|
|
Final Paper | Using WebX Discussions | Link to WebX | Grades |
Instructor: Dr. Bruce Munson
Mailing Address: 120 Montague Hall, UMD, Duluth, MN 55812
Contact Bruce via: Email: bmunson@d.umn.edu OR Phone: (218) 726-6324
Course Description:
This graduate level course uses the research literature to introduce major trends and issues in science education that are relevant to environmental education. The primary sources for the literature to be discussed will be: Science Education, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Journal of Environmental Education, and Environmental Education Research.
Course Rationale:
Professional educators in the fields of science education and environmental education should be familiar with the current trends and dominant research perspectives about learning and teaching these disciplines. This knowledge is essential for educators whether they work in formal or non-formal educational settings. By using the research base, professional educators can be more successful in helping their students understand critical scientific concepts and the world around them.
Most of you who take this course are pursuing studies in environmental education. Science, and particularly the field of ecology, provides one of the foundations for environmental education. In a similar fashion, the study of the current science education literature can provide one of the foundations for facilitating effective environmental education. It's my hope and intention to have you all engaged in readings and discussions that will have you thinking very deeply about your profession.
Course Design:
This course is taught as a modified graduate level seminar class using cooperative learning techniques. The goal is to learn from the research literature and from each other as gradute students. My role is one of facilitation and providing overall direction and guidance on the content of the course. During every class session, you each will be responsible for being the "expert" on one to three articles that you have been assigned to read. It will be your responsibility to come to class prepared to give a 7-8 minute oral presentation to a small group on your article(s). I suggest you prepare and bring notes on your article(s). Cooperative groups will often be used to explore the articles using a constructivist approach to learning.
Course Outcomes:
The course outcomes are organized according to the Learner-Sensitive Teacher Model that has been adopted by the College of Education and Human Service Professions at UMD. The foundations of this model are: collaboration, empowerment, diversity, and reflection.
Collaboration
1. Students will gain experience with the jigsaw cooperative group techniques that have been tested and promoted by Roger and David Johnson who are leading researchers in the field of cooperative education.
2. Students will use the Internet and technology as tools for enhancing collaboration among professional educators.
Empowerment
1. Students will improve their knowledge base of the current research and issues in science education.
Diversity
1. Students will gain an improved understanding of how diverse students process and understand the same material.
2. Students will explore the failure of science education to address the perceptions and needs of women and non-western cultures.
Reflection
1. Students will reflect on how the trends and issues in the science education literature influence environmental education and can be applied to their individual goals as educators.
Assignments:
Students will need to refer to the reading assignments on this web site to find out which articles they need to read prior to each class meeting.
1. Internet preparations:
Objectives: To have students organize their thinking about their presentations for the small group discussions. To have students collaborate in preparing for their presentations. To gain experience in using educational technology. To have students gain diverse perspectives about their readings through dialogue with others who have read the same readings.
Assignment: For EACH article you read,
A. You will post about a 500 word (about one page) summary and reaction to the big ideas you have gained from the article. These outline/summaries will be submitted as "discussions" to a group folder for those readings on WebX in the class web site. (See Using WebX Discussions for more information on how to use the technology that weaves this class together.) Your summaries need to be posted by the Monday evening prior to the next class session.
B. You also need to respond with comments to at least two summaries posted by two other students who have read the same articles. These comments will be submitted as "posted messages" in response to discussions in WebX on the class web site no later than Thursday afternoon prior to the Friday class meetings.
2. Cooperative group readings and discussions:
Objectives: To have students become familiar with the current professional literature on science education. To have students find personal relevance in the information through the use of cooperative group techniques. To gain experience with effective cooperative group techniques.
Assignment: Each of you will be responsible for reading and presenting a summary of your articles to a small group during most of our class meetings. You need to be prepared to give a 7-8 minute presentation on each of your articles to a small group. Bring notes to help you with your presentations. You will also be assigned roles for group discussions after the presentations on articles. Quality preparation and effort are expected in the cooperative group work.The other students will be counting on learning the material from you.
3. Final Synthesis paper
Objective: To have students reflect on how they can personally apply the literature they have reviewed and discussed through this course.
Assignment: This optional paper will be discussed more in class
Class Meetings
This class is scheduled to meet on the following Fridays at varying times, depending on the location:.
Friday, February 1 at Wolf Ridge (class begins at 12:30 pm)
Friday, February 22 at UMD (class begins at 2 pm) Montague Hall 121, UMD
Friday, March 7 at Wolf Ridge (12:30 pm)
Friday, April 4 at UMD (2 pm)
Friday, April 25 at Wolf Ridge (12:30 pm)
Grading
A contract grading system is used for this class. Everyone is expected to contract for a "B" in this course. A "B" is earned if you come prepared and participate fully in all class sessions and if you complete all of the web postings required (see assignments 1 & 2). If work does not meet graduate level expectations for quality, you may be given an opportunity to revise your work, or the grade may be lowered from a "B." Contracting for an "A" is optional. A description of that assignment is found through the link to "Final Paper."
(Last updated 1/11/08)
Note:
Use of this web format continues to be experimental, so please keep me informed about your joys and frustrations in using this format..Use the buddy system! Try using the web site in pairs the first couple of times you log on, so that the pair of you can puzzle through some of the problems.
| (Return to Educ5560 Home Page) |