Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology (1999) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Appendix A
Appendix A
Pages 71-87
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 71... ...
The meetings also were intended to catalyze and encourage ongoing dialogue among educators, administrators, and higher education policy makers about the need for greater scientific literacy in American undergraduate students. The symposia and topical forums were very effective in drawing attention to a set of issues that rarely had received sufficient attention during previous meetings attended by a wide range of stakeholders in higher education.
|
From page 72... ...
884. Regional Symposia: General Themes The national convocation in Washington featured an "Options for Action" structure that allowed participants to discuss and recommend to the convocation organizers various strategies for overcoming barriers to improving undergraduate SME&T education.
|
From page 73... ...
At all of the regional symposia, participants raised many common issues regarding the current state of science education in the United States. They included issues that have been noted in previous reports on education, beginning with A Nation at Risk (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983~.
|
From page 74... ...
Simply stated, students who receive high scores on AP exams and place out of college graduation requirements in mathematics or science as undergraduates will not benefit from innovative efforts to improve technological and scientific literacy among college students. When asked to compare the quality of introductory undergraduate SME&T courses with AP courses, many participants in all of the symposia expressed cautious satisfaction with the organization and structure of postsecondary courses for declared SME&T majors.
|
From page 75... ...
Participants also wondered how discipline-based professors could be encouraged to recognize their tremendous influence on future teachers to the degree that they would then become more inclined to incorporate important aspects of the mathematics and science standards into their curriculum and classroom practice. Finally, many participants expressed a strong frustration with what could be characterized as societal issues and challengesissues such as students' inability to think or reason independently or to maintain motivation and interest in subject matter.
|
From page 76... ...
Attendees agreed that some issues related to modernizin~ the teaching of SMUT disciplines must 35The NRC's Committee on Undergraduate Science Education will oversee a project to examine special circumstances related to the evaluation of teaching by SME&T faculty and how such evaluations might be tied to student learning outcomes and continuing professional development. Additional information about this project will be available in late 1998 from the NAS Main Web Page under "Current Projects," as well as from the Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education's home page, |
From page 77... ...
Regional Symposium Series: Conclusion As revealed in the summaries given above, the symposium series was very useful in catalyzing broad conversations among a diverse set of education representatives interested in improving K-12 and undergraduate SME&T education. Attendees at all four symposia touched on many of the daunting challenges postsecondary institutions face in the current era of reform.
|
From page 78... ...
. As a result of similar discussions at the regional symposium hosted by GTE, this topical forum highlighted effective interdisciplinary programs and collaborations among faculty in different kinds of postsecondary institutions.36 The forum also gave participants the time and opportunity to consider the characteristics of a successful interdisciplinary program.
|
From page 79... ...
TABLE 2 DATES, TOPICS, HOSTING ORGANIZATIONS, LOCATIONS, AND NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS OF THE TEN TOPICAL FORUMS · Location and Number Date Forum Topic Host of Participants October Productive Partnerships: National Council of Kansas City, MO 10, 1996 Collaborations between Science, Teachers of Mathematics 13 participants Mathematics, and Education Regional Meeting Faculty for the Improvement of Teacher Education October Involving Research Faculty in the University of Texas et Austin Austin, TX 15, 1996 Reform of Undergraduate Science 53 participants Education November Minority Access and Recruitment City University of NewYork, Brooklyn, NY 8, 1996 in the Sciences Medgar Evers College 60 participants November Implications of Standards-based Florida Department of Tampa, FL (7 sites) 14, 1996 Education for Introductory College Education 269 participants total Science Courses November Developing Scientific Literacy Society for Environmental Washington, DC 18, 1996 through Environmental Science Toxicology and Chemistry 16 participants Courses and Programs December Addressing the Needs of the American Geophysical San Francisco, CA 14, 1996 Workplace in Earth Science Classes Union 24 participants December Implications ofthe NationalScience National ScienceTeachers San Francisco, CA 28, 1996 Education Standards for Teacher Association's "Global 30 participants Preparation Summit on Science and Science Education" February Limnology and Oceanography: American Society of Santa Fe, NM 9, 1997 Meeting the Needs of Non-Science Limnology and 21 participants Majors in Introductory Courses Oceanography January Strategies for Developing University of Washington Seattle, WA 28, 1997 Interdisciplinary Coursesfor Non- System 87 participants Science Majors May 1, Integration of Pedagogy and Center for Education and Pomona, CA 1997 Content Coursesfor Future Equity in Mathematics, 35 participants Teachers Science, and Technology, California State Polytechnic Institute A P P E N D I X A 79
|
From page 80... ...
Entitled "Developing Scientific Literacy through Environmental Science Courses and Programs," the session provided an opportunity for members of CUSE to interact with environmental scientists on ways to enhance the general scientific literacy of environmental science students (see this discussion of Vision 2 in this report)
|
From page 81... ...
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) : This forum was held in conjunction with NSTA's "Global Summit on Science and Science Education." Participants collectively reflected on the changing emphases in content, teaching, assessment, and professional development that can be expected as the National Science Education Standards and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)
|
From page 82... ...
Forum participants also indicated that central repositories of information, such as web sites that provide useful information for non-science majors in introductory courses, could also be very useful to faculty members who are interested in revamping and revitalizing their courses. Useful resources that could be disseminated in this fashion include laboratory exercises, video clips, case studies, other useful web pages, examples of "bad science," and information about how scientific understanding about some issue or problem develops and evolves.37 Attendees called for the realignment of faculty rewards and recognition at postsecondary institutions to recognize those faculty who have redesigned their courses in innovative ways, especially those courses aimed at non-science majors.
|
From page 83... ...
Medgar Evers College (City University of New York) : The theme for this day-long workshop aimed at community college personnel was how to weave SME&T into the required undergraduate curriculum so that all students could become more scientifically literate.
|
From page 84... ...
This problem can have an impact on advising, career focus and aspirations, and retention of students. Participants agreed strongly that postsecondary institutions must, as central priorities, commit both to recruiting and admitting motivated students and to instituting programs that improve the likelihood of retaining those students throughout their undergraduate careers.
|
From page 85... ...
A panel briefly discussed issues and opportunities in developing interdisciplinary courses, then participants divided into four break out groups to discuss strategies for developing different kinds of interdisciplinary courses that would launch students towards greater scientific literacy and lifelong learning. Attendees also considered possible institutional impediments to the development of such courses.
|
From page 86... ...
A more systemic plan could involve developing and implementing a capstone course for prospective teachers that integrates SME&T content and methods and is in concert with the goals and expectations of the NRC's National Science Education Standards and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards for curriculum and professional development. Practicing teachers could collaborate with college faculty in the development of such courses to enhance course effectiveness and simultaneously to gain valuable professional development.
|
From page 87... ...
Topical Forums: Conclusion The topical forums offered important opportunities for the members of CUSE to build upon the momentum of the national convocation held in 1995 and the subsequent regional symposia. In collaboration with professional organizations and universities and, in one case, with a state department of education, CUSE members were able to explore with colleagues across the United States issues that were raised at the regional symposia.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.