Facilitating Education in Environmental Research

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

FACILITATING EDUCATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCHIn 2000, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a special competition, Biocomplexity in the Environment (BE): Integrated Research and Education in Environmental Systems. This five-year initiative epitomizes NSF's stated priorities of enhancing the integration of work done in research and education. It requires that all research proposals be accompanied by a related educational or outreach activity. However NSF is aware that many scientists have little experience with translating or applying their research methods and findings to educational settings. Proposing and designing education projects that are useful, meaningful, achievable, and whose outcomes can be assessed for their short- and long-term efficacy is a challenging task. The NRC aims to facilitate the integration of research and education by convening a 2-day workshop focused on the educational efforts of scientists working in environmental research and related disciplines. Participants will include researchers who have successfully integrated education with their research, researchers just beginning educational projects, and education professionals with expertise in areas such as the life, chemical, and earth sciences; assessment of teaching and learning; student research programs; interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning science; and state and national standards for science. At the workshop Scientist/Educators whose work is exemplary will present their approaches, methods, and perspectives. The sharing of their "stories" will be used as the basis for a discussion on how to develop, implement, integrate and assess educational components of research projects. The workshop discussions will be summarized and published as a report together with papers submitted by participants. The workshop summary report will provide a resource to assist scientists who are struggling to integrate education components into their research.