than girls in coeducational classes. This benefit alone responds to reform efforts and supports the abolition of gender-based obstacles. Single gender grouping could help encourage more girls to take interest in majoring in science, a field that is considered to be masculine. By increasing students' interest in science while enrolled in single gender classes, students may become more motivated to learn science. This study was conducted using seven, eighth, ninth and tenth grade girls from single sex and coeducational science classes. The students participated in 2 surveys, the Science Motivational Survey and the Test of Science Related Attitudes, at the beginning of the semester and at the end of the semester. In respect to girls in high school single gender science classes, results were contrary to recent studies that state that girls who received science education in a single gender setting have an increase in motivation and attitude towards science. The results did show that middle school girls in single gender science classes did show an increase in motivation.

Teaching in the Age of Electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Impey, C. D.

2002-12-01

Technology opens up a bewildering array of opportunities and options for faculty teaching courses to large groups of non-science majors. The trick is in understanding which modes of instruction increase the engagement and learning of students. Among the tools that show good potential for advancing learning in introductory astronomy classes are virtual worlds, exercises that use real astronomy data sets, expert systems, and content accessible by phone. Some of the capabilities of a new web site to assist astronomy instructors, www.astronomica.org, will be demonstrated.

Solar Smarter Faster

ScienceCinema

Armbrust, Dan; Haldar, Pradeep; Kaloyeros, Alain; Holladay, Dan

2018-05-11

As part of the SunShot Initiative, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced on April 15th the selection of up to $112.5 million over five years for funding to support the development of advanced solar photovoltaic (PV)-related manufacturing processes throughout the United States. The effort is led by Sematech, with a proven track record in breathing life back into the US semiconduster industry, and in partnership with CNSE, The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, who supplies world class R&D experts and facilities.

A DOE Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Kristin

2004-03-01

As one of the lead agencies for nanotechnology research and development, the Department of Energy (DOE) is revolutionizing the way we understand and manipulate materials at the nanoscale. As the Federal government's single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and overseeing the Nation's cross-cutting research programs in high-energy physics, nuclear physics, and fusion energy sciences, the DOE guides the grand challenges in nanomaterials research that will have an impact on everything from medicine, to energy production, to manufacturing. Within the DOE's Office of Science, the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) leads research and development at the nanoscale, which supports the Department's missions of national security, energy, science, and the environment. The cornerstone of the program in nanoscience is the establishment and operation of five new Nanoscale Science Research Centers (NSRCs), which are under development at six DOE Laboratories. Throughout its history, DOE's Office of Science has designed, constructed and operated many of the nation's most advanced, large-scale research and development user facilities, of importance to all areas of science. These state-of-the art facilities are shared with the science community worldwide and contain technologies and instruments that are available nowhere else. Like all DOE national user facilities, the new NSRCs are designed to make novel state-of-the-art research tools available to the world, and to accelerate a broad scale national effort in basic nanoscience and nanotechnology. The NSRCs will be sited adjacent to or near existing DOE/BES major user facilities, and are designed to enable national user access to world-class capabilities for the synthesis, processing, fabrication, and analysis of materials at the nanoscale, and to transform the nation's approach to nanomaterials.

World Class Schools: An Evolving Concept.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, John M., Ed.; And Others

The concept of "world class," often used in reference to education, lacks a precise, universal definition. This book presents case studies of exemplary schools. The foreword by Fenwick W. English presents a developmental concept of world-class education, in which fair and comparable standards, with sufficient room for sociocultural…

The academic majors of students taking American soil science classes: 2004-2005 to 2013-2014 academic years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, Eric C.; Vaughan, Karen L.; Parikh, Sanjai J.; Dolliver, Holly; Lindbo, David; Steffan, Joshua J.; Weindorf, David; McDaniel, Paul; Mbila, Monday; Edinger-Marshall, Susan

2017-04-01

Many papers have been written in recent years discussing the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary aspects of soil science. Therefore, it would make sense that soil science courses would be taken by students in a wide array of academic majors. To investigate this, we collected data from eight different American universities on the declared academic majors of students enrolled in soil science courses over a 10 year time period (2004-2005 to 2013-2014 academic years). Data was collected for seven different classes taught at the undergraduate level: introduction to soil science, soil fertility, soil management, pedology, soil biology/microbiology, soil chemistry, and soil physics. Overall trends and trends for each class were evaluated. Generally, environmental science and crop science/horticulture/agronomy students were enrolled in soil science courses in the greatest numbers. Environmental science and engineering students showed rapid increases in enrollment over the 10 years of the study, while the number of crop science/ horticulture/ agronomy students declined. In the introduction to soil science classes, environmental science and crop science/ horticulture/ agronomy students were enrolled in the greatest numbers, while declared soil science majors only made up 6.6% of the average enrollment. The highest enrollments in soil fertility were crop science/ horticulture/ agronomy students and other agricultural students (all agricultural majors except crop science, horticulture, agronomy, or soil science). In both the soil management and pedology classes, environmental science and other agricultural students were the largest groups enrolled. Other agricultural students and students from other majors (all majors not otherwise expressly investigated) were the largest enrolled groups in soil biology/microbiology courses, and environmental science and soil science students were the largest enrolled groups in soil chemistry classes. Soil physics was the only class investigated where declared soil science students made up the largest single group of students, with other agricultural students being the second largest group. Results of the study showed that students from many different academic majors take soil science classes at American universities, and the most common majors in these classes depended on the class and the material it addressed.

Supernatural/Paranormal Phenomena: A Passionate Closer Look

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hameed, S.; Robinson, G.; Maulton, J.

2003-05-01

A collaboration between a psychologist, a philosopher, and an astronomer resulted in an inter-term (January) course, titled "Supernatural/Paranormal Phenomena: A Passionate Closer Look" at Smith College. The main purpose of the course was to provide students with the tools to evaluate the pseudo-sciences that are so enticing in today's complex and stressful world. We examined some of the reasons why people are attracted to New-Age enterprises that claim to: provide personal insight and social guidance from stars and planets; communicate with the dead; predict the future; prove contact with extraterrestrial beings. The course provided us with an opportunity to introduce the methodology of science and compare it with the claims made by the defenders of pseudo-sciences. We also conducted a survey of paranormal beliefs of enrolled students before and after our inter-term class.

American High Schools Can Be World Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalker, Donald M.; Haynes, Richard M.; Smith, Mark

1999-01-01

Compares characteristics of high school educational systems from 10 countries with exemplary educational systems. Describes a resulting set of world class standards and observes the acceptance or rejection of these standards in the United States. Discusses world class practices in American high schools. Offers a starter agenda for delivering world…

Simple webs of natural environment theme as a result of sharing in science teacher training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapilouw, M. C.; Firman, H.; Redjeki, S.; Chandra, D. T.

2018-03-01

Thematic learning is one type of integrated science (Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Science) in Science Education. This study is concerning about simple webs of natural environment theme in science learning, as one of training material in science teacher training program. Making simple web is a goal of first step in teacher training program. Every group explain their web illustration to other group. Twenty Junior High School science teacher above one education foundation participate in science teacher training program. In order to gather simple webs, sharing method was used in this first step of science teacher training. The result of this study is five different simple web of natural environment themes. These webs represent science learning in class VII/Semester I, class VII/Semester II, Class VIII, Class IX/Semester I, Class IX/Semester II based on basic competency in National Curriculum 2013. Each group discussed web of natural environment theme based on their learning experience in real class which basic competency and subject matters are linked with natural environment theme. As a conclusion, simple webs are potential to develop in the next step of science teacher training program and to be implemented in real class.

The role of history in teaching science — A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendrick, Robert M.

1992-06-01

One of the most interesting aspects of late-nineteenth-century France was the extraordinary interest the public expressed in science. Its adulation of Pasteur was only one of the many manifestations of this interest. It was also expressed in the widespread popularity of scientists as public figures and in the increasing public and private financial support of science. While popularity of science was created in the general public by fiction and by the various international ‘world fairs’ held in Paris, it was strongest and most important in the middle classes. This paper examines one of the key methods used to stimulate bourgeois interest in science in France during the Second Empire and early Third Republic (1852 1895): the campaign to create a science vulgarisée, a popularized science. While a number of different approaches used by these popularizers are examined, the article concentrates on the ‘science writings’ of Jules Michelet and Jules Verne, both of whom were immensely successful in creating a favorable climate of opinion for French science. The article concludes by suggesting how such an approach could be modernized and utilized in order to create greater scientific literacy and a similar acceptance by the public today.

Reaching the Students: A New Approach to Enhancing Science Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNamara, B. J.; Burnham, C. C.

2002-05-01

Most NSF supported programs directed at improving science literacy among university students who are not majoring in SMET normally target instruction in introductory science or math classes. Unfortunately these efforts seldom reach the vast majority of students at a university because students can fulfil their science requirement by taking several other classes or class sections that are not impacted by the NSF program. Ideally it would be desirable to address the issues of science literacy and science anxiety among non-science majors in a single class that is required of essentially all undergraduates. We describe such a program which is being tested at NMSU. The targeted class is the university's freshman level English class. The idea behind this effort is to provide students with the skills they will need to be successful in their science classes in a less threatening humanities environment. We describe the problems that this approach raises, suggest solutions to these problems, and then discuss the overall status of this effort.

Girls in computer science: A female only introduction class in high school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drobnis, Ann W.

This study examined the impact of an all girls' classroom environment in a high school introductory computer science class on the student's attitudes towards computer science and their thoughts on future involvement with computer science. It was determined that an all girls' introductory class could impact the declining female enrollment and female students' efficacy towards computer science. This research was conducted in a summer school program through a regional magnet school for science and technology which these students attend during the school year. Three different groupings of students were examined for the research: female students in an all girls' class, female students in mixed-gender classes and male students in mixed-gender classes. A survey, Attitudes about Computers and Computer Science (ACCS), was designed to obtain an understanding of the students' thoughts, preconceptions, attitude, knowledge of computer science, and future intentions around computer science, both in education and career. Students in all three groups were administered the ACCS prior to taking the class and upon completion of the class. In addition, students in the all girls' class wrote in a journal throughout the course, and some of those students were also interviewed upon completion of the course. The data was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. While there were no major differences found in the quantitative data, it was determined that girls in the all girls' class were truly excited by what they had learned and were more open to the idea of computer science being a part of their future.

Small Worlds Week: An online celebration of planetary science using social media to reach millions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayo, Louis

2015-11-01

In celebration of the many recent discoveries from New Horizons, Dawn, Rosetta, and Cassini, NASA launched Small Worlds Week, an online, social media driven outreach program leveraging the infrastructure of Sun-Earth Days that included a robust web design, exemplary education materials, hands-on fun activities, multimedia resources, science and career highlights, and a culminating social media event. Each day from July 6-9, a new class of solar system small worlds was featured on the website: Monday-comets, Tuesday-asteroids, Wednesday-icy moons, and Thursday-dwarf planets. Then on Friday, July 10, nine scientists from Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Naval Research Laboratory, and Lunar and Planetary Institute gathered online for four hours to answer questions from the public via Facebook and Twitter. Throughout the afternoon the scientists worked closely with a social media expert and several summer interns to reply to inquirers and to archive their chats. By all accounts, Small Worlds Week was a huge success with 37 million potential views of the social media Q&A posts. The group plans to improve and replicate the program during the school year with a more classroom focus, and then to build and extend the program to be held every year. For more information, visit http:// sunearthday.nasa.gov or catch us on Twitter, #nasasww.

JOWOG 22/2 - Actinide Chemical Technology (July 9-13, 2012)

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

Jackson, Jay M.; Lopez, Jacquelyn C.; Wayne, David M.

2012-07-05

The Plutonium Science and Manufacturing Directorate provides world-class, safe, secure, and reliable special nuclear material research, process development, technology demonstration, and manufacturing capabilities that support the nation's defense, energy, and environmental needs. We safely and efficiently process plutonium, uranium, and other actinide materials to meet national program requirements, while expanding the scientific and engineering basis of nuclear weapons-based manufacturing, and while producing the next generation of nuclear engineers and scientists. Actinide Process Chemistry (NCO-2) safely and efficiently processes plutonium and other actinide compounds to meet the nation's nuclear defense program needs. All of our processing activities are done in amore » world class and highly regulated nuclear facility. NCO-2's plutonium processing activities consist of direct oxide reduction, metal chlorination, americium extraction, and electrorefining. In addition, NCO-2 uses hydrochloric and nitric acid dissolutions for both plutonium processing and reduction of hazardous components in the waste streams. Finally, NCO-2 is a key team member in the processing of plutonium oxide from disassembled pits and the subsequent stabilization of plutonium oxide for safe and stable long-term storage.« less

Evaluating Students' Attitudes in Introductory Geoscience Courses as a Function of Pedagogy and Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fayon, A. K.; Eyssautier, C.

2008-12-01

Introductory geoscience courses at large urban institutions have the potential to increase the scientific literacy of the general population. Therefore, engaging all students in the classroom is critical. As instructors of these courses for non-majors, we have all observed students disengaging from the class for a number of reasons. One hypothesis is students feel out of their element in a large, academic institution. This is particularly true for underrepresented minority, low-income first generation, and immigrant college students - the students on one side of the postsecondary science enrollment gap. This research addresses how, through pedagogy and content, we can engage a more diverse population of students by changing their attitudes towards science. We administered the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) instrument, modified for geology, to students enrolled in introductory geology courses (GEO1001 and PsTL1171) at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. This survey consists of 42 questions that measure students" pre- and post-course attitudes towards geology and physical sciences. GEO1001 is a large lecture course where the laboratory content is independent from lecture content. PSTL1171 is offered through the Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning; this course has smaller class sizes, and lecture and laboratory content are fully integrated. Demographically, students of color comprise 23% of the student population in GEO1001, in contrast to 73% in PsTL1171. Overall, responses from all students surveyed show a positive shift in attitudes and confidence. However, in comparing responses from only students of color, those enrolled in PsTL1171 demonstrated greater favorable shifts in the categories of personal interests and problem solving confidence. The pre-course responses also indicate that students of color in PsTL1171 started the course with more favorable attitudes towards real world connections than those students in GEO1001. These preliminary survey results reinforce the connection between attitude, confidence, and pedagogy, particularly for underrepresented minority students. Furthermore, the knowledge of increased attitude towards real world connections among students of color can be used in course content development in order to engage a more diverse student population. Future research will address the role of pedagogy on the acquisition and retention of knowledge in these introductory courses.

Enhancing students' science literacy using solar cell learning multimedia containing science and nano technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliyawati, Sunarya, Yayan; Mudzakir, Ahmad

2017-05-01

This research attempts to enhance students' science literacy in the aspects of students' science content, application context, process, and students' attitude using solar cell learning multimedia containing science and nano technology. The quasi-experimental method with pre-post test design was used to achieve these objectives. Seventy-two students of class XII at a high school were employed as research's subject. Thirty-six students were in control class and another thirty-six were in experiment class. Variance test (t-test) was performed on the average level of 95% to identify the differences of students' science literacy in both classes. As the result, there were significant different of learning outcomes between experiment class and control class. Almost half of students (41.67%) in experiment class are categorized as high. Therefore, the learning using solar cell learning multimedia can improve students' science literacy, especially in the students' science content, application context, and process aspects with n-gain(%) 59.19 (medium), 63.04 (medium), and 52.98 (medium). This study can be used to develop learning multimedia in other science context.

Thoughts on the Role of Government in the Development of World-Class Universities in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guangcai, Yan

2011-01-01

Looking at the rise of world-class universities through history, creating an institutional environment in which universities are relatively autonomous, while also ensuring effective material support from the government is essential for the formation of world-class universities. It is worth examining the deteriorating academic environment in China…

The effectivenes of science domain-based science learning integrated with local potency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniawati, Arifah Putri; Prasetyo, Zuhdan Kun; Wilujeng, Insih; Suryadarma, I. Gusti Putu

2017-08-01

This research aimed to determine the significant effect of science domain-based science learning integrated with local potency toward science process skills. The research method used was a quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent control group design. The population of this research was all students of class VII SMP Negeri 1 Muntilan. The sample of this research was selected through cluster random sampling, namely class VII B as an experiment class (24 students) and class VII C as a control class (24 students). This research used a test instrument that was adapted from Agus Dwianto's research. The aspect of science process skills in this research was observation, classification, interpretation and communication. The analysis of data used the one factor anova at 0,05 significance level and normalized gain score. The significance level result of science process skills with one factor anova is 0,000. It shows that the significance level < alpha (0,05). It means that there was significant effect of science domain-based science learning integrated with local potency toward science learning process skills. The results of analysis show that the normalized gain score are 0,29 (low category) in control class and 0,67 (medium category) in experiment class.

Classroom climate and science-related attitudes of junior high school students in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Bao-Shan; Crawley, Frank E., III

Differences in classroom climate and science related attitudes were investigated among junior high school science classes and students in Taiwan. The sample consisted of 1,269 students enrolled in 40 science classes distributed equally among ten junior high schools, five metropolitan and five rural. Classes were further classified according to sex (21 boys and 19 girls classes) and ability (19 high and 21 low ability classes). Using the Learning Environment Inventory (Anderson, Walberg, & Fraser, 1982) to measure climate, science classes in metropolitan schools, more than rural, were found to be characterized by Speed, Friction, Favoritism, Difficulty, Cliqueness, and Competitiveness. No differences were found in the classroom climates of classes in which students were grouped according to sex or ability. Using the Test of Science-Related Attitudes (Fraser, 1981), students in science classes in metropolitan schools, in contrast to rural, expressed more positive attitudes toward the Social Implications of Science, Adoption of Scientific Attitudes, and Attitude to Scientific Inquiry. Boys more than girls recorded high scores on Leisure Interest in Science and Career Interest in Science. High ability students were found to have higher scores on Attitude to Scientific Inquiry than did low ability students. When examining the relationship between the 15 subscale scores of the LEI and the seven subscale scores of the TOSRA for the 40 classes, only 9 out of 105 correlations proved to be significant. Most differences in climate, attitude, and their interactions were attributed to school location rather than to student characteristics.

World-Class Higher Education (for Whom?)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Susan L.

2012-01-01

The slogan "world-class education" is ubiquitous in education circles. This essay looks closely at who is advancing this idea, why, and where, and the kind of work it is asked to do. Though instruments for determining the world-class status of education institutions were first launched in the 1980s, they have grown exponentially in the past…

The Hurdles to Being World Class: Narrative Analysis of the World-Class University Project in Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jang, Deok-Ho; Ryu, Kiung; Yi, Pilnam; Craig, Daniel A.

2016-01-01

This study examines the Korean Government's policy scheme of setting up the World-Class University (WCU) Project by investigating the perceptions of major actors, including WCU scholars and government officials. In-depth interviews were held with 18 WCU scholars and three government officials. Our findings suggest that the limits of the…

A Venus Flagship Mission: Exploring a World of Contrasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senske, D.; Bullock, M.; Balint, T.; Benz, A.; Campbell, B.; Chassefiere, E.; Colaprete, A.; Cutts, J.; Glaze, L.; Gorevan, S.; Grinspoon, D.; Hall, J.; Hasimoto, G.; Head, J.; Hunter, G.; Johnson, N.; Kiefer, W.; Kolawa, E.; Kremic, T.; Kwok, J.; Limaye, S.; Mackwell, S.; Marov, M.; Peterson, C.; Schubert, G.; Spilker, T.; Stofan, E.; Svedhem, H.; Titov, D.; Treiman, A.

2008-12-01

Results from past missions and the current Venus Express Mission show that Venus is a world of contrasts, providing clear science drivers for renewed exploration of this planet. In early 2008, NASA's Science Mission Directorate formed a Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) to formulate science goals and objectives, mission architecture and a technology roadmap for a flagship class mission to Venus. This 3- to 4 billon mission, to launch in the post 2020 timeframe, should revolutionize our understanding of how climate works on terrestrial planets, including the close relationship between volcanism, tectonism, the interior, and the atmosphere. It would also more clearly elucidate the geologic history of Venus, including the existence and persistence of an ancient ocean. Achieving these objectives will provide a basis to understand the habitability of extra solar terrestrial planets. To address a broad range of science questions this mission will be composed of flight elements that include an orbiter that is highlighted by an interferometric SAR to provide surface topographic and image information at scales one to two orders of magnitude greater than that achieved by any previous spacecraft to Venus. Two balloons with a projected lifetime of weeks will probe the structure and dynamics of the atmosphere at an altitude of 50 to 70-km. In addition, two descent probes will collect data synergistic to that from the balloon and analyze the geochemistry of surface rocks over a period of hours. The technology road map focuses on key areas of science instruments and enabling engineering to provide greater in situ longevity in the hostile Venus environment.

Unique collaboration between research scientists and educators to prepare new Earth Science teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagnotta, Ashley; Grcevich, J.; Shara, M.; Mac Low, M.; Lepine, S.; Nadeau, P.; Flores, K.; Sessa, J.; Zirakparvar, N.; Ustunisik, G.; Kinzler, R.; Macdonald, M.; Contino, J.; Cooke-Nieves, N.; Zachowski, M.

2013-01-01

Abstract: The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program at the American Museum of Natural History is a first-of-its-kind program designed to prepare participants to be world-class Earth Science teachers. The dearth of Earth Science teachers in New York State has resulted in fewer students taking the statewide Earth Science Regents Exam, which negatively affects graduation rates and reduces the number of students who pursue related college degrees. The MAT program was designed to address this problem, and is the result of a collaboration between research scientists and educators at the Museum, with faculty comprised of curators and postdoctoral researchers from the Departments of Astrophysics, Earth and Planetary Sciences, and the Division of Paleontology, as well as doctoral-level Education faculty. The full-time, 15-month program combines courses and field work in astrophysics, geology, earth science, and paleontology at the Museum with pedagogical coursework and real-world teaching experience in local urban classrooms. The program is part of New York State’s Race to the Top initiative and particularly targets high-needs schools with diverse student populations. Because of this, the MAT program has the potential to stimulate interest and achievement in a variety of STEM fields among thousands of students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. The first cohort of teacher candidates entered the MAT program in June of 2012. They represent diverse scientific expertise levels, geographic backgrounds, and career stages. We report on the first six months of this pilot program as well as the future plans and opportunities for prospective teacher candidates.

New instrument for measuring student beliefs about physics and learning physics: The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, W. K.; Perkins, K. K.; Podolefsky, N. S.; Dubson, M.; Finkelstein, N. D.; Wieman, C. E.

2006-06-01

The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) is a new instrument designed to measure student beliefs about physics and about learning physics. This instrument extends previous work by probing additional aspects of student beliefs and by using wording suitable for students in a wide variety of physics courses. The CLASS has been validated using interviews, reliability studies, and extensive statistical analyses of responses from over 5000 students. In addition, a new methodology for determining useful and statistically robust categories of student beliefs has been developed. This paper serves as the foundation for an extensive study of how student beliefs impact and are impacted by their educational experiences. For example, this survey measures the following: that most teaching practices cause substantial drops in student scores; that a student’s likelihood of becoming a physics major correlates with their “Personal Interest” score; and that, for a majority of student populations, women’s scores in some categories, including “Personal Interest” and “Real World Connections,” are significantly different from men’s scores.

The Bio Bay Game: Three-Dimensional Learning of Biomagnification

PubMed Central

JASTI, CHANDANA; LAUREN, HILLARY; WALLON, ROBERT C.; HUG, BARBARA

2016-01-01

Pressing concerns about sustainability and the state of the environment amplify the need to teach students about the connections between ecosystem health, toxicology, and human health. Additionally, the Next Generation Science Standards call for three-dimensional science learning, which integrates disciplinary core ideas, scientific practices, and crosscutting concepts. The Bio Bay Game is a way to teach students about the biomagnification of toxicants across trophic levels while engaging them in three-dimensional learning. In the game, the class models the biomagnification of mercury in a simple aquatic food chain as they play the roles of anchovies, tuna, and humans. While playing, the class generates data, which they analyze after the game to graphically visualize the buildup of toxicants. Students also read and discuss two articles that draw connections to a real-world case. The activity ends with students applying their understanding to evaluate the game as a model of biomagnification. Throughout the activity, students practice modeling and data analysis and engage with the crosscutting concepts of patterns and cause and effect to develop an understanding of core ideas about the connections between humans and the environment. PMID:27990023

The Bio Bay Game: Three-Dimensional Learning of Biomagnification.

PubMed

Jasti, Chandana; Lauren, Hillary; Wallon, Robert C; Hug, Barbara

2016-01-01

Pressing concerns about sustainability and the state of the environment amplify the need to teach students about the connections between ecosystem health, toxicology, and human health. Additionally, the Next Generation Science Standards call for three-dimensional science learning, which integrates disciplinary core ideas, scientific practices, and crosscutting concepts. The Bio Bay Game is a way to teach students about the biomagnification of toxicants across trophic levels while engaging them in three-dimensional learning. In the game, the class models the biomagnification of mercury in a simple aquatic food chain as they play the roles of anchovies, tuna, and humans. While playing, the class generates data, which they analyze after the game to graphically visualize the buildup of toxicants. Students also read and discuss two articles that draw connections to a real-world case. The activity ends with students applying their understanding to evaluate the game as a model of biomagnification. Throughout the activity, students practice modeling and data analysis and engage with the crosscutting concepts of patterns and cause and effect to develop an understanding of core ideas about the connections between humans and the environment.

Energy matters: An investigation of drama pedagogy in the science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alrutz, Megan

The purpose of this study is to explore and document how informal and improvisational drama techniques affect student learning in the science classroom. While implementing a drama-based science unit, I examined multiple notions of learning, including, but not limited to, traditional notions of achievement, student understanding, student participation in the science classroom, and student engagement with, and knowledge of, science content. Employing an interpretivist research methodology, as outlined by Fredrick Erickson for qualitative analysis in the classroom, I collected data through personal observations; student and teacher interviews; written, artistic and performed class work; video-recorded class work; written tests; and questionnaires. In analyzing the data, I found strong support for student engagement during drama-based science instruction. The drama-based lessons provided structures that drew students into lessons, created enthusiasm for the science curriculum, and encouraged meaningful engagement with, and connections to, the science content, including the application and synthesis of science concepts and skills. By making student contributions essential to each of the lessons, and by challenging students to justify, explain, and clarify their understandings within a dramatic scenario, the classroom facilitators created a conducive learning environment that included both support for student ideas and intellectual rigor. The integration of drama-based pedagogy most affected student access to science learning and content. Students' participation levels, as well as their interest in both science and drama, increased during this drama-based science unit. In addition, the drama-based lessons accommodated multiple learning styles and interests, improving students' access to science content and perceptions of their learning experience and abilities. Finally, while the drama-based science lessons provided multiple opportunities for solidifying understanding of the science content, the data also revealed missed opportunities for sense-making within the delivery of several drama-based science lessons. In conclusion, this study demonstrates how the integration of drama and science prepares students for seeking, accessing, and organizing information in different ways, providing multiple means for students to build knowledge and understanding for actively participating in the changing world around us.

Uncovering Scientist Stereotypes and Their Relationships with Student Race and Student Success in a Diverse, Community College Setting

PubMed Central

Schinske, Jeffrey; Cardenas, Monica; Kaliangara, Jahana

2015-01-01

A number of studies have identified correlations between children’s stereotypes of scientists, their science identities, and interest or persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Yet relatively few studies have examined scientist stereotypes among college students, and the literature regarding these issues in predominantly nonwhite and 2-yr college settings is especially sparse. We piloted an easy-to-analyze qualitative survey of scientist stereotypes in a biology class at a diverse, 2-yr, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander–Serving Institution. We examined the reliability and validity of the survey, and characterized students’ comments with reference to previous research on stereotypes. Positive scientist stereotypes were relatively common in our sample, and negative stereotypes were rare. Negative stereotypes appeared to be concentrated within certain demographic groups. We found that students identifying nonstereotypical images of scientists at the start of class had higher rates of success in the course than their counterparts. Finally, evidence suggested many students lacked knowledge of actual scientists, such that they had few real-world reference points to inform their stereotypes of scientists. This study augments the scant literature regarding scientist stereotypes in diverse college settings and provides insights for future efforts to address stereotype threat and science identity. PMID:26338318

NASA's strategy for Mars exploration in the 1990s and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huntress, W. T.; Feeley, T. J.; Boyce, J. M.

NASA's Office of Space Science is changing its approach to all its missions, both current and future. Budget realities are necessitating that we change the way we do business and the way we look at NASA's role in the U.S. Government. These challenges are being met by a new and innovative approach that focuses on achieving a balanced world-class space science program that requires less U.S. resources while providing an enhanced role for technology and education as integral components of our Research and Development (R&D) programs. Our Mars exploration plans, especially the Mars Surveyor program, are a key feature of this new NASA approach to space science. The Mars Surveyor program will be affordable, engaging to the public with global and close-up images of Mars, have high scientific value, employ a distributed risk strategy (two launches per opportunity), and will use significant advanced technologies.

AGU honors 79 geophysicists during 2011 awards cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paredes, Beth

2012-02-01

At the 2011 Fall Meeting, AGU honored 79 esteemed geophysicists for their landmark achievements and transformational discoveries, highlighting those who have pioneered new frontiers of scientific knowledge with dedication, commitment, and leadership. Sixty individuals widely recognized as experts in their fields of research were honored as the 2011 class of AGU Fellows. These scientists, who share a lifelong commitment to understanding how the world works and are dedicated to making it a better place, were nominated by their colleagues for spurring major paradigm shifts and innovating breakthrough discoveries in Earth and space sciences. Six Union awardees received recognition for their vision and leadership, for furthering education in the Earth and space sciences, and for outstanding and sustained achievements in science journalism. In addition, AGU presented its inaugural Climate Communication Prize, for outstanding contributions to scientific literacy and public awareness about the urgent problem of climate change.

The OptIPuter microscopy demonstrator: enabling science through a transatlantic lightpath

PubMed Central

Ellisman, M.; Hutton, T.; Kirkland, A.; Lin, A.; Lin, C.; Molina, T.; Peltier, S.; Singh, R.; Tang, K.; Trefethen, A.E.; Wallom, D.C.H.; Xiong, X.

2009-01-01

The OptIPuter microscopy demonstrator project has been designed to enable concurrent and remote usage of world-class electron microscopes located in Oxford and San Diego. The project has constructed a network consisting of microscopes and computational and data resources that are all connected by a dedicated network infrastructure using the UK Lightpath and US Starlight systems. Key science drivers include examples from both materials and biological science. The resulting system is now a permanent link between the Oxford and San Diego microscopy centres. This will form the basis of further projects between the sites and expansion of the types of systems that can be remotely controlled, including optical, as well as electron, microscopy. Other improvements will include the updating of the Microsoft cluster software to the high performance computing (HPC) server 2008, which includes the HPC basic profile implementation that will enable the development of interoperable clients. PMID:19487201

The OptIPuter microscopy demonstrator: enabling science through a transatlantic lightpath.

PubMed

Ellisman, M; Hutton, T; Kirkland, A; Lin, A; Lin, C; Molina, T; Peltier, S; Singh, R; Tang, K; Trefethen, A E; Wallom, D C H; Xiong, X

2009-07-13

The OptIPuter microscopy demonstrator project has been designed to enable concurrent and remote usage of world-class electron microscopes located in Oxford and San Diego. The project has constructed a network consisting of microscopes and computational and data resources that are all connected by a dedicated network infrastructure using the UK Lightpath and US Starlight systems. Key science drivers include examples from both materials and biological science. The resulting system is now a permanent link between the Oxford and San Diego microscopy centres. This will form the basis of further projects between the sites and expansion of the types of systems that can be remotely controlled, including optical, as well as electron, microscopy. Other improvements will include the updating of the Microsoft cluster software to the high performance computing (HPC) server 2008, which includes the HPC basic profile implementation that will enable the development of interoperable clients.

Self-directed learning: Philosophy and implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverman, M. P.

1996-10-01

An account is given of the instruction of university-level introductory physics courses according to an educational framework in which (1) curiosity-driven inquiry is recognised as an essential activity of both science and science teaching; (2) the principal role of the instructor is to provide students the incentive to learn science through their pursuit of personally meaningful questions; (3) the commission of errors is regarded as a natural concomitant to learning and is not penalised; (4) emphasis is placed on laboratory investigations that foster minimally restrictive free exploration rather than prescriptive adherence to formal procedure; (5) research skills are developed through out-of-class projects that involve literature search, experiment, and the modeling of real-world physical phenomena; (6) the precise and articulate use of language is regarded as seminal to communication in science (as it is in the humanities) and is promoted through activities that help develop written and verbal language skills; (7) the evaluation of student performance is based on a portfolio of accomplished work rather than on the outcome of formal testing.

Comparative Analyses of Discourse in Specialized STEM School Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tofel-Grehl, Colby; Callahan, Carolyn M.; Nadelson, Louis S.

2017-01-01

The authors detail the discourse patterns observed within mathematics and science classes at specialized STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) high schools. Analyses reveal that teachers in mathematics classes tended to engage their students in authoritative discourse while teachers in science classes tended to engage students…

Basic research needs to assure a secure energy future. A report from the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee

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

None

This report has highlighted many of the possible fundamental research areas that will help our country avoid a future energy crisis. The report may not have adequately captured the atmosphere of concern that permeated the discussions at the workshop. The difficulties facing our nation and the world in meeting our energy needs over the next several decades are very challenging. It was generally felt that traditional solutions and approaches will not solve the total energy problem. Knowledge that does not exist must be obtained to address both the quantity of energy needed to increase the standard of living world-wide andmore » the quality of energy generation needed to preserve the environment. In terms of investments, it was clear that there is no single research area that will secure the future energy supply. A diverse range of economic energy sources will be required--and a broad range of fundamental research is needed to enable these. Many of the issues fall into the traditional materials and chemical sciences research areas, but with specific emphasis on understanding mechanisms, energy related phenomena, and pursuing novel directions in, for example, nanoscience and integrated modeling. An important result from the discussions, which is hopefully apparent from the brief presentations above, is that the problems that must be dealt with are truly multidisciplinary. This means that they require the participation of investigators with different skill sets. Basic science skills have to be complemented by awareness of the overall nature of the problem in a national and world context, and with knowledge of the engineering, design, and control issues in any eventual solution. It is necessary to find ways in which this can be done while still preserving the ability to do first-class basic science. The traditional structure of research, with specific disciplinary groupings, will not be sufficient. This presents great challenges and opportunities for the funders of the research that must be done. For example, the applied research programs in the DOE need a greater awareness of the user facilities and an understanding of how to use them to solve their unique problems. The discussions reinforced what all of the participants already knew: the issue of energy security is of major importance both for the U.S. and for the world. Furthermore, it is clear that major changes in the primary energy sources, in energy conversion, and in energy use, must be achieved within the next fifty years. This time scale is determined by two drivers: increasing world population and increasing expectations of that population. Much of the research and development currently being done are concerned with incremental improvements in what has been done in the immediate past; and it is necessary to take this path because improvements will be needed across the board. These advances extend the period before the radical changes have to be made; however, they will not solve the underlying, long-range problem. The Subpanel recommends that a major program be funded to conduct a multidisciplinary research program to address the issues to ensure a secure energy future for the U.S. It is necessary to recognize that this program must be ensured of a long-term stability. It is also necessary that a management and funding structure appropriate for such an approach be developed. The Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences is well positioned to support this initiative by enhancement of their already world-class scientific research programs and user facilities.« less

Jean Baudrillard's Radical Thinking, and Its Potential Contribution to the Sociology of Higher Education Illustrated by Debates about "World-Class" Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanco Ramírez, Gerardo

2016-01-01

This article presents an argument for re-reading Jean Baudrillard's ideas considering their potential contribution to the sociology of higher education, particularly in relation to contemporary debates about "world-class" universities. In order to apply Baudrillard's ideas, China's commitment to the development of "world-class"…

Energy map of southwestern Wyoming - Energy data archived, organized, integrated, and accessible

USGS Publications Warehouse

Biewick, Laura; Jones, Nicholas R.; Wilson, Anna B.

