Improving Science Literacy Through Project Based K 12 Outreach Efforts That Use Energy And Environmental Themes

An educational outreach program uses project-based curricula with environmental themes as a means to engage students and increase their interest and competency in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Engineering and science students from Clarkson University work in partnership with area teachers to develop and teach modules that require students to learn and apply standards-based mathematics and science content and process skills as they work to solve a real-world problem that is relevant to their school or community. A combination of quantitative and qualitative assessment results demonstrate that the program successfully enhances student interest and confidence in STEM, and contributes to measured improvements in mathematics and science achievement scores. Introduction While today’s science instructors struggle to meet the demands of increasingly complex learning standards [1-4] and mandatory high-stakes testing programs, the primary responsibility of any science education program remains: to improve scientific literacy. This is defined by James et al. as “familiarity with science in the wider context of human social affairs. ” Students need to emerge from a science education program not only with a sound knowledge base of scientific concepts and phenomena, but also with good scientific process and thinking skills that will enable them to extend their knowledge as they encounter unfamiliar situations, and to critically analyze scientific information to make informed decisions that affect their lives. 7] Science and technology are deeply imbedded in the lives of today’s students, and impact political, technical, and social decisions on a global scale. Scientific and technical literacy will empower students to become responsible citizens in the rapidly changing world in which we live, and will prepare students for effective participation in the decisions and actions that take place in their homes, their communities, and their world. Likewise, literacy within the environmental sciences will prepare students for interpreting and acting on issues related to energy and the environment. Project based learning has been suggested to present the best case for teaching and learning science process skills and content. 9] The technique has roots in the “learning by doing” approach to education promoted by John Dewey. The curriculum is generally centered around the assignment of a problem or project – students learn, and then apply, science content and skills that are relevant to their project or problem solution. The technique improves student learning and retention of science concepts, largely because students learn more when they are interested and actively involved in what they are doing, and when they understand the relevance of the material to their own lives. 11] Recent developments in curriculum reform have also promoted the integration of science, technology, and mathematics in an effort to deviate from the traditional, compartmentalized subject structure and move toward learning situations that mimic the real world. These reform movements promote the teaching and learning of science process skills, focusing on the 1 Dewaters, J., S.E. Powers. "Improving science and energy literacy through project-based K-12 outreach efforts" In: Proceedings of the 113th Annual ASEE Conference & Exposition (Chicago IL June 2006, paper number 2006-262) “whole of science, upon student mind engagement, upon a reunion of science and technology. ” The Science, Technology, and Society (STS) movement further endorses the immersion of integrated science, mathematics and technology content and process skills within a societal context. 7, 14-20] The idea behind the STS approach to science teaching is to frame science topics within a societal context as a means of connecting the material to students’ lives in an attempt to make science more personally meaningful to students. Environmental and energy-related issues provide a convenient platform for problem or project assignments in an integrated math/science/technology project-based curriculum. Environmental topics are tangible and “real” for most students, regardless of gender or background. Energy issues are particularly relevant to today’s students, and are readily positioned within a societal context; the limited supply of fossil fuels, combined with detrimental effects associated with energy conversion and use, are dictating dramatic changes in the way we harness and use energy. The study of energy encompasses a broad range of interconnected themes, providing ample opportunity to integrate not only math/science/technology subjects but also social, political, economic and environmental aspects. Integrating these themes in an engineering problem solving activity broadens students’ awareness of the “holistic” nature of engineering in today’s world. Effective science and environmental education may be particularly important in light of evidence suggesting that American students – in fact, the U.S. public in general – are lacking in awareness of environmental and energy-related issues. Education programs that promote scientific literacy will help prepare students to interpret scientific, environmental, and energy-related issues and make sound choices and actions as voters, consumers, and professionals. Effective education will enhance student competency in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); improve critical thinking and problem solving skills; and positively impact student interest and attitudes toward learning STEM subjects. The objective of this paper is to show the value of using project-based learning and real-world environmentally-related problems, such as energy, in middle school math, science and technology (MST) classes for enhancing student interest and competency in STEM concepts. Added value is gained by incorporating this method into outreach efforts that bring college science and engineering students into the classroom. The paper reports on project-based curricula designed at Clarkson University, Potsdam NY through our K-12 Project Based Learning Partnership program and presents results of six years of quantitative and qualitative assessment data used to evaluate this objective. K-12 Project-Based Learning Partnership Program Clarkson University has worked in partnership with several schools in Northern New York State since 1999 to engage and excite middle and high school students in science, mathematics, and technology classes. The program has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the GE Foundation. Each project-based curriculum has been designed to engage students in STEM fundamentals, and science and engineering process skills, through the solution of problems related to the environment or community. College graduate and undergraduate engineering, science and mathematics majors in the K-12 Project-Based Learning Partnership Program work in consultation with their partner teachers to define suitable problem statements, develop activities and lessons, and then work two to three days per week throughout a semester to jointly teach the project unit to middle or high school students. The lessons and materials we bring to the classroom uniquely value: • the integration of math, science and technological content through hands-on activities in a holistic systems approach. • the application of STEM principles to real-world problems by first providing a framework for problem solving and scientific inquiry, rather than just charging into math equations. • the breadth and capacity of technology and engineering to solve problems that have social relevance. Given the increasing pressures on teachers to cover STEM “content” on state exams, bringing project-based learning experiences into the classroom requires close integration of state or nationally defined learning standards. There is little opportunity to stray beyond these constraints. Thus, the development of curricular material for any University – K-12 partnership program must understand and integrate these standards as much as possible. State MST standards (e.g., ) are sometimes more stringent and detailed than the national counterparts. Utilizing projects as a mechanism for learning contributes most extensively to meeting New York State (NYS) Standards 1, 2, 6, and 7, identified by NYS as “extended process skills:” • Standard 1 Analysis, Inquiry and Design. Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions. • Standard 2 Information Systems. Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies. • Standard 6 Interconnectedness: Common Themes. Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning. • Standard 7 Interdisciplinary Problem Solving. Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions. In contrast, New York State Standards 3, 4, and 5 correspond to mathematics, science and technology content: • Standard 3 – Mathematics. Students will understand mathematics and become mathematically confident by communicating and reasoning mathematically, by applying mathematics in real-world settings, and by solving problems through the integrated study of number systems, geometry, algebra, data analysis, probability, and trigonometry. • Standard 4 – Science. Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science. • Standard 5 – Technology. Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmen