Sigma Xi / A*DEC Town Meeting on Reform in Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology

科学研究会与A*DEC远程学习联盟合作，提议组织和举行一次由个人和机构参加的“城市会议”视频会议，以促进在最近提交给国家科学基金会教育和人力资源局的一份报告中建议的科学、数学、工程和技术方面的全面和自我维持的改革的进一步发展。该项目的主要目标是：1)使广泛的研究和综合性大学、社区学院、政府和工业实验室以及所有这些机构的不同支持者注意到国家科学基金报告的核心内容；2)促使这些机构的知情人士对报告的分析和建议进行知情讨论；3)通过几个精选的案例研究，说明在这些有希望的方向上进行教育改革的机会。城镇会议的形式将改编自1995年和1996年由Sigma XI/A*DEC伙伴关系主办的城镇会议电视会议。该节目将于1997年3月底或4月初在北卡罗来纳州立大学校园的电视演播室开始，并将上行到2颗冗余卫星，下行到北美各地的100个地点。将通过800-电信链接(电话和传真)和电子邮件促进罗利项目参与者与下行参与者之间的互动。预计该计划和讨论将涉及2000多名教职员工、学生、管理人员和普通公众。在1.5小时的讨论计划之后，参与者将被要求使用评估表对计划和讨论的格式进行评估，评估表将在每个站点提供，也可以在Sigma Xi网站上访问。将对评价进行后续总结和分析，并向感兴趣的各方提供。30分钟的编辑录像带将供分发，供个人和团体以后使用，以促进对报告的继续讨论。

Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, in partnership with the A*DEC Distance Learning Consortium, proposed to organize and conduct a "Town Meeting" videoconference of individuals and institutions to promote further development of the comprehensive and self-sustaining reform in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology recommended in a recent report to the NSF Directorate in Education and Human Resources. The major objectives of the project are: 1) to bring the central thrust of the NSF report to the attention of a broad segment of research and comprehensive universities, community colleges, governmental and industrial laboratories, and the varied constituencies of all these institutions; 2) to generate an informed discussion of the report's analysis and recommendations by knowledgeable individuals at these institutions, legislators, and members of governing boards; 3) to illustrate by a few selected case studies opportunities for educational reform in these promising directions. The format of the Town Meeting will be adapted from Town Meeting videoconferences sponsored by the Sigma Xi/A*DEC partnership in 1995 and 1996. The program will originate in the television studio on the campus of North Carolina State University in late March or early April 1997 and will be uplinked to 2 redundant satellites for downlink to 100 sites across North America. Interaction between the program participants at the Raleigh location and the downlink participants will be facilitated through 800-telecommunications links (phone and fax) and by e-mail. It is projected that the program and discussion will involve more than 2000 faculty, students, administrators, and members of the general public. Following the 1.5 hour discussion program, participants will be asked to evaluate the format of the program and discussion using an evaluation form that will be provided at each site and may be accessed on the Sigma Xi Web site, as well. A follow-up summary and an alysis of the evaluations will be conducted and made available to interested parties. A 30-minute edited videotape will be made available for distribution and later use by individuals and groups to promote continued discussion of the report.