Science in the Classroom

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Science education reforms are focusing on active learning strategies that engage students in the process of science. Science (the journal) is offering a unique approach to transforming the undergraduate STEM learning environment, one that introduces undergraduates to important elements of science: reading primary research articles, communicating science, and engaging in a peer review system. Through reading and deconstructing carefully selected scientific papers, students gain an understanding of how scientists design their experiments and present their results, allowing students to actively experience the logic of getting from a set of data to a new conclusion. In addition, in their publications scientists discuss how they have incorporated and confirmed the results of other scientists, as well as where they disagree with prior conclusions. They also mention what steps might be taken next, showing students that there are still many unanswered questions. The PIs are working with a team of expert scientists and educational researchers to develop these resources, with the goal of providing students a deep understanding of how scientists design experiments, gather and analyze data, and present their conclusions. Science is thereby translating scientific papers into tools for learning, essentially helping students assume the persona of the scientist. The goal is to enable students to truly understand the scientific enterprise: science as a powerful "way of knowing" about the world. The PI team is accomplishing this goal through the use of online annotations, detailed explanations of scientific figures and methods, and additional activities allowing students to work with actual scientific data.