2013-01-01

The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) focuses on conserving world-class wildlife resources while facilitating responsible energy development in southwestern Wyoming. To further advance the objectives of the WLCI long-term, science-based effort, a comprehensive inventory of energy resource and production data is being published in two parts. Energy maps, data, documentation and spatial data processing capabilities are available in geodatabase, published map file (pmf), ArcMap document (mxd), Adobe Acrobat PDF map, and other digital formats that can be downloaded at the USGS website.

Rare isotope accelerator project in Korea and its application to high energy density sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, M.; Chung, Y. S.; Kim, S. K.; Lee, B. J.; Hoffmann, D. H. H.

2014-01-01

As a national science project, the Korean government has recently established the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) with the goal of conducting world-class research in basic sciences. One of the core facilities for the IBS will be the rare isotope accelerator which can produce high-intensity rare isotope beams to investigate the fundamental properties of nature, and also to support a broad research program in material sciences, medical and biosciences, and future nuclear energy technologies. The construction of the accelerator is scheduled to be completed by approximately 2017. The design of the accelerator complex is optimized to deliver high average beam current on targets, and to maximize the production of rare isotope beams through the simultaneous use of Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) and In-Flight Fragmentation (IFF) methods. The proposed accelerator is, however, not optimal for high energy density science, which usually requires very high peak currents on the target. In this study, we present possible beam-plasma experiments that can be done within the scope of the current accelerator design, and we also investigate possible future extension paths that may enable high energy density science with intense pulsed heavy ion beams.

Grolar Bears, Social Class, and Policy Relevance: Extraordinary Agendas for the Emerging 21st Century

PubMed Central

Fiske, Susan T.

2016-01-01

This Agenda article first considers whether social psychology is in the best or worst of times and suggests that we are instead in extraordinary times, given exciting agendas and potential policy relevance, if we are careful. The article illustrates with two current research agendas—the hybrid vigor of multiple categories and the psychology of social class—that could inform policy. The essay then reflects on how we know when our work is indeed ready for the public arena. Regarding hybrids: World immigration, social media, and global businesses are increasing. How will this complicate people’s stereotypes of each other? One agenda could build on the existing social and behavioral science of people as social hybrids, emerging with a framework to synthesize existing work and guide future research that better reflects our changing world. Policy implications already emerge from our current knowledge of hybrids. Regarding the social psychology of social class: We do not know enough yet to give advice, except to suggest questioning some common stereotypes, e.g., about the economic behavior of lower-income people. Before the budding social psychology of class can be ready for policy export, the research results need replication, validation, and generality. Overall, principles of exportable policy insights include peer-reviewed standards, honest brokering, nonpartisan advice, and respectful, trustworthy communication. Social psychology can take advantage of its extraordinary times to be innovative and useful. PMID:27397941

Identifying Pre-High School Students' Science Class Motivation Profiles to Increase Their Science Identification and Persistence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chittum, Jessica R.; Jones, Brett D.

2017-01-01

One purpose of this study was to determine whether patterns existed in pre-high school students' motivation-related perceptions of their science classes. Another purpose was to examine the extent to which these patterns were related to their science identification, gender, grade level, class effort, and intentions to persist in science. We…

General Astrophysics Science Enabled by the HabEx Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scowen, Paul; Clarke, John; Gaudi, B. Scott; Kiessling, Alina; Martin, Stefan; Somerville, Rachel; Stern, Daniel; HabEx Science and Technology Definition Team

2018-01-01

The Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission (HabEx) is one of the four large mission concepts being studied by NASA as input to the upcoming 2020 Decadal Survey. The mission implements two world-class General Astrophysics instruments as part of its complement of instrumentation to enable compelling science using the 4m aperture. The Ultraviolet Spectrograph has been designed to address cutting edge far ultraviolet (FUV) science that has not been possible with the Hubble Space Telescope, and to open up a wide range of capabilities that will advance astrophysics as we look into the 2030s. Our poster discusses some of those science drivers and possible applications, which range from Solar System science, to nearby and more distant studies of star formation, to studies of the circumgalactic and intergalactic mediums where the ecology of mass and energy transfer are vital to understanding stellar and galactic evolution. We discuss the performance features of the instrument that include a large 3’x3’ field of view for multi-object spectroscopy, and some 20 grating modes for a variety of spectral resolution and coverage.

Integrating Quantitative Reasoning into STEM Courses Using an Energy and Environment Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, J. D.; Lyford, M. E.; Mayes, R. L.

2010-12-01

Many secondary and post-secondary science classes do not integrate math into their curriculum, while math classes commonly teach concepts without meaningful context. Consequently, students lack basic quantitative skills and the ability to apply them in real-world contexts. For the past three years, a Wyoming Department of Education funded Math Science Partnership at the University of Wyoming (UW) has brought together middle and high school science and math teachers to model how math and science can be taught together in a meaningful way. The UW QR-STEM project emphasizes the importance of Quantitative Reasoning (QR) to student success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). To provide a social context, QR-STEM has focused on energy and the environment. In particular, the project has examined how QR and STEM concepts play critical roles in many of the current global challenges of energy and environment. During four 3-day workshops each summer and over several virtual and short face-to-face meetings during the academic year, UW and community college science and math faculty work with math and science teachers from middle and high schools across the state to improve QR instruction in math and science classes. During the summer workshops, faculty from chemistry, physics, earth sciences, biology and math lead sessions to: 1) improve the basic science content knowledge of teachers; 2) improve teacher understanding of math and statistical concepts, 3) model how QR can be taught by engaging teachers in sessions that integrate math and science in an energy and environment context; and 4) focus curricula using Understanding by Design to identify enduring understandings on which to center instructional strategies and assessment. In addition to presenting content, faculty work with teachers as they develop classroom lessons and larger units to be implemented during the school year. Teachers form interdisciplinary groups which often consist of math and science teachers from the same school or district. By jointly developing units focused on energy and environment, math and science curricula can be coordinated during the school year. During development, teams present their curricular ideas for peer-review. Throughout the school year, teachers implement their units and collect pre-post data on student learning. Ultimately, science teachers integrate math into their science courses, and math teachers integrate science content in their math courses. Following implementation, participants share their experiences with their peers and faculty. Of central interest during these presentations are: 1) How did the QR-STEM experience change teacher practices in the classroom?; and 2) How did the modification of their teaching practices impact student learning and their ability to successfully master QR? The UW QR-STEM has worked with Wyoming science and math teachers from across the state over the three year grant period.

Studying Student Motivations in an Astronomy Massive Open Online Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-01-01

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are large-scale, free classes open to anyone around the world and are are part of an educational industry that includes a growing number of universities. Although they resemble formal classes, MOOCs are of interest to instructors and educational researchers because they are unique learning environments where various people--particularly adult learners--learn science. This research project examined learners in an astronomy MOOC in order to better understand the motivations of MOOC learners. Using a well-tested instrument that examines student motivations for learning, we wanted to compare the motivations of MOOC learners to previous results in undergraduate classrooms. Our results show that our MOOC learners scored high in intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and self-determination. They differed from learners in traditional formal educational environments by having lower grade and career-related motivations. These results suggest that MOOC learners have characteristics of learners in so called “free-choice” learning environments, similar to other life-long learners.

Accuracy Assessment of Digital Surface Models Based on WorldView-2 and ADS80 Stereo Remote Sensing Data

PubMed Central

Hobi, Martina L.; Ginzler, Christian

2012-01-01

Digital surface models (DSMs) are widely used in forest science to model the forest canopy. Stereo pairs of very high resolution satellite and digital aerial images are relatively new and their absolute accuracy for DSM generation is largely unknown. For an assessment of these input data two DSMs based on a WorldView-2 stereo pair and a ADS80 DSM were generated with photogrammetric instruments. Rational polynomial coefficients (RPCs) are defining the orientation of the WorldView-2 satellite images, which can be enhanced with ground control points (GCPs). Thus two WorldView-2 DSMs were distinguished: a WorldView-2 RPCs-only DSM and a WorldView-2 GCP-enhanced RPCs DSM. The accuracy of the three DSMs was estimated with GPS measurements, manual stereo-measurements, and airborne laser scanning data (ALS). With GCP-enhanced RPCs the WorldView-2 image orientation could be optimised to a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.56 m in planimetry and 0.32 m in height. This improvement in orientation allowed for a vertical median error of −0.24 m for the WorldView-2 GCP-enhanced RPCs DSM in flat terrain. Overall, the DSM based on ADS80 images showed the highest accuracy of the three models with a median error of 0.08 m over bare ground. As the accuracy of a DSM varies with land cover three classes were distinguished: herb and grass, forests, and artificial areas. The study suggested the ADS80 DSM to best model actual surface height in all three land cover classes, with median errors <1.1 m. The WorldView-2 GCP-enhanced RPCs model achieved good accuracy, too, with median errors of −0.43 m for the herb and grass vegetation and −0.26 m for artificial areas. Forested areas emerged as the most difficult land cover type for height modelling; still, with median errors of −1.85 m for the WorldView-2 GCP-enhanced RPCs model and −1.12 m for the ADS80 model, the input data sets evaluated here are quite promising for forest canopy modelling. PMID:22778645

Accuracy assessment of digital surface models based on WorldView-2 and ADS80 stereo remote sensing data.

PubMed

Hobi, Martina L; Ginzler, Christian

2012-01-01

Digital surface models (DSMs) are widely used in forest science to model the forest canopy. Stereo pairs of very high resolution satellite and digital aerial images are relatively new and their absolute accuracy for DSM generation is largely unknown. For an assessment of these input data two DSMs based on a WorldView-2 stereo pair and a ADS80 DSM were generated with photogrammetric instruments. Rational polynomial coefficients (RPCs) are defining the orientation of the WorldView-2 satellite images, which can be enhanced with ground control points (GCPs). Thus two WorldView-2 DSMs were distinguished: a WorldView-2 RPCs-only DSM and a WorldView-2 GCP-enhanced RPCs DSM. The accuracy of the three DSMs was estimated with GPS measurements, manual stereo-measurements, and airborne laser scanning data (ALS). With GCP-enhanced RPCs the WorldView-2 image orientation could be optimised to a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.56 m in planimetry and 0.32 m in height. This improvement in orientation allowed for a vertical median error of -0.24 m for the WorldView-2 GCP-enhanced RPCs DSM in flat terrain. Overall, the DSM based on ADS80 images showed the highest accuracy of the three models with a median error of 0.08 m over bare ground. As the accuracy of a DSM varies with land cover three classes were distinguished: herb and grass, forests, and artificial areas. The study suggested the ADS80 DSM to best model actual surface height in all three land cover classes, with median errors <1.1 m. The WorldView-2 GCP-enhanced RPCs model achieved good accuracy, too, with median errors of -0.43 m for the herb and grass vegetation and -0.26 m for artificial areas. Forested areas emerged as the most difficult land cover type for height modelling; still, with median errors of -1.85 m for the WorldView-2 GCP-enhanced RPCs model and -1.12 m for the ADS80 model, the input data sets evaluated here are quite promising for forest canopy modelling.

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

Bland, Arthur S Buddy; Hack, James J; Baker, Ann E

Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Cray XT5 supercomputer, Jaguar, kicked off the era of petascale scientific computing in 2008 with applications that sustained more than a thousand trillion floating point calculations per second - or 1 petaflop. Jaguar continues to grow even more powerful as it helps researchers broaden the boundaries of knowledge in virtually every domain of computational science, including weather and climate, nuclear energy, geosciences, combustion, bioenergy, fusion, and materials science. Their insights promise to broaden our knowledge in areas that are vitally important to the Department of Energy (DOE) and the nation as a whole, particularly energymore » assurance and climate change. The science of the 21st century, however, will demand further revolutions in computing, supercomputers capable of a million trillion calculations a second - 1 exaflop - and beyond. These systems will allow investigators to continue attacking global challenges through modeling and simulation and to unravel longstanding scientific questions. Creating such systems will also require new approaches to daunting challenges. High-performance systems of the future will need to be codesigned for scientific and engineering applications with best-in-class communications networks and data-management infrastructures and teams of skilled researchers able to take full advantage of these new resources. The Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) provides the nation's most powerful open resource for capability computing, with a sustainable path that will maintain and extend national leadership for DOE's Office of Science (SC). The OLCF has engaged a world-class team to support petascale science and to take a dramatic step forward, fielding new capabilities for high-end science. This report highlights the successful delivery and operation of a petascale system and shows how the OLCF fosters application development teams, developing cutting-edge tools and resources for next-generation systems.« less

Investigating Undergraduates’ Perceptions of Science in Courses Taught Using the CREATE Strategy †

PubMed Central

Hoskins, Sally G.; Gottesman, Alan J.

2018-01-01

Many science educators agree that 21st century students need to develop mature scientific thinking skills. Unsurprisingly, students’ and experts’ perceptions about the nature of scientific knowledge differ. Moreover, students’ naïve and entrenched epistemologies can preclude their development toward “thinking like scientists.” Novel teaching approaches that guide students toward more mature perceptions may be needed to support their development of scientific thinking skills. To address such issues, physics educators developed the Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey (CLASS), subsequently adapted for chemistry and biology. These surveys are “designed to compare novice and expert perceptions about the content and structure of a specific discipline; the source of knowledge about that discipline, including connection of the discipline to the real world; and problem-solving approaches” (Semsar et al., CBE Life Sci. Educ. 10:268–278; p 269). We used CLASS-Bio to track students’ perceptions of science in separate first-year and upper-level CREATE (Consider, Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze and interpret the data, Think of the next Experiment) electives, hypothesizing that perceptions would become significantly more expert-like across a semester. Both first-year and upper-level cohorts made significant expert-like shifts. Students also made significant critical thinking gains in CREATE courses. Our findings of more mature, expert-like perceptions of science post-course contrast with those of previous studies, where students’ thinking became significantly less expert-like across a term of introductory instruction and changed little in upper-level biology electives. Augmenting traditional biology curricula with CREATE courses could be an economical way to help undergraduates develop more mature views of science. PMID:29904553

Graduates | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

Staff Directory Argonne National Laboratory Educational Programs Connecting today's world-class research , Argonne is the place to be if you are a graduate student. With access to world-class facilities and world -reknowned researchers, graduate students at Argonne can taste the best of the research and development world

Application of expert-notice dialogue (END) method to assess students’ science communication ability on biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sriyati, S.; Amelia, D. N.; Soniyana, G. T.

2018-05-01

Student’s science communication ability can be assessed by the Expert-Notice Dialogue (END) method which focusing on verbal explanations using graphs or images as a tool. This study aims to apply the END method to assess students’ science communication ability. The study was conducted in two high schools with each sample of one class at each school (A and B). The number of experts in class A is 8 students and 7 in class B, the number of notice in class A 24 students and 30 in class B. The material chosen for explanation by expert is Ecosystem in class A and plant classification in class B. Research instruments are rubric of science communication ability, observation rubric, notice concept test and notice questionnaire. The implementation recorded with a video camera and then transcribed based on rubric science communication ability. The results showed that the average of science communication ability in class A and B was 60% and 61.8%, respectively, in enough categories. Mastery of the notice concept is in good category with 79.10 averages in class A and 94.64 in class B. Through the questionnaire notice it is known that the END method generally helps notice in understanding the concept.

Teaching Physics to Environmental Science Majors Using a Flipped Course Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, N. B.; Riha, S. J.; Wysocki, M. W.

2014-12-01

Coursework in physics provides a framework for quantitative reasoning and problem solving skill development in budding geoscientists. To make physical concepts more accessible and relevant to students majoring in environmental science, an environmental physics course was developed at Cornell University and offered for the first time during spring 2014. Principles of radiation, thermodynamics, and mechanics were introduced and applied to the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere to describe energy and mass transfers in natural and built environments. Environmental physics was designed as a flipped course where students viewed online material outside of class and worked in groups in class to solve sustainability problems. Experiential learning, just-in-time teaching, and peer collaboration strategies were also utilized. In-class problems were drawn from both local and global environmental sustainability concerns. Problems included an investigation of Cornell's lake source cooling system, calculations on the energy consumed in irrigation with groundwater in the southwestern United States, and power generated by wind turbines at various locations around the world. Class attendance was high, with at least 84% of students present at each meeting. Survey results suggest that students enjoyed working in groups and found the in-class problems helpful for assimilating the assigned material. However, some students reported that the workload was too heavy and they preferred traditional lectures to the flipped classroom. The instructors were able to actively engage with students and quickly identify knowledge and skill gaps that needed to be addressed. Overall, the integration of current environmental problems and group work into an introductory physics course could help to inspire and motivate students as they advance their ability to analyze problems quantitatively.

Construction and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Taiwanese Elementary Students' Attitudes toward Their Science Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tzu-Ling; Berlin, Donna

2010-12-01

The main purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the attitudes toward science class of fourth- and fifth-grade students in an Asian school culture. Specifically, the development focused on three science attitude constructs-science enjoyment, science confidence, and importance of science as related to science class experiences. A total of 265 elementary school students in Taiwan responded to the instrument developed. Data analysis indicated that the instrument exhibited satisfactory validity and reliability with the Taiwan population used. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.93 for the entire instrument indicating a satisfactory level of internal consistency. However, both principal component analysis and parallel analysis showed that the three attitude scales were not unique and should be combined and used as a general "attitudes toward science class" scale. The analysis also showed that there were no gender or grade-level differences in students' overall attitudes toward science class.

Research on Same-Gender Grouping in Eighth Grade Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friend, Jennifer

2006-01-01

This study examined two hypotheses related to same-gender grouping of eighth grade science classes in a public middle school setting. The hypotheses were (a) male and female students enrolled in same-gender science classes demonstrate more positive science academic achievement than their peers enrolled in mixed-gender classes, and (b) same-gender…

Principles of Food Science Class Sheds Light on Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Janet

2004-01-01

Many students are curious about the steps in food preparation. As a result of such experiences, the author of this article began to incorporate science demonstrations into food preparation classes. She conducted research, developed resources, and piloted the "Principles of Food Science" class over the next 6 years. "Principles of Food Science"…

Science Perceptions of Prospective Class Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulucinar Sagir, Safak

2017-01-01

The perceptions of class teachers, who will deliver science education at the elementary school, of information and science are significant as these affect the quality of education received by children. The aim of this research is to determine perceptions of prospective class teachers of science. The sample group of the research consists of 120…

Women Working in Engineering and Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luna, Bernadette; Kliss, Mark (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The presentation will focus on topics of interest to young women pursuing an engineering or scientific career, such as intrinsic personality traits of most engineers, average salaries for the various types of engineers, appropriate preparation classes at the high school and undergraduate levels, gaining experience through internships, summer jobs and graduate school, skills necessary but not always included in engineering curricula (i.e., multimedia, computer skills, communication skills), the work environment, balancing family and career, and sexual harassment. Specific examples from the speaker's own experience in NASA's Space Life Sciences Program will be used to illustrate the above topics. In particular, projects from Extravehicular Activity and Protective Systems research and Regenerative Life Support research will be used as examples of real world problem-solving to enable human exploration of the solar system.

Space Science Outreach in the Virtual World of Second Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crider, Anthony W.; International Spaceflight Museum

2006-12-01

The on-line "game" of Second Life allows users to construct a highly detailed and customized environment. Users often pool talents and resources to construct virtual islands that focus on their common interest. One such group has built the International Spaceflight Museum, committed to constructing and displaying accurate models of rockets, spacecraft, telescopes, and planetariums. Current exhibits include a Saturn V rocket, a Viking lander on Mars, Spaceship One, the New Horizons mission to the Kuiper Belt, and a prototype of the Orion crew exploration vehicle. This museum also hosts public lectures, shuttle launch viewings, and university astronomy class projects. In this presentation, I will focus on how space science researchers and educators may take advantage of this new resource as a means to engage the public.

Icarus Institute for Interstellar Sciences (IIS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cress, B.

2012-09-01

In this paper, a vision for a proposed interstellar research center, to be developed in the United States, will be presented. The major focus will be on an innovative approach to the planning and achieving a new sustainable world class facility devoted to the technologies and various science missions of multi-disciplined teams reaching for the stars. The project will provide the personnel, feature sets, facilities and equipment needed to initiate and support an aggressive program of advanced interstellar vehicle and propulsion design and implementation. Also shared will be personal insights and economic considerations gained during prior planning for a private research institute in Nevada, home to more than 300 international scientists. The views expressed in this discussion paper are the personal views of the author and not necessarily representing the entire Icarus team.

Next step in Studying the Ultraviolet Universe: WSO-UV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shustov, Boris M.; Sachkov, Mikhail; Gomez De Castro, Ana

The World Space Observatory-Ultraviolet (WSO-UV) is an international space mission born as a response to the growing up demand for UV facilities by the astronomical community. In the horizon of the next 10 years, the WSO-UV will be the only 2-meters class mission in the after-HST epoch that will guarantee access to UV wavelength domain. The project is managed by an international consortium led by the Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS, Russia). Here we describe the WSO-UV project with its general objectives and main features, the details and status of instrumentation that includes WUVS (spectrographs) and the ISSIS instrument (Field Camera Unit), WSO-UV ground segment, science management plan, the WSO-UV key science issues and prospects of high resolution spectroscopic studies with WSO-UV.

Mexican immigrant transnational social capital and class transformation: examining the role of peer mediation in insurgent science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson Bruna, Katherine

2010-06-01

In this article, I return to the interactions of Augusto and his teacher in an "English Learner Science" classroom in a demographically-transitioning US Midwest community (Richardson Bruna and Vann in Cult Stud Sci Educ 2:19-59, 2007) and further engage a class-first perspective to achieve two main conceptual objectives. First, I examine Augusto's science education experience as a way of understanding processes Rouse (Towards a transnational perspective on migration: Race, class, ethnicity, and nationalism reconsidered. The New York Academy of Sciences, New York, 1992) refers to as "the disciplinary production of class-specific subjects" (p. 31). Coming from a subsistence farming community in rural Mexico to an industrialized meatpacking community in semi-rural Iowa, I describe how Augusto undergoes a change in his class identity (experiences a Class Transformation) that is not just reflected but, in fact, produced in his science class. Second, I examine the work Augusto does to resist these processes of disciplinary production as he reshapes his teacher's instruction (promotes a class transformation) through specific transnational social capital he leverages as peer mediation. My overall goals in the article are to demonstrate the immediate relevance of a socio-historical, situated perspective to science teaching and learning and to outline domains of action for an insurgent, class-cognizant, science education practice informed by transnational social capital, like Augusto's.

Using Computers in Introductory Astronomy Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, Grace L.

1995-12-01

Computer literacy is fast becoming a focal point in undergraduate education. Scientific literacy has been a continuing goal of undergraduate programs across the nation and a course in introductory astronomy is often used to satisfy such science requirements. At U. MD an introduction to computer skills is being integrated into our astronomy curriculum for non-science majors. The campus is adequately equipped with computer labs, yet many students enter college without basic computer skills. In Astronomy 101 (General Astronomy) students are introduced to electronic mail, a Listserver, and the world wide web. Students in this course are required to register for a free campus computer account. Their first assignment is to use e-mail to subscribe to the class Listserver, Milkyway. Through Milkyway, students have access to weekly lecture summaries, questions to review for exams, and copies of previous exams. Using e-mail students may pose questions, provide comments, or exchange opinions using Milkyway, or they may e-mail the instructor directly. Studies indicate that using e-mail is less intimidating to a student than asking a question in a class of 200 students. Monitoring e-mail for student questions has not been a problem. Student reaction has been favorable to using e-mail, since instructor office hours are not always convenient, especially to commuting or working students. Through required assignments, students receive an introduction to accessing information on the world wide web using Netscape. Astronomy has great resources available on the Internet which can be used to supplement and reinforce introductory material. Assignments are structured so that students will gain the techniques necessary to access available information. It is hoped that students will successfully apply the computer skills they learn in astronomy class to their own fields and as life-long learners. We have found that students comfortable with computers are willing to share their knowledge with others. The computer activities have been structured to promote cooperation between students. These skills are also necessary for success.

Engaging Students in Science Courses: Lessons of Change from the Arctic.

PubMed

Duffy, Lawrence K; Godduhn, Anna; Nicholas-Figueroa, Linda; Fabbri, Cindy E; van Muelken, Mary

2011-05-01

Where you live should have something to do with what you teach. In the Arctic, this idea of place-based education-teaching and sharing knowledge that is needed to live well- is central to the UARCTIC consortium and the 4 th International Polar Year educational reform effort. A place-based issue oriented context can engage students in chemistry concepts when it intersects with their experience and lives. This article examines the rationale and means of integrating local concerns such as world view, culture, traditional knowledge and policy into both general and specialized chemistry courses. More broadly, capacious place-based issues should be widely adapted by all curriculum reform efforts to demonstrate the connectivity between science and societal understanding of technological options. A case in point is the inclusion of indigenous perspectives in a non-majors general chemistry course when the concepts of scientific method, ice and water resources, genetic engineering, etc. are discussed. In a specialized course on radioactivity in the north, topics connected nuclear chemistry and radioactivity to people and energy. The local landscape should be central to science courses and involve issues relevant to stewardship, a component of the indigenous world view. The historical issues can be connected to current nuclear energy and uranium mining as they relate to the risks and benefits for the local community. This article will make the case that curriculum reform that focuses on real-world topics will not only engage students so that they perform well in class but also spark their interest so that they continue learning after the course is over.

Multiple-Choice Exams: An Obstacle for Higher-Level Thinking in Introductory Science Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanger-Hall, Kathrin F.

2012-01-01

Learning science requires higher-level (critical) thinking skills that need to be practiced in science classes. This study tested the effect of exam format on critical-thinking skills. Multiple-choice (MC) testing is common in introductory science courses, and students in these classes tend to associate memorization with MC questions and may not…

Examining the Conceptual Organization of Students in an Integrated Algebra and Physical Science Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westbrook, Susan L.

1998-01-01

Compares the conceptual organization of students in an integrated algebra and physical science class (SAM 9) with that of students in a discipline-specific physical science class (PSO). Analysis of students' concept maps indicates that the SAM9 students used a greater number of procedural linkages to connect mathematics and science concepts than…

Nature of Science Lessons, Argumentation and Scientific Discussions among Students in Science Classes: A Case Study in a Successful School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozturk, Elif; Ucus, Sukran

2015-01-01

Argumentation is highlighted as one of the most important activities of science education by many researchers. The main aim of this research is to examine primary school students' nature of science classes and argumentation skills in terms of their academic success in primary science classes. Thus, the main interest of the study is centered on the…

Nature of Science Lessons, Argumentation and Scientific Discussions among Students in Science Class: A Case Study in a Successful School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozturk, Elif; Ucus, Sukran

2015-01-01

Argumentation is highlighted as one of the most important activities of science education by many researchers. The main aim of this research is to examine primary school students' nature of science classes and argumentation skills in terms of their academic success in primary science classes. Thus, the main interest of the study is centered on the…

The Flipped Classroom: Fertile Ground for Nursing Education Research.

PubMed

Bernard, Jean S

2015-07-16

In the flipped classroom (FC) students view pre-recorded lectures or complete pre-class assignments to learn foundational concepts. Class time involves problem-solving and application activities that cultivate higher-level cognitive skills. A systematic, analytical literature review was conducted to explore the FC's current state of the science within higher education. Examination of this model's definition and measures of student performance, student and faculty perceptions revealed an ill-defined educational approach. Few studies confirmed FC effectiveness; many lacked rigorous design, randomized samples, or control of extraneous variables. Few researchers conducted longitudinal studies to determine sufficiently trends related to FC practice. This study proves relevant to nurse educators transitioning from traditional teaching paradigms to learner-centered models, and provides insight from faculty teaching across disciplines around the world. It reveals pertinent findings and identifies current knowledge gaps that call for further inquiry.

Review of the Elementary Particles Physics in the External Electromagnetic Fields Studies at KEK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konstantinova, O. Tanaka

2017-03-01

High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK [1]) is a world class accelerator-based research laboratory. The field of its scientific interests spreads widely from the study of fundamental properties of matter, particle physics, nuclear physics to materials science, life science, technical researches, and industrial applications. Research outcomes from the laboratory achieved making use of high-energy particle beams and synchrotron radiation. Two synchrotron facilities of KEK, the Photon Factory (PF) ring and the Photon Factory Advanced Ring (PF-AR) are the second biggest synchrotron light source in Japan. A very wide range of the radiated light, from visible light to X-ray, is provided for a variety of materials science, biology, and life science [2]. KEK strives to work closely with national and international research institutions, promoting collaborative research activities. Advanced research and facilities provision are key factors to be at the frontier of the accelerator science. In this review I am going to discuss KEK overall accelerator-based science, and to consider light sources research and development. The state of arts of the current projects with respect to the elementary particles physics in the external electromagnetic fields is also stressed here.

Science, conservation, and camera traps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nichols, James D.; Karanth, K. Ullas; O'Connel, Allan F.; O'Connell, Allan F.; Nichols, James D.; Karanth, K. Ullas

2011-01-01

Biologists commonly perceive camera traps as a new tool that enables them to enter the hitherto secret world of wild animals. Camera traps are being used in a wide range of studies dealing with animal ecology, behavior, and conservation. Our intention in this volume is not to simply present the various uses of camera traps, but to focus on their use in the conduct of science and conservation. In this chapter, we provide an overview of these two broad classes of endeavor and sketch the manner in which camera traps are likely to be able to contribute to them. Our main point here is that neither photographs of individual animals, nor detection history data, nor parameter estimates generated from detection histories are the ultimate objective of a camera trap study directed at either science or management. Instead, the ultimate objectives are best viewed as either gaining an understanding of how ecological systems work (science) or trying to make wise decisions that move systems from less desirable to more desirable states (conservation, management). Therefore, we briefly describe here basic approaches to science and management, emphasizing the role of field data and associated analyses in these processes. We provide examples of ways in which camera trap data can inform science and management.

Fostering Science Club: Creating a Welcoming Extra-Curricular Science Inquiry Space for ALL Learners that Seeks to Close the Science Experience Gap in a Predominantly Minority Urban Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayfield, K. K.

2017-12-01

BackgroundTo minority adolescents in urban centers science inquiry seems like an engagement completed by others with specialized skills (Alkon & Agyeman, 2012). When scientists teach science classes those spaces and pedagogy are underwritten by the science teachers' beliefs about how science happens (Southerland, Gess-Newsome & Johnston, 2002). Further, scientific inquiry is often presented as the realm of upperclass whiteness (Alkon & Agyeman, 2012; Mayfield, 2014). When science educators talk about the achievement gaps between raced and classed learners, accompanying that gap is also a gap in science experience. My high school students in a postindustrial school district: attend a school under state takeover (the lowest 5/5 rating (MA Executive Office of Education, 2017)); have a student body that is 70% Latinx; and 96% of whom receive Free and Reduced Lunch (a Federal marker of a family below the poverty line). Annual Yearly Progress is a goal set by state and federal governments for school populations by race, ability, and language. In 2016, the site has failed to make its goals for special education, black, hispanic, white, and English as a Second Language populations. As a high poverty district there is a paucity of extracurricular science experiences. This lack of science extensions make closing standardized test gaps difficult. Geoscience Skills & FindingsThis after school program does not replicate deficit narratives that keep certain bodies of students away from science inquiry (Mayfield, 2015; Ogbu, 1987). Instead, Science Club uses an array of student-centered science (physics, math, arts, chemistry, biology) projects to help students see themselves as citizen scientists who lead explorations of their world. We meet 1.5 hours a week in a 30 week school year. Science club helps students feel like powerful and capable science inquirers with 80% girls in attendance, and uses science experiments to cultivate essential inquiry skills like: Observation, Analysis, Reflection, and Laboratory Work in order to understand the phenomena we are exploring. This presentation discusses: the development of Science cCub as a student-centered inquiry space; how Sci Club addresses the inequities of the science experience gap; and student responses to pre and post test surveys about their growing science skills.

The impact of scienceware and foundations on students' attitudes towards science and science classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stratford, Steven J.; Finkel, Elizabeth A.

1996-03-01

In this paper, we describe changes in students' ideas about science classes, attitudes about science, and motivations for studying science, in a classroom designed to support projectbased science learing. Using a survey designed to provide a measure of students' attitudes towards science classes and science, we have compared students enrolled in a traditional high school biology course, with students enrolled in an integrated, project-based science course called Foundations I. Survey responses were analyzed to look at differences between and within two groups of students over the course of one school year. In general, the results of this study suggest that providing students with opportunities to collect and analyze their own data in science classes results in a change in students' ideas about science classrooms. Foundations I students' increased tendency to agree with statements about `using information,' `drawing conclusions,' and `thinking about problems,' implies a change in their understanding of what it means to do science in school. These students, in contrast to students in the traditional Biology course, no longer describe their science experience as one of memorization, textbook reading, and test taking. Instead they see science class as a place in which they can collect data, draw conclusions, and formulate and solve problems.

Modeling the Nature of Science with the Mystery Tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Scott

2014-12-01

Oftentimes physics is portrayed as merely a list of facts that we know about the world around us, when in fact it is a way of knowing about that world. At times physics claims to understand the inner working of objects that cannot be directly observed, such as the core of the planets and Sun, or the structure of an atom. It is important for students to learn not only the facts of what we know about science, but also how we know what we know about science, even if we cannot directly observe it. This article describes a new take on a black box activity that has been around for years, the mystery tube.1 It is simple to construct but effective at demonstrating the nature of science (NOS). It illustrates the difference between observation and inference, and steps students through the scientific process. Beginning with a scientific question, students make observations, form a hypothesis, predict further observations, and test them before revising or strengthening their hypothesis. This activity provides a fantastic introduction to NOS, either as an alternative to other NOS activities2 or as a lead-in to a discussion of NOS.3 It can be used as an in-class activity, starting off a discussion of how scientists can claim to know what we know, or it can be used as an introductory lab, setting the foundation for how all subsequent activities should be conducted.

Designing and Using Projects with Real World Application in a MBA Managerial Accounting Class: The Case of The Balanced Scorecard

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houke, Charlotte

2017-01-01

This paper explores the purpose of designing and using projects with real world application in a M.B.A. managerial accounting class. Included is a discussion of how and why the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) Project has been used in classes to link theory with practice by providing real world application of the BSC framework. M.B.A. students represent a…

Using a dynamic, introductory-level volcanoes class as a means to introduce non-science majors to the geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, G. W.

