Transforming Introductory Undergraduate Science Courses

这个项目解决了三个问题：1)我们如何改造数学和科学入门课程，以便在大型州立大学的财政限制下为学生提供更具互动性的体验？2)如何有效地利用信息技术来改善本科科学教育？3)研究部门和教育学院如何有效合作，招收和培养有才华的学生进入K-12数学和科学教育的职业生涯？这项建议的作者开发了一个经过改造的本科生天文学入门部分，强调在基于网络的信息技术的帮助下进行基于探究的合作学习。转变后的班级的关键要素包括：a)通过基于网络的超文本用丰富的多媒体模拟和探索链接来取代授课内容；b)将一个大型(约200名学生)班级分为“学习小组”，每个小组由大约12名学生组成，每个小组每周在计算机教室开会一次，准备预先提出的“讨论问题”的答案，并就小组项目进行协作；c)软件和课程设计，以促进学习小组中学生之间的同步和异步交流；d)使用基于Java的模拟，为基于探究的协作学习提供教学块；以及e)雇用本科生学习助理来监督学习小组。作者还与其他科学和数学研究部门的教员以及教育学院的教员合作，与Sun教育系统公司合作，聘请本科生和研究生、程序员和在Sun公司暑期实习的在职教师开发用于中学数学和科学教育的基于Java的教学块，并在当地学区测试这些块。目前的项目将这项工作扩展到以下方向：a)作者正在继续改进和开发改造后的天文学课程，使该系的其他教职员工可以使用和使用资源；b)作者正在与科罗拉多大学其他数学和科学系的管理人员合作，帮助他们采用改造后课程的一些方法，包括软件和为他们自己的入门课程聘请本科学习助手；C)提交人正在与管理部门、科学和数学研究部门的教员、教育学院的教员以及Sun Education Systems合作开发一项有吸引力的本科课程，以招收和培养K-12科学和数学教育领域的有才华的学生。

This project addresses three questions: 1) How can we transform introductory math and science courses to provide a more interactive experience for students within the financial constraints of a large state university? 2) In what ways can information technology be used effectively to improve undergraduate science education? and 3) How can research departments and schools of education work together effectively to recruit and train talented students into careers in K-12 math and science education? The author of this proposal has developed a transformed section of introductory undergraduate astronomy that emphasizes inquiry-based and collaborative learning with the aid of web-based information technology. Key elements of the transformed class include: a) Replacing lectures with content delivery through a web-based hypertext that is rich in multimedia simulations and links for exploration; b) Dividing a large (~200 students) class into "learning teams" of ~12 students each who meet once a week in a computer classroom to prepare answers to pre-posed "discussion questions" and so work collaboratively on team projects; c) Software and course design to facilitate synchronous and asynchronous communication among students in learning teams; d) Blocks of instruction for inquiry-based collaborative learning using Java-based simulations; and e) The employment of undergraduate learning assistants to supervise the learning teams. The author has also worked with faculty from other science and math research departments and faculty of the school of education in a collaboration with Sun Educational Systems to employ undergraduate and graduate students, programmers, and in-service teachers in summer internships at Sun to develop Java-based blocks of instruction intended for secondary school math and science education and to test these blocks in local school districts. The current project extends this work in the following directions: a) The author is continuing to improve and develop the transformed astronomy course, making the resources available and easy to use for other faculty members in the department; b) The author is working with the administration faculty in other math and science departments at the University of Colorado to help them adopt some of the methodology of the transformed course, including software and the employment of undergraduate learning assistants for their own introductory courses; c) The author is working with the administration, faculty in science and mathematics research departments, faculty in the School of Education, and with Sun Educational Systems to develop an attractive undergraduate curriculum to recruit and train talented students for careers in K-12 science and mathematics education.