SectionDesign and Implement Course that Teaches Science in the Context of Contemporary Challenges
Motivate students by connecting fundamental science with current societal issues
choose issues such as climate change and renewable energy
Create a coherent narrative
plan so that what students learn in the first week helps in the ninth week and makes them excited to stay on in the course and everything inbetween works like that as well.
look at your plans from a lot of different angles before presenting something to the students to see what the repercussions are going to be if you try to teach it in a certain way
keep the contemporary challenges on the forefront and only do particular science topics when you can link them to such a challenge
Gather and synthesize information from diverse sources
assemble and review relevant books, YouTube videos, and Internet resources
identify Internet data sources that students can access and use to make sense of the world
choose data relevant to the students’ location and interests when feasible
use websites in class to display aspects of a topic visually
access Internet resources to teach yourself as needed
Match the level of instruction to students’ capabilities
become aware of notation and language used in introductory courses
clarify goals, maintain focus, and avoid tangents and unnecessary details
begin with simpler models to build toward comprehension of more abstract models
expect differences in background knowledge and interest in abstract approaches
perhaps coach more advanced students to assume roles as facilitator in their small groups
Create homework sets that emphasize “thinking like a scientist”
keep homework in sync with the topics discussed in class
design problems that require more than simply manipulating numbers
require students to explain their reasoning
choose open-ended aspects of a problem carefully
discuss explicitly the intent of putting open-ended problems on the homework such as the importance of developing understanding rather than simply seeking a recipe to solve a problem
use homework as a context for developing some of the skills needed for analyzing experimental data
create problems that use motivating contexts from everyday life or intriguing situations
emphasize that to do well on exams, particularly in getting started on solving a problem on one’s own, one needs to develop deep understanding through thinking about the homework problems oneself before and after discussing them thoroughly with others, as well as writing up solutions independently
provide model solutions but encourage students not to look for these before working on the problems first themselves
Integrate laboratory experiences within the course
try out and modify the experiment oneself as needed before using in class
include opportunities for students to be thoughtful and creative in this context
monitor and assist small groups as needed
perhaps introduce roles such as “driver” and “navigator” to be sure that all students have opportunities to handle the equipment
clarify the goal, whether testing a hypothesis or just exploring relationships among quantities
provide access to the equipment outside of class for those who need extra time
be clear about expectations for write-ups
wrap-up by discussing findings and their implications with the whole group
note difficulties and plan ways to address these in earlier class sessions next time
Design intriguing demonstrations
use everyday examples of phenomena similar to aspects of the more complex phenomena to be discussed
incorporate familiar technology such as cell phones if feasible
include students as participants when possible
Foster student engagement during class sessions
welcome student questions
become aware of and begin using interactive engagement strategies
pose issues that interest students
plan explicitly for one or more small group activities in every class session
make clear connections between activity and contemporary challenge
Communicate clear guidelines for a term paper assignment
discuss expectations in class, welcome questions during office hours, provide written directions
explain goal of presenting multiple perspectives explicating both the science and issues related to the world
encourage students to seek feedback on topic before investing a lot of time
provide details of requirements for graphs, diagrams, and explanations
value a student’s thoughtful writing (even if math mistakes affect conclusions)
Seek student feedback in multiple ways
encourage students to come to office hours
listen to small groups during in-class activities and encourage questions
encourage student questions in class
Use technology to enhance instruction
use a tablet and screen capture to provide videos of class sessions
