Antarctic Science and Policy: Interdisciplinary Research Education (ASPIRE)

科学教育应该旨在促进批判性思维、解决问题的技能和创造力。在这方面，南极科学与政策：跨学科研究教育(ASPIRE)将使学生置身于一个创造性的教育环境中，他们将通过提炼问题、设计和实施自我指导的项目以及为集体决策努力作出贡献来学习。ASPIRE将在两年内被开发为全国各地大学正在涌现的地球系统科学课程的顶峰示范课程。ASPIRE的每个学生都将成为“大使”，以制定和谈判建议，这些建议将在模拟南极条约协商会议上以书面和口头形式提出。将设计交互式多媒体课件，帮助学生提高探究技能。通过将在伯德极地研究中心升级的万维网，将促进更多的师生互动。将设立一个咨询委员会，以确保成功地设计、执行、评价和传播ASPIRE。将在整个项目期间进行评估，以确保ASPIRE(1)采用适当的教学理论和实践，(2)有助于学生获得知识，(3)促进创造性的信息寻求和决策。除了在南极洲介绍国际和跨学科科学的独特融合，ASPIRE还将帮助学生发展苏格拉底技能，这些技能是在我们日益复杂的社会中学习和茁壮成长所固有的。

Science education should be designed to promote critical thinking, problem-solving skills and creativity. In this context, Antarctic Science and Policy: Interdisciplinary Research Education (ASPIRE) will involve students in a creative educational environment where they will learn by refining questions; designing and implementing self-directed projects; and contributing to group decision-making efforts. ASPIRE will be developed over 2 years as a model capstone course for Earth system science curricula which are emerging in universities across the nation. Each student in ASPIRE will become an "ambassador" for the purpose of developing and negotiating recommendations which will be presented in writing and orally in Mock Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. Interactive multi-media courseware will be designed to help students enhance their inquiry skills. Additional student-teacher interactions will be facilitated through the World Wide Web site which will be upgraded at the Byrd Polar Research Center. An Advisory Committee will be established to ensure that ASPIRE will be successfully designed, implemented, evaluated and disseminated. Evaluation will be ongoing throughout the project to ensure that ASPIRE (1) employs appropriate pedagogical theories and practices, (2) contributes to student knowledge gain, and (3) fosters creative information seeking and decision-making. Beyond introducing the unique fusion of international and interdisciplinary science in Antarctica, ASPIRE will help students develop the Socratic skills which are inherent to learning and thriving in our increasingly complex society.