Developing a Large Enrollment Physical Science Curriculum

开发大招生物理科学课程

• 批准号: 0717791
• 负责人: Fred Goldberg
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: San Diego State University Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-01-01 至 2011-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0717791&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Developing; Large; Enrollment; Physical; Science

The long-term goal of this project is to improve the scientific literacy of the general population. Most colleges and universities offer general education classes in science to non-science majors. These classes often have more than 90 students, many of them prospective elementary-school teachers. In large classes, lecturing is the traditional approach. But research shows that the best way to learn science is through guided inquiry, where students are guided to develop their own ideas by doing experiments and discussing their ideas and observations with classmates. In the past, projects have developed such curricula for small classes of around 30 students. This project adapts a successful guided inquiry physical science curriculum for use in large classes. As well as teaching fundamental scientific ideas, the course covers the nature of science (what scientists do) and the nature of learning (how students learn). Classroom technology is important. Instead of having the students do experiments, the instructor uses a projector to show demonstrations and videos of experiments, and run online simulations. Students discuss ideas with the students sitting around them. Audience-response systems (clickers) record and collate the responses of individuals and groups. Homework is done over the internet. Sometimes students collaborate in online groups; sometimes simulators are used. This allows the instructor to gather data about the progress of the whole class, and tailor subsequent classes accordingly. The curriculum is being tested across the country to gather information about whether it improves science learning more than traditional courses, and if it is as effective as the small-class version. Instructors attend workshops to learn how to teach the class, and they have extensive online resources to help plan and execute each lesson. This makes it easier for institutions to adopt the curriculum. An established educational publisher is publishing the student and instructor materials.

该项目的长期目标是提高公众的科学素养。大多数学院和大学为非理科专业的学生开设理科通识教育课程。 这些班级通常有90多名学生，其中许多人是未来的小学教师。在大班中，讲课是传统的方法。 但研究表明，学习科学的最佳方式是通过引导探究，引导学生通过做实验和与同学讨论他们的想法和观察来发展自己的想法。 过去，一些项目为大约30名学生的小班编制了这类课程。本计画改编一套成功的探究式物理科学课程，以供大班使用。 除了教授基本的科学思想外，该课程还涵盖了科学的本质（科学家做什么）和学习的本质（学生如何学习）。课堂技术很重要。教师不用学生做实验，而是用投影仪展示实验的演示和视频，并进行在线模拟。学生们与坐在他们周围的学生讨论想法。观众反应系统（点击器）记录和整理个人和团体的反应。 家庭作业通过互联网完成。 有时学生在网上小组合作，有时使用模拟器。这允许教师收集有关整个课程进度的数据，并相应地调整后续课程。该课程正在全国范围内进行测试，以收集有关它是否比传统课程更能提高科学学习的信息，以及它是否与小班版本一样有效。教师参加研讨会，学习如何教类，他们有广泛的在线资源，以帮助计划和执行每一课。这使各机构更容易采用该课程。一家知名的教育出版商正在出版学生和教师的材料。