2012-12-01

At the University of California, San Diego, I teach a quarter-long, introductory Earth Science class titled "Volcanoes," which is, in essence, a functional class in volcanology designed specifically for non-majors. This large-format (enrollment ~ 85), lecture-based class provides students from an assortment of backgrounds an opportunity to acquire much-needed (and sometimes dreaded) area credits in science, while also serving as an introduction to the Earth Science major at UCSD (offered through Scripps Institution of Oceanography). The overall goal of the course is to provide students with a stimulating and exciting general science option that, using an inherently interesting topic, introduces them to the fundamentals of geoscience. A secondary goal is to promote general science and geoscience literacy among the general population of UCSD. Student evaluations of this course unequivocally indicate a high degree of learning and interest in the material. The majority of students in the class (>80%) are non-science majors and very few students (<3%) are Earth science degree-seeking students. In addition, only a handful of students have typically had any form of geology class beyond high school level Earth Science. Consequently, there are challenges associated with teaching the class. Perhaps most significantly, students have very little background—background that is necessary for understanding the processes involved in volcanic eruptions. Second, many non-science students have built-in anxieties with respect to math and science, anxieties that must be considered when designing curriculum and syllabi. It is essential to provide the right balance of technical information while remaining in touch with the audience. My approach to the class involves a dynamic lecture format that incorporates a wide array of multimedia, analogue demonstrations of volcanic processes, and small-group discussions of topics and concepts. In addition to teaching about volcanoes—a fascinating subject in and of itself—I take the opportunity in the first two weeks to introduce students to basic geology, including tectonics, earth materials, surface processes, and geologic time. In fact, this is a vital segment of the class, as the students need this background for the latter portions of the class. A side benefit is that students are provided with a "mini" education in geology whether they know it or not and take this knowledge with them into other classes, and ultimately, their futures. Student satisfaction is uniformly very high with this class. 100% of students agreed that the course material was intellectually stimulating; 95% of students agreed that they learned a great deal from the course; 100% of students stated that they would recommend the class to other students. Overall, the class highlights the role that non-major introductory-level geoscience classes, in particular ones with interesting topics, can serve in educating college-level students about Earth Science. They may also serve as a gateway into the Earth Sciences for students who previously had no such inclination.

Archaeological Geophysics in Field Courses and Flipped-Classrooms: Lessons Learned from the Marine and Geological Science Programs at North Carolina State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohnenstiehl, D. R.; Wall, J.; Sprinkle, D. P., II

2016-12-01

The Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State University routinely uses archaeological geophysics as an inquiry based teaching tool in our capstone Coastal Processes and Geologic Field Camps. Examples of past projects include a search for civil war artifacts within the moat surrounding historic Fort Macon, near Beaufort North Carolina, and investigations of ancient adobe pueblos in northern New Mexico. These types of studies, being of modest spatial scale, provide students with an opportunity to image the subsurface using multiple techniques and integrate the results into a geographic information system for analysis and interpretation. In the spring of 2016, our semester-long Applied Geophysics course was built around a project to identify unmarked graves at the Oberlin African-American cemetery Raleigh, North Carolina. The classroom experience was flipped with required readings, video lectures and weekly graded quizzes accessible online. Class meeting time was entirely spent collecting or processing data. To facilitate hands on learning, the class was taught with two sections having only ten students each. The methods used included GPR, EMI, Magnetics, and DC Resistivity. Students responded positively to the opportunity to tackle a real-world problem as part of the class; however, many where frustrated by the expectation that they master theoretical aspects of the course using the online content. Compared to a class taught with a traditional lecture format, students clearly gained more knowledge regarding field procedures; however, their performance on a comprehensive final suggests a poorer understand of many fundamental concepts.

The NASA Materials Science Research Program: It's New Strategic Goals and Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlagheck, Ronald A.; Stagg, Elizabeth

2004-01-01

In the past year, the NASA s Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) has formulated a long term plan to perform strategical and fundamental research bringing together physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering to solve problems needed for current and future agency mission goals. Materials Science is one of basic disciplines within the Enterprise s Division of Physical Sciences Research. The Materials Science Program participates to utilize effective use of International Space Station (ISS) and various world class ground laboratory facilities to solve new scientific and technology questions and transfer these results for public and agency benefits. The program has recently targeted new investigative research in strategic areas necessary to expand NASA knowledge base for exploration of the universe and some of these experiments will need access to the microgravity of space. The program is implementing a wide variety of traditional ground and flight based research related types of fundamental science related to materials crystallization, fundamental processing, and properties characterization in order to obtain basic understanding of various phenomena effects and relationships to the structures, processing, and properties of materials. , In addition new initiatives in radiation protection, materials for propulsion and In-space fabrication and repair focus on research helping the agency solve problems needed for future transportation into the solar system. A summary of the types and sources for this research is presented including those experiments planned for a low gravity environment. Areas to help expand the science basis for NASA future missions are described. An overview of the program is given including the scope of the current and future NASA Research Announcements with emphasis on new materials science initiatives. A description of the planned flight experiments to be conducted on the International Space Station program along with the planned facility class Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR) and Microgravity Glovebox (MSG) type investigations. Some initial results from the first three materials experiments are given.

Ready to learn physics: a team-based learning model for first year university

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parappilly, Maria; Schmidt, Lisa; De Ritter, Samantha

2015-09-01

Team-based learning (TBL) is an established model of group work which aims to improve students' ability to apply discipline-related content. TBL consists of a readiness assurance process (RAP), student groups and application activities. While TBL has not been implemented widely in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines, it has been effective in improving student learning in other disciplines. This paper describes the incorporation of TBL activities into a non-calculus based introductory level physics topic—Physics for the Modern World. Students were given pre-class preparation materials and an individual RAP online test before the workshops. The pre-workshop individual RAP test ensured that all students were exposed to concept-based questions before their workshops and motivated them to use the preparatory materials in readiness for the workshop. The students were placed into random teams and during the first part of the workshop, the teams went through a subset of the quiz questions (team RAP test) and in the remaining time, teams completed an in-class assignment. After the workshop students were allowed another attempt at the individual RAP test to see if their knowledge had improved. The ability of TBL to promote student learning of key concepts was evaluated by experiment using pre- and post- testing. The students’ perception of TBL was monitored by discussion posts and survey responses. Finally, the ability of TBL to support peer-peer interaction was evaluated by video analysis of the class. We found that the TBL process improved student learning; students did interact with each other in class; and the students had a positive view of TBL. To assess the transferability of this model to other topics, we conducted a comparison study with an environmental science topic which produced similar results. Our study supports the use of this TBL model in science topics.

Latina girls' identities-in-practice in 6th grade science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Edna

Inequalities and achievement gaps in science education among students from different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds as well as between genders in the United States are due to not just access to resources, but also to the incongruence between identities of school science with identities salient to minority students. Minority girls are especially portrayed to be estranged from prototypical school science Discourse, often characterized as white, middle class, and masculine. This dissertation, based on a two-year ethnographic study in an urban middle school in New York City, describes the authoring of novel identities-in-practice of minority girls in a 6th grade science classroom. The findings indicate that minority girls draw from out-of-school identities salient to them to author novel identities-in-practice in the various figured worlds of the 6th grade science classroom. Through taking such authorial stances, minority girls exhibit agency in negotiating for wider boundaries in their school science participation and broker for hybrid spaces of school science where the school science Discourse was destabilized and challenged to be more inclusive of everyday funds of knowledge and Discourses important to the students. The findings also highlight the dialectic relationship between an individual students' learning and participation and the school science community-of-practice and the implications such a relationship has on the learning of both individual students and the collective community-of-practice. From year one findings, curricular adaptations were enacted, with teacher and student input, on lessons centering on food and nutrition. The adapted curriculum specifically solicited for nontraditional funds of knowledge and Discourse from students and were grounded strongly in relevance to students' out of school lives. The hybrid spaces collectively brokered for by the community-of-practice were transformed in three ways: physically, politically, and, pedagogically. Overall, the results from the study indicate that minority girls are not only successful in border crossing but in brokering for new worlds of science, and highlights the importance of incorporating nontraditional funds and Discourses and the important roles played by the community-of-practice as a whole to reshape the landscape of school science in genuine pursuit of the education goal "science for all".

Girls Doing Science: A Case Study of Science Literacy in All-Female Middle Grade Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faller, Susan Elisabeth

In the face of low adolescent literacy rates (NCES, 2012), concerns about the nation's prospects of remaining competitive in science and technology (Hill, Corbett, & St. Rose, 2010), a persistent gender gap in science (NCES, 2012; Reilly, 2012), and the continued rollout of college- and career-ready standards, there is a need to focus on adolescent girls' science literacy. Such science literacy involves not only general knowledge about science, but also the ability to engage in the advanced reading and writing practices fundamental to doing science (Norris & Phillips, 2003). In this thesis, I present three articles with findings that respond to this need. They are the results of a multiple-case embedded (Yin, 2009) study that I conducted over the course of 7 months in four science classrooms (grades 5 through 8; 50 students) taught by a single teacher in a small all-female middle school. I collected in-depth data focused on science literacy from multiple sources, including (a) fieldnotes (Emerson, Fretz & Shaw, 2011), (b) videorecorded classroom observations (102 classes, 113 hours, recorded on 29 days), (c) a survey of all students, (d) semi-structured interviews with the subsample of 12 focal students (ranging from 18 to 37 minutes) and (e) photographs of classroom artifacts and student work. In the first article, I provide a window into standard literacy practices in science classrooms by examining the reading and writing genres to which students are exposed. In the second article, I examine how a teacher's language and instructional practices within her classrooms, and popular images of science from the world beyond their classrooms might shape adolescent girls' science identities. Finally, in the third article, I explore different aspects of science identity using the words of three case study students. Taken together, these studies fill gaps in the literature by investigating science literacy in an understudied context, all-female classrooms. In addition, they give voice to a group often underrepresented in studies of science (i.e., primarily nonwhite girls from working class families, many of whom speak English as a second language.) Thus this thesis provides new insights for researchers as well as teachers interested in science literacy and persistent gaps in science achievement.

MODSIM World 2007 Conference and Expo: Select Papers and Presentations from the Education and Training Track

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E. (Editor); Sullivan, Shannon (Editor); Sanchez, Alicia (Editor)

2008-01-01

This NASA Conference Publication features select papers and PowerPoint presentations from the Education and Training Track of MODSIM World 2007 Conference and Expo. Invited speakers and panelists of national and international renown, representing academia, industry and government, discussed how modeling and simulation (M&S) technology can be used to accelerate learning in the K-16 classroom, especially when using M&S technology as a tool for integrating science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classes. The presenters also addressed the application ofM&S technology to learning and training outside of the classroom. Specific sub-topics of the presentations included: learning theory; curriculum development; professional development; tools/user applications; implementation/infrastructure/issues; and workforce development. There was a session devoted to student M&S competitions in Virginia too, as well as a poster session.

Computing exponentially faster: implementing a non-deterministic universal Turing machine using DNA

PubMed Central

Currin, Andrew; Korovin, Konstantin; Ababi, Maria; Roper, Katherine; Kell, Douglas B.; Day, Philip J.

2017-01-01

The theory of computer science is based around universal Turing machines (UTMs): abstract machines able to execute all possible algorithms. Modern digital computers are physical embodiments of classical UTMs. For the most important class of problem in computer science, non-deterministic polynomial complete problems, non-deterministic UTMs (NUTMs) are theoretically exponentially faster than both classical UTMs and quantum mechanical UTMs (QUTMs). However, no attempt has previously been made to build an NUTM, and their construction has been regarded as impossible. Here, we demonstrate the first physical design of an NUTM. This design is based on Thue string rewriting systems, and thereby avoids the limitations of most previous DNA computing schemes: all the computation is local (simple edits to strings) so there is no need for communication, and there is no need to order operations. The design exploits DNA's ability to replicate to execute an exponential number of computational paths in P time. Each Thue rewriting step is embodied in a DNA edit implemented using a novel combination of polymerase chain reactions and site-directed mutagenesis. We demonstrate that the design works using both computational modelling and in vitro molecular biology experimentation: the design is thermodynamically favourable, microprogramming can be used to encode arbitrary Thue rules, all classes of Thue rule can be implemented, and non-deterministic rule implementation. In an NUTM, the resource limitation is space, which contrasts with classical UTMs and QUTMs where it is time. This fundamental difference enables an NUTM to trade space for time, which is significant for both theoretical computer science and physics. It is also of practical importance, for to quote Richard Feynman ‘there's plenty of room at the bottom’. This means that a desktop DNA NUTM could potentially utilize more processors than all the electronic computers in the world combined, and thereby outperform the world's current fastest supercomputer, while consuming a tiny fraction of its energy. PMID:28250099

Let's do science with children

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paolini, Mara

2013-04-01

The school where I worked in 2011,was for primary school teachers-to-be. Classes were formed by a high number of students with a handicapped student in each class. The school was attended mainly by girls with low self-esteem and difficulties in fulfilling their homework. Moreover secondary school students often find science far from their world and rather boring. So helping them understand the relationship between science and everyday life, between chemistry and society was my main objective . Simple / elementary experiments were chosen : if presented and carried out with scientific method, they can prove very useful in the development of specific abilities, from simple observation to the more complex and vital ability to grasp cause and effect relation. I think that the direct observation of facts and phenomena is the foundation to stimulate the process of learning and abstracting experiments: A. The pressure as a force, the behavior of the hot and cold water. 1. the implosion of the can 2. the candle 3. the balloon and the bottle 4. the egg in the bottle Monitoring and evaluation The direct observation of students during operations and final written reports were the ways which was evaluated the project. Results of the project carried out: The students were able to use scientific language correctly, to explain the phenomenon to primary school children using their own ideas. they also devised a table where to list the experiments carried out

Teaching Science/Learning Gender: Preservice Elementary Teachers Write about Science, Gender, and Identity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Letts, William J., IV

Using data collected from an undergraduate science methods class, this paper interrogates a variety of ways that preservice teachers construct their identities as both students of science and prospective teachers of science. Data sources included writings about an issue of "difference" in science class, a science autobiography, student-generated…

Carnegie Science Academy Web Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotwicki, John; Atzinger, Joe; Turso, Denise

1997-11-01

The Carnegie Science Academy is a professional society "For Teens...By Teens" at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh. The CSA Web Site [ http://csa.clpgh.org ] is designed for teens who have an interest in science and technology. This online or virtual science academy provides resources for teens in high school science classes. The Web site also allows students around the world to participate and communicate with other students, discuss current events in science, share opinions, find answers to questions, or make online friends. Visitors can enjoy the main components of the site or sign up for a free membership which allows access to our chat room for monthly meeting, online newsletter, members forum, and much more. Main components to the site include a spot for cool links and downloads, available for any visitor to download or view. Online exhibits are created by students to examine and publish an area of study and also allow teachers to easily post classroom activities as exhibits by submitting pictures and text. Random Access, the interactive part of the academy, allows users to share ideas and opinions. Planet CSA focuses on current events in science and the academy. In the future the CSA Web site will become a major resource for teens and science teachers providing materials that will allow students to further enhance their interest and experiences in science.

Strategic Planning towards a World-Class University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usoh, E. J.; Ratu, D.; Manongko, A.; Taroreh, J.; Preston, G.

2018-02-01

Strategic planning with a focus on world-class university status is an option that cannot be avoided by universities today to survive and succeed in competition as a provider of higher education. The objective of this research is to obtain exploratory research results on the strategic plans of universities that are prepared to generate world-class university status. This research utilised exploratory qualitative research method and data was collected by in-depth interviews method. Interview transcripts were analyzed by using thematic content analysis through NVivo software analysis and manual systems. The main finding of interview shows that most interviewees agreed that UNIMA has been engaged in strategic planning. Contribution from faculties and schools are acknowledged and inform the planning process. However, a new model of strategic planning should be adopted by UNIMA due to the shift towards a “corporate university”. The finding results from documents, literature review and interview were the addition of world-class university characteristics and features to current strategic planning of UNIMA and how to upgrade by considering to use the characteristics and features towards world-class university.

Storms in Space: Bringing NASA Earth-Sun Science Educational Resources to Hearing- Impaired Students.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowry, K.; Sindt, M.; Jahn, J.

2007-12-01

Using assistive technology, children with hearing loss can actively participate in the hearing world. However, to develop the necessary skills, hearing-impaired students need to be immersed in a language-rich environment which compensates for the lack of "incidental" learning that typifies the language acquisition of their peers with typical hearing. For any subject matter taught in class, this means that the conceptual and language framework of the topic has to be provided in addition to regular class materials. In a collaboration between the Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children and the Southwest Research Institute, we are exploring how NASA-developed educational resources covering Space Science topics can be incorporated successfully in blended classrooms containing children with hearing loss and those with typical hearing in grades 3-5. Utilizing the extensive routine language monitoring performed at Sunshine Cottage, student progress is directly monitored during the year as well as from year to year. This allow us to evaluate the effectiveness of the resources used. Since all instruction at Sunshine Cottage is auditory-oral, our experiences in using those materials can be fed back directly into mainstream classrooms of the same grade levels.

Marginalized Student Access to Technology Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurtcu, Wanda M.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a teacher can disrupt an established curriculum that continues the cycle of inequity of access to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum by students in alternative education. For this paper, I will focus on the technology components of the STEM curriculum. Technology in the United States, if not the world economy, is developing at a rapid pace. Many areas of day to day living, from applying for a job to checking one's bank account online, involve a component of science and technology. The 'gap' in technology education is emphasized between the 'haves and have-nots', which is delineated along socio-economic lines. Marginalized students in alternative education programs use this equipment for little else than remedial programs and credit recovery. This level of inequity further widens in alternative education programs and affects the achievement of marginalized students in credit recovery or alternative education classes instead of participation technology classes. For the purposes of this paper I focus on how can I decrease the inequity of student access to 21st century technology education in an alternative education program by addressing the established curriculum of the program and modifying structural barriers of marginalized student access to a technology focused curriculum.

Predicting the Lifetime of Dynamic Networks Experiencing Persistent Random Attacks.

PubMed

Podobnik, Boris; Lipic, Tomislav; Horvatic, Davor; Majdandzic, Antonio; Bishop, Steven R; Eugene Stanley, H

2015-09-21

Estimating the critical points at which complex systems abruptly flip from one state to another is one of the remaining challenges in network science. Due to lack of knowledge about the underlying stochastic processes controlling critical transitions, it is widely considered difficult to determine the location of critical points for real-world networks, and it is even more difficult to predict the time at which these potentially catastrophic failures occur. We analyse a class of decaying dynamic networks experiencing persistent failures in which the magnitude of the overall failure is quantified by the probability that a potentially permanent internal failure will occur. When the fraction of active neighbours is reduced to a critical threshold, cascading failures can trigger a total network failure. For this class of network we find that the time to network failure, which is equivalent to network lifetime, is inversely dependent upon the magnitude of the failure and logarithmically dependent on the threshold. We analyse how permanent failures affect network robustness using network lifetime as a measure. These findings provide new methodological insight into system dynamics and, in particular, of the dynamic processes of networks. We illustrate the network model by selected examples from biology, and social science.

Do Thinking Styles Matter for Science Achievement and Attitudes toward Science Class in Male and Female Elementary School Students in Taiwan?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Tzu-Ling; Tseng, Yi-Kuan

2015-01-01

The purposes of this study were to explore the effects of thinking styles on science achievement and attitudes toward science class among Taiwanese elementary school students and to explore the differences between male and female students in their modes of thinking. Participants included 756 sixth-grade students from 28 classes in four elementary…

Self-Guided Field Explorations: Integrating Earth Science into Students' Lives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirkby, K. C.; Kirkby, S.

2013-12-01

Self-guided field explorations are a simple way to transform an earth science class into a more pedagogically effective experience. Previous experience demonstrated that self-guided student explorations of museum and aquarium exhibits were both extremely popular and remarkably effective. That success led our program to test an expansion of the concept to include self-guided student explorations in outdoor field settings. Preliminary assessment indicates these self-guided field explorations are nearly as popular with students as the museum and aquarium explorations and are as pedagogically effective. Student gains on post-instruction assessment match or exceed those seen in instructor-assisted, hands-on, small group laboratory activities and completely eclipse gains achieved by traditional lecture instruction. As importantly, self-guided field explorations provide a way to integrate field experiences into large enrollment courses where the sheer scale of class trips makes them logistically impossible. This expands course breadth, integrating new topics that could not be as effectively covered by the original class structure. Our introductory program assessed two models of self-guided field explorations. A walking/cycling exploration of the Saint Anthony Falls area, a mile from campus, focuses on the intersections of geological processes with human history. Students explore the geology behind the waterfalls' evolution as well as its subsequent social and economic impacts on human history. A second exploration focuses on the campus area geology, including its building stones as well as its landscape evolution. In both explorations, the goal was to integrate geology with the students' broader understanding of the world they live in. Although the explorations' creation requires a significant commitment, once developed, self-guided explorations are surprisingly low maintenance. These explorations provide a model of a simple, highly effective pedagogical tool that is easily adapted to almost any campus setting. A number of factors contribute to self-guided explorations' success. For most students, these are novel, particularly memorable experiences. Interactive in nature, self-guided explorations are also relaxed, self-paced instruction without the pressures that can dominate other educational settings. Well designed explorations build on students' prior knowledge, allowing them to integrate new earth science concepts with familiar ideas and settings. By creating connections between geology and human society, these explorations also make earth science more relevant to students who had not previously considered their world from a geological perspective. By their very nature, explorations are place-centered education which helps ground instruction and makes it more relevant to students without strong science backgrounds. Further these explorations give students control over, and responsibility for, their own learning, which is always a pedagogically sound approach. Finally, self-guided explorations can integrate earth science education into students' social lives as most students choose to complete the explorations in groups, often with friends and family who are not enrolled in the course.

Class-first analysis in a continuum: an approach to the complexities of schools, society, and insurgent science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valdiviezo, Laura Alicia

2010-06-01

This essay addresses Katherine Richardson Bruna's paper: Mexican Immigrant Transnational Social Capital and Class Transformation: Examining the Role of Peer Mediation in Insurgent Science, through five main points . First, I offer a comparison between the traditional analysis of classism in Latin America and Richardson Bruna's call for a class-first analysis in the North American social sciences where there has been a tendency to obviate the specific examination of class relations and class issues. Secondly, I discuss that a class-first analysis solely cannot suffice to depict the complex dimensions in the relations of schools and society. Thus, I suggest a continuum in the class-first analysis. Third, I argue that social constructions surrounding issues of language, ethnicity, and gender necessarily intersect with issues of class and that, in fact, those other constructions offer compatible epistemologies that aid in representing the complexity of social and institutional practices in the capitalist society. Richardson Bruna's analysis of Augusto's interactions with his teacher and peers in the science class provides a fourth point of discussion in this essay. As a final point in my response I discuss Richardson Bruna's idea of making accessible class-first analysis knowledge to educators and especially to science teachers.

CosmoQuest: Building a Community of Skilled Citizen Science Contributors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gay, P.; Lehan, C.; Bracey, G.; Durrell, P.; Komatsu, T.; Yamani, A.; Francis, M. R.

2016-12-01

The CosmoQuest Virtual Research Facility invites the public to participate in NASA Science Mission Directorate related research that leads to publishable results and data catalogues. CosmoQuest projects range in difficulty from simple crater and transient marking tasks to more complicated mapping tasks. To successfully engage contributors in creating usable results, training and validation are required. This is accomplished through activities that are designed to mirror the experiences students would have in a university, and include mentoring by team scientists, feedback on contributor efforts, seminars to learn about new science, and even formal classes to provide needed background. Recruitment is accomplished using new and social media, and planetarium and Science on the Sphere™ trailers and shows, and community is built through online and real-world collaboration spaces and events. In this presentation, we detail CosmoQuest's four-pronged approach of media recruitment, science education, citizen science, and community collaboration. We also discuss how it is leveraged to create a skilled collaboration of citizen scientists. Training and data validation activities will be be emphasized, with examples of both what can go right and lessons learned from when things go wrong. We conclude with strategies on how to utilize best practices in user interface design to create virtual experiences that allow major citizen science efforts to be scalable to large audiences.

Topological Insulators: A New Platform for Fundamental Science and Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bansil, Arun

2013-03-01

Topological insulators constitute a new phase of quantum matter whose recent discovery has focused world-wide attention on wide-ranging phenomena in materials driven by spin-orbit coupling effects well beyond their traditional role in determining magnetic properties. I will discuss how by exploiting electronic structure techniques we have been able to predict and understand the characteristics of many new classes of binary, ternary and quaternary topologically interesting systems. The flexibility of chemical, structural and magnetic parameters so obtained is the key ingredient for exploring fundamental science questions, including novel spin-textures and exotic superconducting states, as well as for the realization of multi-functional topological devices for thermoelectric, spintronics, information processing and other applications. I will also highlight new insights that have been enabled through our material-specific modeling of angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) and scanning tunneling (STS) spectroscopies of topological surface states, including effects of the photoemission and tunneling matrix element, which is well-known to be important for a robust interpretation of various highly resolved spectroscopies. Work supported by the Materials Science & Engineering Division, Basic Energy Sciences, U. S. D. O. E.

The International Space Station Research Opportunities and Accomplishments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alleyne, Camille W.

2011-01-01

In 2010, the International Space Station (ISS) construction and assembly was completed to become a world-class scientific research laboratory. We are now in the era of utilization of this unique platform that facilitates ground-breaking research in the microgravity environment. There are opportunities for NASA-funded research; research funded under the auspice of the United States National Laboratory; and research funded by the International Partners - Japan, Europe, Russia and Canada. The ISS facilities offer an opportunity to conduct research in a multitude of disciplines such as biology and biotechnology, physical science, human research, technology demonstration and development; and earth and space science. The ISS is also a unique resource for educational activities that serve to motivate and inspire students to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Even though we have just commenced full utilization of the ISS as a science laboratory, early investigations are yielding major results that are leading to such things as vaccine development, improved cancer drug delivery methods and treatment for debilitating diseases, such as Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy. This paper

Self-directed learning: A heretical experiment in teaching physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverman, M. P.

1995-06-01

An account is given of the instruction of university-level introductory physics courses according to an educational framework in which (1) curiosity-driven inquiry is recognized as an essential activity of both science and science teaching; (2) the principal role of the instructor is to provide students the incentive to learn science through their pursuit of personally meaningful questions; (3) the commission of errors is regarded as a natural concomitant to learning and is not penalized; (4) emphasis is placed on laboratory investigations that foster minimally restrictive free exploration rather than prescriptive adherence to formal procedure; (5) research skills are developed through out-of-class projects that involve literature search, experiment, and the modeling of real-world physical phenomena: (6) the precise and articulate use of language is regarded as seminal to communication in science (as it is in the humanities) and is promoted through activities that help develop written and oral language skills; (7) the evaluation of student performance is based on a portfolio of accomplished work rather than on the outcome of formal testing.

The implementation of integrated science teaching materials based socio-scientific issues to improve students scientific literacy for environmental pollution theme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yenni, Rita; Hernani, Widodo, Ari

2017-05-01

The study aims to determine the increasing of students' science literacy skills on content aspects and competency of science by using Integrated Science teaching materials based Socio-scientific Issues (SSI) for environmental pollution theme. The method used in the study is quasi-experiment with nonequivalent pretest and posttest control group design. The students of experimental class used teaching materials based SSI, whereas the students of control class were still using the usual textbooks. The result of this study showed a significant difference between the value of N-gain of experimental class and control class, whichalso occurred in every indicator of content aspects and competency of science. This result indicates that using of Integrated Science teaching materials based SSI can improve content aspect and competency of science and can be used as teaching materials alternative in teaching of Integrated Science.

Assessing High School Students’ Pro-Environmental Behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayah, N.; Agustin, R. R.

2017-09-01

This paper aims to reveal students’ pro-environmental behavior in a High School. Self-reported behavior assessment was administered in this study involving students with age range 15 to 18 years. Pro-environmental behavior in this study comprises six domains. Those are recycling, waste avoidance, consumerism, energy conservation, mobility and transportation, and vicarious conservation behavior. Pro-environmental behavior (PEB) of science class students was compared to behavior of non-science class students. Effect of students’ grade level and extracurricular activity on the behavior was evaluated. Study revealed that science could improve students’ PEB. It is because environmental topics are covered in science class. Student’s involvement in extracurricular activity may enhance PEB as well. In conclusion, students’ PEB is influenced by class program (science or non-science) but it is not influenced by time length in learning science. This finding could be consider by science educator in choosing strategy to enhance student’s pro-environmental behaviour.

The Effects of Student Involvement and College Environment on Students' Learning and Living Experience at World-Class Research Universities in China: A Comparative Case Study of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Roy Yew-Hung

2011-01-01

This comparative research examined the effects of student involvement and college environment on students' learning and living experience delivered by two aspiring world-class universities in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Few studies have shown how the levels of student involvement and college environment can benefit students at world-class institution.…

The effect of conceptual metaphors through guided inquiry on student's conceptual change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menia, Meli; Mudzakir, Ahmad; Rochintaniawati, Diana

2017-05-01

The purpose of this study was to identify student's conceptual change of global warming after integrated science learning based guided inquiry through conceptual metaphors. This study used a quasi-experimental with a nonequivalent control group design. The subject was students of two classes of one of MTsN Salido. Data was collected using conceptual change test (pretest and posttest), observation sheet to observe the learning processes, questionnaire sheet to identify students responses, and interview to identifyteacher'srespons of science learning with conceptual metaphors. The results showed that science learning based guided inquiry with conceptual metaphors is better than science learning without conceptual metaphors. The average of posttest experimental class was 79,40 and control class was 66,09. The student's conceptual change for two classes changed significantly byusing mann whitney U testwith P= 0,003(P less than sig. value, P< 0,05). This means that there was differenceson student's conceptual changebeetwen integrated science learning based guided inquiry with conceptual metaphors class and integrated science learning without conceptual metaphors class. The study also showed that teachers and studentsgive positive responsesto implementation of integrated science learning based guided inquiry with conceptual metaphors.

Do Science and Technology Teachers and Pre-Service Primary Teachers Have Different Thoughts about Concept Maps in Science and Technology Lessons?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karakuyu, Yunus

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the thoughts of primary science and technology teachers, primary class teachers, pre-service primary class teachers and pre-service primary science and technology teachers' about concept maps. This scale applied the use of basic and random method on the chosen 125 4th and 5th grade primary class teachers…

Five Years of NASA Science and Engineering in the Classroom: The Integrated Product Team/NASA Space Missions Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakkila, Jon; Runyon, Cassndra; Benfield, M. P. J.; Turner, Matthew W.; Farrington, Phillip A.

2015-08-01

We report on five years of an exciting and successful educational collaboration in which science undergraduates at the College of Charleston work with engineering seniors at the University of Alabama in Huntsville to design a planetary science mission in response to a mock announcement of opportunity. Alabama high schools are also heavily involved in the project, and other colleges and universities have also participated. During the two-semester course students learn about scientific goals, past missions, methods of observation, instrumentation, and component integration, proposal writing, and presentation. More importantly, students learn about real-world communication and teamwork, and go through a series of baseline reviews before presenting their results at a formal final review for a panel of NASA scientists and engineers. The project is competitive, with multiple mission designs competing with one another for the best review score. Past classes have involved missions to Venus, Europa, Titan, Mars, asteroids, comets, and even the Moon. Classroom successes and failures have both been on epic scales.

Space biology class as part of science education programs for high schools in Japan.

PubMed

Kamada, Motoshi; Takaoki, Muneo

2004-11-01

Declining incentives and scholastic abilities in science class has been concerned in Japan. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology encourages schools to cooperate with research institutions to raise student's interest in natural sciences. The Science Partnership Program (SPP) and the Super Science High-School (SSH) are among such efforts. Our short SPP course consists of an introductory lecture on space biology in general and a brief laboratory practice on plant gravitropism. Space biology class is popular to students, despite of the absence of flight experiments. We suppose that students are delighted when they find that their own knowledge is not a mere theory, but has very practical applications. Space biology is suitable in science class, since it synthesizes mathematics, physics, chemistry and many other subjects that students might think uninteresting.

Teaching Global Warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hobson, Art

2004-05-01

Every citizen's education should include socially relevant science courses because, as the American Association for the Advancement of Science puts it, "Without a scientifically literate population, the outlook for a better world is not promising." I have developed a conceptual liberal-arts physics course that covers the major principles of classical physics, emphasizes modern/contemporary physics, and includes societal topics such as global warming, ozone depletion, transportation, exponential growth, scientific methodology, risk assessment, nuclear weapons, nuclear power, and the energy future. The societal topics, occupying only about 15% of the class time, appear to be the main cause of the surprising popularity of this course among non-scientists. I will outline some ideas for incorporating global warming into such a course or into any other introductory physics course. For further details, see my textbook Physics: Concepts and Connections (Prentice Hall, 3rd edition 2003).

The use of biomarkers in the military: from theory to practice.

PubMed

Yehuda, Rachel; Neylan, Thomas C; Flory, Janine D; McFarlane, Alexander C

2013-09-01

This paper provides a summary of relevant issues covered in the conference, "The Use of Biomarkers in the Military: Theory to Practice" held at the New York Academy of Science on September 14, 2012. The conference covered the state of the science in identification of PTSD biomarkers, including, the definition of different classes of biomarkers pertaining to PTSD. The aim of the satellite conference was to bring together researchers who have been supported by the Department of Defense, Veterans Administration, National Institutes of Health, and other agencies around the world, who are interested in the identification of biomarkers for PTSD risk, diagnosis, symptom severity and treatment response, for a discussion of salient issues regarding biomarker development for PTSD, as well as special considerations for the use of biomarkers in the military. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Bridging Water Resources Policy and Environmental Engineering in the Classroom at Cornell University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, M. T.; Shaw, S. B.; Seifert, S.; Schwarz, T.

2006-12-01

Current university undergraduate students in environmental sciences and engineering are the next generation of environmental protection practitioners. Recognizing this, Cornell's Biological and Environmental Engineering department has developed a popular class, Watershed Engineering (BEE 473), specifically designed to bridge the too-common gap between water resources policy and state-of-art science and technology. Weekly homework assignments are to design real-life solutions to actual water resources problems, often with the objective of applying storm water policies to local situations. Where appropriate, usually in conjunction with recent amendments to the Federal Clean Water Act, this course introduces water resource protection tools and concepts developed in the Cornell Soil and Water Lab. Here we present several examples of how we build bridges between university classrooms and the complex world of water resources policy.

