Catalysts for Change: Foundation Courses and Instructional Innovation

在大学理工科教育中，强调算法解决问题和死记硬背抽象概念一直是传统的做法。这种方法并没有使大多数学生做好充分的准备，以应对技术社会生活中的真正挑战。学生的被动角色往往扼杀了他们的兴趣和主动性；这为发展具有持久价值的技能提供了很少的机会，例如有效沟通、掌握分析思维、富有成效的团队合作以及负责任的独立学习和资源利用。在整个学校范围内，针对一年级和二年级的科学教育正在发生系统性的变化；他们增强的学习技能和探究精神将推动更高水平的课程进一步改革，改变全校对科学的教授和学习的期望。对学生表现和态度的纵向研究将评估这一变化的有效性。开发了科学和工程基础课程的核心，以帮助学生在大学毕业后和课堂外早期获得学习所需的技能和思维习惯。基础课程由教师组成的跨学科团队开发，并由提供适当学习策略和计算机技术培训的年度教学创新研究所提供支持。该研究所将继续推动跨学科和整个大学的改革。该项目建立在以前由国家科学基金会资助的特拉华大学项目的基础上：“跨学科入门科学中的基于问题的学习”和特拉华州创新的科学/数学合作项目，以促进本科的成功。作为这个项目的结果，我们希望发现我们的学生毕业时学习和解决问题的技能得到了提高，对科学的欣赏和态度得到了提高，课堂外学习的能力也得到了提高。我们期望向教员灌输对教学的新兴趣，并提高他们的有效性，特别是积极参与学生学习的热情。最后，我们期待我们的政府将高度尊重我们在向越来越多样化的学生群体教授科学方面所做的努力。我们寻求催化将额外的机构资源转移到科学和工程部门，以促进主动学习和教学创新。

In university science and engineering education, an emphasis on algorithmic problem-solving and rote memorization of abstract concepts has been traditional. This approach does not adequately prepare the majority of students for the real challenges of life in a technological society. The passive role often relegated to students stifles their interest and initiative; this provides scant opportunity for the development of skills with lasting value, such as effective communication, mastery in analytical thinking, productive teamwork, and responsible, independent learning and resource utilization. Institution-wide, systemic change in science education is being made by targeting freshmen and sophomores; their enhanced learning skills and spirit of inquiry will instigate further reform in upper-level courses, changing campus-wide expectations for science is taught and learned. Longitudinal studies of student performance and attitudes will assess the effectiveness of the change. A core of science and engineering Foundation Courses are developed that aid students in the early acquisition of the skills and habits of mind required for learning after college and outside of the classroom. The Foundation Courses are developed by interdisciplinary teams of faculty, supported by an annual Instructional Innovation Institute that provides training in appropriate learning strategies and computer technology. The Institute will sustain this drive for reform across disciplines and throughout the university. The project builds on prior NSF-supported projects at the University of Delaware: "Problem-Based Learning in Introductory Science Across Disciplines" and Delaware's Innovative Science/Mathematics Collaborative for Undergraduate Success". As a result of this project, we expect to find that our students graduate with improved learning and problem-solving skills an enhanced appreciation of and attitude regarding science, and an improved ability to learn outside the classroom. We expect to imbue in fac ulty a renewed interest in teaching and improving their effectiveness, specifically an enthusiasm for actively engaging their students in learning. Finally, we expect that our administration will hold in high esteem our efforts in teaching science to and increasingly diverse student body. We seek to catalyze a shift of additional institutional resources to science and engineering departments for facilitating active learning and instructional innovation.