1 / 19

Transforming Tertiary Science Education

Transforming Tertiary Science Education. Update on the joint project between the University of Canterbury & Massey University. Ben Kennedy, Zoe Jordens, Rosie Bradshaw, Erik Brogt , Ewen Cameron, Billy O’Steen. Goals for this talk. After this talk, participants will:

jada
Download Presentation

Transforming Tertiary Science Education

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Transforming Tertiary Science Education Update on the joint project between the University of Canterbury & Massey University Ben Kennedy, Zoe Jordens, Rosie Bradshaw, Erik Brogt, Ewen Cameron, Billy O’Steen

  2. Goals for this talk After this talk, participants will: • Know what the project is about • Explain what we are doing • Evaluate how it is going • Infer what will be done next • Debate and critique the project and its results

  3. What is the project about? • Adapt the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative to the Kiwi context • Rigorous, evidence-based approach to reform • Observations and measurement • Learning goals, concept test and formative assessment development • Implementation of reforms and measurement of its effectiveness • Six courses: 2 biology at Massey, 4 geology at Canterbury

  4. What are we doing • Two iterations: baseline and intervention • Administer knowledge (concept) test pre-post • Administer attitude survey pre-post • Classroom observations to • Infer learning goals • Monitor student engagement • Develop interventions in consultation with CWSEI and course instructors

  5. First results

  6. What do you think? Which instructor behaviour generates the most student engagement? • Use of humour in class • Linking lecture to learning goals • Use of examples • Voice modulation

  7. Attitude results: Geol 113 • Generally some shifts to more expert thinking, but strong novice thinking persists • When I look at a landscape, I have an idea of how long it took to form • Pre: 34, 34, 31 Post: 47, 50, 3 • It is important for the government to approve new science ideas before they can be widely accepted by the population • Pre: 57, 23, 20 Post: 55, 26, 19

  8. Shifts to expert-like thinking? • Earth and Ocean Sciences have little relation to what I experience in the real world • Pre: 0, 28, 72 Post: 0, 3, 97 Well… we did have the September earthquake during this period…

  9. Concept test -baseline • Concept tests for two geology courses developed • Geol 336 post test result 52% • About 25 % of students in Geol 336 said “I haven’t started studying yet” when asked what might inhibit them on test

  10. Interventions • Clickers • In class exercises • Academic development for staff

  11. Example: clicker question From the image and what you know about intermediate rocks estimate the mineral proportions and name the rock 30% quartz, 30 % k feldsapar, 30% plagioclase, 5% olivine, 5 % pyroxene, ROCK rhyolite 10 % quartz, 20% olivine, 10 % pyroxene, 50% plagioclase, 10% biotite. ROCK dacite 5 % quartz, 15% amphibole, 5 % k feldsapar, 70% plagioclase, 5% biotite. ROCK Andesite 20% amphibole, 10 % pyroxene, 50% plagioclase, 10% biotite, 10 % olivine ROCK Dacite

  12. In class exercise, this map shows relative resistivity, 3 is low 13 is high, and characteristic isotopic and geochemical spring characteristics. B δ18O = -5.2 δD = -31 δ18O = -5.8 δD = -37 δ18O = -5.2 δD = -30 7 δ18O = -5 δD = -32 8 δ18O = -5.5 δD = -35 5 9 δ18O = -6 δD = -37 δ18O = -5.2 δD = -35.5 4 δ18O = -5.5 δD = -36 3 δ18O = -4.6 δD = -38 C δ18O = -5.5 δD = -28 δ18O = -4.5 δD = -36 A 13 Where would you drill for geothermal energy? Why? And What fluid characteristics would you expect to find ? 14 15

  13. Academic development • Interventions for Geology courses at Canterbury developed and implemented in consultation with teaching teams • Revamping a course must have buy-in • Must be authentic for instructors • Must fit instructor’s teaching style • Partly academic, partly pastoral for students Academic development is done WITH, not TO instructors

  14. Random anecdotes • Canterbury: Students borrowing clickers for their own presentations • Massey: Students were observed turning off Facebook to do in class exercises

  15. What’s next? • Interventions for Geology courses for semester 2 are under development, in consultation with the teaching teams • Massey already doing interventions in semester 1, 2011 • Several spin-off projects are starting up at Canterbury • Development of ways to reliably interpret Canterbury data

  16. Spin offs • Hazard education research • Potential to supply data to triangulate post-earthquakes student resiliency surveys • Linking up with Physics Ed. In Auckland • UBC researcher Alison Jolley joining team

  17. Acknowledgements • Our research assistants for doing an absolutely marvellous job • Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative group at the University of British Columbia • The audiovisual support units at Canterbury and Massey

  18. Questions or comments?

More Related