Open Inquiry-Based Science Learning in an International Field-Course: Students as Research Scientists and Global Citizens Jacqueline S. McLaughlin, Ph.D. Jacqueline S. McLaughlin, Ph.D. Kathy Fadigan, Ed.D. Kathy Fadigan, Ed.D.
Open Inquiry-Based Science Learning in an International Field-Course: Students as Research Scientists and Global Citizens
Jacqueline S. McLaughlin, Ph.D.Jacqueline S. McLaughlin, Ph.D.Kathy Fadigan, Ed.D.Kathy Fadigan, Ed.D.
Dr. Jacqueline S. McLaughlin
Associate Professor of BiologyPenn State Lehigh Valley
Cell and Developmental Biologist – Ph.D. from Rutgers University/University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Founding Director of the international Connecting Humans And Nature through Conservation Experiences (CHANCE) environmental education and professional development program. whose
overarching goal is to educate K- 12 science teachers and students, and undergraduate and graduate students in conservation biology and global environmental sustainability through scientific inquiry.
Research interests:
International programming and assessment
Teaching and learning with technology
The use of open-ended inquiry in science education
Dr. Kathleen Fadigan
Assistant Professor of Science EducationPenn State University, Abington College
Program Coordinator – Childhood & Early Adolescent Education Degree - Ed.D. from Temple University, Curriculum, Instruction, & Technology in Education: Mathematics & Science.
Research Associate of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis.
Research interests:
Informal science education
Gender equity in STEM
Science fairs
Objectives for Presentation1) Present Penn State CHANCE Program - students
and teachers travel the world-either physically or virtually-to carry out real-world research on some of the world's most troubling environmental issues.
2) Overview Penn State CHANCE Panama program.3) Highlight pilot research data that supports the
use of field research (higher-end inquiry) and exploration as a means to enhance student understanding of, and engagement in, environmental science and global environmental sustainability.
The world’s ecosystems The world’s ecosystems are in trouble.are in trouble.
Why CHANCE?
• Habitat Destruction• Invasive Species• Pollution• Human Population Explosion• Overharvesting• Global Warming
HIPPO + G
Edward O. Wilson
What is CHANCE?CHANCE (Connecting Humans And Nature through Conservation Experiences) is an environmental education and professional development program whose overarching goal is educate K-12 science teachers and students, and undergraduate and graduate students, in conservation biology and global environmental sustainability through scientific inquiry (RESEARCH).
What is CHANCE?Through international field courses and on-line research modules participants engage in higher-level inquiry-based research opportunities and conservation efforts that allow them to better understand some of the world’s most troubling environmental issues.
Biology 497 Global Environmental Sustainability
A Field Study in China
(May14-31, 2011)
What are the CHANCE Modules?
The CHANCE modules are a set of on-line, environmentally themed, learning tools that utilize authentic research data. Targeted toward high school science students, each module features a student-as-researcher approach through student manipulation of a data set contributed by scientists who are currently investigating the topic.
CHANCE engages with the world, interacting with local, national, and global organizations, institutions, corporations and communities in productive relationships and research activities, all in the name of educational outreach and global environmental sustainability .
• Professors & Teachers• Researchers• College Graduates• High School Students• Universities• Educational Organizations• Government Organizations• Corporations• Non-Government Organizations
Relationships
CHANCE Website
www.chance.psu.edu
Just the Facts? Introductory Undergraduate BiologyCourses Focus on Low-Level Cognitive Skills
Jennifer L. Momsen, Tammy M. Long, Sara A. Wyse, and Diane Ebert-MayDepartment of Plant Biology and Center for Integrative Studies in Biology, Michigan State University
Figure 1. Assessment items and syllabi goals binned by cognitive (Bloom’s) level. Level 1: comprehension; 2: understanding; 3: application; 4: analysis; 5: synthesis; 6: evaluation. Frequencies show faculty set course goals that target higher cognitive processes and assess lower cognitive processes
http://www.lifescied.org/content/9/4/435.full.pdf+html
A Revolution is Underway!
Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education:
A Call to Action
This document was the culmination of three years of work by the AAAS and NSF, in conjunction with hundreds of biology educators,
administrators and students nationwide to gather information about how to bring biology education into the 21st century.
Vision and Change In Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action.
American Association for the Advancement of Science/National Science Foundation, 2009.
www.visionandchange.org
Vision and Change:Core Competencies
Students should have the ability to:
apply the process of science
employ quantitative reasoning
utilize modeling and simulation
tap into the interdisciplinary nature of science
communicate and collaborate with other disciplines
understand relationships between science and societyVision and Change In Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action.
American Association for the Advancement of Science/National Science Foundation, 2009.
www.visionandchange.org
How do we improve student learning of environmental science while mobilizing
students to think about societal and environmental challenges?
CHANCE Panama interventions:Pre-trip assignments: CHANCE research modulesField research activities with real scientistsEcosystem expoloration
Biology 297/497 Global Climate Change – Sustainability of Select Tropical and Aquatic Ecosystems with A Practicum in Panama
(July 6-22, 2012)
Student Research Presentations Foraging Behaviors of Ants
in the Disturbed Jungle Floor
The Effects of Temperature on Birds in Gamboa, Panama
A Comparison on Conductance and Transpiration between Tropical Evergreen Deciduous Trees
Leaf Stomata Density in Psychotria marginata in Relation to Varying CO2 Concentrations and Light Conditions in Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama
Aim To assess how an international field
course influenced participants’ understanding of, and engagement in, authentic science practices, as well as their understanding of and engagement in global environmental stewardship.
Question 1
In what ways do CHANCE participants see themselves as capable of conducting authentic science?Difference btw “real scientists” and students
Time & ResourcesPrior knowledgeThe value of critical review
Realization that “I could actually be a scientist”
Question 2
In what ways did participants increase their engagement in global environmental stewardship activities as a result of completing the CHANCE field course?
Energy usageWaste reduction and recyclingEducationInternships and government conservation
programs
Richard Louv on the Sense of Wonder
http://youtu.be/Pv9LReWnmhw
Thank you!
Visit CHANCE online: www.chance.psu.edu