2002 Summer Conference Announcement Registration Schedule Call for Papers

2002 Summer Conference "Integrating Science and Mathematics Education Research into Teaching" June 23 to 25, 2002 · The University of Maine · Orono, Maine Sponsored by: The University of Maine - Center for Science and Mathematics Education Research Maine Mathematics and Science Teaching Excellence Collaborative (MMSTEC)

ABSTRACT Redesign of Introductory Biology at the University of Massachusetts -Assessment of improvement in student learning and problem solving skills. Steve Goodwin(1) and Randall Phillis(2)     (1) Department of Microbiology     (2) Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA We have redesigned the introductory biology course to use a variety of instructional technology resources to support active learning in the large lecture hall. Students are asked to use a "class preparation" web site to learn basic material, consider important questions about key concepts, and take a very low stakes on-line quiz. In class, students are asked to work together to solve problems in class and then engage in whole-class discussions about problem-solving strategies. These activities are supported by an in-class communication system that allows students to enter their solutions into a computer for compilation and display. A key focus of the course redesign project was to assess the impact of these changes on student learning. We have used several approaches to this assessment effort, including quasi-experimental comparisons of student performance between sections and a scientific reasoning test that was administered at the beginning and end of the semester. We found significant gains in student's ability to use unfamiliar scientific models to predict outcomes or interpret results. Back to Announcement Page

Center for Science and Mathematics Education Research Maine Mathematics and Science Teaching Excellence Collaborative (MMSTEC)

This conference is supported by the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Education (U.S. Department of Education Award Number R125K010106) and the National Science Foundation (NSF DUE #998-7444).