• Small group seminar (24-26 students per section) • 50 min sessions • Mon, Wed and Fri with all sections together on Thursdays for speakers
Themes
• Nature of Science • Scientific Argumentation & Evidence • Science & Society
Writing
• Writing intensive course • In-class essays • Term paper (argumentative essay)
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Joanne: Script from 2011 Supper Series – With SCIE113, We set out to create a course that gets students thinking about, “What is science?” and “Where does it fit in my life?” Our goals included changing student’s attitudes towards and about science, exploring what it means to think like a scientist, and how to communicate like a scientist Class size limited to 24-26 students, seminar meets three times a week. Course content essentially explores two questions with students, “What is science?” and “Where does science fit in my life?” The emphasis is on effective communication through evidence based argumentation skills. Writing intensive course, fulfills communication requirement of BSc, open to all incoming FYS student not in coordinated scie or scieONE More details available course content, learning objectives handout (1-2 available on each table) We’ve also brought a copy of the syllabus and faculty binders for the course, if you’d like to take a look. Seminar = unique course format for FYS science students at UBC Another unique aspect of the course = science and society speaker series, goal broaden student views – expand students’ horizons so they think widely about their future and what they can do with a science degree
From what perspective did you come to the
course?
What did you learn?
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Andrea
How was this teaching & learning experience
unique for you?
Can you give us a specific example?
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Andrea
How do/will you apply what you
learned in SCIE113?
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Andrea
Simon Peacock, Ian Cavers, Rob DeWreede, Paul Harrison, Administrative & Course Support from Dean’s Office & Faculty of Science at UBC Vancouver Teaching Assistants: James Ferguson, Romy Friedmann, Leah Lim, Jane Maxwell, Jenny McCune, Ashley Welsh, Jody Wright Faculty: Jim Berger, Greg Bole, Rob DeWreede, Joanne Fox, Erin Gaynor, Steven Hallam, Holger Hoos, Ed Knorr, Anka Lekhi, David Ng, Dinesh Pai, Simon Peacock, Lacey Samuels, Nike Vatsal, Chris Waltham, Will Welch Instructional Support: Gülnur Birol, Alice Cassidy, Joanne Fox, Andrea Han First-year students from across the Faculty of Science at UBC Vancouver who enrolled in SCIE113 in 2011-2012.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
With that I would like to acknowledge the large team of people who have helped make this course a reality at UBC. Simon Peacock Ian and Paul have offered leadership for this project, staff and faculty from the Deans office, the library, and the Faculty of Science have offered administrative and course support. We had a number of super dooper TAs who helped us with our pilot, Jenny, Jane and Jody. We’ve also worked with a great group of faculty, Jim, Rob, Steven, Holger, David, Simon, Lacey – thank-you all for your input. The skylight research team, Gulnur, Joanne has been a really important part of this project. And last but certainly not least, we’ve interacted with a great group of highly motivated and engaged first year students through this project. Thanks you to you for your attention and we’d be happy to take questions. [next slide]
I feel like in SCIE113 I definitely participate more and my professor seems a lot more approachable especially because she also introduces us to other activities happening on campus and it just sounds like she is really interested in our learning and she invited us to her office hours several times and she makes it sound like it’s ok to ask questions whereas in maybe in another course you feel maybe intimidated because there are so many people …
[At the beginning of the course] I had a negative attitude towards science because it was considered "the most right" but now, I look deeper into how science works in relation to society, globalization, and its systematic approach in the pursuit of better understanding of the world, my respect towards it grew.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Joanne: -script from 2011 Supper Series – If we look in more detail about how students perceive a course like SCIE113 being helpful for transition to University we see at least three different kinds of answers. Student they met in class Interactions with their professor Setting expectations We think that a course like SCIE113 can offer a lot to our incoming first year students in terms of setting them up for success. [second part of slide] Many students indicated to us that their views about science shift, so we asked students how this change. We have many quotes from students that I could share with you but we’ve chosen two quotes as examples because I think they show two main ways that student attitudes shifted. First, many students say that this course help them broaden their views. This student says that their attitude towards science didn’t necessarily change it just broadened it and expanded it. Of note, this first student actually came into course with a really well developed view of “What is science” but still had a shift in views … towards a way of thinking, a way to approach things. As I mentioned, we have many student quotes exemplifying pretty powerful shifts in attitudes towards science. In this second example, the student says, “Now, I see how important it is in daily life and in society. I think some qualities that scientists have - curiosity and objectiveness - are qualities that everyone should have.” We think that SCIE113 can help first year students succeed by increasing their understanding of what is science? But also by shifting their attitudes towards science. Getting them thinking about how science and all these science courses their taking fit into their lives? We think that a course like SCIE113 is one way that we help our incoming science students be successful in all of their courses both inside and outside of the faculty of science. The first year seminar format with its small class environment has been show extensively in the literature to help with the transition to university. [next slide] I’d like to show you two examples of student quotes that show you that I think we’re achieving these goals. We have many Ideally, our goals for this course including broadening student views about what science is and to change attitudes towards science.Goal highlight – broadening views + changing views towards science Note: first student had well developed view of “What is Science?” but still had a shift in views towards science… Mostly, what I thought before was that science was the attempt to explain what is going on in the natural world and that it was based upon curiosity; first observing something, wondering about it, and then trying to figure out what it is.
Students’ Perceived Learning Gains
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Academic Writing Skills
Argumentation Skills
Teamwork Skills
Specific Writing Skills
# of Responses
Student’s perceptions of SKILLS they gained as a result of SCIE113.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Joanne: -script from 2011 Supper Series – In an open ended question, we asked students about the skills they perceive as having made improvements on in SCIE113 and they identified writing skills, teamwork skills, and this argumentation skills. In SCIE113 students explore how to construct and articulate a coherent scientific argument in their writing. We’ve place heavy emphasis on this argumentation piece and the writing skills, so its encouraging to see that the students are identifying these areas as places where they’ve improved. [next slide]
