Success by Design: Building Faculty Capacity to Improve Curriculum and Instruction

跨学科（99）教师在科学和教育学院在佛罗里达大西洋大学（FAU）一直在合作三年来，以解决学生的成绩和保留在化学，生物学和物理学第一学期课程的问题。通过这项工作，他们认识到需要改进课程设计，课程设置和课程组成部分的调整。这个项目现在正进入一个阶段，进一步的发展可能会对美国的一些大学带来好处。本研究的主要目的是：（1）建构一个“课程设计模式”（CDM），作为发展教学单元的架构;（2）应用此模式发展和试验化学、生物和物理等五个教学单元的原型;（3）评估CDM对学生在这五个教学单元的成就、学生学习动机的改善和学生对科学的兴趣的提升;（4）制度化的教师专业发展的过程;（5）设计，运行和评估本科生同侪领导培训。科学导论课程CDM的设计主要有三个特点，概括为：1。“少即是多”：教师应该更深入地涵盖最重要的主题，强调核心概念之间的关系，并设计教学活动，让学习者实践他们对核心概念的理解。2.“支架式学习：“不能指望新手学习者将注意力集中在学科的核心概念上，相反，他们需要教师的广泛指导，以加深他们的思考和理解。课程设计应提供一个“脚手架”，以促进这种学习。“同伴学习”：学习环境应允许和鼓励学生参与相互讨论，以建立和加深自己的概念理解。这些模块和这种教学实践正在与佛罗里达大西洋大学和棕榈海滩社区学院的学生进行实地测试。根据对这些实地测试的评价，正在完善课程设计模式，并进一步开发原型教学单元。通过佛罗里达教育部的一个地方办事处-第五区教育促进中心，与该地区的社区学院建立了广泛合作的机制。

Interdisciplinary (99)Faculty in the Colleges of Science and Education at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) have been working collaboratively for three years to address problems of student achievement and retention in first semester courses in Chemistry, Biology, and Physics. Through this work they have recognized the need to improve the design of course, curriculum, and alignment of course components. This project is now entering a phase where further development is likely to have benefits for a number of universities in the US. We are engaged in (1) conceptualizing a "Curriculum Design Model" (CDM) to serve as a framework for the development of instructional modules; (2) applying this CDM to the development and trial of 5 prototype instructional modules in chemistry, biology, and physics; (3) evaluating the CDM in terms of student achievement in these 5 modules, improved student motivation, and stronger student interest in science; (4) institutionalizing a process of faculty professional development; and (5) designing, running, and evaluating undergraduate peer leader training. There are three main design features of the CDM for introductory science courses, summarized as:1. "Less is more:" Faculty should cover the most important topics in greater depth, emphasize relationships between core concepts, and design instructional activities to give learners practice in representing their understanding of core concepts. 2. "Scaffolding learning:" Novice learners cannot be expected to direct their attention to core concepts in a discipline, rather, they require extensive guidance from faculty to deepen their thinking and understanding. Curriculum should be designed to provide a "scaffold" on which to promote this kind of learning.3. "Peer learning:" The learning environment should allow and encourage students to engage in mutual discussion in order to construct and deepen their own conceptual understanding. The modules and this instructional practice are being field tested with Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach Community College students. Based on the evaluation of these field tests, the Curriculum Design Model is being refined, and further development of the prototype instructional modules undertaken. Mechanisms for extensive collaborations have been established with community colleges in the area through the Region V Area Center for Educational Enhancement, which is a local office of the Florida Department of Education.