NICER Mission

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

This video previews the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER). NICER is an Astrophysics Mission of Opportunity within NASA’s Explorer program, which provides frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific investigations from space utilizing innovative, streamlined and efficient management approaches within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate supports the SEXTANT component of the mission, demonstrating pulsar-based spacecraft navigation. NICER is an upcoming International Space Station payload scheduled to launch in June 2017. Learn more about the mission at nasa.gov/nicer NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Gesticulating Science: Emergent Bilingual Students' Use of Gestures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ünsal, Zeynep; Jakobson, Britt; Wickman, Per-Olof; Molander, Bengt-Olov

2018-01-01

This article examines how emergent bilingual students used gestures in science class, and the consequences of students' gestures when their language repertoire limited their possibilities to express themselves. The study derived from observations in two science classes in Sweden. In the first class, 3rd grade students (9-10 years old) were…

Careers in Data Science: A Berkeley Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koy, K.

2015-12-01

Last year, I took on an amazing opportunity to serve as the Executive Director of the new Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS). After a 15-year career working with geospatial data to advance our understanding of the environment, I have been presented with a unique opportunity through BIDS to work with talented researchers from a wide variety of backgrounds. Founded in 2013, BIDS is a central hub of research and education at UC Berkeley designed to facilitate and nurture data-intensive science. We are building a community centered on a cohort of talented data science fellows and senior fellows who are representative of the world-class researchers from across our campus and are leading the data science revolution within their disciplines. Our initiatives are designed to bring together broad constituents of the data science community, including domain experts from the life, social, and physical sciences and methodological experts from computer science, statistics, and applied mathematics. While many of these individuals rarely cross professional paths, BIDS actively seeks new and creative ways to engage and foster collaboration across these different research fields. In this presentation, I will share my own story, along with some insights into how BIDS is supporting the careers of data scientists, including graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and research staff. I will also describe how these individuals we are helping support are working to address a number of data science-related challenges in scientific research.

Drug Repurposing from an Academic Perspective.

PubMed

Oprea, Tudor I; Bauman, Julie E; Bologa, Cristian G; Buranda, Tione; Chigaev, Alexandre; Edwards, Bruce S; Jarvik, Jonathan W; Gresham, Hattie D; Haynes, Mark K; Hjelle, Brian; Hromas, Robert; Hudson, Laurie; Mackenzie, Debra A; Muller, Carolyn Y; Reed, John C; Simons, Peter C; Smagley, Yelena; Strouse, Juan; Surviladze, Zurab; Thompson, Todd; Ursu, Oleg; Waller, Anna; Wandinger-Ness, Angela; Winter, Stuart S; Wu, Yang; Young, Susan M; Larson, Richard S; Willman, Cheryl; Sklar, Larry A

2011-01-01

Academia and small business research units are poised to play an increasing role in drug discovery, with drug repurposing as one of the major areas of activity. Here we summarize project status for a number of drugs or classes of drugs: raltegravir, cyclobenzaprine, benzbromarone, mometasone furoate, astemizole, R-naproxen, ketorolac, tolfenamic acid, phenothiazines, methylergonovine maleate and beta-adrenergic receptor drugs, respectively. Based on this multi-year, multi-project experience we discuss strengths and weaknesses of academic-based drug repurposing research. Translational, target and disease foci are strategic advantages fostered by close proximity and frequent interactions between basic and clinical scientists, which often result in discovering new modes of action for approved drugs. On the other hand, lack of integration with pharmaceutical sciences and toxicology, lack of appropriate intellectual coverage and issues related to dosing and safety may lead to significant drawbacks. The development of a more streamlined regulatory process world-wide, and the development of pre-competitive knowledge transfer systems such as a global healthcare database focused on regulatory and scientific information for drugs world-wide, are among the ideas proposed to improve the process of academic drug discovery and repurposing, and to overcome the "valley of death" by bridging basic to clinical sciences.

Drug Repurposing from an Academic Perspective

PubMed Central

Oprea, Tudor I.; Bauman, Julie E.; Bologa, Cristian G.; Buranda, Tione; Chigaev, Alexandre; Edwards, Bruce S.; Jarvik, Jonathan W.; Gresham, Hattie D.; Haynes, Mark K.; Hjelle, Brian; Hromas, Robert; Hudson, Laurie; Mackenzie, Debra A.; Muller, Carolyn Y.; Reed, John C.; Simons, Peter C.; Smagley, Yelena; Strouse, Juan; Surviladze, Zurab; Thompson, Todd; Ursu, Oleg; Waller, Anna; Wandinger-Ness, Angela; Winter, Stuart S.; Wu, Yang; Young, Susan M.; Larson, Richard S.; Willman, Cheryl; Sklar, Larry A.

2011-01-01

Academia and small business research units are poised to play an increasing role in drug discovery, with drug repurposing as one of the major areas of activity. Here we summarize project status for a number of drugs or classes of drugs: raltegravir, cyclobenzaprine, benzbromarone, mometasone furoate, astemizole, R-naproxen, ketorolac, tolfenamic acid, phenothiazines, methylergonovine maleate and beta-adrenergic receptor drugs, respectively. Based on this multi-year, multi-project experience we discuss strengths and weaknesses of academic-based drug repurposing research. Translational, target and disease foci are strategic advantages fostered by close proximity and frequent interactions between basic and clinical scientists, which often result in discovering new modes of action for approved drugs. On the other hand, lack of integration with pharmaceutical sciences and toxicology, lack of appropriate intellectual coverage and issues related to dosing and safety may lead to significant drawbacks. The development of a more streamlined regulatory process world-wide, and the development of pre-competitive knowledge transfer systems such as a global healthcare database focused on regulatory and scientific information for drugs world-wide, are among the ideas proposed to improve the process of academic drug discovery and repurposing, and to overcome the “valley of death” by bridging basic to clinical sciences. PMID:22368688

The effects of blogs versus dialogue journals on open-response writing scores and attitudes of grade eight science students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erickson, Diane K.

Today's students have grown up surrounded by technology. They use cell phones, word processors, and the Internet with ease, talking with peers in their community and around the world through e-mails, chatrooms, instant messaging, online discussions, and weblogs ("blogs"). In the midst of this technological explosion, adolescents face a growing need for strong literacy skills in all subject areas for achievement in school and on mandated state and national high stakes tests. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of blogs as a tool for improving open-response writing in the secondary science classroom in comparison to the use of handwritten dialogue journals. The study used a mixed-method approach, gathering both quantitative and qualitative data from 94 students in four eighth-grade science classes. Two classes participated in online class blogs where they posted ideas about science and responded to the ideas of other classmates. Two classes participated in handwritten dialogue journals, writing ideas about science and exchanging journals to respond to the ideas of classmates. The study explored these research questions: Does the use of blogs, as compared to the use of handwritten dialogue journals, improve the open-response writing scores of eighth grade science students? How do students describe their experience using blogs to study science as compared to students using handwritten dialogue journals? and How do motivation, self-efficacy, and community manifest themselves in students who use blogs as compared to students who use handwritten dialogue journals? The quantitative aspect of the study used data from pre- and post-tests and from a Likert-scale post-survey. The pre- and post-writing on open-response science questions were scored using the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) open-response scoring rubric. The study found no statistically significant difference in the writing scores between the blog group and the dialogue journal groups. The study found significant difference between the scores on the post-survey of the two groups with the blogging group registering a more positive attitude about the experience than the dialogue journal group. The qualitative aspect of the study used group and individual interviews with 26 randomly-chosen students to explore the nature of the students' experiences using blogs and dialogue journals. Overall, the blog group communicated more positive responses to the experience than did students from the dialogue journal group, often indicating that blogging was "fun" and "helpful" and made them look forward to science class. This study addressed research needs in the fields of writing, technology, and content literacy. It is significant because there is little research on the use of blogs in the middle school content classroom, particularly on the use of blogs as a tool for improving open-response writing. It adds information as to the experience of students who use blogs in the science classroom and explored it as a way to explore ideas, build understanding, and connect with others. This is significant to know as school districts look to include more technology instruction and practices in the curriculum. Blogs could give students a critical tool for writing and thinking in the content classroom, helping to prepare students for an increasingly technological and global society.

World War II: A Technology Lesson Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagar, Suzy

1990-01-01

Presents a class activity on the history, causes, and consequences of World War II. Focuses on the development and deployment of the atomic bomb. Utilizes a Video Encyclopedia Program for historical background. Divides the class into groups that are responsible for researching and preparing a videotape on a World War II topic. (RW)

The Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory at Homestake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesko, Kevin T.

2008-11-01

The National Science Foundation and the international underground science community are well into establishing a world-class, multidisciplinary Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) at the former Homestake mine in Lead South Dakota. The NSF's review committee, following the first two NSF solicitations, selected the Homestake Proposal and site as the prime location to be developed into an international research facility. Homestake DUSEL will provide much needed underground research space to help relieve the worldwide shortage, particularly at great depth, and will develop research campuses at several different depths to satisfy the research requirements for the coming decades. The State of South Dakota has demonstrated remarkable support for the project and has secured the site with the transfer from the Homestake Mining Corp. The State, through its Science and Technology Authority with state funds and those of a philanthropic donor has initiated rehabilitation of the surface and underground infrastructure including the Ross and Yates hoists accessing the 4850 Level (feet below ground, 4100 to 4200 mwe). The scientific case for DUSEL and the progress in establishing the preliminary design of the facility and the associated suite of experiments to be funded along with the facility by the NSF are presented.

Sharing Polar Science with Secondary Students: Polartrec and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrmann, N. E.

2014-12-01

This session will provide a variety of resources and lesson ideas for educators interested in effectively communicating polar science. Ms. Herrmann will share evidence of the direct impacts on secondary students that resulted from her collaboration with polar scientists in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Ms. Herrmann's interest in polar science began in 2009, when she worked as a field assistant in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland for scientists examining the effects of climate change on caribou. In 2011, she was selected to participate in PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating), a professional development program for teachers and researchers, funded by NSF and coordinated by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS). The opportunity provides teachers opportunities to collaborate with scientists and to share real world science with students. Ms. Herrmann will discuss her experience working with researchers at Palmer Station, Antarctica and how it led to her continued professional development with the Palmer Station Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program and with Polar Eduators (PEI), including a recent Master Class she presented with Dr. Richard Alley. She will also discuss her development of a program called Polar Ambassadors, in which older students become mentors to younger students in the field of polar science.

CosmoQuest: Building community around Citizen Science Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gay, P.

2015-12-01

CosmoQuest was envisioned in 2011 with a singular goal: to create a place where people of all backgrounds can learn and do science in a virtual research community. Like a brick-and-mortar center, CosmoQuest includes facilities for doing science and for educating its members through classes, seminars, and other forms of professional development. CosmoQuest is unique with its combination of public engagement in doing science—known as "citizen science"— and its diversity of learning opportunities that enable STEM education. Our suite of activities is able maximize people's ability to learn and do science, while improving scientific literacy. Since its launch on January 1, 2012, CosmoQuest has grown to become the most trafficked astronomy citizen science site on the English-language internet. It has hosted five citizen science portals supporting NASA SMD science and is the only citizen science site to have produced peer-reviewed surface science results [Robbins, et al. 2014]. CosmoQuest, however, is more than just citizen science. It is a virtual research center for the public, and for the educators who teach in classrooms and science centers. Like with with any research center, CosmoQuest's success hinges on its ability to build a committed research community, and the challenge has been creating this community without the benefit of real-world interactions. In this talk, we overview how CosmoQuest has built a virtual community through screen-to-screen interactions using a suite of technologies that must constantly evolve as the internet evolves.

Using Family Science Day Events to Inspire Future Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, Corinne

2015-04-01

Dickinson State University organizes four Family Science Day events each fall to increase student engagement in the sciences. Offered on Saturday afternoons, each event focuses on a different science-related theme. Families can attend these events free of charge, and the kids participate in a large-variety of hands-on activities which center around the event's theme. Previous themes include The Amazing Telescope, Night of the Titanic, Dinosaur Prophecy, and Space Exploration. These events are amazing opportunities to show young children how much fun science can be. Many of the kids come from schools where science is neither interactive nor engaging. The activities help the children learn that science is a process of discovery that helps us better understand the world around us. University students staff all of the activity booths at these events, and this has proven to be a very valuable experience for them as well. Some of the students who help are majoring in a science field, and for them, the experience teaches public communication. They learn to break complicated concepts down into simpler terms that young kids can understand. Other students who help with these events are not science majors but may be taking a science course as part of their college curriculum. For these students, the experience reinforces various concepts that they are learning in their science class. For many of them, it also opens their eyes to the idea that science can be engaging. Some of them even discover that they have a true gift for teaching.

Aliens are us. An innovative course in astrobiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, Carlos F.; Barufaldi, James P.

2009-01-01

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

Science anxiety and social cognitive factors predicting STEM career aspirations of high school freshmen in general science class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skells, Kristin Marie

Extant data was used to consider the association between science anxiety, social cognitive factors and STEM career aspirations of high school freshmen in general science classes. An adapted model based on social cognitive career theory (SCCT) was used to consider these relationships, with science anxiety functioning as a barrier in the model. The study assessed the following research questions: (1) Do social cognitive variables relate in the expected way to STEM career aspirations based on SCCT for ninth graders taking general science classes? (2) Is there an association between science anxiety and outcomes and processes identified in the SCCT model for ninth graders taking general science classes? (3) Does gender moderate these relationships? Results indicated that support was found for many of the central tenants of the SCCT model. Science anxiety was associated with prior achievement, self-efficacy, and science interest, although it did not relate directly to STEM career goals. Gender was found to moderate only the relationship between prior achievement and science self-efficacy.

Climate Communication from a Science Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somerville, R. C.

2012-12-01

Today, the world faces crucial choices in deciding what to do about climate change. Wise policy can be usefully informed by sound science. Scientists who are both climate experts and skilled communicators can provide valuable input into this policy process. They can help the public, media and policymakers learn what science has discovered about climate change. Scientists as a group are widely admired throughout the world. They can often use their prestige as well as their technical knowledge to advantage in publicizing and illuminating the findings of climate science. However, most scientists are unaware of the main obstacles to effective communication, such as the distrust that arises when the scientist and the audience do not have a shared worldview and shared cultural values. Many climate scientists also fail to realize that the jargon they use in their work is a significant barrier to communication, and that their messages requires skilled translation into the everyday language that people understand. Scientists need to recognize that lecturing is almost always poor communication. Speaking in a television interview or a Congressional hearing is completely unlike teaching a class of graduate students. The people whom one is trying to reach are rarely hungry for pure scientific information. Instead, they want to know how climate change will affect them and what can be done about it. Communicating climate science resembles skiing or speaking a foreign language: it is a skill that can be learned, but beginners are well advised to take lessons from expert instructors. Becoming adept at climate communication requires study and practice. Effective professional training in climate communication is available for those scientists who have the time and the willingness to improve as communicators.

The Pilgram's Progress: Reflections on the journey building Australia's solid earth information infrastructure (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodcock, R.

2013-12-01

Australia's AuScope provides world class research infrastructure as a framework for understanding the structure and evolution of the Australian continent. Since it conception in 2005, Data Scientists have led the Grid and Interoperability component of AuScope. The AuScope Grid is responsible for the effective management, curation, preservation and analysis of earth science data across the many organisations collaborating in AuScope. During this journey much was learned about technology and architectures but even more about organisations and people, and the role of Data Scientists in the science ecosystem. With the AuScope Grid now in operation and resulting techniques and technologies now underpinning Australian Government initiatives in solid earth and environmental information, it is beneficial to reflect upon the journey and observe what has been learned in order to make data science routine. The role of the Data Scientist is a hybrid one, of not quite belonging and yet highly valued. With the skills to support domain scientists with data and computational needs and communicate across domains, yet not quite able to do the domain science itself. A bridge between two worlds, there is tremendous satisfaction from a job well done, but paradoxically it is also best when it is unnoticeable. In the years since AuScope started much has changed for the Data Scientist. Initially misunderstood, Data Scientists are now a recognisable part of the science landscape in Australia. Whilst the rewards and incentives are still catching up, there is wealth of knowledge on the technical and soft skills required and recognition of the need for Data Scientists. These will be shared from the AuScope journey so other pilgrims may progress well.

Enhancing the Impact of NASA Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach: Using Real NASA Data in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawton, Brandon L.; Smith, D. A.; SMD Astrophysics E/PO Community, NASA

2013-01-01

The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums support the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its education and public outreach (E/PO) community in enhancing the coherence, efficiency, and effectiveness of SMD-funded E/PO programs. As a part of this effort, the Astrophysics Forum is coordinating a collaborative project among the NASA SMD astrophysics missions and E/PO programs to create a broader impact for the use of real NASA data in classrooms. Among NASA's major education goals is the training of students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines. The use of real data, from some of the most sophisticated observatories in the world, provide educators an authentic opportunity to teach students basic science process skills, inquiry, and real-world applications of the STEM subjects. The goal of this NASA SMD astrophysics community collaboration is to find a way to maximize the reach of existing real data products produced by E/PO professionals working with NASA E/PO grants and missions in ways that enhance the teaching of the STEM subjects. We present an initial result of our collaboration: defining levels of basic science process skills that lie at the heart of authentic scientific research and national education standards (AAAS Benchmarks) and examples of NASA data products that align with those levels. Our results are the beginning of a larger goal of utilizing the new NASA education resource catalog, NASA Wavelength, for the creation of progressions that tie NASA education resources together. We aim to create an informational sampler that illustrates how an educator can use the NASA Wavelength resource catalog to connect NASA real-data resources that meet the educational goals of their class.

Developing a World View for Science Education: A Message from the NSTA President

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padilla, Michael

2005-01-01

This article features the message from the president of National Science Teachers Association. With the theme, "Developing a World View for Science Education," the president calls for science teachers to join in developing a world view for science education and nurturing NSTA members into thinking not just with a local, regional, or national…

The Relationship between Academic Averages of Primary School Science and Technology Class and Test Sub-Test Scores of Placement Test of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guzeller, Cem Oktay

2012-01-01

In this research, the relationship between written exam scores of science and technology class of 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, project, participation in class activities and performance work, year-end academic success point averages and sub-test raw scores of LDT science of 6th, 7th and 8th grades. Academic success point averages were used as…

Using Telepresence to Connect and Engage Classes and the Public in the Exploration of Tamu Massif, the World's Largest Single Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nanez-James, S. E.; Sager, W.

2016-02-01

Research published in 2013 showed that TAMU Massif, the largest mountain in the Shatsky Rise oceanic plateau, located approximately 1500 kilometers east of Japan, is the "World's Largest Single Volcano." This claim garnered widespread public interest and wonder concerning how something so big could remain so mysterious in the 21st century. This disconnect highlights the fact that oceans are still widely unexplored, especially the middle of the deep ocean. Because there is so much interest in TAMU Massif, a diverse outreach team lead by chief scientist Dr. William Sager from the University of Houston in partnership with the Texas State Aquarium and the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) conducted a multifaceted ship-to-shore outreach project that included secondary school students, formal and informal educators, university students and professors, the aquarium and museum audience, and the general public. The objective was to work in conjunction with SOI and various other partners, including the Texas Regional Collaborative, the Aquarium of the Pacific, and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, to promote science and ocean literacy while inspiring future scientists - especially those from underserved and underrepresented groups - through ocean connections. Participants were connected through live ship-to-shore distance learning broadcasts of ongoing marine research and discovery of TAMU Massif aboard the R/V Falkor, allowing audiences to participate in real-time research and apply real world science to curriculum in the classrooms. These ship-to-shore presentations connected to existing curriculums and standards, lessons, and career interests of the students and educators with special teacher events and professional development workshops conducted from aboard the R/V Falkor.

Construction and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Taiwanese Elementary Students' Attitudes toward Their Science Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Tzu-Ling; Berlin, Donna

2010-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the "attitudes toward science class" of fourth- and fifth-grade students in an Asian school culture. Specifically, the development focused on three science attitude constructs--science enjoyment, science confidence, and importance of science as…

Middle School Students' Attitudes toward Science, Scientists, Science Teachers and Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapici, Hasan Özgür; Akçay, Hakan

2016-01-01

It is an indispensable fact that having a positive attitude towards science is one of the important factors that promotes students for studying in science. The study is a kind of national study that aims to investigate middle school students', from different regions of Turkey, attitudes toward science, scientists and science classes. The study was…

The Dynamics of Learning Science in Everyday Contexts: A Case Study of Everyday Science Class in Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Mijung; Yoon, Heesook; Ji, Young Rae; Song, Jinwoong

2012-01-01

With recognition of the importance of scientific literacy for the nation and yet the increasing students' disinterest in science through school science curriculum, the Korea Science Foundation launched an innovative program called "Everyday Science Class (ESC)" in partnership with universities and local government offices in 2003. In…

Girls' and Boys' Academic Self-Concept in Science in Single-Sex and Coeducational Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpson, Amber; Che, S. Megan; Bridges, William C., Jr.

2016-01-01

Recently, single-sex classes within public coeducational schools have proliferated across the USA; yet, we still know little about whether and how single-sex science classes influence adolescents' attitude and affect toward science. This exploratory study expands upon our current understanding by investigating the extent in which female and male…

An In-Class Discussion Activity on the Nature of Science and Intelligent Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Brian C.

2009-02-01

In this paper I describe an in-class discussion activity aimed at helping elementary education majors in a physical science course think about issues surrounding the inclusion of "Intelligent Design" in public school science standards. I discuss the background instruction given, the content of the activity, and some results from its use in class.

An In-Class Discussion Activity on the Nature of Science and Intelligent Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Brian C.

2009-01-01

In this paper I describe an in-class discussion activity aimed at helping elementary education majors in a physical science course think about issues surrounding the inclusion of "Intelligent Design" in public school science standards. I discuss the background instruction given, the content of the activity, and some results from its use in class.

Psyche: The Science of a Metal World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elkins-Tanton, L. T.

2016-12-01

(16) Psyche is a large metallic asteroid orbiting in the outer main belt at 3 AU. Psyche's metal composition is indicated by high radar albedo, thermal inertia, and density. Models show that among the accretionary collisions early in the solar system, some destructive "hit and run" impacts could strip the silicate mantle from differentiated bodies. This is the leading hypothesis for Psyche's formation: it is a bare planetesimal core. It is the only one we can explore for substantial information about a metal core (other metallic asteroids are far smaller and not roughly spherical). If our observations indicate that it is not a core, Psyche may instead be highly reduced, primordial metal-rich materials that accreted closer to the Sun, and never melted. Psyche is also a Discovery-class mission, selected for a Step 2 concept study, to investigate this metal body. The Psyche investigation has three broad goals: Understand a previously unexplored building block of planet formation: iron cores. Look inside the terrestrial planets, including Earth, by directly examining the interior of a differentiated body, which otherwise could not be seen. Explore a new type of world. For the first time, examine a world made not of rock, ice, or gas, but of metal. We will meet our science objectives with three domestic high heritage instruments and radio science: Multispectral imagers with clear and seven color filters map surface morphology and reveal the distribution of residual mantle silicates. A gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer determines elemental composition, particularly the concentrations of iron, nickel, silicon, and potassium. Dual fluxgate magnetometers, in a gradiometer configuration, characterize the magnetic field. Radio science maps the gravity field sufficiently to differentiate among core-formation hypotheses. New models for magnetic dynamo generation and solidification of planetesimal cores make testable predictions for geophysical measurements, and lead as well to predictions about tectonics and surface compositions. In this presentation we will show how measurements from these flight instruments can confirm or disprove hypotheses for Psyche's formation and evolution.

Benefits of International Collaboration on the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hasbrook, Pete; Robinson, Julie A.; Cohen, Luchino; Marcil, Isabelle; De Parolis, Lina; Hatton, Jason; Shirakawa, Masaki; Karabadzhak, Georgy; Sorokin, Igor V.; Valentini, Giovanni

2017-01-01

The International Space Station is a valuable platform for research in space, but the benefits are limited if research is only conducted by individual countries. Through the efforts of the ISS Program Science Forum, international science working groups, and interagency cooperation, international collaboration on the ISS has expanded as ISS utilization has matured. Members of science teams benefit from working with counterparts in other countries. Scientists and institutions bring years of experience and specialized expertise to collaborative investigations, leading to new perspectives and approaches to scientific challenges. Combining new ideas and historical results brings synergy and improved peer-reviewed scientific methods and results. World-class research facilities can be expensive and logistically complicated, jeopardizing their full utilization. Experiments that would be prohibitively expensive for a single country can be achieved through contributions of resources from two or more countries, such as crew time, up- and down mass, and experiment hardware. Cooperation also avoids duplication of experiments and hardware among agencies. Biomedical experiments can be completed earlier if astronauts or cosmonauts from multiple agencies participate. Countries responding to natural disasters benefit from ISS imagery assets, even if the country has no space agency of its own. Students around the world participate in ISS educational opportunities, and work with students in other countries, through open curriculum packages and through international competitions. Even experiments conducted by a single country can benefit scientists around the world, through specimen sharing programs and publicly accessible "open data" repositories. For ISS data, these repositories include GeneLab, the Physical Science Informatics System, and different Earth data systems. Scientists can conduct new research using ISS data without having to launch and execute their own experiments. Multilateral collections of research results publications, maintained by the ISS international partnership and accessible via nasa.gov, make ISS results available worldwide, and encourage new users, ideas and research.

Factors that affect the physical science career interest of female students: Testing five common hypotheses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Lock, Robynne M.; Lung, Florin; Sonnert, Gerhard; Sadler, Philip M.

2013-12-01

There are many hypotheses regarding factors that may encourage female students to pursue careers in the physical sciences. Using multivariate matching methods on national data drawn from the Persistence Research in Science and Engineering (PRiSE) project (n=7505), we test the following five commonly held beliefs regarding what factors might impact females’ physical science career interest: (i) having a single-sex physics class, (ii) having a female physics teacher, (iii) having female scientist guest speakers in physics class, (iv) discussing the work of female scientists in physics class, and (v) discussing the underrepresentation of women in physics class. The effect of these experiences on physical science career interest is compared for female students who are matched on several factors, including prior science interests, prior mathematics interests, grades in science, grades in mathematics, and years of enrollment in high school physics. No significant effects are found for single-sex classes, female teachers, female scientist guest speakers, and discussing the work of female scientists. However, discussions about women’s underrepresentation have a significant positive effect.

Innovation in Science Education - World-Wide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baez, Albert V.

The purpose of this book is to promote improvements in science education, world-wide, but particularly in developing countries. It is addressed to those in positions to make effective contributions to the improvement of science education. The world-wide role of science education, the goals of innovative activities, past experience in efforts to…

The Visions of World-Class Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slyusarenko, Olena

2015-01-01

The visions of the top 26 world-class universities of the first 30 in the Shanghai ranking list have been evaluated and compared with the missions of the world's top 20 universities. Applying the content analysis, a group of 48 keywords, which describe the essence of these visions, has been revealed. The average amount of keywords in one vision is…

Sciencey Girls: Discourses Supporting Working-Class Girls to Identify with Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godec, Spela

2018-01-01

Women from working class and some ethnic minority backgrounds continue to be underrepresented in science, particularly in areas such as physical sciences and engineering. Many find it difficult to see science as something that is "for them", which then has implications for their learning and participation in science. In this paper, I…

Teaching Science in Light of World View: The Effect of Contextualized Instruction on the Scientific Compatibility of Religious College Students' World Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gossard, Paula Rae

2009-01-01

Authors of recent science reform documents promote the goal of scientific literacy for all Americans (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989, 1993). Some students, however, feel apprehensive about learning science due to perceptions that science is antagonistic to their world views (Alters, 2005; Esbenshade, 1993). This study…

Using Astrobiology case studies to bring science decision making into the classroom: Mars sample return, exobiology and SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Race, Margaret

As citizens and decision makers of the future, today's students need to understand the nature of science and the implications of scientific discoveries and activities in a broad societal context. Astrobiology provides an opportunity to introduce students to real world decision-making involving cutting edge, multidisciplinary research topics that involve Earth, the solar system and beyond. Although textbooks and curricular materials may take years to develop, teachers can easily bring the latest astrobiological discoveries and hypotheses into the classroom in the form of case studies to complement science classes. For example, using basic biological, geological and chemical information from Earth and other planets, students can discuss the same questions that experts consider when planning a Mars Sample Return mission. How would you recognize extraterrestrial life? What would be the impact of bringing martian life to Earth? How should martian samples be handled and tested to determine whether they pose hazards to Earth's biota and ecosystems? If truly martian life exists, what are the implications for future human missions or colonies on the planet? What are the ethical and societal implications of discovering extraterrestrial life, whether in the solar system or beyond? What difference world it make if the extraterrestrial life is microbial and simple vs. intelligent and advanced? By integrating basic science concepts, up-to-date research findings, and information about laws, societal concerns, and public decision making, students can experience first-hand the kind of questions and challenges we're likely to face in the years ahead.

Transformative Multicultural Science curriculum: A case study of middle school robotics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grimes, Mary Katheryn

Multicultural Science has been a topic of research and discourse over the past several years. However, most of the literature concerning this topic (or paradigm) has centered on programs in tribal or Indigenous schools. Under the framework of instructional congruence, this case study explored how elementary and middle school students in a culturally diverse charter school responded to a Multicultural Science program. Furthermore, this research sought to better understand the dynamics of teaching and learning strategies used within the paradigm of Multicultural Science. The school's Robotics class, a class typically stereotyped as fitting within the misconceptions associated with the Western Modern Science paradigm, was the center of this case study. A triangulation of data consisted of class observations throughout two semesters; pre and post student science attitude surveys; and interviews with individual students, Robotic student teams, the Robotics class instructor, and school administration. Three themes emerged from the data that conceptualized the influence of a Multicultural Science curriculum with ethnically diverse students in a charter school's Robotics class. Results included the students' perceptions of a connection between science (i.e., Robotics) and their personal lives, a positive growth in the students' attitude toward science (and engineering), and a sense of personal empowerment toward being successful in science. However, also evident in the findings were the students' stereotypical attitudes toward science (and scientists) and their lack of understanding of the Nature of Science. Implications from this study include suggestions toward the development of Multicultural Science curricula in public schools. Modifications in university science methods courses to include the Multicultural Science paradigm are also suggested.

A Class for Teachers Featuring a NASA Satellite Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battle, R.; Hawkins, I.

1996-05-01

As part of the NASA IDEA (Initiative to Develop Education through Astronomy) program, the UC Berkeley Center for EUV Astrophysics (CEA) received a grant to develop a self-contained teacher professional development class featuring NASA's Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) satellite mission. This class was offered in collaboration with the Physics/Astronomy Department and the Education Department of San Francisco State University during 1994, and in collaboration with the UCB Graduate School of Education in 1995 as an extension course. The class served as the foundation for the Science Education Program at CEA, providing valuable lessons and experience through a full year of intense collaboration with 50 teachers from the diverse school districts of the San Francisco Bay Area teaching in the 3rd--12th grade range. The underlying theme of the class focused on how scientists carry out research using a NASA satellite mission. Emphasis was given to problem-solving techniques, with specific examples taken from the pre- and post-launch stages of the EUVE mission. The two, semester-long classes were hosted by the CEA, so the teachers spent an average of 4 hours/week during 17 weeks immersed in astrophysics, collaborating with astronomers, and working with colleagues from the Lawrence Hall of Science and the Graduate School of Education. The teachers were taught the computer skills and space astrophysics concepts needed to perform hands-on analysis and interpretation of the EUVE satellite data and the optical identification program. As a final project, groups of teachers developed lesson plans based on NASA and other resources that they posted on the World Wide Web using html. This project's model treats teachers as professionals, and allows them to collaborate with scientists and to hone their curriculum development skills, an important aspect of their professional growth. We will summarize class highlights and showcase teacher-developed lesson plans. A detailed evaluation report will be made available. We acknowledge NASA contracts NAS5-30180 and NAS5-29298 to CEA/UCB and NASA grant ED-90033.01-94A to SSL/UCB.

Divulgación del Programa Consolider-GTC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz Zelmanovitch, N.; Mass Hesse, M.; Alfaro, E.

2013-05-01

The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) is the biggest telescope of its class in the world. The CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010-GTC project, First Science with the GTC: Spanish Astron- omy on the Forefront of the European Astronomy, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, MICINN (now the Ministry of Economy and competitiveness, MINECO) has used the GTC to: (i) obtain leading science with its data, (ii) increase the involvement of the Spanish astronomical community in developing astronomical instrumentation, (iii) get an important Spanish participation in the new extremely large telescopes generation (ELTs), and (iv) make outreach and communicating to the society the main results. The project CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010-GTC is structured and defined by objectives: 1) GTC: To optimize the GTC and its instruments; 2) SCIENCE: To develop leading science with the GTC; 3) E-ELT: To take advantage of the technological experience obtained with the GTC for the new generation of giant telescopes; 4) INSTRUMENTATION: To promote the Spanish participation in the new instrument developments for the GTC, VLT and the future ELTs; 5) EDUCATION: International School for Advanced Instrumentation (IScAI); and 6) OUTREACH: Outreach and communication of the project scientific results. This poster resumes five years of science communication around the Consolider-GTC project.

The effects of contextual learning instruction on science achievement of male and female tenth-grade students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingram, Samantha Jones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the contextual learning method on science performance, attitudes toward science, and motivational factors that influence high school students to learn science. Gender differences in science performance and attitudes toward science were also investigated. The sample included four tenth-grade classes of African-American students enrolled in Chemistry I. All students were required to review for the Alabama High School Graduation Exam in Science. Students were administered a science pretest and posttest to measure science performance. A two-way analysis of covariance was performed on the test data. The results showed a main effect of contextual learning instruction on science achievement and no significant differences between females' and males' performance in science. The Science Attitude and the Alabama High School Graduation Exam (AHSGE) Review Class Surveys were administered to assess students' beliefs and attitudes toward science. The Science Attitude Survey results indicated a control effect in three subscales: perception of guardian's attitude, attitude toward success in science, and perception of teacher's attitude. No significant differences resulted between males and females in their beliefs about science from the attitude survey. However, students' attitudes toward science were more favorable in the contextual learning classes based on the results of the Review Class Survey. The survey data revealed that both males and females in the contextual classes had positive attitudes toward science and toward being active participants in the learning process. Qualitative data on student motivation were collected to examine the meaningfulness of the contextual learning content and materials. The majority of the students in the treatment (96%) and the control groups (86%) reported high interest in the lesson on Newton's three laws of motion. Both the treatment and the control groups indicated their interest ratings were a result of their prior experiences. This study shows that contextual learning instruction positively influences student motivation, interest, and achievement in science. Student achievement in science improved in the contextual learning classes as a result of increased interest due to learning that emphasized relevancy and purposeful meaning.

Sex-role stereotyping by high school females in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vockell, Edward L.; Lobonc, Susan

Although the participation by females in upper-level occupations and positions has expanded considerably in recent years, science is still considered a masculine career field. The results of this study show that only the physical sciences in particular (not science in general) are clearly viewed as masculine academic areas. Furthermore, the results suggest that the perception by girls of the physical sciences as masculine is much more likely to occur in coed classes than in all-female classes. The results can best be explained by two factors: (1) the attitudes conveyed by teachers and by society may predispose students toward a greater acceptance of women in biology than in the physical sciences; and (2) when girls perceive themselves as a deviant minority in physical science classes, their performance and preference for the physical sciences is reduced, perhaps because of competition and comparison with males. In all-female classes, however, girls are not a deviant minority, and therefore they are able to perform and develop preferences without inhibition.

