Collaborative Research: Improving the Geoscience Major: Developing Community Expertise in Curriculum Design and Assessment

合作研究：提高地球科学专业：发展课程设计和评估方面的社区专业知识

• 批准号: 0817353
• 负责人: Cathryn Manduca
• 金额: $ 22.41万
• 依托单位: Carleton College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-09-01 至 2011-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0817353&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Improving; Geoscience; Major

Geosciences (42)From a student point of view, the ultimate goal of an undergraduate experience is the completion of a major - an integrated course of study in a specific discipline. Curricular aspects of the major are enhanced by departmentally focused co-curricular elements including research experiences, community service, and informal social interactions that together constitute the undergraduate program. While programs should vary between institutions in response to institutional mission, student population, faculty expertise, and local resources, programs could be strengthened substantially through the application of educational research and the sharing of expertise among the geoscience community. This project is grounded in previous work defining characteristics of thriving departments. It enhances the design and implementation of geoscience curricula and programs using three workshop strategies: 1) a topical workshop focused on a single issue facing departments - in this case strategies for evaluating departmental programs; 2) a dissemination workshop for departmental teams showcasing successful strategies for addressing a range of issues; and a 3) a visiting workshop program, offered in collaboration with the National Association of Geoscience Teachers Distinguished Speaker Program, that brings experienced leaders and a customized program to a specific department. The web resources developed in association with the workshops support further dissemination of existing strategies for strengthening departments. The evaluation plan uses a longitudinal design to measure impact on departmental programming on timescales from six months to two years and is designed to determine the relative impact of the three models on the ability of the departments to strengthen their programming. This effort will produce a tested model for conducting national and/or regional workshops and related supporting activities that help departments address important issues identified as impediments to building a stronger department. This program addresses the challenges faced in building strong geoscience departments. In addition, it seeks to provide support for enhancing the ability of departments to review or evaluate their departmental programs and build skill in effective program assessment. This skill is both underdeveloped in the geoscience community and critical to the collection of data needed to understand the impact of various aspects of departmental programs as well as the entire curriculum on student learning for all types of students.

从学生的角度来看，地球科学（42），本科经验的最终目标是完成一项专业 - 一项特定学科的综合学习课程。专注于部门的课程因素（包括研究经验，社区服务和非正式的社会互动）共同构成本科课程，从而增强了专业的课程方面。尽管机构在响应机构任务，学生人数，教职专业知识和当地资源方面的计划应有所不同，但通过应用教育研究和地球科学社区中的专业知识共享，可以大大加强计划。该项目基于以前的工作定义兴旺部门的特征。它使用三种研讨会策略增强了地球科学课程和计划的设计和实施：1）专注于部门面临的单一问题的局部研讨会 - 在本例中为评估部门计划的策略； 2）部门团队的传播研讨会展示了解决一系列问题的成功策略； 3）与国家地球科学教师协会杰出演讲者计划合作提供的访问研讨会计划，该计划将经验丰富的领导者和定制计划带到特定部门。与研讨会相关的网络资源支持进一步传播加强部门的现有策略。评估计划使用纵向设计来衡量对部门编程的影响，从六个月到两年，旨在确定三个模型对部门加强编程能力的相对影响。这项工作将产生一个经过测试的模型，用于进行国家和/或区域研讨会以及相关的支持活动，以帮助部门解决重要的问题，被确定为建立更强大部门的障碍。该计划解决了建立强大的地球科学部门面临的挑战。此外，它旨在为增强部门审查或评估其部门计划并建立有效计划评估的技能的能力提供支持。 该技能既在地球科学社区中都不发达，也是了解部门计划各个方面的影响所需的数据以及整个课程对所有类型学生的学生学习所需的数据。