Dilemmas and Decisions: Using Guided Writing to Increase Ecological Literacy in Undergraduate Biology Students

生物科学（61）。写作学习（WTL）已被证明可以有效地帮助学生将概念拼凑成有意义的概念框架，特别是当他们被要求将个人联系结合起来时。该项目的目的是测试认知-情感-行为（CAB） WTL模型的有效性，这是一种专门作为提高生态素养的教学工具而开发的教学模型。在CAB-WTL模式中，学生在课堂上写一系列指导文章，确定与当前问题相关的个人困境。这些书面话语提供了学生生态素养水平的衡量标准。本课题的智力价值在于对CAB-WTL模型的有效性进行了三种不同人群的测试：(1)四年制大学生物专业和其他理科专业；(2) 4年制大学教育专业学生和(3)2年制部落学院学生。此外，通过对学生写作的定性分析，该项目为科学教育界提供了有关本科生对关键生态概念理解深度和生态素养现状的数据。该项目更广泛的影响包括：(1)开发和测试提高科学素养的可转移模型，(2)举办区域研讨会和与科学会议相结合的研讨会，重点是让教师准备好在各种环境中使用该模型，以及(3)通过会议上的演讲和在同行评议期刊上的发表来传播结果。此外，该项目正在一所四年制大学和一所两年制部落学院的教员之间建立合作关系，并为代表性不足的学生（特别是美国土著妇女）和职前教师提供服务。

Biological Sciences (61). Writing-to-learn (WTL) has been shown to effectively help students piece together concepts into meaningful conceptual frameworks, especially when they are asked to incorporate personal connections. The objective of this project is to test the effectiveness of the Cognitive-Affective-Behavior (CAB) WTL model, a pedagogical model that is being developed specifically as a teaching tool to improve ecological literacy. In the CAB-WTL model students write a series of in-class guided essays, identifying personal dilemmas relevant to current issues. These written discourses provide a measure of the level of student ecological literacy.The intellectual merit of the project lies in testing the effectiveness of the CAB-WTL model with three distinct populations: (1) Biology majors and other science majors at a 4-year college; (2) Education majors at a 4-year college and (3) students at a 2-year tribal college. Furthermore, through the qualitative analysis of student writing, the project is providing data to the science education community regarding the depth of understanding of key ecological concepts and the current state of ecological literacy among undergraduates. The project's broader impact includes: (1) the development and testing of a transferable model for increasing science literacy, (2) the presentation of regional workshops and workshops in conjunction with scientific meetings that focus on preparing faculty to use this model in a variety of settings, and (3) the dissemination of results through presentations at meetings and through publication in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, the project is building collaborative ties between faculty at a 4-year institution and at a two-year tribal college, and is serving underrepresented students (particularly Native American women) and pre-service teachers.