Third World Science: Development Education through Science Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Iolo Wyn

Third World Science (TWS) materials were developed to add a multicultural element to the existing science curriculum of 11-16-year-old students. TWS attempts to develop an appreciation of the: (1) boundless fascination of the natural world; (2) knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by ordinary men and women everywhere; (3) application of…

Strategies for Introducing Databasing into Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Christopher L.

1990-01-01

Outlines techniques used in the context of a sixth grade science class to teach database structure and search strategies for science using the AppleWorks program. Provides templates and questions for class and element databases. (Author/YP)

Pima College Students' Knowledge of Selected Basic Physical Science Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iadevaia, David G.

In 1989 a study was conducted at Pima Community College (PCC) to assess students' knowledge of basic physical science concepts. A three-part survey instrument was administered to students in a second semester sociology class, a first semester astronomy class, a second semester Spanish class, and a first semester physics class. The survey…

Clickers Promote Learning in All Kinds of Classes--Small and Large, Graduate and Undergraduate, Lecture and Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sevian, Hannah; Robinson, William E.

2011-01-01

Clickers are a popular tool in large science classes. The authors find that clickers can also be used in small undergraduate- and graduate-level science classes, and to some extent also in laboratory classes, to achieve the same purposes as in large classes. Issues that can be addressed using clickers include fully engaging all students,…

Fort Collins Science Center: science accomplishments for fiscal years 2012 and 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Juliette T.; Hamilton, David B.

2014-01-01

The Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) is a multi-disciplinary research and development center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) located in Fort Collins, Colorado. Organizationally, FORT is within the USGS Southwest Region, although our work extends across the Nation and into several other countries. FORT research focuses on needs of the land- and water-management bureaus within the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), other Federal agencies, and those of State and non-government organizations. As a Science Center, we emphasize a multi-disciplinary science approach to provide information for resource-management decisionmaking. FORT’s vision is to maintain and continuously improve the integrated, collaborative, world-class research needed to inform effective, science-based land and resource management. Our science and technological development activities and unique capabilities support all USGS scientific Mission Areas and contribute to successful, collaborative science efforts across the USGS and DOI. We organized our report into an Executive Summary, a cross-reference table, and an appendix. The executive summary provides brief highlights of some key FORT accomplishments for each Mission Area. The table cross-references all major FY2012 and FY2013 science accomplishments with the various Mission Areas that each supports. The one-page accomplishment descriptions in the appendix are organized by USGS Mission Area and describe the many and diverse ways in which our science is applied to resource issues. As in prior years, lists of all FY2012 and FY2013 publications and other product types also are appended.

Inquiring into Three Approaches to Hands-On Learning in Elementary and Secondary Science Methods Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Marianne B.; Foley, Kathleen R.

1999-01-01

Investigates three approaches to hands-on science learning in two contexts, an elementary science methods class and a secondary science methods class. Focused on an activity on foam. Concludes that when developing models for teaching science methods courses, methods instructors need to share power with prospective teachers. (Author/MM)

Acquisition and Retention of STEM Concepts through Inquiry Based Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lombardi, Candice

This study explores the integration of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts through inquiry based learning. Students are exposed to a constructivist style learning environment where they create understanding for themselves. This way of learning lets students plan and justify their ideas and beliefs while discussing and examining the ideas of their classmates. Students are engaged in solving a scientific problem in a meaningful, inquiry-based manner through hypothesis testing, experimentation, and investigation. This mode of learning introduces students to real life, authentic science experiences within the confines of a typical classroom. The focus of the unit is for the students to create connections and understanding about geography and the globe in order to ultimately identify the exact latitude and longitude of 10 mystery sites. The students learn about latitude and longitude and apply their knowledge through a set of clues to determine where their Mystery Class is located. Journey North provides an internationally accessed game of hide-and-seek called Mystery Class Seasons Challenge. Throughout this challenge, over the course of eleven weeks, students will record, graph, interpret and analysis data and research to ultimate identify the location of ten mystery locations. Students will track seasonal changes in sunlight while investigating, examining and researching clues to find these ten secret sites around the world. My research was done to prove the success of students' ability to learn new mathematics, science, technology and engineering concepts through inquiry based design.

STEM for Non-STEM Majors: Enhancing Science Literacy in Large Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jin, Guang; Bierma, Tom

2013-01-01

This study evaluated a strategy using "clickers," POGIL (process oriented guided inquiry learning), and a focused science literacy orientation in an applied science course for non-STEM undergraduates taught in large classes. The effectiveness of these interventions in improving the science literacy of students was evaluated using a…

A Comparison of Earth Science Science Classes Taught by Using Original Data in a Research-Approach Technique Versus Classes Taught by Conventional Approaches not Using Such Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agne, Russell M.

1972-01-01

Students in classes using a self-instructional unit on meteorology and climatology which provided research data from which generalizations could be drawn increased their critical thinking skills more than groups using conventional earth science texts but did not differ significantly in performance on an achievement test. (AL)

TMT: An International Plan for Workforce, Education, Public Outreach and Communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Squires, Gordon; Brewer, Janesse; Dawson, Sandra; Pompea, Stephen M.

2015-08-01

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is an international project involving Canada, China, India, Japan and the United States. When completed in the early 2020s, TMT will be among the world's largest optical/near-infrared telescopes and enable cutting-edge science across the full astrophysics landscape. TMT science and technology is international in scope, meaning that TMT strives to be an observatory-class facillity for astronomers in all of the partner constituencies. In this presentation, we will describe the goals, opportunities, and needs for developing a partnership-wide Workforce, Education, Public Outreach and Communications (WEPOC) plan to support the key elements of the TMT observatory and partnership. Central to this plan is the commitment to be relevant and responsive to all of the partners, fully leverage all phases of the project, and project forward through the 50 year lifetime of the observatory.

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

BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY

The 2002 Site Environmental Report (SER) is prepared in accordance with DOE Order 231.1, ''Environment, Safety and Health Reporting'', and summarizes the status of Brookhaven National Laboratory's (BNL) environmental programs and performance and restoration efforts, as well as any impacts, both past and present, that Laboratory operations have had on the environment. The document is intended to be technical in nature. A summary of the report is also prepared as a separate document to provide a general overview and includes a CD version of the full report. Operated by Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA) for the Department of Energy (DOE), BNLmore » manages its world-class scientific research with particular sensitivity to environmental and community issues. BNL's motto, ''Exploring Life's Mysteries...Protecting its Future'', reflects BNL's management philosophy to fully integrate environmental stewardship into all facets of its missions, with a health balance between science and the environment.« less

Psychiatry, Sex, and Science: The Making of "Adolescent" Motherhood in Southern Brazil.

PubMed

Béhague, Dominique P

2018-01-01

Research linking teen motherhood to psychoneurodevelopmental causes and pathologies has proliferated in the past two decades. In Brazil, a psychodevelopmental project of teen motherhood has gained traction despite many experts' long-standing commitment to psychodynamic psychiatry and social epidemiology, generating epistemic tension rather than substitution. Drawing on historical ethnography conducted in Southern Brazil, I explore how this project materialized through the co-production of epistemic struggles, remedial interventions, and ontological politics. In showing how this co-production became interwoven with incremental changes in young women's emotions, sexualities, relationships, and bodies, I describe how one particular "kind" of teen motherhood emerged and became entangled with both psychiatric knowledge-production and the angst of working-class political agency. In giving women a contested psychiatric language with which to rework their social-moral worlds, I argue that science did more than conceptualize teen childbearing in pathological terms; it contributed to its troubled transformation.

THE SPACE PUBLIC OUTREACH TEAM (SPOT)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williamson, Kathryn; National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Montana Space Grant Consortium; West Virginia Space Grant Consortium; NASA Independent Verification and Validation Center

2014-01-01

The Space Public Outreach Team (SPOT) has shown over 17 years of success in bringing astronomy and space science-themed presentations to approximately 10,000 students per year in Montana, and the program is now being piloted in West Virginia through a joint partnership between the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), the West Virginia Space Grant Consortium, and NASA Independent Verification and Validation Center. SPOT recruits and trains undergraduate presenters from all over the state to learn interactive slide shows that highlight the state’s on-going and world-class space science research. Presenters then travel to K-12 schools to deliver these presentations and provide teachers additional supplemental information for when the SPOT team leaves. As a large-scale, low-cost, and sustainable program being implemented in both Montana and West Virginia, SPOT has the potential to become a nation-wide effort that institutions in other states can model to increase their education and public outreach presence.

Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) of Open Colllaboration and Research Capabilities Collaboratipon in Research and Engineering in Advanced Technology and Education and High-Performance Computing Innovation Center (HPCIC) on the LVOC.

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

Vrieling, P. Douglas

2016-01-01

The Livermore Valley Open Campus (LVOC), a joint initiative of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), enhances the national security missions of NNSA by promoting greater collaboration between world-class scientists at the national security laboratories, and their partners in industry and academia. Strengthening the science, technology, and engineering (ST&E) base of our nation is one of the NNSA’s top goals. By conducting coordinated and collaborative programs, LVOC enhances both the NNSA and the broader national science and technology base, and helps to ensure the health of core capabilities at LLNLmore » and SNL. These capabilities must remain strong to enable the laboratories to execute their primary mission for NNSA.« less

NASA Space Launch System: A Cornerstone Capability for Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Creech, Stephen D.; Robinson, Kimberly F.

2014-01-01

Under construction today, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Space Launch System (SLS), managed at the Marshall Space Flight Center, will provide a robust new capability for human and robotic exploration beyond Earth orbit. The vehicle's initial configuration, sched will enable human missions into lunar space and beyond, as well as provide game-changing benefits for space science missions, including offering substantially reduced transit times for conventionally designed spacecraft. From there, the vehicle will undergo a series of block upgrades via an evolutionary development process designed to expedite mission capture as capability increases. The Space Launch System offers multiple benefits for a variety of utilization areas. From a mass-lift perspective, the initial configuration of the vehicle, capable of delivering 70 metric tons (t) to low Earth orbit (LEO), will be the world's most powerful launch vehicle. Optimized for missions beyond Earth orbit, it will also be the world's only exploration-class launch vehicle capable of delivering 25 t to lunar orbit. The evolved configuration, with a capability of 130 t to LEO, will be the most powerful launch vehicle ever flown. From a volume perspective, SLS will be compatible with the payload envelopes of contemporary launch vehicles, but will also offer options for larger fairings with unprecedented volume-lift capability. The vehicle's mass-lift capability also means that it offers extremely high characteristic energy for missions into deep space. This paper will discuss the impacts that these factors - mass-lift, volume, and characteristic energy - have on a variety of mission classes, particularly human exploration and space science. It will address the vehicle's capability to enable existing architectures for deep-space exploration, such as those documented in the Global Exploration Roadmap, a capabilities-driven outline for future deep-space voyages created by the International Space Exploration Coordination Group, which represents 14 of the world's space agencies. In addition, this paper will detail this new rocket's capability to support missions beyond the human exploration roadmap, including robotic precursor missions to other worlds or uniquely high-mass space operation facilities in Earth orbit. As this paper will explain, the SLS Program is currently building a global infrastructure asset that will provide robust space launch capability to deliver sustainable solutions for exploration.

NASA's Space Launch System: A Cornerstone Capability for Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Creech, Stephen D.

2014-01-01

Under construction today, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Space Launch System (SLS), managed at the Marshall Space Flight Center, will provide a robust new capability for human and robotic exploration beyond Earth orbit. The vehicle's initial configuration, scheduled for first launch in 2017, will enable human missions into lunar space and beyond, as well as provide game-changing benefits for space science missions, including offering substantially reduced transit times for conventionally designed spacecraft. From there, the vehicle will undergo a series of block upgrades via an evolutionary development process designed to expedite mission capture as capability increases. The Space Launch System offers multiple benefits for a variety of utilization areas. From a mass-lift perspective, the initial configuration of the vehicle, capable of delivering 70 metric tons (t) to low Earth orbit (LEO), will be the world's most powerful launch vehicle. Optimized for missions beyond Earth orbit, it will also be the world's only exploration-class launch vehicle capable of delivering 25 t to lunar orbit. The evolved configuration, with a capability of 130 t to LEO, will be the most powerful launch vehicle ever flown. From a volume perspective, SLS will be compatible with the payload envelopes of contemporary launch vehicles, but will also offer options for larger fairings with unprecedented volume-lift capability. The vehicle's mass-lift capability also means that it offers extremely high characteristic energy for missions into deep space. This paper will discuss the impacts that these factors - mass-lift, volume, and characteristic energy - have on a variety of mission classes, particularly human exploration and space science. It will address the vehicle's capability to enable existing architectures for deep-space exploration, such as those documented in the Global Exploration Roadmap, a capabilities-driven outline for future deep-space voyages created by the International Space Exploration Coordination Group, which represents 12 of the world's space agencies. In addition, this paper will detail this new rocket's capability to support missions beyond the human exploration roadmap, including robotic precursor missions to other worlds or uniquely high-mass space operation facilities in Earth orbit. As this paper will explain, the SLS Program is currently building a global infrastructure asset that will provide robust space launch capability to deliver sustainable solutions for exploration.

Pastoral care in a time of global market capitalism.

PubMed

Poling, James

2004-01-01

The author defines pastoral theology as "the study of the micro-world of intrapsychic and interpersonal interactions with the tools of theology and the social sciences for the purpose of support and healing. In a typical class or supervisory session, we analyze the words, voice inflection, pace, and gestures of an intimate conversation between two people, looking for clues to the deep structure of personality and intimate relationships. The hope of such study is that we will see the revelation of God is love and power in action to validate and challenge the theological traditions that give us eyes to see and invite us to see more clearly."

Investigating Science Discourse in a High School Science Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, Lauren Honeycutt

Science classrooms in the United States have become more diverse with respect to the variety of languages spoken by students. This qualitative study used ethnographic methods to investigate the discourse and practices of two ninth grade science classrooms. Approximately 44% of students included in the study were designated as English learners. The present work focused on addressing the following questions: 1) In what ways is science discourse taken up and used by students and their teacher? 2) Are there differences in how science discourse is used by students depending on their English language proficiency? Data collection consisted of interviewing the science teacher and the students, filming whole class and small group discussions during two lesson sequences, and collecting lesson plans, curricular materials, and student work. These data were analyzed qualitatively. Findings indicated that the teacher characterized science discourse along three dimensions: 1) the use of evidence-based explanations; 2) the practice of sharing one's science understandings publically; and 3) the importance of using precise language, including both specialized (i.e., science specific) and non-specialized academic words. Analysis of student participation during in-class activities highlighted how students progressed in each of these science discourse skills. However, this analysis also revealed that English learners were less likely to participate in whole class discussions: Though these students participated in small group discussions, they rarely volunteered to share individual or collective ideas with the class. Overall, students were more adept at utilizing science discourse during class discussions than in written assignments. Analysis of students' written work highlighted difficulties that were not visible during classroom interactions. One potential explanation is the increased amount of scaffolding the teacher provided during class discussions as compared to written assignments. In the implications section, I provide science teachers with recommendations regarding how to promote science discourse in their classrooms. Specifically, teachers should provide students structured opportunities to practice science discourse, require students to use both written and oral modalities in assignments, and offer timely feedback to students regarding their progress in developing their science discourse skills. How this study contributes to the research base on the teaching of science and English learners will also be described.

Personal Belief in a Just World, Experience of Teacher Justice, and School Distress in Different Class Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peter, Felix; Dalbert, Claudia; Kloeckner, Nils; Radant, Matthias

2013-01-01

The study examined the meaning of personal belief in a just world and students' experience of their teachers' behavior toward them personally for school distress in different class contexts. The study involved 827 secondary school students from 61 classes (grades 9 to 11). Analyses revealed that the more the students believed in a…

Can medical schools teach high school students to be scientists?

PubMed

Rosenbaum, James T; Martin, Tammy M; Farris, Kendra H; Rosenbaum, Richard B; Neuwelt, Edward A

2007-07-01

The preeminence of science in the United States is endangered for multiple reasons, including mediocre achievement in science education by secondary school students. A group of scientists at Oregon Health and Science University has established a class to teach the process of scientific inquiry to local high school students. Prominent aspects of the class include pairing of the student with a mentor; use of a journal club format; preparation of a referenced, hypothesis driven research proposal; and a "hands-on" laboratory experience. A survey of our graduates found that 73% were planning careers in health or science. In comparison to conventional science classes, including chemistry, biology, and algebra, our students were 7 times more likely to rank the scientific inquiry class as influencing career or life choices. Medical schools should make research opportunities widely available to teenagers because this experience dramatically affects one's attitude toward science and the likelihood that a student will pursue a career in science or medicine. A federal initiative could facilitate student opportunities to pursue research.

Strategic Note-Taking for Middle-School Students with Learning Disabilities in Science Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyle, Joseph R.

2010-01-01

While today's teachers use a variety of teaching methods in middle-school science classes, lectures and note-taking still comprise a major portion of students' class time. To be successful in these classes, middle-school students need effective listening and note-taking skills. Students with learning disabilities (LD) are poor note-takers, which…

Science Illiteracy: Breaking the Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebofsky, L. A.; Lebofsky, N. R.

2003-12-01

At the University of Arizona, as at many state universities and colleges, the introductory science classes for non-science majors may be the only science classes that future K--8 teachers will take. The design of the UA's General Education program requires all future non-science certified teachers to take the General Education science classes. These classes are therefore an ideal venue for the training of the state's future teachers. Many students, often including future teachers, are ill-prepared for college, i.e., they lack basic science content knowledge, basic mathematics skills, and reading and writing skills. They also lack basic critical thinking skills and study skills. It is within this context that our future teachers are trained. How do we break the cycle of science illiteracy? There is no simple solution, and certainly not a one-size-fits-all panacea that complements every professor's style of instruction. However, there are several programs at the University of Arizona, and also principles that I apply in my own classes, that may be adaptable in other classrooms. Assessment of K--12 students' learning supports the use of inquiry-based science instruction. This approach can be incorporated in college classes. Modeling proven and productive teaching methods for the future teachers provides far more than ``just the facts,'' and all students gain from the inquiry approach. Providing authentic research opportunities employs an inquiry-based approach. Reading (outside the textbook) and writing provide feedback to students with poor writing and critical thinking skills. Using peer tutors and an instant messaging hot line gives experience to the tutors and offers "comfortable" assistance to students.

Atoms, Strings, Apples, and Gravity: What the Average American Science Teacher Does Not Teach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berube, Clair

2008-01-01

American science teachers in elementary and middle school face a dilemma as they prepare students for high school physics and advanced placement classes. The dilemma lies in ensuring that these students are equipped with the high-level science content they need to thrive in such classes. Aside from life sciences and chemistry sciences, how are our…

Global Systems Science: A New World View

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sneider, Cary; Golden, Richard; Barrett, Katharine

1999-01-01

Global systems science is a new field of study about the interactions between Earth's natural systems and human activities. The people who study global systems science draw on methods and theories of many different fields from chemistry and biology to economics and politics-in order to predict how today's actions are likely to affect the world of tomorrow - our world and our children's world.

Using inquiry-based instructional strategies in third-grade science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Fanicia D.

The purpose of the study was to determine if the use of inquiry-based instructional strategies as compared to traditional instructional strategies would increase third-grade students' achievement in science, based on the pretest/posttest of the school system and the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). Inquiry-based instruction, presented students with a question, an observation, a data set, or a hypothesis for problem solving such as scientists use when working in real-world situations. This descriptive research employed a quantitative strategy using a pretest/posttest control group design. The research compared the science academic achievement levels of one Grade 3 class [N=14] exposed to a teacher's inquiry-based instructional strategies as compared to one Grade 3 class [ N=18] exposed to a teacher's traditional instructional strategies. The study compared the science academic performance levels of third-grade students as measured by pretest/posttest mean scores from the school system-based assessment and the Georgia CRCT. Four research hypotheses were examined. Based on the overall findings from this study, both the experimental group and the control group significantly increased their mean scores from the pretests to the posttests. The amount of gain from the pretest to the posttest was significantly greater for the experimental group than the control group for pretest/posttest 1 [t(12) = 8.79, p < .01] and pretest/posttest 2 [t(12) = 9.40, p < .01]. The experimental group significantly outperformed the control group with regard to their mean number of items answered correctly on the life sciences test [t(27) = -1.95, p = .06]. Finally, the control group did not outperform the experimental group on any of the comparisons made throughout this study. The results of this study provide empirical support for the effectiveness of the use of inquiry-based learning strategies, given that the experimental group outperformed the control group on all four posttests, on the science CRCT and on the individual Science portions on the test including earth, life and physical sciences. In fact, this study was able to detect significant differences between the experimental group and the control group with regard to the degree to which the students improved from the pretests to the posttests.

Introductory Biology Courses: A Framework To Support Active Learning in Large Enrollment Introductory Science Courses

PubMed Central

2005-01-01

Active learning and research-oriented activities have been increasingly used in smaller, specialized science courses. Application of this type of scientific teaching to large enrollment introductory courses has been, however, a major challenge. The general microbiology lecture/laboratory course described has been designed to incorporate published active-learning methods. Three major case studies are used as platforms for active learning. Themes from case studies are integrated into lectures and laboratory experiments, and in class and online discussions and assignments. Students are stimulated to apply facts to problem-solving and to learn research skills such as data analysis, writing, and working in teams. This course is feasible only because of its organizational framework that makes use of teaching teams (made up of faculty, graduate assistants, and undergraduate assistants) and Web-based technology. Technology is a mode of communication, but also a system of course management. The relevance of this model to other biology courses led to assessment and evaluation, including an analysis of student responses to the new course, class performance, a university course evaluation, and retention of course learning. The results are indicative of an increase in student engagement in research-oriented activities and an appreciation of real-world context by students. PMID:15917873

International medical graduates in the United States: a view from an ECFMG certificant.

PubMed

Zerhouni, Elias A

2006-12-01

The author was instilled with a passion for mathematics and physics by his father, who taught those subjects in a small Algerian town. Another indelible influence came during a high school mathematics class when his teacher gave the class a problem to solve. Little did the students know that it was Fermat's Last Theorem, which stumped them, and before that, every mathematician since 1630. This experience taught the author that failing to get the final answer was part of learning. He became enchanted with imaging techniques and after earning his medical degree in Algeria, came to study at Johns Hopkins. There he received the training he desired in diagnostic radiology. The author believes science has no borders and would like to see the opportunities that were extended to him in 1975 given to immigrants today. Although the United States produces many graduates in the sciences and mathematics, the nation still has a shortfall and must, he argues, work harder to educate and inspire this country's youth in addition to welcoming the brightest and most able scientists from around the world. He also discusses the crucial role of the National Institutes of Health in furthering global health by funding international biomedical research and by transforming medicine in the 21st century.

Children's environmental knowing: A case study of children's experiences during an environmental education programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Sandra Anne

This study explores children's experiences during WaterWorlds (pseudonym) a field-based environmental education programme at a marine science centre. The study objectives were to investigate how children understand and interpret their experiences, and how these experiences foster their environmental knowing. To address these objectives, I carried out a case study at a marine science centre in British Columbia. I examined children's WaterWorlds experiences and explored their environmental understandings and commitment to environmental action. I analysed the experiences of children in four separate classes and carried out an in-depth examination of four individual children. Data were collected using informal semi-structured interviews, observations, conversations, researcher journal logs, and student documents including their writing and illustrations. My findings indicate that the WaterWorlds programme experience fosters children's environmental knowing. Participation in WaterWorlds activities led to connection, caring, and concern for other species and in some cases, for the marine environment as a whole. During the programme, children chose the ways they interpreted and expressed their environmental knowledge, ethic of care, advocacy, and commitment to action. This development of each child's self-expression resulted in motivational and powerful learning experiences that inspired and nurtured their connections to the earth. This research provides evidence and examples of how educators can foster children's environmental knowing through multi-disciplinary environmental education experiences. It illustrates that activities such as observing and documenting the lives of other animal species, collecting data and conducting research on those species, and working and learning alongside experts in the field of environmental education are powerful experiences that motivate concern and care for the earth among children.

Unintended Consequences: How Science Professors Discourage Women of Color

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Angela C.

2007-01-01

This study examined how 16 Black, Latina, and American Indian women science students reacted to their undergraduate science classes. I focused on the meanings they made of the common features of university science documented by Seymour and Hewitt (1997), including large, competitive, fast-paced classes, poor teaching, and an unsupportive culture.…

Aerospace-Related Life Science Concepts for Use in Life Science Classes Grades 7-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Mary H.; Rademacher, Jean

The purpose of this guide is to provide the teacher of secondary school life science classes with resource materials for activities to familiarize students with recent discoveries in bioastronautics. Each section introduces a life science concept and a related aerospace concept, gives background information, suggested activities, and an annotated…

Secondary Science Teachers' and Students' Beliefs about Engaging in Whole-Class Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva Pimentel, Diane

2012-01-01

Reform movements in science education have repeatedly called for more dialogic and student-centered discussions during science lessons. The approach secondary science teachers take towards talk during whole-class discussions continues to be predominantly teacher-centered even when curriculum materials are designed to support a shift in discourse.…

Diagramming the Never Ending Story: Student-generated diagrammatic stories integrate and retain science concepts improving science literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pillsbury, Ralph T.

This research examined an instructional strategy called Diagramming the Never Ending Story: A method called diagramming was taught to sixth grade students via an outdoor science inquiry ecology unit. Students generated diagrams of the new ecology concepts they encountered, creating explanatory 'captions' for their newly drawn diagrams while connecting them in a memorable story. The diagramming process culminates in 20-30 meter-long murals called the Never Ending Story: Months of science instruction are constructed as pictorial scrolls, making sense of all new science concepts they encounter. This method was taught at a North Carolina "Public" Charter School, Children's Community School, to measure its efficacy in helping students comprehend scientific concepts and retain them thereby increasing science literacy. There were four demographically similar classes of 20 students each. Two 'treatment' classes, randomly chosen from the four classes, generated their own Never Ending Stories after being taught the diagramming method. A Solomon Four-Group Design was employed: Two Classes (one control, one treatment) were administered pre- and post; two classes received post tests only. The tests were comprised of multiple choice, fill-in and extended response (open-ended) sections. Multiple choice and fill-in test data were not statistically significant whereas extended response test data confirm that treatment classes made statistically significant gains.

Celebrating 30 Years of K-12 Educational Programming at Fermilab

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

Bardeen, M.; Cooke, M.P.; /Fermilab

In 1980 Leon Lederman started Saturday Morning Physics with a handful of volunteer physicists, around 300 students and all the physics teachers who tagged along. Today Fermilab offers over 30 programs annually with help from 250 staff volunteers and 50 educators, and serves around 40,000 students and 2,500 teachers. Find out why we bother. Over the years we have learned to take advantage of opportunities and confront challenges to offer effective programs for teachers and students alike. We offer research experiences for secondary school teachers and high school students. We collaborate with educators to design and run programs that meetmore » their needs and interests. Popular school programs include classroom presentations, experience-based field trips, and high school tours. Through our work in QuarkNet and I2U2, we make real particle physics data available to high school students in datadriven activities as well as masterclasses and e-Labs. Our professional development activities include a Teacher Resource Center and workshops where teachers participate in authentic learning experiences as their students would. We offer informal classes for kids and host events where children and adults enjoy the world of science. Our website hosts a wealth of online resources. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and Fermilab Friends for Science Education, our programs reach out across Illinois, throughout the United States and even around the world. We will review the program portfolio and share comments from the volunteers and participants.« less

Uncovering Scientist Stereotypes and Their Relationships with Student Race and Student Success in a Diverse, Community College Setting.

PubMed

Schinske, Jeffrey; Cardenas, Monica; Kaliangara, Jahana

2015-01-01

A number of studies have identified correlations between children's stereotypes of scientists, their science identities, and interest or persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Yet relatively few studies have examined scientist stereotypes among college students, and the literature regarding these issues in predominantly nonwhite and 2-yr college settings is especially sparse. We piloted an easy-to-analyze qualitative survey of scientist stereotypes in a biology class at a diverse, 2-yr, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. We examined the reliability and validity of the survey, and characterized students' comments with reference to previous research on stereotypes. Positive scientist stereotypes were relatively common in our sample, and negative stereotypes were rare. Negative stereotypes appeared to be concentrated within certain demographic groups. We found that students identifying nonstereotypical images of scientists at the start of class had higher rates of success in the course than their counterparts. Finally, evidence suggested many students lacked knowledge of actual scientists, such that they had few real-world reference points to inform their stereotypes of scientists. This study augments the scant literature regarding scientist stereotypes in diverse college settings and provides insights for future efforts to address stereotype threat and science identity. © 2015 J. Schinske et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Providing Middle School Students With Science Research Experiences Through Community Partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, D.

2007-12-01

Science research courses have been around for years at the university and high school level. As inquiry based learning has become more and more a part of the science teacher's vocabulary, many of these courses have adopted an inquiry model for studying science. Learners of all ages benefit from learning through the natural process of inquiry. I participated in the CIRES Earthworks program for science teachers (Colorado University) in the summer of 2007 and experienced, first hand, the value of inquiry learning. With the support and vision of my school administration, and with the support and commitment of community partners, I have developed a Middle School Science Research Program that is transforming how science is taught to students in my community. Swift Creek Middle School is located in Tallahassee, Florida. There are approximately 1000 students in this suburban public school. Students at Swift Creek are required to take one science class each year through 8th grade. As more emphasis is placed on learning a large number of scientific facts and information, in order to prepare students for yearly, standardized tests, there is a concern that less emphasis may be placed on the process and nature of science. The program I developed draws from the inquiry model followed at the CIRES Earthworks program, utilizes valuable community partnerships, and plays an important role in meeting that need. There are three major components to this Middle School Research Program, and the Center for Integrated Research and Learning (CIRL) at the National High Magnetic Field Lab (NHMFL) at Florida State University is playing an important role in all three. First, each student will develop their own research question and design experiments to answer the question. Scientists from the NHMFL are serving as mentors, or "buddy scientists," to my students as they work through the process of inquiry. Scientists from the CIRES - Earthworks program, Florida State University, and other institutions are also volunteering to be mentors. Second, each student will participate in the GLOBE-FLEXE pilot program that involves comparing environmental conditions of local environments to those of extreme environments, like hydrothermal vents in the deep sea. This real-world science program is being coordinated through the FLEXE Project Office at Penn State University, and the GLOBE Program Office in Boulder, Co. We will spend 18 class periods collecting local weather data and analyzing meteorological data from around the world, writing scientific reports, and peer reviewing other students reports. The NHMFL is a sponsor of the Communtiy Classroom Consortium in Tallahassee that is has funded a grant for equipment needed to conduct the data collection portion of this process. Finally, the students will share their research with other students, parents, teachers, and scientists at a school science fair in the fall, and a scientific poster session in the spring. The NHMFL will be supplying judges for the two sessions. They will also be offering the use of their facilities at the laboratory in the spring. Scientists from the lab will mingle with the students, discuss their research, and critique and encourage the young scientists at the first annual Middle School Research Symposium in May, 2008.

Assessment of preclinical problem-based learning versus lecture-based learning.

PubMed

Login, G R; Ransil, B J; Meyer, M; Truong, N T; Donoff, R B; McArdle, P J

1997-06-01

Academic performance on a standardized oral comprehensive exam (OCE) was compared for students taught basic science in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum and a lecture-based learning (LBL) curriculum. The OCE was administered to the graduating classes of 1991-1994 (n approximately 20/class) six months after completion of their basic science courses. The OCE contained six components including: Organization and Thoroughness, Diagnosis, Primary Treatment Plan, Alternate Treatment Plan, Science and Medical Knowledge, and Dental Knowledge. Six to eight examiners graded each of the students by using a standardized scoring system and by subjective comments. The class of 1991 was taught by LBL, classes of 1993 and 1994 by PBL, and the class of 1992 by an incomplete PBL teaching method. Mean OCE scores were not significantly different between classes; however, the Science and Medical Knowledge component score was significantly better for the class of 1994 than for 1991 (p < 0.05). There was a non-significant 40 percent increase (p = 0.07) in honors and a 269 percent (p < 0.001) increase in cumulative positive examiner comments between 1991 and 1994.

Experiment-o-mania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drndarski, Marina

2015-04-01

Every 21st century student is expected to develop science literacy skills. As this is not part of Serbian national curriculum yet, we decided to introduce it with this project. Experiment-o-mania provides students to experience science in different and exciting way. It makes opportunity for personalized learning offering space and time to ask (why, where, how, what if) and to try. Therefore, we empower young people with skills of experimenting, and they love science back. They ask questions, make hypothesis, make problems and solve them, make mistakes, discuss about the results. Subsequently this raises the students' interest for school curriculum. This vision of science teaching is associated with inquiry-based learning. Experiment-o-mania is the unique and recognizable teaching methodology for the elementary school Drinka Pavlović, Belgrade, Serbia. Experiment-o-mania implies activities throughout the school year. They are held on extra class sessions, through science experiments, science projects or preparations for School's Days of science. Students learn to ask questions, make observations, classify data, communicate ideas, conduct experiments, analyse results and make conclusions. All science teachers participate in designing activities and experiments for students in Experiment-o-mania teaching method. But they are not alone. Teacher of fine arts, English teachers and others also take part. Students have their representatives in this team, too. This is a good way to blend knowledge among different school subject and popularize science in general. All the experiments are age appropriate and related to real life situations, local community, society and the world. We explore Fibonacci's arrays, saving energy, solar power, climate change, environmental problems, pollution, daily life situations in the country or worldwide. We introduce great scientists as Nikola Tesla, Milutin Milanković and sir Isaac Newton. We celebrate all relevant international days, weeks, months or years (this year, 2015. the students will prepare opera science for celebrate the International Year of Light and International Year of Soils). Experiment-o-mania makes science teaching and learning exciting for teachers as well as for students. The acquisition of this kind of teaching method (and its frequency) empowers students and become self-regulated learners, independent, to creatively solve problems, to innovate, to truly understand and appreciate science and to better understand themselves and the world around them.

Using Video Analysis and Biomechanics to Engage Life Science Majors in Introductory Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, Jeff

There is an interest in Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences (IPLS) as a way to better engage students in what may be their only physical science course. In this talk I will present some low cost and readily available technologies for video analysis and how they have been implemented in classes and in student research projects. The technologies include software like Tracker and LoggerPro for video analysis and low cost high speed cameras for capturing real world events. The focus of the talk will be on content created by students including two biomechanics research projects performed over the summer by pre-physical therapy majors. One project involved assessing medial knee displacement (MKD), a situation where the subject's knee becomes misaligned during a squatting motion and is a contributing factor in ACL and other knee injuries. The other project looks at the difference in landing forces experienced by gymnasts and cheer-leaders while performing on foam mats versus spring floors. The goal of this talk is to demonstrate how easy it can be to engage life science majors through the use of video analysis and topics like biomechanics and encourage others to try it for themselves.

Earth Science Data Education through Cooking Up Recipes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigel, A. M.; Maskey, M.; Smith, T.; Conover, H.

