TUES: Development of an Active Learning Gemology Studio Course: Introducing Nonscience Majors to the STEM Curriculum

该项目正在为社区学院的学生创造一个学习宝石学的工作室学习环境，并将主动学习技术和指导实验室探索相结合，以吸引职业早期的非传统学生学习地球科学和STEM课程。活动和相关评估正在被用来纳入和调整特定的教学技术，如工作室和主动学习，这些技术在四年制大学中显示出有效性，可以吸引早期职业学生并激发他们对科学和STEM职业的兴趣。 对该课程进行了形成性和总结性评价。形成性评价工具，以衡量课程的有效性，并在必要时作出修改，是基于学生的反应，认知和情感的措施，包括自我效能的信念，科学措施的性质，学生的看法学习成果，科学的兴趣，和知识调查。PI正在评估教学模块和方法的相对有效性，基于网络的教学材料，实地考察，独立研究以及与当地矿物学俱乐部互动的价值。总结性评估提供了对“宝石学诱惑”的有效性的理解，检查课程内容的掌握，学生对地球科学和STEM领域和职业的兴趣，学生研究演示文稿的质量以及课程保留的收益。通过这些评估，PI正在增加我们对如何参与和保留早期职业生涯的理解，非科学专业学生在广泛的STEM主题中心地球科学。PI正在积极传播有关学生学习成果和教学方法的信息，这些信息在社区学院环境中最有效，以鼓励继续科学和招募早期职业学生从事地球科学和STEM，通过同行评审的出版物和开发一系列在线模块和活动，将地质会议与讲习班和介绍结合起来。

This project is creating a studio-learning environment for community college students studying gemology and integrating active learning techniques and guided laboratory explorations in order to attract early-career, nontraditional students to the geosciences and STEM curriculum. Activities and associated assessments are being used to incorporate and adapt specific pedagogical techniques such as studio and active learning that have shown efficacy at four-year colleges in engaging early-career students and stimulating their interest in science and STEM careers. Formative and summative evaluations are being applied to the course. Formative evaluation tools, to gauge course effectiveness and make modifications where necessary, are based on students' responses to cognitive and affective measures, including self-efficacy beliefs, nature of science measures, student perceptions of learning gains, science interests, and knowledge surveys. The PIs are assessing the relative effectiveness of teaching modules and methodologies, web-based instructional materials, field trips, independent research, and the value of interaction with the local mineralogical club. The summative evaluations are providing an understanding of the effectiveness of the 'enticement of gemology,' examining mastery of course content, gains in student interest in the geosciences and STEM fields and careers, quality of student research presentations, and course retention compared to a lecture-only gemology course. Through these evaluations, the PIs are increasing our understanding of how to engage and retain early-career, non-science majors in a broad range of STEM topics central to earth science.The PIs are actively disseminating information about student learning outcomes and teaching methodologies that are most effective within the community college setting for encouraging continuation in science and recruitment of early career students to the geosciences and STEM at geological meetings with workshops and presentations, through peer-reviewed publications, and by developing a series of online modules and activities.