Writing/Analyzing Arguments for Science and the GRE

撰写/分析科学和 GRE 的论证

• 批准号: 6705613
• 负责人: CHRISTOPHER SIMON LOBBAN
• 金额: $ 3.2万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF GUAM
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-08-01 至 2006-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6705613
• 关键词: Writing; Analyzing; Arguments; Science; GRE

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A critical element of science education is for students to learn to understand and analyze the arguments in scientific papers and to write arguments for their research projects. Since October 2002, students must demonstrate competency on these two complex skills on Graduate Record Examination (GRE). However, science students at UOG are not able to do this well without extensive explicit training that goes beyond what can be accomplished within a content course. The objective of this project, therefore, is to improve student success in writing and analyzing scientific arguments and in writing essays for the GRE through two workshops coordinated with content courses. This supplemental activity supports the long-term goal of our RISE program--to increase the numbers of students going on to doctoral degrees and ultimately to careers in biomedical research--by lowering the barrier to the GRE gateway. Our project is especially necessary because no GRE preparation course is available on Guam, and the university has no undergraduate science writing course. Our approach is to develop two computer-assisted instruction (CAI) workshops that focus on particular skills in writing and analyzing scientific arguments, and to use these in conjunction with content course assignments. This linking will be much more meaningful to science students than the general guidelines presented in the ETS preparation guides. Outcomes will be measured by triangulating course assignments graded with GRE scoring rubrics modified to include content accuracy, pre- and post-test practice GRE's, and actual GRE scores. The target increases are for 75% of the students to improve at least 1 point and 50% to increase by at least 2 points, with reference to the 6-point GRE scoring rubric. Experience in a science course suggests that these targets are reasonable but, if they are not met, the evaluation process will guide changes, such as perhaps extending the workshops over a longer period. The project includes rigorous rater training for calibration (inter-rater consistency and comparability with GRE scoring) and takes advantage of the RISE Science IT Classroom. The workshops will be developed and piloted by Dr. Chris Lobban and Dr. Maria Schefter, in collaboration with biology and psychology content faculty in biology and psychology. Lobban and Schefter have extensive experience in guiding students in writing. The collaborating content faculty and the college administration are highly supportive of the project. The workshops will serve 30 students each in an initial pilot and a revised pilot, but will be institutionalized to serve all the biomedical and behavioral sciences majors, about 60 students per year. The evaluation process will guide the revision and institutionalization of the workshops.

描述（由申请人提供）：科学教育的一个关键要素是让学生学会理解和分析科学论文中的论点，并为他们的研究项目撰写论点。自 2002 年 10 月起，学生必须在研究生入学考试 (GRE) 中展示这两项复杂技能的能力。然而，如果没有超出内容课程所能完成的广泛的明确培训，UOG 的理科学生就无法做好这一点。因此，该项目的目标是通过与内容课程相结合的两个研讨会，提高学生在撰写和分析科学论证以及撰写 GRE 论文方面的成功率。这项补充活动支持我们 RISE 计划的长期目标——通过降低 GRE 网关的门槛，增加攻读博士学位并最终从事生物医学研究职业的学生数量。我们的项目尤其必要，因为关岛没有 GRE 准备课程，而且该大学也没有本科生科学写作课程。 我们的方法是举办两个计算机辅助教学（CAI）研讨会，重点关注撰写和分析科学论证的特定技能，并将这些技能与内容课程作业结合使用。对于理科学生来说，这种联系比 ETS 准备指南中提供的一般指导方针更有意义。成果将通过对课程作业进行三角测量来衡量，GRE 评分标准经过修改，包括内容准确性、测试前和测试后的 GRE 练习以及实际 GRE 分数。参考 6 分的 GRE 评分标准，提高的目标是 75% 的学生提高至少 1 分，50% 的学生提高至少 2 分。科学课程的经验表明，这些目标是合理的，但如果没有实现，评估过程将指导改变，例如可能将研讨会延长更长的时间。该项目包括严格的评估者校准培训（评估者间的一致性以及与 GRE 评分的可比性），并利用 RISE Science IT 课堂。这些研讨会将由 Chris Lobban 博士和 Maria Schefter 博士与生物学和心理学领域的生物学和心理学内容教师合作开发和试点。洛班和谢夫特在指导学生写作方面拥有丰富的经验。合作内容教师和大学行政部门对该项目给予高度支持。这些讲习班在最初的试点和修订后的试点中将分别为 30 名学生提供服务，但将制度化以服务所有生物医学和行为科学专业，每年约 60 名学生。评估过程将指导研讨会的修订和制度化。