2016-12-01

One of the major challenges in Earth science research and applications is understanding and applying the proper methods, tools, and software for using scientific data. These techniques are often difficult and time consuming to identify, requiring novel users to conduct extensive research, take classes, and reach out for assistance, thus hindering scientific discovery and real-world applications. To address these challenges, the Global Hydrology Resource Center (GHRC) DAAC has developed a series of data recipes that novel users such as students, decision makers, and general Earth scientists can leverage to learn how to use Earth science datasets. Once the data recipe content had been finalized, GHRC computer and Earth scientists collaborated with a web and graphic designer to ensure the content is both attractively presented to data users, and clearly communicated to promote the education and use of Earth science data. The completed data recipes include, but are not limited to, tutorials, iPython Notebooks, resources, and tools necessary for addressing key difficulties in data use across a broad user base. These recipes enable non-traditional users to learn how to use data, but also curates and communicates common methods and approaches that may be difficult and time consuming for these users to identify.

Materials inspired by mathematics.

PubMed

Kotani, Motoko; Ikeda, Susumu

2016-01-01

Our world is transforming into an interacting system of the physical world and the digital world. What will be the materials science in the new era? With the rising expectations of the rapid development of computers, information science and mathematical science including statistics and probability theory, 'data-driven materials design' has become a common term. There is knowledge and experience gained in the physical world in the form of know-how and recipes for the creation of material. An important key is how we establish vocabulary and grammar to translate them into the language of the digital world. In this article, we outline how materials science develops when it encounters mathematics, showing some emerging directions.

Girls and science education in Mauritius: a study of science class practices and their effects on girls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naugah, Jayantee; Watts, Mike

2013-11-01

Background: The population of Mauritius consists of 52% females and scientific literacy is seen to be of vital importance for all young people if they are to be sufficiently equipped to meet the challenges of a fast changing world. Previous research shows, however, that science is not popular among girls. This paper explores one of many reasons why few girls opt for science subjects after compulsory schooling. Purpose: This study investigated the approaches to teaching in four science classrooms in Mauritius, with particular emphases on the preferences of girls as they learn science. Sample: A total of 20 student interviews and 16 teacher interviews were conducted in four schools in Mauritius. The four mixed-faith schools comprised two all-girl schools (one state, one fee-paying), and two mixed-sex schools (one state, one fee-paying), within urban, suburban and rural situations. Design and method: 80 non-participant lessons were observed, of which 60 were science lessons while the remaining 20 non-science lessons were in economics, accounts and commerce. Group interviews with five pupils in each of the four schools were conducted and 16 individual interviews with teachers in the four schools gave an insight into the pedagogic approaches used for the teaching and learning of science. Results: Transmissive approaches to teaching, giving little opportunity for collaborative or activity-based learning, were found to be the most important factors in alienating the girls from science. Conclusions: There need to be radical changes in approaches to teaching to retain young girls' interest in the sciences.

Skills Verdict: Must Do Better

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spilsbury, Mark

2010-01-01

"Ambition 2020: World Class Skills and Jobs" is the UK Commission for Employment and Skills' annual assessment, to the four UK nations, of their progress towards becoming "world class" in productivity, employment and skills by 2020. "Ambition 2020" provides a robust independent account of economic and skills…

Lead-Testing Service to Elementary and Secondary Schools Using Anodic Stripping Voltammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goebel, Amanda; Vos, Tracy; Louwagie, Anne; Lundbohm, Laura; Brown, Jay H.

2004-02-01

This article outlines a successful community service project that involved members of our undergraduate chemistry club and area elementary schools. Elementary school students from various science classes throughout the region collected drinking water samples and mailed them to the university for analysis. Chemistry club members analyzed the water samples for possible lead contamination using anodic stripping voltammetry. The results and experimental data were returned to the science teachers for use in a variety of class projects. Chemistry club members presented their work during our annual Environmental Chemistry Conference. All participating science classes were invited to the conference. Over the years, participation in this project has steadily increased to its current enrollment of 28 science classes throughout the region.

Factors that encourage females to pursue physical science careers: Testing five common hypotheses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Lock, Robynne M.; Lung, Florin; Sadler, Philip M.; Sonnert, Gerhard

2012-03-01

There are many hypotheses regarding factors that may encourage female students to pursue careers in the physical sciences. Using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) on national data (n=7505) drawn from the Persistence Research in Science and Engineering (PRiSE) project, we test five commonly held beliefs including having a single-sex physics class, having a female physics teacher, having female scientist guest speakers in physics class, discussing the work of women scientists in physics class, and discussing the under-representation of women in physics class. The effect of these experiences is compared for female students who are matched on several factors, including parental education, prior science/math interests, and academic background, thereby controlling for the effect of many confounding variables.

Graduate Student and High School Teacher Partnerships Implementing Inquiry-Based Lessons in Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M. A.; Preston, L.; Graham, K.

2007-12-01

Partnering science graduate students with high school teachers in their classroom is a mutually beneficial relationship. Graduate students who may become future university level faculty are exposed to teaching, classroom management, outreach scholarship, and managing time between teaching and research. Teachers benefit by having ready access to knowledgeable scientists, a link to university resources, and an additional adult in the classroom. Partnerships in Research Opportunities to Benefit Education (PROBE), a recent NSF funded GK-12 initiative, formed partnerships between science and math graduate students from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and local high school science teachers. A primary goal of this program was to promote inquiry-based science lessons. The teacher-graduate student teams worked together approximately twenty hours per week on researching, preparing, and implementing new lessons and supervising student-led projects. Several new inquiry-based activities in Geology and Astronomy were developed as a result of collaboration between an Earth Science graduate student and high school teacher. For example, a "fishbowl" activity was very successful in sparking a classroom discussion about how minerals are used in industrial materials. The class then went on to research how to make their own paint using minerals. This activity provided a capstone project at the end of the unit about minerals, and made real world connections to the subject. A more involved geology lesson was developed focusing on the currently popular interest in forensics. Students were assigned with researching how geology can play an important part in solving a crime. When they understood the role of geologic concepts within the scope of the forensic world, they used techniques to solve their own "crime". Astronomy students were responsible for hosting and teaching middle school students about constellations, using a star- finder, and operating an interactive planetarium computer program. In order to successfully convey this information to the younger students, the high school students had to learn their material well. This model of pairing graduate students with science teachers is continuing as a component of the Transforming Earth System Science Education (TESSE) program.

Using the Sociology of Associations to Rethink STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buxton, Cory; Harper, Susan; Payne, Yolanda Denise; Allexsaht-Snider, Martha

2017-01-01

Using three constructs taken from Latour's 2005 book, "Reassembling the Social," we consider our work in 2 contexts that were part of a project to support science teachers working with English learners: an 8th-grade physical science class in a summer science enrichment academy, and a 6th-grade Earth science class in a public middle…

Reaching the Next Stephen Hawking: Five Ways to Help Students with Disabilities in Advanced Placement Science Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Lori A.; Potts, Elizabeth A.; Linz, Ed

2013-01-01

As the federal government encourages all students to attempt advanced math and science courses, more students with disabilities are enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) science classes. AP science teachers can better serve these students by understanding the various types of disabilities (whether physical, learning, emotional, or behavioral),…

Dental Care. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Soap. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Natural Dyes. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Distillation. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Methane Digestors. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Housing. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Clay Pots. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Salt. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Energy Convertors. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Science Across the World in Teacher Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoen, Lida; Weishet, Egbert; Kennedy, Declan

2007-01-01

Science Across the World is an exchange programme between schools world-wide. It has two main components: existing resources for students (age 6-10) and a database with all participating schools. The programme exists since 1990. It is carried out in partnership with the British Association of Science Education (ASE) and international…

Iron Smelting. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Fermentation. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Are We Serious about Preparing Chemists for the 21st Century Workplace or Are We Just Teaching Chemistry?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerr, Sylvia; Runquist, Olaf

2005-02-01

What characteristics of employees do you value in the workplace? Sixteen leaders from world-class chemistry-based industries responded: "We want competent scientists who have high-level communication skills, cultural competencies, knowledge of how for-profit organizations function, excellent team problem-solving skills, broad backgrounds, strong work ethics, the ability to move effortlessly from science to business to humanitarian issues, and data-analysis skills." A wish list of 16 valued characteristics was generated. In response to the concern of industrial leaders and as a result of a National Science Foundation grant the Hamline University 3M Project was initiated. This unique project brought 3M professionals and Hamline University faculty members together in teams to address the concerns of industry leaders and to design and initiate curricular changes to better prepare students for the 21st century technological workplace. Each of five teams focused on one of five skill areas: namely, communications, team problem solving, data analysis, cultural competency, business, and economics. The Hamline 3M Project demonstrated a model for utilizing the industrial intellectual community to enhance undergraduate science education.

StarLogo TNG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klopfer, Eric; Scheintaub, Hal; Huang, Wendy; Wendel, Daniel

Computational approaches to science are radically altering the nature of scientific investigatiogn. Yet these computer programs and simulations are sparsely used in science education, and when they are used, they are typically “canned” simulations which are black boxes to students. StarLogo The Next Generation (TNG) was developed to make programming of simulations more accessible for students and teachers. StarLogo TNG builds on the StarLogo tradition of agent-based modeling for students and teachers, with the added features of a graphical programming environment and a three-dimensional (3D) world. The graphical programming environment reduces the learning curve of programming, especially syntax. The 3D graphics make for a more immersive and engaging experience for students, including making it easy to design and program their own video games. Another change to StarLogo TNG is a fundamental restructuring of the virtual machine to make it more transparent. As a result of these changes, classroom use of TNG is expanding to new areas. This chapter is concluded with a description of field tests conducted in middle and high school science classes.

The minerals and the light: Mineralogy and astronomy in the history of the homo sapiens sapiens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giovanna Giovine, Laura

2016-04-01

Since the end of the '90s, when the concept of competence was introduced in the education world, the debate on teaching assessment of competences is going on in the Italian school system. Nonetheless, first cycle and second cycle State Exams and national tests (INVALSI), yet have a focus on knowledge and skills. In the education field competence is defined as the capability to face requests and complex tasks effectively, using knowledge and skills acquired by study, research, observation and experience. The proposal formulated here is directed to turn disciplinary knowledge and skills to personal competences through educational and unitary teaching, in order to overcome the discontinuities between Primary school - Secondary school - Universities - the world of work. The ultimate goal is to preserve throughout the didactic course of teaching the wholeness and unitarily of personal competence of the student, who uses acquired disciplinary knowledge and skills in a personal fashion, neither mnemonic nor mechanical. The course of study may begin in the first class of lower secondary school and go on up to the fifth class of upper secondary school, with didactic laboratorial strategies and teaching strategies for competences, involving multiple disciplines. The recipients are the classes where a greater difficulty for students to integrate into the life of the School is registered, or the learned input-skills are of low or inadequate level, possibly with the presence of students with Special Educational Needs. In involved classes the collaboration and sharing of all teachers of the Class Council has been requested, in order to build an educational unitary course, centered on the concept of competence. Contents of the course: • The materials of the solid earth: minerals (physical and chemical properties, classification) • Percentages, graphics, angles, geometric solids, symmetry • Measurement units, speed and acceleration, mass and weight, pressure, energy, heat, temperature, density • States of matter: solid state and liquid state • The periodic table of elements, atoms and molecules • Mixtures Introduction to the course: • History informs sciences: newspapers and books dating back to the First World War are read in the classroom, mineral resources used in everyday life and the their mining locations, in cooperation with Geohistory and Italian teachers. • Discussion groups and "questioning" by the test "Is it useful to study the Mineralogy?" and input test with open-ended questions. • Experiments in the laboratory shared with Physics teacher: we observe a mineral (recognition, classification, chemical composition) • Theoretical lesson: natural sciences, physics and chemistry, with the support of the textbook and using material found by students in the Internet • Visit to the local museum with the teacher of Geometric Design or Art History or Technology or Geohistory • Brainstorming and project with support of LIM to view video-on lab and specific software • Experiments in the laboratory shared with the teacher of Mathematics: growing crystals (shape and symmetry, recognition and classification, chemical composition and structure of atoms) • Final report on experiments, possibly with research hypotheses.

Grouped to Achieve: Are There Benefits to Assigning Students to Heterogeneous Cooperative Learning Groups Based on Pre-Test Scores?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werth, Arman Karl

Cooperative learning has been one of the most widely used instructional practices around the world since the early 1980's. Small learning groups have been in existence since the beginning of the human race. These groups have grown in their variance and complexity overtime. Classrooms are getting more diverse every year and instructors need a way to take advantage of this diversity to improve learning. The purpose of this study was to see if heterogeneous cooperative learning groups based on student achievement can be used as a differentiated instructional strategy to increase students' ability to demonstrate knowledge of science concepts and ability to do engineering design. This study includes two different groups made up of two different middle school science classrooms of 25-30 students. These students were given an engineering design problem to solve within cooperative learning groups. One class was put into heterogeneous cooperative learning groups based on student's pre-test scores. The other class was grouped based on random assignment. The study measured the difference between each class's pre-post gains, student's responses to a group interaction form and interview questions addressing their perceptions of the makeup of their groups. The findings of the study were that there was no significant difference between learning gains for the treatment and comparison groups. There was a significant difference between the treatment and comparison groups in student perceptions of their group's ability to stay on task and manage their time efficiently. Both the comparison and treatment groups had a positive perception of the composition of their cooperative learning groups.

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

Baker, Ann E; Barker, Ashley D; Bland, Arthur S Buddy

Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) continues to deliver the most powerful resources in the U.S. for open science. At 2.33 petaflops peak performance, the Cray XT Jaguar delivered more than 1.4 billion core hours in calendar year (CY) 2011 to researchers around the world for computational simulations relevant to national and energy security; advancing the frontiers of knowledge in physical sciences and areas of biological, medical, environmental, and computer sciences; and providing world-class research facilities for the nation's science enterprise. Users reported more than 670 publications this year arising from their use of OLCF resources. Of thesemore » we report the 300 in this review that are consistent with guidance provided. Scientific achievements by OLCF users cut across all range scales from atomic to molecular to large-scale structures. At the atomic scale, researchers discovered that the anomalously long half-life of Carbon-14 can be explained by calculating, for the first time, the very complex three-body interactions between all the neutrons and protons in the nucleus. At the molecular scale, researchers combined experimental results from LBL's light source and simulations on Jaguar to discover how DNA replication continues past a damaged site so a mutation can be repaired later. Other researchers combined experimental results from ORNL's Spallation Neutron Source and simulations on Jaguar to reveal the molecular structure of ligno-cellulosic material used in bioethanol production. This year, Jaguar has been used to do billion-cell CFD calculations to develop shock wave compression turbo machinery as a means to meet DOE goals for reducing carbon sequestration costs. General Electric used Jaguar to calculate the unsteady flow through turbo machinery to learn what efficiencies the traditional steady flow assumption is hiding from designers. Even a 1% improvement in turbine design can save the nation billions of gallons of fuel.« less

A Series of MATLAB Learning Modules to Enhance Numerical Competency in Applied Marine Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, A. M.; Lucieer, V.; Burke, C.

2016-12-01

Enhanced numerical competency to navigate the massive data landscapes are critical skills students need to effectively explore, analyse and visualize complex patterns in high-dimensional data for addressing the complexity of many of the world's problems. This is especially the case for interdisciplinary, undergraduate applied marine science programs, where students are required to demonstrate competency in methods and ideas across multiple disciplines. In response to this challenge, we have developed a series of repository-based data exploration, analysis and visualization modules in MATLAB for integration across various attending and online classes within the University of Tasmania. The primary focus of these modules is to teach students to collect, aggregate and interpret data from large on-line marine scientific data repositories to, 1) gain technical skills in discovering, accessing, managing and visualising large, numerous data sources, 2) interpret, analyse and design approaches to visualise these data, and 3) to address, through numerical approaches, complex, real-world problems, that the traditional scientific methods cannot address. All modules, implemented through a MATLAB live script, include a short recorded lecture to introduce the topic, a handout that gives an overview of the activities, an instructor's manual with a detailed methodology and discussion points, a student assessment (quiz and level-specific challenge task), and a survey. The marine science themes addressed through these modules include biodiversity, habitat mapping, algal blooms and sea surface temperature change and utilize a series of marine science and oceanographic data portals. Through these modules students, with minimal experience in MATLAB or numerical methods are introduced to array indexing, concatenation, sorting, and reshaping, principal component analysis, spectral analysis and unsupervised classification within the context of oceanographic processes, marine geology and marine community ecology.

USGS Science: Addressing Our Nation's Challenges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larson, Tania M.

2009-01-01

With 6.6 billion people already living on Earth, and that number increasing every day, human influence on our planet is ever more apparent. Changes to the natural world combined with increasing human demands threaten our health and safety, our national security, our economy, and our quality of life. As a planet and a Nation, we face unprecedented challenges: loss of critical and unique ecosystems, the effects of climate change, increasing demand for limited energy and mineral resources, increasing vulnerability to natural hazards, the effects of emerging diseases on wildlife and human health, and growing needs for clean water. The time to respond to these challenges is now, but policymakers and decisionmakers face difficult choices. With competing priorities to balance, and potentially serious - perhaps irreversible - consequences at stake, our leaders need reliable scientific information to guide their decisions. As the Nation's earth and natural science agency, the USGS monitors and conducts scientific research on natural hazards and resources and how these elements and human activities influence our environment. Because the challenges we face are complex, the science needed to better understand and deal with these challenges must reflect the complex interplay among natural and human systems. With world-class expertise in biology, geology, geography, hydrology, geospatial information, and remote sensing, the USGS is uniquely capable of conducting the comprehensive scientific research needed to better understand the interdependent interactions of Earth's systems. Every day, the USGS helps decisionmakers to minimize loss of life and property, manage our natural resources, and protect and enhance our quality of life. This brochure provides examples of the challenges we face and how USGS science helps decisionmakers to address these challenges.

Does Geophysics Need "A new kind of Science"?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turcotte, D. L.; Rundle, J. B.

2002-12-01

Stephen Wolfram's book "A New Kind of Science" has received a great deal of attention in the last six months, both positive and negative. The theme of the book is that "cellular automata", which arise from spatial and temporal coarse-graining of equations of motion, provide the foundations for a new nonlinear science of "complexity". The old science is the science of partial differential equations. Some of the major contributions of this old science have been in geophysics, i.e. gravity, magnetics, seismic waves, heat flow. The basis of the new science is the use of massive computing and numerical simulations. The new science is motivated by the observations that many physical systems display a vast multiplicity of space and time scales, and have hidden dynamics that in many cases are impossible to directly observe. An example would be molecular dynamics. Statistical physics derives continuum equations from the discrete interactions between atoms and molecules, in the modern world the continuum equations are then discretized using finite differences, finite elements, etc. in order to obtain numerical solutions. Examples of widely used cellular automata models include diffusion limited aggregation and site percolation. Also the class of models that are said to exhibit self-organized criticality, the sand-pile model, the slider-block model, the forest-fire model. Applications of these models include drainage networks, seismicity, distributions of minerals,and the evolution of landforms and coastlines. Simple cellular automata models generate deterministic chaos, i.e. the logistic map.

Preparing new Earth Science teachers via a collaborative program between Research Scientists and Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grcevich, Jana; Pagnotta, Ashley; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Shara, Michael; Flores, Kennet; Nadeau, Patricia A.; Sessa, Jocelyn; Ustunisik, Gokce; Zirakparvar, Nasser; Ebel, Denton; Harlow, George; Webster, James D.; Kinzler, Rosamond; MacDonald, Maritza B.; Contino, Julie; Cooke-Nieves, Natasha; Howes, Elaine; Zachowski, Marion

2015-01-01

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program at the American Museum of Natural History is a innovative program designed to prepare participants to be world-class Earth Science teachers. New York State is experiencing a lack of qualified Earth Science teachers, leading in the short term to a reduction in students who successfully complete the Earth Science Regents examination, and in the long term potential reductions in the number of students who go on to pursue college degrees in Earth Science related disciplines. The MAT program addresses this problem via a collaboration between practicing research scientists and education faculty. The faculty consists of curators and postdoctoral researchers from the Departments of Astrophysics, Earth and Planetary Sciences, and the Division of Paleontology, as well as doctoral-level education experts. During the 15-month, full-time program, students participate in a residency program at local urban classrooms as well as taking courses and completing field work in astrophysics, geology, earth science, and paleontology. The program targets high-needs schools with diverse populations. We seek to encourage, stimulate interest, and inform the students impacted by our program, most of whom are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, about the rich possibilities for careers in Earth Science related disciplines and the intrinsic value of the subject. We report on the experience of the first and second cohorts, all of whom are now employed in full time teaching positions, and the majority in high needs schools in New York State.

SkWwatch: Introducing European Youth to the World of Scientific Research through Interactive Utilisation of a Global Network of Robotic Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sotiriou, M.; Vrazopoulos, H.; Ioannou, P.; Sotiriou, S.; Vagenas, E.

2005-12-01

The SkyWatch project is co-fi nanced by the European Community, within the FP6 framework of Science and Society, The SkyWatch consortium is composed by the following partners: Q-PLAN (GR), EDEN - Open Classroom (UK), Astrophysics Research Institute - Liverpool John Moores University (UK), European Physical Society (FR), Ellinogermaniki Agogi (GR), Stockholm University (SE), SCIENCE PROJECTS (UK) and University of Duisburg-Essen (DE). The aim of the SkyWatch project is to build up the number of youngsters involved in a series of science projects to create a virtual community of prospective young researchers promoting scientifi c culture. The project will allow young people to access and use robotic telescopes remotely in real-time, perform observations, analyze data and results and fi nally to develop and suggest solutions to selected research/scientifi c topics, all achieved through an innovative web-based learning environment. The dissemination of the project's activities is also served by a European Science Contest on science topics and projects, a series of popular science distance learning courses (Science Days) for European youth, promotion of concepts and ideas of science of a multidisciplinary nature: astronomy, physics, mathematics, chemistry, etc. The young participants are prompted to organize teams (school classes, groups of students, etc.) and to design, develop and implement projects and activities with the use of robotic telescopes under the guidance and the continuous support of a team of experts.

Why so few young women in mathematics, science, and technology classes?

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

Wieda, K.J.

Many factors influence the success of women in scientific and technical careers. Women represent over 50% of the U.S. population, yet less than 16% of women are employed in scientific and technical careers. Research over the last decade makes it clear that disparities exist in the participation, achievement, and attitudes of young men and young women in science classes. Young women are as interested in science experiences as young men up until age nine. After that age, the number of young women interested in science, mathematics, and technology classes drops. Not enrolling in science and mathematics classes in high schoolmore » limits career options for young women, and their chance to succeed in a scientific or technical field becomes remote. Why is this happening? What can we, as educators, scientists, and parents do to address this problem? The literature identifies three principal factors that relate to the lack of female involvement in science classes: culture, attitude, and education. This paper reviews these factors and provides examples of programs that Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) and others have developed to increase the number of young women entering college ready and wanting to pursue a career in a scientific or technical field.« less

Scientists Reflect on Why They Chose to Study Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venville, Grady; Rennie, Léonie; Hanbury, Colin; Longnecker, Nancy

2013-12-01

A concern commonly raised in literature and in media relates to the declining proportions of students who enter and remain in the `science pipeline', and whether many countries, including Australia and New Zealand, have enough budding scientists to fill research and industry positions in the coming years. In addition, there is concern that insufficient numbers of students continue in science to ensure an informed, scientifically literate citizenry. The aim of the research presented in this paper was to survey current Australian and New Zealand scientists to explore their reasons for choosing to study science. An online survey was conducted via a link to SurveyGizmo. The data presented are from 726 respondents who answered 22 forced-choice items and an open-ended question about the reasons they chose to study science. The quantitative data were analysed using t tests and analyses of variance followed by Duncan's multiple range tests, and the qualitative data were analysed thematically. The quantitative data showed that the main reasons scientists reported choosing to study science were because they were interested in science and because they were good at science. Secondary school science classes and one particular science teacher also were found to be important factors. Of much less importance were the prestige of science and financial considerations. The qualitative data expanded on these findings and showed that passion for science and/or curiosity about the world were important factors and also highlighted the importance of recreational pursuits, such as camping when a child. In the words of one respondent, `People don't go into science for the money and glory. It's passion for knowledge and science that always attracted me to the field'.

Following the Leader? Network Models of "World-Class" Universities on Twitter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Robin

2016-01-01

Much research on higher education has discussed the positional competition induced by global rankings and the complementary concept of "world-class" universities. This paper investigates the network of social media communication between globally ranked universities. Specifically, it examines whether universities seek to preserve and…

World Class Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Rosalita

1998-01-01

School communities are challenged to find ways to identify good teachers and give other teachers a chance to learn from them. The New Mexico World Class Teacher Project is encouraging teachers to pursue certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This process sharpens teachers' student assessment skills and encourages…

Oceanography in Second Life: Use of a Virtual Reality to Enhance Undergraduate Education in Marine Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villareal, T. A.; Jarmon, L.; Triggs, R.

2009-12-01

Shipboard research is a fundamental part of oceanography, but has numerous legal and practical constraints virtually eliminate it as a regular part of large-enrollment programs in marine science. The cost of a properly equipped research vessel alone can prevent student access. While much can be learned by active exploration of archived data by students, the limitations placed on real oceanographic programs by distance, vessel speed, and time are difficult to reproduce in exercises. Pre-cruise planning and collaboration between investigators are likewise a challenge to incorporate. We have used design students in the College of Liberal Arts to construct a oceanographic expedition in Second Life for use in a marine science course (Fall 2009). Second Life is a highly collaborative environment with a variety of tools that allow users to create their own environment and interact with it. Second LIfe is free, highly portable, and inherently amenable to distance or remote teaching. In our application, the research vessel exists as an moving platform with sampling abilities. Software code queries an external MySQL database that contains information from the World Ocean Atlas for the entire ocean, and returns strings of data from standard depths. Students must plan the cruise track to test hypothesis about the ocean, collaborate with other teams to develop the big picture and use standard oceanographic software (Ocean Data Viewer; ODV) to analyze the data. Access to the entire database in ODV then allows comparison to the actual properties and distributions. The effectiveness of this approach is being evaluated by a pre- and post-class surveys and post semester focus group interviews. Similar surveys of the design students that created the environment noted that use of Second Life created a learning experience that was both more immersive and process oriented than traditional college courses. Initial impressions in the marine science class indicate that the strong social networking presence captures these digital native undergraduates rapidly, and that this is a strong positive motivation for working on assigned class activities in Second Life.

20% Research & Design Science Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spear, Beth A.

2015-04-01

A project allowing employees to use 15 % of their time on independent projects was established at 3M in the 1950's. The result of this project included products like post it notes and masking tape. Google allows its employees to use 20% of their time on independently pursued projects. The company values creativity and innovation. Employees are allowed to explore projects of interest to them one day out of the week, 20 % of their work week. Products like AdSense, Gmail, Google Transit, Google News, and Google Talk are the result of this 20 % program. My school is implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as part of our regularly scheduled curriculum review. These new standards focus on the process of learning by doing and designing. The NGSS are very hands on and active. The new standards emphasize learning how to define, understand and solve problems in science and technology. In today's society everyone needs to be familiar with science and technology. This project allows students to develop and practice skills to help them be more comfortable and confident with science and technology while exploring something of interest to them. This project includes three major parts: research, design, and presentation. Students will spend approximately 2-4 weeks defining a project proposal and educating themselves by researching a science and technology topic that is of interest to them. In the next phase, 2-4 weeks, students design a product or plan to collect data for something related to their topic. The time spent on research and design will be dependant on the topic students select. Projects should be ambitious enough to encompass about six weeks. Lastly a presentation or demonstration incorporating the research and design of the project is created, peer reviewed and presented to the class. There are some problems anticipated or already experienced with this project. It is difficult for all students to choose a unique topic when you have large class sizes. Some students find it painful to design something independently as they are used to being told what to do. Assessing the projects, which include a wide degree of ambition established within the proposal, can be challenging. Implementation of this project requires the loss of approximately 20 % of class time. This can be a challenge when class time is already at a premium. However; the benefits of this project outweigh the loss of instructional time. This project is student centered and allows each student to pursue a topic of interest to them. This ability to choose their own topic allows students to explore with very few boundaries to confine their imagination. The project allows students to propose an ambitious project. The option for failure with the design portion of the project allows them to learn that failure is not always negative and can provide many learning opportunities, much like real world situations. This project is aligned with the NGSS encouraging creativity and innovation through unique, authentic investigations in science and technology.

The World Science Festival

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pazmino, J.

2012-06-01

(Abstract only) New York City in the late 20th century rose to be a planetary capital for the sciences, not just astronomy. This growth was mainly in the academic sector but a parallel growth occurred in the public and home field. With the millennium crossing, scientists in New York agitated for a celebration of the City as a place for a thriving science culture. In 2008 they began World Science Festival. 2011 is the fourth running, on June 1-5, following the AAVSO/AAS meetings. World Science Festival was founded by Dr. Brian Greene, Columbia University, and is operated through the World Science Foundation. The Festival is "saturation science" all over Manhattan in a series of lectures, shows, exhibits, performances. It is staged in "science" venues like colleges and musea, but also in off-science spaces like theaters and galleries. It is a blend from hard science, with lectures like those by us astronomers, to science-themed works of art, dance, music. Events are fitted for the public, either for free or a modest fee. While almost all events are on Manhattan, effort has been made to geographically disperse them, even to the outer boroughs. The grand finale of World Science Festival is a street fair in Washington Square. Science centers in booths, tents, and pavilions highlight their work. In past years this fair drew 100,000 to 150,000 visitors. The entire Festival attracts about a quarter-million attendees. NYSkies is a proud participant at the Washington Square fair. It interprets the "Earth to the Universe" display, debuting during IYA-2009. Attendance at "Earth..." on just the day of the fair plausibly is half of all visitors in America. The presentation shows the scale and scope of World Science Festival, its relation to the City, and how our astronomers work with it.

The World Science Festival

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pazmino, John

2011-05-01

New York City in the late 20th century rose to be a planetary capital for the sciences, not just astronomy. This growth is mainly in the academic sector but a parallel growth occurred in the public and home field. With the millennium crossing scientists in New York agitated for a celebration of the City as a place for a thriving science culture. In 2008 they began World Science Festival. 2011 is the fourth running, on June 1st-5th, following AAVSO/AAS. World Science Festival was founded by Dr Brian Greene, Columbia University, and is operated thru World Science Foundation. The Festival is 'saturation science' all over Manhattan in a series of lectures, shows, exhibits, performances. It is staged in 'science' venues like colleges and musea, but also in off-science spaces like theaters and galleries. It is a blend of hard science, with lectures like those by us astronomers to science-themed works of art, dance, music. Events are fitted for the public, either for free or a modest fee. While almost all events are on Manhattan, effort is done to geographicly disperse them, even to the outer boros. The grand finale of World Science Festival is a street fair in Washington Square. Science centers in booths, tents, pavilions highlight their work. This fair drew in past years 100,000 to 150,000 visitors. The entire Festival attracts about a quarter million. NYSkies is a proud participant at the Washington Square fair. It interprets the 'Earth to the Universe' display, debuting during IYA-2009. Attendance at 'Earth ...' on just the day of the fair plausibly is half of all visitors in America. The presentation shows the scale and scope of World Science Festival, its relation to the City, and how our astronomers work with it.

Pedagogical experimentations about participating science, in a european class, in France.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgio, Marion

2015-04-01

A european class is, in France, a class in which we teach a subject in a foreign language, for example science in English. I led, in my European class, during a seven weeks session, group work activities about different participating science actions. There were groups composed of three or four 16 years old students. Each group chose one type of participating science activity among : - Leading a visioconference with an IODP mission on board the Joides Resolution. - Being part of a "science songs community" with Tom Mc Fadden They divided the work and some of them studied the websites and contacted the actors to present the pedagogical or scientific background of their subject. Others had a concrete production like the organization of a visioconference with the Joides Resolution or the creation of a pedagogical song about geology. I will present some results of their work and explain the students motivation linked to this active learning method.

Content Representations in a Secondary Environmental Science Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomanek, Debra

The purpose of this study was to determine what representations of content existed in a secondary environmental science class and what happended to those representations during curriculum occasions. Initial data construction involved attention to what was actually going on during class sessions. Following this, a reanalysis of the data corpus with…

Confidence Wagering during Mathematics and Science Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jack, Brady Michael; Liu, Chia-Ju; Chiu, Hoan-Lin; Shymansky, James A.

2009-01-01

This proposal presents the results of a case study involving five 8th grade Taiwanese classes, two mathematics and three science classes. These classes used a new method of testing called confidence wagering. This paper advocates the position that confidence wagering can predict the accuracy of a student's test answer selection during…

Dynamic Leadership, Character Education Form New FCS Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Carol Ann

2007-01-01

In this article, the author describes the leadership class that she created for the family and consumer sciences (FCS) department. The class, "Family & Consumer Sciences Issues & Applications," focused on family and community action for improved quality of life. It included in-depth laboratory experiences, service learning activities, and the…

Hunting for Habitable Worlds: Engaging Students in an Adaptive Online Setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horodyskyj, L.; Ben-Naim, D.; Anbar, A. D.; Semken, S. C.

2011-12-01

The field of astrobiology, through its breadth of scope and high level of public interest, offers a unique prospect for introductory science curricula, particularly at the undergraduate level. Traditional university-level science instruction consists of lectures and accompanying lab courses that are highly scripted to emphasize correct replication of results rather than inquiry-driven exploration. These methodologies give students the impression that science is an authoritative list of abstract concepts and experimental results requiring memorization, rather than a methodology for narrowing uncertainties in our knowledge. Additionally, this particular class structure does not take advantage of many new and emerging online multimedia technologies. To address the shortcomings of current pedagogical approaches, we adapted the Arizona State University introductory-level course "Habitable Worlds" for online delivery in the fall semester of 2011. This course is built around the Drake Equation, which allows us to introduce non-science students to the basics of scientific thought and methodology while exploring disciplines as diverse as astronomy, geology, biology, and sustainability in an integrated manner. The online version of this course is structured around a habitable-worlds-hunting quest, where each student is provided with an individualized universe and tasked with finding scientifically realistic computer-generated inhabited planets around realistic stars. In order to successfully complete this mission, students work their way through the course curriculum via interactive exercises that focus on the discovery of basic scientific concepts followed by the mathematics and models that explain them, hence inverting the lecture-lab paradigm. The "Habitable Worlds" course is built on the Adaptive eLearning Platform (AeLP), an innovative educational technology that provides a "tutor over the shoulder" learning experience for students. Our focus is on engaging students with rich interactions (such as data collection using Google Earth, virtual field trips, and interactive simulations) while providing them with intelligent and adaptive feedback and lesson structure. As such, advanced students proceed quickly and are kept engaged, while students with difficulty receive the appropriate remediation and support they need. The AeLP's analytics engine allows instructors to explore large datasets of students' interaction, and assists in identifying problematic concepts or flaws in instructional design. Subsequently, instructors can further adapt and improve the content to their students' specific needs.

