Inquiry Based Learning Modules for Atmospheric Science Using Student-Accessible Modeling Tools

大气科学（41）这个项目是提高学生的理解是什么意思做科学引入探究式学习模块到华盛顿州立大学（WSU）的大气化学计划内提供的几门课程，是一个全面的战略努力，以提高WSU的大气研究和空气质量工程计划的一部分。该项目的具体目标包括：1）开发学生可访问的大气化学建模工具; 2）创建和实施基于探究的学习模块，用于在WSU的整个大气科学课程中使用新的建模工具; 3）评估这种方法对学生科学和工程中非线性系统动力学概念理解的影响;以及4）向更广泛的社区传播这些新的学习工具。目标1和2包括制作新的课程材料，以提高学生的学习。大气化学和气溶胶过程的高质量研究模型已经存在，但它们的界面往往需要比本科生更多的专业知识。正在为这些模型建立新的基于网络的界面，以使学生在入门课程中更容易使用这些界面。正在开发使用这些工具的基于探究的学习模块，用于其他七门跨越大气化学课程的课程，包括高级本科生和研究生的课程。评估项目活动对学生学习的有效性采用了多种方法，包括临床示范访谈、学生课堂观察、学生作业分析以及前后测试。评估方法的结合应允许学习模块得到迭代改进，使其成为更有效的课堂工具，并为增加STEM教育知识库提供有用的数据。预计引入基于探究的学习模块的框架将被WSU内外的其他方案所采用。作为该项目一部分开发的建模工具和学习模块正在互联网上免费分发。拟议的工作还支持NSF的学生培训目标，让一名研究生参与教育研究和学习成果评估，并让两名本科生暑期研究人员参与开发和测试学生可访问的建模工具。

Atmospheric Sciences (41)This project is improving students' understanding of what it means to do science by introducing inquiry-based learning modules into several courses offered within Washington State University's (WSU) atmospheric chemistry program and is part of a comprehensive strategic effort to improve WSU's atmospheric research and air quality engineering program. The specific objectives of the project include: 1) developing student-accessible modeling tools for atmospheric chemistry; 2) creating and implementing inquiry-based learning modules for using the new modeling tools throughout the atmospheric science program at WSU; 3) assessing the impact of this approach on student conceptual understanding of non-linear system dynamics in science and engineering; and 4) dissemination of these new learning tools to the broader community. Objectives 1 and 2 include producing new course materials to enhance student learning. High quality research models for atmospheric chemistry and aerosol processes already are available, but their interfaces often require more expertise than can be expected of undergraduates. New web-based interfaces for these models are being built to make the interfaces more accessible to students in introductory courses. Inquiry-based learning modules using these tools are being developed for seven other courses that span the atmospheric chemistry program, including courses taken by advance undergraduates and graduate students. The assessment of the effectiveness of the project activities on student learning uses a combination of approaches, including clinical demonstration interviews, in-class observations of students, analyses of student work, and pre- and post-testing. The combination of evaluation approaches should allow the learning modules to be iteratively improved to make them more effective classroom tools and yield useful data for increasing the STEM education knowledge base. It is anticipated that the framework for introducing inquiry-based learning modules will be adapted by other programs within and outside of WSU. The modeling tools and learning modules developed as part of this project are being distributed freely over the Internet. The proposed work also is supporting the student training goals of NSF by involving a graduate student in the educational research and learning outcomes assessment and the participation of two undergraduate summer researchers in the development and testing of the student-accessible modeling tools.