Transforming Introductory Undergraduate Science Courses

这个项目解决了三个问题：1)在大型州立大学的财政限制下，我们如何改变数学和科学的入门课程，为学生提供更多的互动体验？2)信息技术在哪些方面可以有效地改善本科理科教育？3)研究部门和教育学院如何有效地合作，招募和培养有才华的学生从事K-12数学和科学教育？该提案的作者已经开发了一个改造的本科天文学入门部分，强调基于探究和协作学习与网络信息技术的帮助。转变后的课程的关键要素包括：a)通过基于网络的超文本内容交付取代讲座，该文本具有丰富的多媒体模拟和探索链接；b)将一个大（约200名学生）的班级分成约12人的“学习小组”，每个小组每周在计算机教室见面一次，准备预先提出的“讨论问题”的答案，以便在团队项目中协同工作；c)软件和课程设计，以促进学生在学习团队中的同步和异步交流；d)使用基于java的模拟进行基于探究的协作学习的教学块；e)聘请本科生学习助理监督学习团队。作者还与其他科学和数学研究部门的教师以及教育学院的教师合作，与Sun教育系统合作，雇用本科生和研究生，程序员和在Sun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的教学模块，并在当地学区测试这些模块。目前的项目在以下几个方面对这一工作进行了扩展：a)作者正在继续改进和发展改造后的天文学课程，使其资源易于系里的其他教员使用；b)作者正在与科罗拉多大学其他数学系和科学系的管理学院合作，帮助他们采用改造后的课程的一些方法，包括软件和雇佣本科生学习助理为他们自己的入门课程；c)作者正在与行政部门、科学和数学研究部门的教师、教育学院的教师以及Sun教育系统合作，开发一个有吸引力的本科课程，以招募和培养有才华的学生从事K-12科学和数学教育的职业。

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.