Evolution and validation of a personal form of an instrument for assessing science laboratory classroom environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraser, Barry J.; Giddings, Geoffrey J.; McRobbie, Campbell J.

The research reported in this article makes two distinctive contributions to the field of classroom environment research. First, because existing instruments are unsuitable for science laboratory classes, the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) was developed and validated. Second, a new Personal form of the SLEI (involving a student's perceptions of his or her own role within the class) was developed and validated in conjunction with the conventional Class form (involving a student's perceptions of the class as a whole), and its usefulness was investigated. The instrument was cross-nationally fieldtested with 5,447 students in 269 senior high school and university classes in six countries, and cross-validated with 1,594 senior high school students in 92 classes in Australia. Each SLEI scale exhibited satisfactory internal consistency reliability, discriminant validity, and factorial validity, and differentiated between the perceptions of students in different classes. A variety of applications with the new instrument furnished evidence about its usefulness and revealed that science laboratory classes are dominated by closed-ended activities; mean scores obtained on the Class form were consistently somewhat more favorable than on the corresponding Personal form; females generally held more favorable perceptions than males, but these differences were somewhat larger for the Personal form than the Class form; associations existed between attitudinal outcomes and laboratory environment dimensions; and the Class and Personal forms of the SLEI each accounted for unique variance in student outcomes which was independent of that accounted for by the other form.

Characteristics of High School Students' and Science Teachers' Cognitive Frame about Effective Teaching Method for High School Science Subject

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Duk Ho; Park, Kyeong-Jin; Cho, Kyu Seong

2016-04-01

We investigated the cognitive frame of high school students and inservice high school science teachers about effective teaching method, and we also explored how they understood about the teaching methods suggested by the 2009 revised Science Curriculum. Data were collected from 275 high school science teachers and 275 high school students. We analyzed data in terms of the words and the cognitive frame using the Semantic Network Analysis. The results were as follows. First, the teachers perceived that an activity oriented class was the effective science class that helped improve students'' problem-solving abilities and their inquiry skills. The students had the cognitive frame that their teacher had to present relevant and enough teaching materials to students, and that they should also receive assistance from teachers in science class to better prepare for college entrance exam. Second, both students and teachers retained the cognitive frame about the efficient science class that was not reflected 2009 revised Science Curriculum exactly. Especially, neither groups connected the elements of ''convergence'' as well as ''integration'' embedded across science subject areas to their cognitive frame nor cognized the fact that many science learning contents were closed related to one another. Therefore, various professional development opportunities should be offered so that teachers succinctly comprehend the essential features and the intents of the 2009 revised Science Curriculum and thereby implement it in their science lessons effectively. Keywords : semantic network analysis, cognitive frame, teaching method, science lesson

Family science: What is it?

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

Whitlow, B.

Family science is an informal science education program designed to teach science skills by having children and parents learn and enjoy science together. Aimed at addressing the underrepresentation of women and ethnic and racial minorities in science-based careers, FAMILY SCIENCE involves parents and children in kindergarten through eighth grade in science activities that demonstrate the role science plays in their daily life and future. Family involvement is the key to the program`s effectiveness. Family classes are usually offered in a series of one- to two-hour class meetings for parents and their children after school, evenings, and weekends. During classes, parentsmore » and children work in pairs and small groups to solve problems, work cooperatively, and talk science. The activities provide experiences for the entire family that build skills, confidence, and interest in science. In addition, guest speakers and career activities illustrate for parents in the workforce the significance of math and science in their own jobs, and for kids, it highlights the diversity of jobs and the relevance of math and science.« less

Finding meaning in science: Lifeworld, identity, and self

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozoll, Richard H.; Osborne, Margery D.

2004-03-01

Despite the many hours students spend studying science, only a few relate to these subjects in such a manner that it becomes a part of their essential worldview and advances their education in a larger sense - one in which they make a connection to the subject matter so that it becomes a source of inspiration and occupies a formative position in their life. Using the hermeneutic/phenomenological sense of lifeworld as our being in the world, we explore questions of identity in the teaching and learning of science. We suggest that by taking the notion of identity in science to include students' identities in their collective, inclusive of an orientation toward both who the student is and who he wants to become, we can enable this broader educative process. Science's link to lifeworld, identity, and self as well as the literature surrounding each are treated separately in the context of empirical case studies drawn from interviews with young college-aged migrant agricultural workers. This population of students is living within a distinct culture where ideological systems are spread across lines of ethnicity, class, and vocation that place this population of students at risk of dropping out of school. Given the nature of their circumstances and their desire to leave the life of migration behind, these students show how their perceptions of science are embedded within particular issues of lifeworld, identity, and self while illustrating their interrelationships.

Materials inspired by mathematics

PubMed Central

Kotani, Motoko; Ikeda, Susumu

2016-01-01

Abstract Our world is transforming into an interacting system of the physical world and the digital world. What will be the materials science in the new era? With the rising expectations of the rapid development of computers, information science and mathematical science including statistics and probability theory, ‘data-driven materials design’ has become a common term. There is knowledge and experience gained in the physical world in the form of know-how and recipes for the creation of material. An important key is how we establish vocabulary and grammar to translate them into the language of the digital world. In this article, we outline how materials science develops when it encounters mathematics, showing some emerging directions. PMID:27877877

Pre-Teacher Case Study Analysis of Teaching Life and Earth Science in Multicultural Middle School Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGinnis, J. Randy

Intending teachers in two science education methods classes (Fall Quarter, n=27; Spring Quarter, n=21) read and discussed a qualitative study describing science teaching and learning in a culturally diverse middle school. The two primary participants in the qualitative study were a white female veteran life science teacher and a white male…

Science Learning: A Path Analysis of Its Links with Reading Comprehension, Question-Asking in Class and Science Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cano, Francisco; García, Ángela; Berbén, A. B. G.; Justicia, Fernando

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research was to build and test a conceptual model of the complex interrelationships between students' learning in science (learning approaches and self-regulation), their reading comprehension, question-asking in class and science achievement. These variables were measured by means of a test and a series of questionnaires…

Interpreting the Relationships between Single Gender Science Classes and Girls' Academic Motivation and Interest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Sonya L.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how and to what extent single gender science classes affect motivation to learn scientific concepts, interest in science, and college major intent among high school and middle school girls. This study was designed to determine whether students' motivation to learn science changes when they are placed in a…

Mathematics & Science in the Real World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorson, Annette, Ed.

2000-01-01

This issue of ENC Focus is organized around the theme of mathematics and science in the real world. It intends to provide teachers with practical resources and suggestions for science and mathematics education. Featured articles include: (1) "Real-World Learning: A Necessity for the Success of Current Reform Efforts" (Robert E. Yager); (2)…

Plants and Medicines. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Science Spots AR: A Platform for Science Learning Games with Augmented Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laine, Teemu H.; Nygren, Eeva; Dirin, Amir; Suk, Hae-Jung

2016-01-01

Lack of motivation and of real-world relevance have been identified as reasons for low interest in science among children. Game-based learning and storytelling are prominent methods for generating intrinsic motivation in learning. Real-world relevance requires connecting abstract scientific concepts with the real world. This can be done by…

Carrying Loads on Heads. Third World Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Natalie; Hughes, Wyn

This unit, developed by the Third World Science Project, is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless fascination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere;…

Developing the Vision: Preparing Teachers to Deliver a Digital World-Class Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane, Jenny M.

2012-01-01

In 2008 Australians were promised a "Digital Education Revolution" by the government to dramatically change classroom education and build a "world-class education system". Eight billion dollars have been spent providing computer equipment for upper secondary classrooms, yet there is little evidence that a revolution has…

Small Worlds Week: Raising Curiosity and Contributing to STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, C.; Mayo, L.; Stephenson, B. E.; Keck, A.; Cline, T. D.; Lewis, E. M.

2015-12-01

Dwarf planets, comets, asteroids, and icy moons took center stage in the years 2014-2015 as multiple spacecraft (New Horizons, Dawn, Rosetta, Cassini) and ground-based observing campaigns observed these small and yet amazing celestial bodies. Just prior to the historic New Horizons encounter with the Pluto system, NASA celebrated Small Worlds Week (July 6-10) as a fully online program to highlight small worlds mission discoveries. Small Worlds Week leveraged the infrastructure of Sun-Earth Days that included a robust web design, exemplary education materials, hands-on fun activities, multimedia resources, science and career highlights, and a culminating event. Each day from July 6-9, a new class of solar system small worlds was featured on the website: Monday-comets, Tuesday-asteroids, Wednesday-icy moons, and Thursday-dwarf planets. Then on Friday, July 10, nine scientists from Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Naval Research Laboratory, and Lunar and Planetary Institute gathered online for four hours to answer questions from the public via Facebook and Twitter. Throughout the afternoon the scientists worked closely with a social media expert and several summer interns to reply to inquirers and to archive their chats. By all accounts, Small Worlds Week was a huge success. The group plans to improve and replicate the program during the school year with a more classroom focus, and then to build and extend the program to be held every year. For more information, visit http:// sunearthday.nasa.gov or catch us on Twitter, #nasasww.

Expertise in complex decision making: the role of search in chess 70 years after de Groot.

PubMed

Connors, Michael H; Burns, Bruce D; Campitelli, Guillermo

2011-01-01

One of the most influential studies in all expertise research is de Groot's (1946) study of chess players, which suggested that pattern recognition, rather than search, was the key determinant of expertise. Many changes have occurred in the chess world since de Groot's study, leading some authors to argue that the cognitive mechanisms underlying expertise have also changed. We decided to replicate de Groot's study to empirically test these claims and to examine whether the trends in the data have changed over time. Six Grandmasters, five International Masters, six Experts, and five Class A players completed the think-aloud procedure for two chess positions. Findings indicate that Grandmasters and International Masters search more quickly than Experts and Class A players, and that both groups today search substantially faster than players in previous studies. The findings, however, support de Groot's overall conclusions and are consistent with predictions made by pattern recognition models. Copyright © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

How to establish a first-class international scientific journal in China?

PubMed

Li, Zhen-Xi

2006-11-21

Hundreds of scientific journals are published in China. However, only scores of them are included in Science Citation Index by the Institute for Scientific Information, with impact factors of only 1 or less. Thus, how to establish a first-class international scientific journal in China is an important but difficult topic that deserves extensive exploration. World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG) sets a good example although it has experienced setbacks on the road towards success. Concepts and pursuits that affirm the overall development direction, innovation and dreams that provide impetus and aspiration for higher objectives, team work and unique pattern that assure excellent quality and service, and culture and environment that also determine the speed and direction of the development, are believed to be the major factors contributing to the success of WJG. It is recommended that the effective resolution to the above issue is to learn from Chinese examples such as WJG rather than from "how foreign journals do".

CosmoQuest - Scientist Engagement with the Public and Schools via a Virtual Research Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noel-Storr, Jacob; Buxner, Sanlyn; Gay, Pamela L.; Grier, Jennifer A.; Lehan, Cory; CosmoQuest Team

2016-06-01

CosmoQuest is a virtual research facility where science data can be analyzed by teams of interested citizen scientists from across the world. Scientists can apply to have their data analyzed through crowdsourcing in our online observatory, which generates validated and publishable results (Robbins et al 2014). Scientists have the opportunity to provide connections to teachers in classrooms so that students can analyze original data and understand the process that astronomers go through from image to result. Scientists can also teach online classes for different audiences including formal classroom teachers, informal educators, and lifelong learners to further the broader impacts of their work and increase engagement in their scientific endeavors. We provide training, through online and in-person workshops, on how to incorporate your datasets into the observatory and how to deliver online classes through our CosmoAcademy. This work is funded in part by NASA Cooperative Agreement Notice number NNX16AC68A. For more information, visit http://cosmoquest.org/.

How to establish a first-class international scientific journal in China?

PubMed Central

Li, Zhen-Xi

2006-01-01

Hundreds of scientific journals are published in China. However, only scores of them are included in Science Citation Index by the Institute for Scientific Information, with impact factors of only 1 or less. Thus, how to establish a first-class international scientific journal in China is an important but difficult topic that deserves extensive exploration. World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG) sets a good example although it has experienced setbacks on the road towards success. Concepts and pursuits that affirm the overall development direction, innovation and dreams that provide impetus and aspiration for higher objectives, team work and unique pattern that assure excellent quality and service, and culture and environment that also determine the speed and direction of the development, are believed to be the major factors contributing to the success of WJG. It is recommended that the effective resolution to the above issue is to learn from Chinese examples such as WJG rather than from “how foreign journals do”. PMID:17109509

English for Specific Purposes: Teaching English for Science and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musikhin, I. A.

2016-06-01

In the era of globalization, English communication for scientists and engineers whose native language is not English has become as important as their major related abilities. The paper describes the results of a four-year experience in the development of English for specific purpose manuals in the field of photogrammetry, interferometry, and GNSS technologies, as well as key teaching methods and didactic approaches used in class and out-of-class activities. The focus of the present study is to provide a detailed description of the development and systematic updating of a relevant manual, aimed at professional language training of learners. The findings of the study reflect the importance of an ESP course for scientists and engineers: conducting a needs analysis for carrying out a specific search of relevant and reliable authentic materials, defining proper teaching methods, software and didactic approaches used in the educational process to develop the language skills necessary to be active and contributive players in the competitive world.

Blockbuster Ideas: Activities for Breaking Up Block Periods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohince, Judy

1996-01-01

Describes how to approach block scheduling of science classes. Discusses the planning process, specific activities that work well in longer science classes, and techniques for motivating students. (DDR)

Supporting Struggling Readers in Secondary School Science Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Kelly D.; Takahashi, Kiriko; Park, Hye-Jin; Stodden, Robert A.

2012-01-01

Many secondary school students struggle to read complex expository text such as science textbooks. This article provides step-by-step guidance on how to foster expository reading for struggling readers in secondary school science classes. Two strategies are introduced: Text-to-Speech (TTS) Software as a reading compensatory strategy and the…

Argumentation in Science Class: Its Planning, Practice, and Effect on Student Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taneja, Anju

2016-01-01

Studies have shown an association between argumentative discourse in science class, better understanding of science concepts, and improved academic performance. However, there is lack of research on how argumentation can increase student motivation. This mixed methods concurrent nested study uses Bandura's construct of motivation and concepts of…

Pupils' Projects from Zambia. Third World Science. A Collection of Third Form Science Projects from Lubushi Seminary, Kasama, Zambia as Written and Drawn by the Pupils Themselves.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University Coll. of North Wales, Bangor (United Kingdom). School of Education.

The Third World Science Project (TWSP) is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless facination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere; application of knowledge…

Using psychological constructs from the MUSIC Model of Motivation to predict students' science identification and career goals: results from the U.S. and Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Brett D.; Sahbaz, Sumeyra; Schram, Asta B.; Chittum, Jessica R.

2017-05-01

We investigated students' perceptions related to psychological constructs in their science classes and the influence of these perceptions on their science identification and science career goals. Participants included 575 middle school students from two countries (334 students in the U.S. and 241 students in Iceland). Students completed a self-report questionnaire that included items from several measures. We conducted correlational analyses, confirmatory factor analyses, and structural equation modelling to test our hypotheses. Students' class perceptions (i.e. empowerment, usefulness, success, interest, and caring) were significantly correlated with their science identification, which was correlated positively with their science career goals. Combining students' science class perceptions, science identification, and career goals into one model, we documented that the U.S. and Icelandic samples fit the data reasonably well. However, not all of the hypothesised paths were statistically significant. For example, only students' perceptions of usefulness (for the U.S. and Icelandic students) and success (for the U.S. students only) significantly predicted students' career goals in the full model. Theoretically, our findings are consistent with results from samples of university engineering students, yet different in some ways. Our results provide evidence for the theoretical relationships between students' perceptions of science classes and their career goals.

Teacher Justice and Students’ Class Identification: Belief in a Just World and Teacher–Student Relationship as Mediators

PubMed Central

Jiang, Ronghuan; Liu, Ru-De; Ding, Yi; Zhen, Rui; Sun, Yan; Fu, Xinchen

2018-01-01

For school-age adolescents, teacher justice plays an important role in their learning and social outcomes. The present study examined the relation between teacher justice and students’ class identification in 1735 Chinese school-age adolescents by considering belief in a just world (BJW) and teacher–student relationship as mediators. Structure equation modeling (SEM) was used to reveal the direct and indirect effects. The analyses showed that all the direct and indirect effects were significant. These findings indicated that teacher justice had a positive effect on students’ class identification. In addition, teacher justice impacted students’ class identification through students’ just-world belief and teacher–student relationships. These results suggested that for adolescents, teacher justice played an important role in shaping their just-world belief system and their interpersonal relationships with teachers, which in turn affected their sense of belonging and values in relation to their class. Thus, it is important for teachers to be aware that their injustice may negatively impact their relationships with students, students’ belief systems, and their psychological engagement at school. There is a need to develop teacher-training programs to help teachers to establish classroom reward-punishment systems with the consideration of social justice, to communicate with students through an unbiased approach, and to increase student participation in the important decision making of the whole class. PMID:29875726

Teacher Justice and Students' Class Identification: Belief in a Just World and Teacher-Student Relationship as Mediators.

PubMed

Jiang, Ronghuan; Liu, Ru-De; Ding, Yi; Zhen, Rui; Sun, Yan; Fu, Xinchen

2018-01-01

For school-age adolescents, teacher justice plays an important role in their learning and social outcomes. The present study examined the relation between teacher justice and students' class identification in 1735 Chinese school-age adolescents by considering belief in a just world (BJW) and teacher-student relationship as mediators. Structure equation modeling (SEM) was used to reveal the direct and indirect effects. The analyses showed that all the direct and indirect effects were significant. These findings indicated that teacher justice had a positive effect on students' class identification. In addition, teacher justice impacted students' class identification through students' just-world belief and teacher-student relationships. These results suggested that for adolescents, teacher justice played an important role in shaping their just-world belief system and their interpersonal relationships with teachers, which in turn affected their sense of belonging and values in relation to their class. Thus, it is important for teachers to be aware that their injustice may negatively impact their relationships with students, students' belief systems, and their psychological engagement at school. There is a need to develop teacher-training programs to help teachers to establish classroom reward-punishment systems with the consideration of social justice, to communicate with students through an unbiased approach, and to increase student participation in the important decision making of the whole class.

Grade 5 Students' Online Argumentation about Their In-Class Inquiry Investigations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Aeran; Hand, Brian; Norton-Meier, Lori

2014-01-01

This study examined the extent to which fifth-grade students participate in online argumentation and the argument patterns they produced about the inquiry-based investigations completed using the Science Writing Heuristic approach in their science classes. One hundred twenty-nine students from five classes of two teachers in a Midwestern public…

Class Size and Academic Achievement in Introductory Political Science Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Towner, Terri L.

2016-01-01

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

Teaching Evolution to Non-English Proficient Students by Using Lego Robotics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittier, L. Elena; Robinson, Michael

2007-01-01

This article describes a teaching unit that used Lego Robotics to address state science standards for teaching basic principles of evolution in two middle school life science classes. All but two of 29 students in these classes were native Spanish speakers from Mexico. Both classes were taught using Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol…

Working-Class Women Study Social Science Degrees: Remembering Enablers and Detractors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Heather; Michell, Dee; Beddoe, Liz; Jarldorn, Michele

2016-01-01

In this article, we report on a feminist memory work project conducted with 11 working-class women in Australia. Participants responded to the question: "what helps and hinders working-class women study social science degrees?" The women confirmed that to succeed at university, they needed opportunities, resources, support and…

The PAD Class: a new paradigm for university classroom teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xuexin

2017-08-01

The PAD Class (Presentation-Assimilation-Discussion) is a new paradigm for classroom teaching combining strengths of lecture and discussion. With half class time allocated for teacher's presentation and the other half for students' discussion, an assimilation stage was inserted between presentation and discussion for independent and individualized learning. Since its first success in 2014, the PAD method has gained national popularity in China and been successfully put into practice by thousands of college teachers in nearly all subjects, e.g., science, engineering, medical sciences, social sciences, humanities and arts. This paper analyzed the psychological and pedagogical rationales underlying the PAD Class to explicate its effectiveness in enhancing active learning.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-01-01

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

Planetarium Shows: Public Outreach and Changing the Approach to Classroom Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, P. A.; Reiff, P.; Sumners, C.

2009-05-01

We are successfully using the planetarium experience as a method of increasing the public's knowledge of science for the last few years. The results with pre and post testing have shown that there is an increased level of science knowledge. With this level of achievement it was plausible that the next step would be introducing it into the classroom, particularly at an open admissions university with a multi-racial and ethnic population and in the non-majors science courses. Creating an atmosphere of excitement and interest in science within this group of students is difficult, particularly with those students who have minimal exposure to science and have little or no interest in the subject. They have preconceived ideas that the subject is boring, difficult and has no relation to their future career paths. Coupled with this apathy, not only in students but in segments of the public, there is an increasing need to educate all groups on environmental issues and the need to promote science and science research. Traditional teaching methods are not effective, and based on the outreach levels of success, we are introducing planetarium shows that are not only entertaining but include scientific concepts Most colleges and universities do not have a fixed planetarium, but a portable planetarium can serve the same purpose. The planetarium does not replace the traditional classroom and laboratory experience, but augments it. The shows, including the freeware Stellarium, can be incorporated into college and university classes from the physical to the biological sciences. For example, the show Titanic includes information on the effects of solar maximums and minimums on climate and changes in the last 100 years on ship building. Another show, Ice Worlds, includes information on polar geology and biology but also explains its importance as a terrestrial analogue for interpreting the remote sensing information obtained with robotic missions to the icy worlds in our outer solar system. Transferring some of the successful public outreach models to the classroom can be an important step in changing how we teach non-science majors courses. The student, by merely increasing their excitement about science, will communicate this change in attitude to their family, but also to other members of their community.

Impact of Company Size on Manufacturing Improvement Practices: An empirical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syan, C. S.; Ramoutar, K.

2014-07-01

There is a constant search for ways to achieve a competitive advantage through new manufacturing techniques. Best performing manufacturing companies tend to use world-class manufacturing (WCM) practices. Although the last few years have witnessed phenomenal growth in the use of WCM techniques, their effectiveness is not well understood specifically in the context of less developed countries. This paper presents an empirical study to investigate the impact of company size on improving manufacturing performance in manufacturing organizations based in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T). Empirical data were collected via a questionnaire survey which was send to 218 manufacturing firms in T&T. Five different company sizes and seven different industry sectors were studied. The analysis of survey data was performed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The study signified facilitating and impeding factors towards improving manufacturing performance. Their relative impact/importance is dependent on varying company size and industry sectors. Findings indicate that T&T manufacturers are still practicing traditional approaches, when compared with world class manufacturers. In the majority of organizations, these practices were not 100% implemented even though they started the implementation process more than 5 years ago. The findings provided some insights in formulating more optimal operational strategies, and later develop action plans towards more effective implementation of WCM in T&T manufacturers.

Multimedia: The Brave New World of Buckytubes | ScienceCinema

Science.gov Websites

Multimedia: The Brave New World of Buckytubes Citation Details Title: The Brave New World of Buckytubes In a talk titled "The Brave New World of Buckytubes," Smalley discusses the basic science , anmore »alysis, and assembly of buckytubes for solving real-world technological problems.« less Title

Technology and the study of wildfire: Middle school students study the impacts of wildfire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fox-Gliessman, D.; Kerski, J.J.

2005-01-01

Various technologies that can assist students in exploring the human and environmental impacts of wildfire and in communicating their findings are discussed. Wildfires occur in many parts of the world, and provide an excellent opportunity for students to study local and global interdisciplinary issues using technology. Prior to the beginning of the field study, students take instructions in both their math and science classes about the distinction and appropriate uses of quantitative and qualitative data. Use of computer programs such as Excel spreadsheets which can contain data, and interaction of research and technology group with students, can help them collect best of the information and in making an accurate report.

Development of a New Method for Assembling a Bipolar DC Motor as a Teaching Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Yuki; Sakaki, Kei; Sakaki, Mamoru

2017-05-01

A simple handmade motor is a commonly used teaching aid for explaining the theory of the DC motor in science classes around the world. Kits that can be used by children to craft a simple motor are commercially available, and videos of assembling these motors are easily found on the internet. Although the design of this motor is simple, it is unipolar, meaning that the rotor consists of a single dipole. Thus, the Lorentz force acts only on one side of the coil per revolution. This decreases the energy conversion efficiency and requires the learners to turn the rotor using their hands in order to initiate rotation.

From Ions to Wires to the Grid: The Transformational Science of LANL Research in High-Tc Superconducting Tapes and Electric Power Applications

ScienceCinema

Marken, Ken

2018-01-09

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) has been tasked to lead national efforts to modernize the electric grid, enhance security and reliability of the energy infrastructure, and facilitate recovery from disruptions to energy supplies. LANL has pioneered the development of coated conductors – high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes – which permit dramatically greater current densities than conventional copper cable, and enable new technologies to secure the national electric grid. Sustained world-class research from concept, demonstration, transfer, and ongoing industrial support has moved this idea from the laboratory to the commercial marketplace.

Beating the numbers through strategic intervention materials (SIMs): Innovative science teaching for large classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alboruto, Venus M.

2017-05-01

The study aimed to find out the effectiveness of using Strategic Intervention Materials (SIMs) as an innovative teaching practice in managing large Grade Eight Science classes to raise the performance of the students in terms of science process skills development and mastery of science concepts. Utilizing experimental research design with two groups of participants, which were purposefully chosen, it was obtained that there existed a significant difference in the performance of the experimental and control groups based on actual class observation and written tests on science process skills with a p-value of 0.0360 in favor of the experimental class. Further, results of written pre-test and post-test on science concepts showed that the experimental group with the mean of 24.325 (SD =3.82) performed better than the control group with the mean of 20.58 (SD =4.94), with a registered p-value of 0.00039. Therefore, the use of SIMs significantly contributed to the mastery of science concepts and the development of science process skills. Based on the findings, the following recommendations are offered: 1. that grade eight science teachers should use or adopt the SIMs used in this study to improve their students' performance; 2. training-workshop on developing SIMs must be conducted to help teachers develop SIMs to be used in their classes; 3. school administrators must allocate funds for the development and reproduction of SIMs to be used by the students in their school; and 4. every division should have a repository of SIMs for easy access of the teachers in the entire division.

Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology (CBST).

PubMed

Chuang, Frank

2004-01-01

The Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology (CBST) is the only center in the country funded by the National Science Foundation and devoted to the study of light and radiant energy in biology and medicine. Our consortium of 10 world-class academic institutions and research laboratories is comprised of physical and life scientists, physicians and engineers - along with industry participants, educators and community leaders - working together to bring biophotonics to the forefront of mainstream science. The three main arms of CBST are (1) Science and Technology, (2) Education, and (3) Knowledge Transfer. The research sponsored by the center focuses on critical themes that are expected to have significant impact on current biomedical science and technology. Projects include the development of new methods in optical microscopy that work well beyond the diffraction limit; ultrafast, high-intensity X-ray lasers to resolve the structure of single biomolecules, and new devices and sensors for minimally - or noninvasive medical applications. CBST is developing a new curriculum, along with training materials, internships and research fellowships to introduce biophotonics to students and teachers at all educational levels. Finally, the knowledge transfer component of CBST is seeking to catalyze the rapid growth of biophotonics as a new technology sector by supplying intellectual capital and tools to stimulate the growth of new products and new companies. By coupling the center's biophotonics research projects with industry partners and sponsors, a unique R&D environment is created to expand the use of photons in the development of life sciences, bioengineering and health care.

Towards a More Authentic Science Curriculum: The contribution of out-of-school learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braund, Martin; Reiss, Michael

2006-10-01

In many developed countries of the world, pupil attitudes to school science decline progressively across the age range of secondary schooling while fewer students are choosing to study science at higher levels and as a career. Responses to these developments have included proposals to reform the curriculum, pedagogy, and the nature of pupil discussion in science lessons. We support such changes but argue that far greater use needs to be made of out-of-school sites in the teaching of science. Such usage will result in a school science education that is more valid and more motivating. We present an “evolutionary model” of science teaching that looks at where learning and teaching take place, and draws together thinking about the history of science and developments in the nature of learning over the past 100 years or so. Our contention is that laboratory-based school science teaching needs to be complemented by out-of-school science learning that draws on the actual world (e.g., through fieldtrips), the presented world (e.g., in science centres, botanic gardens, zoos and science museums), and the virtual worlds that are increasingly available through information technologies.

Validation study of the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey at a Hispanic-serving institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawtelle, Vashti; Brewe, Eric; Kramer, Laird

2009-12-01

The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) has been widely acknowledged as a useful measure of student cognitive attitudes about science and learning. The initial University of Colorado validation study included only 20% non-Caucasian student populations. In this Brief Report we extend their validation to include a predominately under-represented minority population. We validated the CLASS instrument at Florida International University, a Hispanic-serving institution, by interviewing students in introductory physics classes using a semistructured protocol, examining students’ responses on the CLASS item statements, and comparing them to the items’ intended meaning. We find that in our predominately Hispanic population, 94% of the students’ interview responses indicate that the students interpret the CLASS items correctly, and thus the CLASS is a valid instrument. We also identify one potentially problematic item in the instrument which one third of the students interviewed consistently misinterpreted.

The Global Quest to Build World-Class Universities: Toward a Social Justice Agenda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhoads, Robert A.; Li, Shuai; Ilano, Lauren

2014-01-01

This chapter provides a critical perspective on the global quest to build world-class universities (WCUs), including global "ranking mania," excessive emphasis on university branding, and the attending threats to the traditional public good mission of the university. Alternatively, we offer suggestions on how rankings may be used to…

World-Class Higher Education and the Emerging Chinese Model of the University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jun

2012-01-01

China's recent quest to develop world-class universities is a significant phenomenon within the worldwide transformation of tertiary education. Taking a cultural approach and drawing on empirical findings, this article investigates the emerging Chinese model of the university, considering its key features and contributions to global communities.…

Achieving Recognition as a World Class Airport through Education and Training. Sorenson Best Paper Award Recipient.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quilty, Stephen M.

2003-01-01

The International Civil Aviation Organization has standards for airport certification that require education and training of personnel. The American Association of Airport Executives offers accreditation and certification in airport operations and safety that can meet the needs of world-class airports. (Contains 18 references.) (SK)

An International Model of World-Class Education: The International Baccalaureate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Ian

2012-01-01

This article posits that world-class education is international education, as defined by UNESCO, and presents International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes as examples of this phenomenon. It begins with the IB's 1960s origins in international schools, which educated the children of globally mobile parents who worked principally in the UN and its…

Physics For Dummies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holzner, Steve; Ph., D.

2005-11-01

The fun and easy way to understand the basic principles of physics How does gravity work? What does e=mc2 really mean? And what's a charm quark? Physics For Dummies answers these questions and more, explaining the basics of physical science and its importance in our everyday lives in a simple, clear, and entertaining fashion. Whether readers are taking a class, helping kids with homework, or are simply interested in how the world works, this plain-English guide gives them the knowledge they need to understand basic physics. Through real-world examples and problems, it covers such key topics as motion, energy, and waves (sound, light, wave-particle); solids, liquids, and gases; thermodynamics; electromagnetism; relativity; atomic and nuclear structures; and the Big Bang and stars. Steven Holzner, PhD (Ithaca, NY), is the author of more than 40 books and a former contributing editor at PC Magazine. He has been on the faculty of MIT and taught Physics 101 and 102 at Cornell for over ten years.

GEOG 342: Exploring the Virtual Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, J. E.; Sfraga, M.

2007-12-01

First attributed to Eratosthenes around 200 BC, the word "geography" is derived from Greek words meaning "Earth" and "to describe". It describes the study of our planets, its features, inhabitants, and phenomena. The term "neogeography" put simply is new geography; where new refers to more than just practices that are new in usage. Methodologies of neogeography tend toward the intuitive, personal, artistic or even absurd, and general don't confirm to traditional protocols and boundaries. Mapping and spatial technologies such as Geobrowsers are typical of the tools used by neogeographers. Much of the success of Geobrowsers can be attributed to the fact that they use the methods and technologies of neogeography to provide a better understanding of traditional topics of Geography. The Geography program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is embracing these new methodologies by offering a new class that explores the world around us through the use of Geobrowsers and other Web 2.0 technologies. Students will learn to use Keyhole Markup Language (KML), Google Maps API, SketchUp and a range of Virtual Globes programs, primarily through geospatial datasets from the Earth Sciences. A special focus will be given to datasets that look at the environments and natural hazards that make Alaska such a unique landscape. The role of forums, wikis and blogs in the expansion of the Geoweb will be explored, and students will be encouraged to be active on these websites. Students will also explore Second Life, the concept of which will be introduced through the class text, Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash". The primary goal of the class is to encourage students to undertake their own explorations of virtual Earths, in order to better understand the physical and social structure of the real world.

Students' Perceptions of the Learning Environment in Tertiary Science Classrooms in Myanmar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khine, Myint Swe; Fraser, Barry J.; Afari, Ernest; Oo, Zeya; Kyaw, Thein Thein

2018-01-01

We investigated students' perceptions of their science classroom environments with the use of the What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire at the university level in Myanmar. The translated questionnaire was administered to 251 students in first-year science classes at a university. Both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory…

Flexible Expectations of Learning Outcomes in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Binstead, Ayla; Campbell, Kirsty; Guasch, Susana Fraile; Sullivan, Claire; Williams, Lydia

2014-01-01

In this article five trainee teachers specialising in science at the University of Winchester describe their experience teaching science for three consecutive Fridays within a 2 year class (ages 6-7). They were given the task of teaching food and nutrition through the class topic of "turrets and tiaras," a medieval history focus. Their…

Understanding Korean Transnational Girls in High School Science Classes: Beyond the Model Minority Stereotype

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryu, Minjung

2015-01-01

This study examines six Korean transnational girls enrolled in two advanced placement (AP) biology classes to understand their experiences in science classrooms at the intersection of race, language, and gender. Confronting the model minority stereotype for Asian students, which is particularly salient in science, technology, engineering, and…

Fabrication of taste sensor for education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xiao; Tahara, Yusuke; Toko, Kiyoshi; Kuriyaki, Hisao

2017-03-01

In order to solve the unconcern to usefulness of learning science among high school students in Japan, we developed a simple fabricated taste sensor with sensitivity and selectivity to each taste quality, which can be applied in science class. A commercialized Teflon membrane was used as the polymer membrane holding lipids. In addition, a non-adhesive method is considered to combine the membrane and the sensor electrode using a plastic cap which is easily accessible. The taste sensor for education fabricated in this way showed a good selectivity and sensitivity. By adjusting the composition of trioctylmethylammonium chloride (TOMA) and phosphoric acid di(2-ethylhexyl) ester (PAEE) included in lipid solution, we improved the selectivity of this simple taste sensor to saltiness and sourness. To verify this taste sensor as a useful science teaching material for science class, we applied this taste sensor into a science class for university students. By comparing the results between the sensory test and the sensor response, humans taste showed the same tendency just as the sensor response, which proved the sensor as a useful teaching material for science class.

