Dilemmas and Decisions: Using Guided Writing to Increase Ecological Literacy in Undergraduate Biology Students

生物科学（61）.实践证明，“边学边做”（WTL）可以有效地帮助学生将概念拼凑成有意义的概念框架，特别是当他们被要求融入个人联系时。该项目的目的是测试认知-情感-行为（CAB）WTL模式的有效性，这是一种专门作为提高生态素养的教学工具而开发的教学模式。在CAB-WTL模式中，学生写一系列课堂指导论文，确定与当前问题相关的个人困境。这些书面的话语提供了一个衡量学生生态素养的水平。该项目的智力价值在于测试CAB-WTL模型的有效性与三个不同的人群：（1）生物学专业和其他科学专业的四年制大学;（2）教育专业的四年制大学和（3）学生在两年制部落学院。此外，通过对学生写作的定性分析，该项目为科学教育界提供了关于对关键生态概念的理解深度和本科生生态素养现状的数据。该项目更广泛的影响包括：（1）开发和测试一个可转移的提高科学素养的模型，（2）与科学会议一起举办区域讲习班和研讨会，重点是让教师在各种环境中使用这一模型，以及（3）通过在会议上的演讲和在同行评审的期刊上发表来传播结果。此外，该项目正在一个四年制学院和一个两年制部落学院的教员之间建立协作关系，并为代表性不足的学生（特别是美洲土著妇女）和职前教师提供服务。

Biological Sciences (61). Writing-to-learn (WTL) has been shown to effectively help students piece together concepts into meaningful conceptual frameworks, especially when they are asked to incorporate personal connections. The objective of this project is to test the effectiveness of the Cognitive-Affective-Behavior (CAB) WTL model, a pedagogical model that is being developed specifically as a teaching tool to improve ecological literacy. In the CAB-WTL model students write a series of in-class guided essays, identifying personal dilemmas relevant to current issues. These written discourses provide a measure of the level of student ecological literacy.The intellectual merit of the project lies in testing the effectiveness of the CAB-WTL model with three distinct populations: (1) Biology majors and other science majors at a 4-year college; (2) Education majors at a 4-year college and (3) students at a 2-year tribal college. Furthermore, through the qualitative analysis of student writing, the project is providing data to the science education community regarding the depth of understanding of key ecological concepts and the current state of ecological literacy among undergraduates. The project's broader impact includes: (1) the development and testing of a transferable model for increasing science literacy, (2) the presentation of regional workshops and workshops in conjunction with scientific meetings that focus on preparing faculty to use this model in a variety of settings, and (3) the dissemination of results through presentations at meetings and through publication in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, the project is building collaborative ties between faculty at a 4-year institution and at a two-year tribal college, and is serving underrepresented students (particularly Native American women) and pre-service teachers.