engaging new audiences in research by teaching the process of science
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Engaging new audiences in research by teaching the process of science. Council on Undergraduate Research 2010 National Conference Anne E. Egger, Stanford University Anthony Carpi, John Jay College –CUNY. Who are we?. Who are you? What is your institution type? - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Engaging new audiences in research by teaching the process of science
Council on Undergraduate Research2010 National Conference
Anne E. Egger, Stanford UniversityAnthony Carpi, John Jay College–CUNY
Who are we?• Who are you?• What is your institution type?• What do you do to attract students to
research?• What do you do to prepare students
for research?
Non-traditional audience:Freshmen and sophomores
• Challenge #1: getting them to even think about studying the Earth sciences
• Challenge #2: engaging them in research as freshmen and sophomores without much background knowledge
• Two solutions: EarthSci 1 and EarthSci 100
EarthSci 1Current research in the Earth and environmental
sciencesInstructor Anne Egger
53 full-time faculty4 departments
300+ graduate students
Faculty you’ll meet this quarter
• Jonathan Payne, GES• Greg Beroza, Geophysics• Chris Field, EESS (and recent Heinz Award
recipient)• Simon Klemperer, Geophysics (and recent
Cox Award recipient)• Wendy Mao, GES and SLAC• Kevin Arrigo, EESS• Sally Benson, ERE and Director of GCEP• Jen Wilcox, ERE
Your tasks• Listen, ask questions, write a short
response every week• Attend the Symposium for
Undergraduate Research and Public Service (SURPS) on Thursday, October 22
• Consider taking more classes, doing research, and/or majoring/minoring in the Earth sciences
Evaluations• “For a one-unit class, I felt I got a lot out
of this class. The lecturers were all very interesting and it was neat to become acquainted with various departments in the earth sciences.”
• “It was good to reflect on what interested us to see if that suggested a possible future course.”
EarthSci 100Research PreparationInstructors Anne Egger & Simon
Klemperer
Goals of this course• To introduce you to (or reinforce your
knowledge of) the process of scientific research
• To prepare you to have a successful summer research experience
• To build an active community of undergraduate researchers within the School of Earth Sciences
How we will achieve those goals
• Readings and discussion about the research process in general
• A series of short assignments about your research submitted through CourseWork
• Presentations by each of you about the work you’ll be doing and engagement in the culture of research in the school
Example assignment
Discussion• Strategies for readings scientific journal
articles• Strategies for using the literature• Using bibliographic tools like EndNote or
RefWorks
Follow-up assignment
No evaluations yet, but…• “I gained a lot from this class; some skills I
found particularly helpful were how to read scientific articles and how to interact with my mentor. I definitely feel more prepared for going into the field this summer, and I know what resources I should turn to if I have any questions.”
Non-traditional audience:Urban Hispanic and minority students• John Jay College:
– Largest HSI in Northeast– 13,346 undergraduates (Fall 2009)– 46% 1st Generation, 80% financial aid, 58% work– Entirely Commuter College– Within 2 buildings– Single Science Department– 22 faculty, 884 Majors (Fall 2009)– 96.4% Major Attrition, 76% College Attrition-
Science (1990’s)
What are our challenges?• What isn’t?• Challenge #1: What is research?• Challenge #2: Why should they do
research?• Challenge #3: How does it affect
their career options? • Challenge #4: Time, support,
training…
PRISM: The Program for Research Initiatives for
Science Majors
Program Components
• Winter Informational Sessions• Freshman Seminars• Sophomore Research Training• Student-Mentor Pairing• Research Symposium
Freshman, Sophomore, Upper Class concurrent sessions & joint lunchPathways, Practical Writing Skills
Lab Project, Ethics, Writing
Junior-Senior, FOS402
Research Symposium
• Research Poster Session• Outstanding Researcher Award• Keynote Speaker
Supporting materials
Teaching the Process of Science
FIPSE Funding 2006Advisory Panel
What is the Process of ScienceWhat are key conceptsPeer review of materialsHow do we assess understanding
www.visionlearning.com
The Process of ScienceSelected Key Concepts
• Science is a process of investigation into the natural world and the knowledge generated through that process.
• Scientific theories are testable explanations supported by multiple lines of evidence.
• Scientific knowledge evolves with new evidence and perspectives.• Science benefits from the creativity, curiosity, diversity, and diligence of
individuals. • The community of science engages in debate and mitigates human errors.• Uncertainty is inherent in nature, but scientists work to minimize and
quantify it in data collection and analysis.• Scientists value open and honest communication in reporting research.
www.visionlearning.com
Modules in the Process of Science
The Nature of Science
Research Methods
*In development
Scientific Communication
Scientific Data
Topics
Theories, Hypotheses, & LawsScientists & the Scientific CommunityScientific InstitutionsScientific EthicsThe Nature of Scientific Knowledge*Scientific Controversy*
Journals & ArticlesThe LiteraturePeer Review
Scientific Practice: ResearchComparisonDescriptionExperimentationModeling
Analysis & InterpretationUncertainty, Error & ConfidenceStatisticsUsing Graphs & Visual Data
www.visionlearning.com
Teaching the Process of Science
Resources for faculty