Exploring emotional climate in preservice science teacher education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellocchi, Alberto; Ritchie, Stephen M.; Tobin, Kenneth; Sandhu, Maryam; Sandhu, Satwant

2013-09-01

Classroom emotional climates (ECs) are interrelated with students' engagement with university courses. Despite growing interest in emotions and EC research, little is known about the ways in which social interactions and different subject matter mediate ECs in preservice science teacher education classes. In this study we investigated the EC and associated classroom interactions in a preservice science teacher education class. We were interested in the ways in which salient classroom interactions were related to the EC during lessons centered on debates about science-based issues (e.g., nuclear energy alternatives). Participants used audience response technology to indicate their perceptions of the EC. Analysis of conversation for salient video clips and analysis of non-verbal conduct (acoustic parameters, body movements, and facial expressions) supplemented EC data. One key contribution that this study makes to preservice science teacher education is to identify the micro-processes of successful and unsuccessful class interactions that were associated with positive and neutral EC. The structure of these interactions can inform the practice of other science educators who wish to produce positive ECs in their classes. The study also extends and explicates the construct of intensity of EC.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Using Movies to Teach Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budzien, Joanne

2013-03-01

Can the plane outrun the explosion? Could the heroes escape injury from the bomb by hiding in the bathtub? Are we in danger of being overrun by 50-foot-tall bugs that have been exposed to radiation? Many people in the general public do want to know the science behind much of what they see in the movies and on television. However, those people are unlikely to take a whole class because ``everyone knows'' that science classes are boring and irrelevant. On the other hand, an evening with an hour or so of video clips interspersed with explanations of the science can be a big hit both to raise general science fluency and recruit students into general education science classes. Film-editing technology has advanced to the point that anyone who has a computer and is willing to invest a couple days in learning to use the software can make a clips-with-PowerPoint DVD that can be shown to a local audience for discussion or used in a science class to show the exact scenes to save time. In this presentation, I'll show an example of my work and talk about how you can make your own DVD.

Getting Past "Just Because": Teaching Writing in Science Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grymonpre, Kris; Cohn, Allison; Solomon, Stacey

2012-01-01

How many times do teachers assign writing in science class only to be exasperated by their students' lack of writing skills? They often have difficulty making claims and using evidence; instead of explaining their reasoning, they state, "Just because." But teaching writing isn't just for English/language arts (ELA) class. Over the past two years,…

The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) for Use in Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Semsar, Katharine; Knight, Jennifer K.; Birol, Gulnur; Smith, Michelle K.

2011-01-01

This paper describes a newly adapted instrument for measuring novice-to-expert-like perceptions about biology: the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Biology (CLASS-Bio). Consisting of 31 Likert-scale statements, CLASS-Bio probes a range of perceptions that vary between experts and novices, including enjoyment of the discipline,…

Mobile Learning in a Large Blended Computer Science Classroom: System Function, Pedagogies, and Their Impact on Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shen, Ruimin; Wang, Minjuan; Gao, Wanping; Novak, D.; Tang, Lin

2009-01-01

The computer science classes in China's institutions of higher education often have large numbers of students. In addition, many institutions offer "blended" classes that include both on-campus and online students. These large blended classrooms have long suffered from a lack of interactivity. Many online classes simply provide recorded…

A Case Study of Markdale High School's Implementation of Heterogeneously-Grouped Classes in English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierre-Louis, Fred

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe Markdale High School's change from separate college preparatory and general level classes to heterogeneously-grouped classes in English, mathematics, science, and social studies, with particular emphasis on the principal's leadership style, change process, and teacher concerns (Hall & Hord, 2006)…

Unraveling the Geologic History of Antarctica Through the Study of Sediment and Rock Cores: The ANDRILL Education and Public Outreach Experience.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rack, F. R.; Huffman, L.; Berg, M.; Levy, R.; Harwood, D.; Lacy, L.

2007-12-01

ANDRILL (ANtarctic geological DRILLing) is a multinational collaboration involving more than 250 scientists from Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the United States. The ANDRILL Program has mobilized scientists, technicians, drillers, engineers, students and educators from four member nations to bring world-class science into focus and provide in-depth immersive experiences to educators through the ARISE (ANDRILL Research Immersion for Science Educators) Program and Project Iceberg. During two seasons of scientific drilling, encompassing the McMurdo Ice Shelf (MIS) Project and the Southern McMurdo Sound (SMS) Project, 15 educators have been immersed in ANDRILL science and have participated in both learning and teaching experiences. Blogs, video journals, images and other resources were generated and distributed online to teachers, students and the general public through the ANDRILL website as part of Project Iceberg, which was used as a unifying theme for the outreach effort. The video journals chronicled the journey from Lincoln, Nebraska to Antarctica and introduced viewers to many aspects of the ANDRILL program in an engaging manner. An accompanying guide provided background information, discussion starters, and engaging activities for students and adults alike. Subtitles in German and Italian were used on each of the video journals in addition to the English narrative, and the resulting product was entitled, ANDRILL: A REAL WORLD GEOSCIENCE ADVENTURE. The primary objective was to introduce teachers, students, and the general public to Antarctica and the ANDRILL Program, and to provide preliminary insights into the following questions: How do scientists from around the world come together in the coldest, windiest, driest place on Earth to uncover the secrets that have been shrouded beneath the ice for millions of years? What secrets do the rocks record? How can I join the journey to learn more about Antarctica and ANDRILL?

Revitalizing Fusion via Fission Fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manheimer, Wallace

2001-10-01

Existing tokamaks could generate significant nuclear fuel. TFTR, operating steady state with DT might generate enough fuel for a 300 MW nuclear reactor. The immediate goals of the magnetic fusion program would necessarily shift from a study of advanced plasma regimes in larger sized devices, to mostly known plasmas regimes, but at steady state or high duty cycle operation in DT plasmas. The science and engineering of breeding blankets would be equally important. Follow on projects could possibly produce nuclear fuel in large quantity at low price. Although today there is strong opposition to nuclear power in the United States, in a 21st century world of 10 billion people, all of whom will demand a middle class life style, nuclear energy will be important. Concern over greenhouse gases will also drive the world toward nuclear power. There are studies indicating that the world will need 10 TW of carbon free energy by 2050. It is difficult to see how this can be achieved without the breeding of nuclear fuel. By using the thorium cycle, proliferation risks are minimized. [1], [2]. 1 W. Manheimer, Fusion Technology, 36, 1, 1999, 2.W. Manheimer, Physics and Society, v 29, #3, p5, July, 2000

Climate change, its consequences in the Arctic and around the world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayer, Sophie; Le Divenah, Claudie; Rosetti, Alexandra

2010-05-01

CLIMATE CHANGE, ITS CONSEQUENCES IN THE ARCTIC AND AROUND THE WORLD This project has been led in a French European Class either in physics, chemistry, geology, biology and English by: - Sophie Jayer (Biology and geology teacher) - Claudie Le Divenah (Physics and Chemistry teacher) - Alexandra Rosetti (English teacher) As it was a European class, all the classes were held in English. The goals were - to have the students study both sciences and English - to show them that all these subjects were linked in real life and how important English was for scientists - To give them a glimpse of what scientific researches were both in the field and in a lab - To get them involved in the polar year - To make them work on the notion of world citizenship and raise their awareness about the issue of sustainable development We first introduced the Damocles and Tara project to the pupils. Then we studied the Arctic's geography, their inhabitants and ecosystem (Biology and English). In physics and chemistry, they talked about their working conditions, equipments and what kind of analysis they would do. In geology, we studied the evolution of the sea ice and its consequences but also climate changes of the past, the influence of climate on human history and the evidences of global warming nowadays (the pupils had to find information and to make a presentation about different climate events that could be evidence of global warming). A man who works on a research boat for a French national organization came in our class and was able to present his work, the conditions of life on board and to answer the pupils' questions. This is a quick summary of our work. If you need any additional information before the GIFT, please contact me at: sophie.jayer@neuf.fr or Sophie Jayer 61 A route de Paris 78550 Bazainville 0033 (0)1 34 87 61 06 0033 (0)6 20 53 84 65 (mobile) Our group teaches at Emilie de Breteuil High School In Montigny le Bretonneux, 30 km southwest of Paris Lycée Emilie de Breteuil 3 rue du canal 78180 Montigny le Bretonneux Tel : 0033 (0)1 30 57 11 33 Fax : 033 (0)1 30 44 02 90

The influence of a Classroom Model of Scientific Scholarship on Four Girls' Trajectories of Identification with Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, Melissa Sunshine

This study examines the teacher's role in shaping the identity construction resources available in a classroom and the ways in which individual students take up, modify, and appropriate those resources to construct themselves as scientists through interaction with their teacher and peers. Drawing on frameworks of identity construction and social positioning, I propose that the locally-negotiated classroom-level cultural model of what it means to be a "good" science student forms the arena in which students construct a sense of their own competence at, affiliation with, and interest in science. The setting for this study was a 6th grade science class at a progressive urban elementary school whose population roughly represents the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the state of California. The teacher was an experienced science and math teacher interested in social justice and inquiry teaching. Drawing from naturalistic observations, video and artifact analysis, survey data, and repeated interviews with students and the teacher, I demonstrated what it meant to be a "good" science student in this particular cultural community by analyzing what was required, reinforced, and rewarded in this classroom. Next, I traced the influence of this particular classroom's conception of what it meant to be good at science on the trajectories of identification with science of four 6th grade girls selected to represent a variety of stances towards science, levels of classroom participation, and personal backgrounds. Scientific scholarship in this class had two parts: values related to science as a discipline, and a more generic set of school-related values one might see in any classroom. Different meanings of and values for science were indexed in the everyday activities of the classroom: science as a language for describing the natural world, science as a set of rhetorical values, science as an adult social community, and science as a place for mess and explosions. Among school-related values, participation, cooperation, and completing work were most important. Individual students leveraged different aspects of the local cultural model of scientific scholarship to construct themselves as competent participants in the science classroom. This study extends and complicates current analyses of classroom norms by showing that to understand identity construction, we must do more than identify a list of norms operating in a classroom---we must map the relationships between norms. This analysis demonstrates how broader discourses, in this case about schooling and science, infiltrated the classroom and influenced the meaning and operation of classroom norms and individual students' efforts to position themselves in relation to the classroom model of a good student. Finally, these findings show the value in examining recognition from three interrelated lenses: self-narratives, other-narratives, and observational accounts of positioning.

The Scientist's World

PubMed Central

Davis, Bernard D.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the features of the world of science, and it compares that world briefly with that of politics and the law. It also discusses some “postmodern” trends in philosophy and sociology that have been undermining confidence in the objectivity of science and thus have contributed indirectly to public mistrust. The paper includes broader implications of interactions of government and science. PMID:10704471

The National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC), located in Huntsville, Alabama, is a laboratory for cutting-edge research in selected scientific and engineering disciplines. The major objectives of the NSSTC are to provide multiple fields of expertise coming together to solve solutions to science and technology problems, and gaining recognition as a world-class science research organization. The center, opened in August 2000, focuses on space science, Earth sciences, information technology, optics and energy technology, biotechnology and materials science, and supports NASA's mission of advancing and communicating scientific knowledge using the environment of space for research. In addition to providing basic and applied research, NSSTC, with its student participation, also fosters the next generation of scientists and engineers. NSSTC is a collaborated effort between NASA and the state of Alabama through the Space Science and Technology alliance, a group of six universities including the Universities of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH),Tuscaloosa (UA), and Birmingham (UAB); the University of South Alabama in Mobile (USA);Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AM) in Huntsville; and Auburn University (AU) in Auburn. Participating federal agencies include NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy. Industries involved include the Space Science Research Center, the Global Hydrology and Climate Center, the Information Technology Research Center, the Optics and Energy Technology Center, the Propulsion Research Center, the Biotechnology Research Center, and the Materials Science Research Center. This photo shows the completed center with the additional arnex (right of building) that added an additional 80,000 square feet (7,432 square meters) to the already existent NSSTC, nearly doubling the size of the core facility. At full capacity, the NSSTC tops 200,000 square feet (18,580 square meters) and houses approximately 550 employees.

The National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC), located in Huntsville, Alabama, is a laboratory for cutting-edge research in selected scientific and engineering disciplines. The major objectives of the NSSTC are to provide multiple fields of expertise coming together to solve solutions to science and technology problems, and gaining recognition as a world-class science research organization. The center, opened in August 2000, focuses on space science, Earth sciences, information technology, optics and energy technology, biotechnology and materials science, and supports NASA's mission of advancing and communicating scientific knowledge using the environment of space for research. In addition to providing basic and applied research, NSSTC, with its student participation, also fosters the next generation of scientists and engineers. NSSTC is a collaborated effort between NASA and the state of Alabama through the Space Science and Technology alliance, a group of six universities including the Universities of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH),Tuscaloosa (UA), and Birmingham (UAB); the University of South Alabama in Mobile (USA); Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AM) in Huntsville; and Auburn University (AU) in Auburn. Participating federal agencies include NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy. Industries involved include the Space Science Research Center, the Global Hydrology and Climate Center, the Information Technology Research Center, the Optics and Energy Technology Center, the Propulsion Research Center, the Biotechnology Research Center, and the Materials Science Research Center. An arnex, scheduled for completion by summer 2002, will add an additional 80,000 square feet (7,432 square meters) to NSSTC nearly doubling the size of the core facility. At full capacity, the completed NSSTC will top 200,000 square feet (18,580 square meters) and house approximately 550 employees.

The Effect of Jigsaw Technique on 6th Graders' Learning of Force and Motion Unit and Their Science Attitudes and Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ural, Evrim; Ercan, Orhan; Gençoglan, Durdu Mehmet

2017-01-01

The study aims to investigate the effects of jigsaw technique on 6th graders' learning of "Force and Motion" unit, their science learning motivation and their attitudes towards science classes. The sample of the study consisted of 49 6th grade students from two different classes taking the Science and Technology course at a government…

Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Language Arts Instruction Using the World Wide Web.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Kenneth; Hosticka, Alice; Kent, Judi; Browne, Ron

1998-01-01

Addresses issues of access to World Wide Web sites, mathematics and science content-resources available on the Web, and methods for integrating mathematics, science, and language arts instruction. (Author/ASK)

Teaching Citizenship in Science Classes at the University of Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, R. M.; Mangin, K.

2008-12-01

Science classes for non-science majors present unique opportunities to create lifelong science aficionados and teach citizenship skills. Because no specific content is needed for future courses, subject matter can be selected to maximize interest and assignments can be focused on life skills such as science literacy instead of discipline-specific content mastery. Dinosaurs! is a very successful non-major science class with a minimum enrollment of 150 that is intended for sophomores. One of the goals of this class is to increase students' awareness of social issues, the political process, and opportunities for keeping up with science later in life. The main theme of this class is evolution. The bird-dinosaur link is the perfect vehicle for illustrating the process of science because the lines of evidence are many, convincing, and based on discoveries made throughout the last half-century and continuing to the present day. The course is also about evolution the social issue. The second writing assignment is an in-class affective writing based on a newspaper article about the Dover, PA court case. The primary purpose of this assignment is to create a comfort zone for those students with strong ideological biases against evolution by allowing them to express their views without being judged, and to instill tolerance and understanding in students at the other end of the spectrum. Another homework uses thomas.loc.gov, the government's public website providing information about all legislation introduced since the 93rd Congress and much more. The assignment highlights the difficulty of passing legislation and the factors that contribute to a given bill's legislative success or failure using the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act, S320. Details of these assignments and others designed to achieve the goals stated above will be presented. A very different undergraduate program, Marine Discovery, offers science majors the opportunity to earn upper division science credits while teaching young people about marine science and conservation. Classes of elementary and middle school students attend a class field trip to a UA teaching laboratory where they explore a variety of hands-on marine biology centers. Undergraduates facilitate the learning centers and develop new centers for future years of the program. In addition, undergraduates in Marine Discovery do a marine ecology field project during a field trip to the Gulf of California, and present their results as a research poster to their peers. The course is entirely project- based, and helps students to develop informal as well as formal science communication skills. Many outreach programs suffer from loss of funding and lack of sustainability. Marine Discovery's popularity with both UA undergraduates and K-12 teachers has helped sustain it into its sixteenth year.

Fluid Physical and Transport Phenomena Studies aboard the International Space Station: Planned Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Bhim S.

1999-01-01

This paper provides an overview of the microgravity fluid physics and transport phenomena experiments planned for the International Spare Station. NASA's Office of Life and Microgravity Science and Applications has established a world-class research program in fluid physics and transport phenomena. This program combines the vast expertise of the world research community with NASA's unique microgravity facilities with the objectives of gaining new insight into fluid phenomena by removing the confounding effect of gravity. Due to its criticality to many terrestrial and space-based processes and phenomena, fluid physics and transport phenomena play a central role in the NASA's Microgravity Program. Through widely publicized research announcement and well established peer-reviews, the program has been able to attract a number of world-class researchers and acquired a critical mass of investigations that is now adding rapidly to this field. Currently there arc a total of 106 ground-based and 20 candidate flight principal investigators conducting research in four major thrust areas in the program: complex flows, multiphase flow and phase change, interfacial phenomena, and dynamics and instabilities. The International Space Station (ISS) to be launched in 1998, provides the microgravity research community with a unprecedented opportunity to conduct long-duration microgravity experiments which can be controlled and operated from the Principal Investigators' own laboratory. Frequent planned shuttle flights to the Station will provide opportunities to conduct many more experiments than were previously possible. NASA Lewis Research Center is in the process of designing a Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF) to be located in the Laboratory Module of the ISS that will not only accommodate multiple users but, allow a broad range of fluid physics and transport phenomena experiments to be conducted in a cost effective manner.

Virtual shelves in a digital library: a framework for access to networked information sources.

PubMed

Patrick, T B; Springer, G K; Mitchell, J A; Sievert, M E

1995-01-01

Develop a framework for collections-based access to networked information sources that addresses the problem of location-dependent access to information sources. This framework uses a metaphor of a virtual shelf. A virtual shelf is a general-purpose server that is dedicated to a particular information subject class. The identifier of one of these servers identifies its subject class. Location-independent call numbers are assigned to information sources. Call numbers are based on standard vocabulary codes. The call numbers are first mapped to the location-independent identifiers of virtual shelves. When access to an information resource is required, a location directory provides a second mapping of these location-independent server identifiers to actual network locations. The framework has been implemented in two different systems. One system is based on the Open System Foundation/Distributed Computing Environment and the other is based on the World Wide Web. This framework applies in new ways traditional methods of library classification and cataloging. It is compatible with two traditional styles of selecting information searching and browsing. Traditional methods may be combined with new paradigms of information searching that will be able to take advantage of the special properties of digital information. Cooperation between the library-informational science community and the informatics community can provide a means for a continuing application of the knowledge and techniques of library science to the new problems of networked information sources.

Using a Web-based GIS to Teach Problem-based Science in High School and College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metzger, E.; Lenkeit Meezan, , K. A.; Schmidt, C.; Taketa, R.; Carter, J.; Iverson, R.

2008-12-01

Foothill College has partnered with San Jose State University to bring GIS web mapping technology to the high school and college classroom. The project consists of two parts. In the first part, Foothill and San Jose State University have teamed up to offer classes on building and maintaining Web based Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Web-based GIS such as Google Maps, MapQuest and Yahoo Maps have become ubiquitous, and the skills to build and maintain these systems are in high demand from many employers. In the second part of the project, high school students will be able to learn about Web GIS as a real world tool used by scientists. The students in the Foothill College/San Jose State class will build their Web GIS using scientific data related to the San Francisco/San Joaquin Delta region, with a focus on watersheds, biodiversity and earthquake hazards. This project includes high school level curriculum development that will tie in to No Child Left Behind and National Curriculum Standards in both Science and Geography, and provide workshops for both pre-and in- service teachers in the use of Web GIS-driven course material in the high school classroom. The project will bring the work of professional scientists into any high school classroom with an internet connection; while simultaneously providing workforce training in high demand technology based jobs.

A Typology of Ethnographic Scales for Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boellstorff, Tom

This chapter outlines a typology of genres of ethnographic research with regard to virtual worlds, informed by extensive research the author has completed both in Second Life and in Indonesia. It begins by identifying four confusions about virtual worlds: they are not games, they need not be graphical or even visual, they are not mass media, and they need not be defined in terms of escapist role-playing. A three-part typology of methods for ethnographic research in virtual worlds focuses on the relationship between research design and ethnographic scale. One class of methods for researching virtual worlds with regard to ethnographic scale explores interfaces between virtual worlds and the actual world, whereas a second examines interfaces between two or more virtual worlds. The third class involves studying a single virtual world in its own terms. Recognizing that all three approaches have merit for particular research purposes, ethnography of virtual worlds can be a vibrant field of research, contributing to central debates about human selfhood and sociality.

Teaching science in light of world view: The effect of contextualized instruction on the scientific compatibility of religious college students' world views

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gossard, Paula Rae

Authors of recent science reform documents promote the goal of scientific literacy for all Americans (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989, 1993). Some students, however, feel apprehensive about learning science due to perceptions that science is antagonistic to their world views (Alters, 2005; Esbenshade, 1993). This study investigated the effect of an introductory science course taught in the context of a Christian, theistic world view on the scientific compatibility of religious college students' world views. For the purposes of this study, students' understanding of the nature of science, affective attitudes toward science, and beliefs regarding creation were used as indicators of the scientific compatibility of their world views. One hundred and seventy-one students enrolled in a core curriculum, introductory science course at a Christian university participated in this study by completing pre-instruction and post-instruction survey packets that included demographic information, the Student Understanding of Science and Scientific Inquiry questionnaire (Liang et al., 2006), the Affective Attitude toward Science Scale (Francis & Greer, 1999), and the Origins Survey (Tenneson & Badger, personal communication, June, 2008). Two-tailed paired samples t tests were used to test for significant mean differences in the indicator variables at a .05 level before and after instruction. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to determine if relationships were present among the indicator variables at a .05 level before and after instruction. Students' self-identified positions regarding creation were analyzed using a chi-square contingency table. Results indicated that there were statistically significant changes in all indicator variables after instruction of the contextualized course. The direction of these changes and shifts in students' self-identified positions regarding creation supported the conclusion that students developed a more scentifically compatible world view after contextualized instruction based on the indicators used in this study. Weak positive correlations were found between nature of science understanding and young earth creation before and after instruction; weak negative correlations were found between nature of science understanding and old earth creation and evolutionary creation before, but not after, instruction. Conclusions, implications for practice, and recommendations for future research are included.

Learning science in small multi-age groups: the role of age composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallery, Maria; Loupidou, Thomais

2016-06-01

The present study examines how the overall cognitive achievements in science of the younger children in a class where the students work in small multi-age groups are influenced by the number of older children in the groups. The context of the study was early-years education. The study has two parts: The first part involved classes attended by pre-primary children aged 4-6. The second part included one primary class attended by students aged 6-8 in addition to the pre-primary classes. Students were involved in inquiry-based science activities. Two sources of data were used: Lesson recordings and children's assessments. The data from both sources were separately analyzed and the findings plotted. The resulting graphs indicate a linear relationship between the overall performance of the younger children in a class and the number of older ones participating in the groups in each class. It seems that the age composition of the groups can significantly affect the overall cognitive achievements of the younger children and preferentially determines the time within which this factor reaches its maximum value. The findings can be utilized in deciding the age composition of small groups in a class with the aim of facilitating the younger children's learning in science.

Bringing PW-class lasers to XFELs (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomizawa, Hiromitsu

2017-06-01

Experimental researches using high power optical lasers combined with free electron lasers (FELs) open new frontiers in high energy density (HED) sciences. Probing and pumping capabilities are dramatically improved due to the brightness of the XFEL pulses with ultrafast duration. Besides, the peak intensities of Ti:sapphire laser Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA) systems reach petawatt (PW)-class with operating in few tens of fs and commercially available at a few Hz of repetition rate. We have been developing an experimental platform for HED sciences using high power, high intensity optical lasers at the XFEL facility, SACLA.Currently, an experimental platform with a dual 0.5 PW Ti:Sapphire laser system is under beam commissioning for experiments combined with the SACLA's x-ray beam for research objectives that require more peak power in the optical laser pulses with a few tens of fs. The optical laser system is designed to deliver two laser beams simultaneously with the maximum power of 0.5 PW in each into a target chamber located in an experimental hutch 6 (EH6) at BL2, which was recently commissioned as a SACLA's 2nd hard x-ray beamline. A focusing capability using sets of compound refractive lenses will be applied to increase the x-ray fluence on the target sample. One of the most key issues for the integrated experimental platform is development of diagnostics that meets requirements both from the high power laser (e.g. resistance to harsh environments) and from the XFEL (e.g. adaptation to the available data acquisition system). The status and future perspective of the development including automatic laser alignment systems will be reported in the presentation. We will discuss the most promising and important new physics experiments that will be enabled by the combination of PW-class lasers and the world-class FEL's x-ray beam.

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

Barty, C J

A renaissance in nuclear physics is occurring around the world because of a new kind of incredibly bright, gamma-ray light source that can be created with short pulse lasers and energetic electron beams. These highly Mono-Energetic Gamma-ray (MEGa-ray) sources produce narrow, laser-like beams of incoherent, tunable gamma-rays and are enabling access and manipulation of the nucleus of the atom with photons or so called 'Nuclear Photonics'. Just as in the early days of the laser when photon manipulation of the valence electron structure of the atom became possible and enabling to new applications and science, nuclear photonics with laser-based gamma-raymore » sources promises both to open up wide areas of practical isotope-related, materials applications and to enable new discovery-class nuclear science. In the United States, the development of high brightness and high flux MEGa-ray sources is being actively pursued at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore (LLNL), California near San Francisco. The LLNL work aims to create by 2013 a machine that will advance the state of the art with respect to source the peak brightness by 6 orders of magnitude. This machine will create beams of 1 to 2.3 MeV photons with color purity matching that of common lasers. In Europe a similar but higher photon energy gamma source has been included as part of the core capability that will be established at the Extreme Light Infrastructure Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) facility in Magurele, Romania outside of Bucharest. This machine is expected to have an end point gamma energy in the range of 13 MeV. The machine will be co-located with two world-class, 10 Petawatt laser systems thus allowing combined intense-laser and gamma-ray interaction experiments. Such capability will be unique in the world. In this talk, Dr. Chris Barty from LLNL will review the state of the art with respect to MEGa-ray source design, construction and experiments and will describe both the ongoing projects around the world as well some of the exciting applications that these machines will enable. The optimized interaction of short-duration, pulsed lasers with relativistic electron beams (inverse laser-Compton scattering) is the key to unrivaled MeV-scale photon source monochromaticity, pulse brightness and flux. In the MeV spectral range, such Mono-Energetic Gamma-ray (MEGa-ray) sources can have many orders of magnitude higher peak brilliance than even the world's largest synchrotrons. They can efficiently perturb and excite the isotope-specific resonant structure of the nucleus in a manner similar to resonant laser excitation of the valence electron structure of the atom.« less

Enrollment trends in American soil science classes: 2004-2005 to 2013-2014 academic years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, Eric C.; Vaughan, Karen L.; Parikh, Sanjai J.; Dolliver, Holly; Lindbo, David; Steffan, Joshua J.; Weindorf, David; McDaniel, Paul; Mbila, Monday; Edinger-Marshall, Susan

2017-04-01

Studies indicate that soil science enrollment in the USA was on the decline in the 1990s and into the early 2000s (Baveye et al., 2006; Collins, 2008). However, a recent study indicated that in the seven years from 2007 through 2014 the number of soil science academic majors, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, was on the increase (Brevik et al., 2014). However, the Brevik et al. (2014) study only looked at the number of soil science majors, it did not look at other important trends in soil science enrollment. Therefore, this study was developed to investigate enrollment numbers in individual soil science classes. To investigate this, we collected data from ten different American universities on the enrollment trends for seven different classes taught at the undergraduate level, introduction to soil science, soil fertility, soil management, pedology, soil biology/microbiology, soil chemistry, and soil physics, over a 10 year time period (2004-2005 to 2013-2014 academic years). Enrollment in each individual class was investigated over five (2009-2010 to 2013-2014) and 10 (2004-2005 to 2013-2014) year trends. All classes showed increasing enrollment over the five year study period except for soil physics, which experienced a modest decline in enrollment (-4.1% per year). The soil chemistry (23.2% per year) and soil management (10.1% per year) classes had the largest percentage gain in enrollment over the five year time period. All classes investigated experienced increased enrollment over the 10 year study period except soil biology/microbiology, which had an essentially stable enrollment (0.8% enrollment gain per year). Soil physics (28.9% per year) and soil chemistry (14.7% per year) had the largest percentage gain in enrollment over the 10 year time period. It is worth noting that soil physics enrollments had a large increase from 2004-2005 through 2009-2010, then dropped to and stabilized at a level that was lower than the 2009-2010 high but much higher than enrollment levels through the first three years of the study. This explains soil physics being the only class to show an enrollment decline over the five year trend while showing the greatest percentage gain over the 10 year trend. Overall, the individual classes showed 12 examples of increasing enrollment, one example of stable enrollment, and one example of declining enrollment. These results were interpreted as indicating that enrollment in soil science classes at American universities was on the rise over the time period of the study. References Baveye, P., Jacobson, A.R., Allaire, S.E., Tandarich, J.P. and Bryant, R.B., 2006. Whither goes soil science in the United States and Canada? Soil Science 171, 501-518. Brevik, E.C., Abit, S., Brown, D., Dolliver, H., Hopkins, D., Lindbo, D., Manu, A., Mbila, M., Parikh, S.J., Schulze, D., Shaw, J., Weil, R., Weindorf, D., 2014. Soil science education in the United States: history and current enrollment trends. Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science 62(4), 299-306. Collins, M.E., 2008. Where have all the soils students gone? Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education 37, 117-124.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Kids' Pages

MedlinePlus

... Recycle Science – How It Works The Natural World Games Brainteasers Puzzles Riddles Songs Activities Be a Scientist ... Recycle Science – How It Works The Natural World Games Expand Brainteasers Puzzles Riddles Songs Activities Expand Be ...

Purely in silico BCS classification: science based quality standards for the world's drugs.

PubMed

Dahan, Arik; Wolk, Omri; Kim, Young Hoon; Ramachandran, Chandrasekharan; Crippen, Gordon M; Takagi, Toshihide; Bermejo, Marival; Amidon, Gordon L

2013-11-04

BCS classification is a vital tool in the development of both generic and innovative drug products. The purpose of this work was to provisionally classify the world's top selling oral drugs according to the BCS, using in silico methods. Three different in silico methods were examined: the well-established group contribution (CLogP) and atom contribution (ALogP) methods, and a new method based solely on the molecular formula and element contribution (KLogP). Metoprolol was used as the benchmark for the low/high permeability class boundary. Solubility was estimated in silico using a thermodynamic equation that relies on the partition coefficient and melting point. The validity of each method was affirmed by comparison to reference data and literature. We then used each method to provisionally classify the orally administered, IR drug products found in the WHO Model list of Essential Medicines, and the top-selling oral drug products in the United States (US), Great Britain (GB), Spain (ES), Israel (IL), Japan (JP), and South Korea (KR). A combined list of 363 drugs was compiled from the various lists, and 257 drugs were classified using the different in silico permeability methods and literature solubility data, as well as BDDCS classification. Lastly, we calculated the solubility values for 185 drugs from the combined set using in silico approach. Permeability classification with the different in silico methods was correct for 69-72.4% of the 29 reference drugs with known human jejunal permeability, and for 84.6-92.9% of the 14 FDA reference drugs in the set. The correlations (r(2)) between experimental log P values of 154 drugs and their CLogP, ALogP and KLogP were 0.97, 0.82 and 0.71, respectively. The different in silico permeability methods produced comparable results: 30-34% of the US, GB, ES and IL top selling drugs were class 1, 27-36.4% were class 2, 22-25.5% were class 3, and 5.46-14% were class 4 drugs, while ∼8% could not be classified. The WHO list included significantly less class 1 and more class 3 drugs in comparison to the countries' lists, probably due to differences in commonly used drugs in developing vs industrial countries. BDDCS classified more drugs as class 1 compared to in silico BCS, likely due to the more lax benchmark for metabolism (70%), in comparison to the strict permeability benchmark (metoprolol). For 185 out of the 363 drugs, in silico solubility values were calculated, and successfully matched the literature solubility data. In conclusion, relatively simple in silico methods can be used to estimate both permeability and solubility. While CLogP produced the best correlation to experimental values, even KLogP, the most simplified in silico method that is based on molecular formula with no knowledge of molecular structure, produced comparable BCS classification to the sophisticated methods. This KLogP, when combined with a mean melting point and estimated dose, can be used to provisionally classify potential drugs from just molecular formula, even before synthesis. 49-59% of the world's top-selling drugs are highly soluble (class 1 and class 3), and are therefore candidates for waivers of in vivo bioequivalence studies. For these drugs, the replacement of expensive human studies with affordable in vitro dissolution tests would ensure their bioequivalence, and encourage the development and availability of generic drug products in both industrial and developing countries.

Global Rankings, World-Class Universities and Dilemma in Higher Education Policy in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tilak, Jandhyala B. G.

2016-01-01

Global university rankings and world-class universities have become buzzwords almost in every country. Both exercise positive and not-so-positive impact on higher education systems. Universities everywhere are trying hard to improve their status and global rankings. The article reviews some of the important issues related to these two strongly…

In the Shadow of Celebrity? World-Class University Policies and Public Value in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cremonini, Leon; Westerheijden, Don F.; Benneworth, Paul; Dauncey, Hugh

2014-01-01

The growing popularity of the concept of world-class universities raises the question of whether investing in such universities is a worthwhile use of public resources. Does concentrating public resources on the most excellent universities improve the overall quality of a higher education system, especially if definitions of excellence and…

Building the World-Class Research Universities: A Case Study of China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Futao

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to analyze how China has strived to develop its world-class research universities and what are distinguishing characteristics of China's efforts to form these universities for the last decades. This study begins with a review of literature and research questions. It then touches on the background and rationale of…

How to Make a Math Modeling Class from Scratch in Six (Not-So) Easy Steps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerhardt, Ira

2017-01-01

The recent introduction of a new course in mathematical modeling at Manhattan College has provided students with a valuable opportunity to gain practical experience utilizing tools in applying their mathematical abilities to a real-world problem. This paper describes the steps taken to create this class, from obtaining a real-world partner…

Quest for Building World-Class Universities in South Korea: Outcomes and Consequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byun, Kiyong; Jon, Jae-Eun; Kim, Dongbin

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the Korean government's policies for building world class universities (WCUs) and their implications for Korean higher education institutions. Primarily through an extensive literature review, but also through a discussion of field interviews and the experiences of one of the authors as a…

Slushie World: An In-Class Access Database Tutorial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wynn, Donald E., Jr.; Pratt, Renée M. E.

2015-01-01

The Slushie World case study is designed to teach the basics of Microsoft Access and database management over a series of three 75-minute class sessions. Students are asked to build a basic database to track sales and inventory for a small business. Skills to be learned include table creation, data entry and importing, form and report design,…