AFGE: Development of Web-Based Instructional Modules To Facilitate Geoscience Education Using The Theme, Geologic Controls of Landscape Evolution

9809768 byerly国家科学教育标准（NRC, 1996），科学素养基准，2061计划（AAAS, 1993）和田纳西州科学框架等级K-12（1995）认识到自然系统在地球科学中促进跨学科课程的价值；然而，在K-12课堂的地球科学教育水平能够与这些课程指南相一致之前，必须为所有科学教师提供教授地球系统科学的新工具（方法）和地球科学教育专业发展的新机会。这些需要将通过构建三个虚拟实地考察作为强调地球系统的教学模块来解决。几种信息可视化方法将允许评估每个潜在的学习工具。模块，适合K-12和大学新生水平的地球科学学生，以及广大公众，将是互动的，充分利用多种途径获取信息，同时鼓励自主学习和以学习者为中心的活动。K-12和大学教师合作构建、测试和评估这些模块将为地球系统科学的相互专业发展提供机会。虽然田纳西州的教师和学生是这个项目的重点，但基于网络的模块将是“免费”的教学工具，可以很容易地转移给所有能够访问网络的教育者（K-16）。“景观演化的地质控制”被选为生成地球科学教育模块的主题载体，因为：1)它与地球系统科学教育计划密切相关；2)地貌是大家熟悉的，为认知学习提供了天然的平台；3)与范式相关，“地球表面的地貌、气候和资源影响着人们生活的地点和方式，以及人类历史如何展开”；4)科学方法涉及多个工作假设，可用于探索不同地理环境的对比地貌，包括墨西哥湾沿岸平原的密西西比湾，山脊和山谷和阿巴拉契亚高原省份，以及中部落基山脉的一部分。鉴于许多教育工作者在地球系统科学方面的初步背景薄弱，这些模块将产生新的科学，但将取得使用户参与科学进程的重要成果。

9809768ByerlyThe National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996), the Benchmarks for Science Literacy, Project 2061 (AAAS, 1993), and the Tennessee Science Framework Grades K-12 (1995) recognize the value of natural systems as embraced by geoscience for promoting interdisciplinary curricula; however, before a level of geoscience education in the K-12 classrooms can be consistent with these curricular guidelines, new tools (methods) for teaching Earth Systems Science and new opportunities for professional development in geoscience education for all science teachers must be available. These needs will be addressed by constructing three virtual field trips as instructional modules that emphasize Earth systems. Several information visualization methods will allow evaluation of each as potential learning vehicles. Modules, suitable for K-12 and collegiate freshman-level geoscience students, as well as the public-at-large, will be interactive, taking full advantage of multiple ways to access information, and at the same time encouraging self-paced study and learner-centered activities. Collaboration of K-12 and collegiate teachers to construct, test and assess the modules will afford opportunities for mutual professional development in Earth System Science. Although Tennessee teachers and students are the focus for this project, web-based modules will be "free" instructional tools readily transferable to all educators (K-16) having access to the Net. "Geologic controls of landscape evolution" is the chosen thematic vehicle for generating geoscience education modules because: 1) it is germane to Earth System Science education initiatives; 2) landforms are familiar to everyone, providing a natural platform for cognitive learning; 3) it is pertinent to the paradigm, "landforms, climate, and resources of the earth's surface affect where and how people live and how human history has unfolded"; 4) the scientific method involving multiple working hypotheses can be applied during exploration of contrasting landforms from diverse physiographic settings that include the Mississippi Embayment of the Gulf Coastal Plain, the Ridge and Valley and Appalachian Plateaus provinces, and a portion of the Central Rocky Mountains. Given the weak initial background in Earth system science of many educators, these modules will be generating new science, but will be achieving the important results of involving the users in the scientific process.