Epidemiology and the Energy Balance Equation

描述(由申请者提供)：这个项目的广泛、长期的目标是：1)创建一门名为流行病学和能量平衡方程的课程，通过探索体力活动和饮食的模式及其对健康的影响来发展中学生对流行病学科学的理解；2)通过举办专业发展研讨会让教师准备好教授课程；3)通过确定课程与提高科学素养、科学探究能力、对流行病学的理解、对体力活动和饮食及其对健康的影响的知识的关联程度，以及增加对公共卫生的科学和职业的兴趣来评估课程；以及4)通过在初中和高中以及各种场所由科学、数学和健康教师讲授课程来传播课程。课程将根据“后向设计”课程开发原则创建，该原则要求首先确定流行病学的“持久理解”，然后开发确定学生何时掌握这些理解的“真实评估”，最后使用持久的理解和真实评估作为设计规范，以规划构成流行病学和能量平衡方程课程的学习经验。由来自五个不同学区的10对科学教师组成的实地测试小组将参加为期三周的专业发展研讨会，为教授课程做好准备，在此期间，每对校区教师将与10名学生组成小组，对整个课程进行试点测试。该课程将在课后流行病学和公共卫生俱乐部进行现场测试，该俱乐部由现场测试小组教师领导。在实地测试中，我们将采用测试前/测试后、实验/控制小组研究设计，检验以下假设：接触课程将提高科学素养、科学探究能力、流行病学理解以及对体力活动和饮食及其对健康的影响的知识，并提高对科学和公共卫生职业的兴趣。根据上述经验，将对课程进行修订，将其张贴在流行病学和能量平衡网站上，并通过利用政府监管、在专业会议上介绍、举办专业发展讲习班和调整课程以供特定受众使用来传播。 我们将创建一个基于“后向设计”课程开发原则的课程，称为流行病学和能量平衡方程，通过探索身体活动和饮食模式及其对健康的影响，培养中学生对流行病学科学的理解。 我们将建立一个实地测试小组，由10对科学教师组成，他们是蒙特克莱尔州立大学教育更新网络的成员，并为他们在为期三周的专业发展研讨会上教授课程做好准备，在此期间，每对教师将与蒙特克莱尔州立大学学术天赋和天才青年计划的10名学生小组一起试行整个课程。 我们将在课后流行病学和公共卫生俱乐部对课程进行实地测试，这些俱乐部由现场测试小组的教师领导。在实地测试中，我们将采用测试前/测试后、实验/控制小组研究设计，检验以下假设：接触课程将提高科学素养、科学探究能力、流行病学理解以及对体力活动和饮食及其对健康的影响的知识，并提高对科学和公共卫生职业的兴趣。 根据上述经验，我们将修订课程，将其张贴在流行病学和能量平衡网站上，并通过利用政府监管、在专业会议上介绍、举办专业发展研讨会和调整课程以供特定受众使用来传播。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The broad, long-term objectives of this project are to: 1) create a curriculum, called Epidemiology and the Energy Balance Equation, that develops middle school students' understanding of the science of epidemiology by exploring patterns of physical activity and diet and their health consequences; 2) prepare teachers to teach the curriculum by conducting professional development workshops; 3) evaluate the curriculum by determining the degree to which it is associated with improved scientific literacy, abilities in scientific inquiry, understanding of epidemiology, and knowledge of the physical activity and diet and their health consequences, and increased interest in science and careers in public health; and 4) disseminate the curriculum by having it taught by science, mathematics, and health teachers, in both middle and high school, and in a variety of venues. The curriculum will be created based on "backward design" curriculum development principles that call for first identifying epidemiology's "enduring understandings," then developing "authentic assessments" that will determine when students have grasped those understandings, and lastly, using the enduring understandings and authentic assessments as design specifications, for planning the learning experiences that will constitute the Epidemiology and the Energy Balance Equation curriculum. A Field-Testing Team, consisting of 10 pairs of science teachers from five different school districts, will prepare them to teach the curriculum by participating in a three-week, professional development workshop, during which each school-district pair of teachers will pilot-test the entire curriculum with groups of 10 students. The curriculum will field-test the curriculum in after-school Epidemiology and Public Health Clubs that are led by the Field-Testing Team teachers. During the field-test, using a pre-test / post-test, experimental / control group study design, we will test the hypotheses that exposure to the curriculum will improve scientific literacy, abilities in scientific inquiry, understanding of epidemiology, and knowledge of the physical activity and diet and their health consequences, and increase interest in science and careers in public health. Based on the above experiences, the curriculum will be revised, posted on an Epidemiology and the Energy Balance Equation web site, and disseminate it by leveraging government regulation, presenting at professional meetings, conducting professional development workshops, and adapting the curriculum for use by specific audiences. We will create a curriculum based on "backward design" curriculum development principles, called Epidemiology and the Energy Balance Equation, which develops middle school students' understanding of the science of epidemiology by exploring patterns of physical activity and diet and their health consequences. We will establish a Field-Testing Team, consisting of 10 pairs of science teachers, who are members on the Montclair State University Network for Educational Renewal, and prepare them to teach the curriculum in a three-week, professional development workshop, during which each pair of teachers will pilot-test the entire curriculum with groups of 10 students from Montclair State University Academically Gifted and Talented Youth Program. We will field-test the curriculum in after-school Epidemiology and Public Health Clubs that are led by the Field-Testing Team teachers. During the field-test, using a pre-test / post-test, experimental / control group study design, we will test the hypotheses that exposure to the curriculum will improve scientific literacy, abilities in scientific inquiry, understanding of epidemiology, and knowledge of the physical activity and diet and their health consequences, and increase interest in science and careers in public health. Based on the above experiences, we will revise the curriculum, post it on an Epidemiology and the Energy Balance Equation web site, and disseminate it by leveraging government regulation, presenting at professional meetings, conducting professional development workshops, and adapting the curriculum for use by specific audiences.