ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Tactile Earth and Space Science Materials for Students with Visual Impairments: Contours, Craters, Asteroids, and Features of Mars
Author: Rule, Audrey C.
Date: 2011-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Earth Science,Space Sciences,Visual Impairments,Instructional Materials,Pretests Posttests,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students,Summer Programs,Resident Camp Programs,Knowledge Level,Science Instruction,Tactual Perception,Astronomy,Spatial Ability,Topography,Intervention

New tactile curriculum materials for teaching Earth and planetary science lessons on rotation=revolution, silhouettes of objects from different views, contour maps, impact craters, asteroids, and topographic features of Mars to 11 elementary and middle school students with sight impairments at a week-long residential summer camp are presented along with tips for constructing=obtaining the materials. Many of the lessons focused on spatial skills, an important skill area for persons with visual impairments. The pretest-intervention-post-test design study measured both attitude changes and gains in content knowledge. Students reported significant improvements (with large effect sizes) in the frequency of science lessons, the concrete nature of science lessons, the enjoyment these lessons produced, and the amount of participation in the lessons at the summer camp for students with visual disabilities compared to students' regular schools. Students generally showed a lack of knowledge of lesson topics on the pretest; on the post-test, most students were able to articulate basic facts about contour maps, impact crater formation, volcanic rocks, and features of Mars. The materials are recommended for use with sighted students as well as those with visual impairments because of their concrete, tactile nature.
Learning Gains and Response to Digital Lessons on Soil Genesis and Development
Author: Mamo, Martha
Date: 2011-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Pretests Posttests,Soil Science,Teaching Methods,Web Based Instruction,Case Studies,Undergraduate Students,College Science,Student Surveys,Achievement Gains,Gender Differences,Cognitive Style,Majors (Students),Topography,Measures (Individuals),Statistical Analysis

Evolving computer technology is offering opportunities for new online approaches in teaching methods and delivery. Well-designed web-based (online) lessons should reinforce the critical need of the soil science discipline in today's food, energy, and environmental issues, as well as meet the needs of the diverse clientele with interest in agricultural and/or environmental disciplines. The objectives of the project were to: (1) develop web-based lessons in soil genesis and development and (2) evaluate context-based case studies or application lessons (agronomic, environmental, and ecological situations) to teach soil genesis and development. Six principles lessons, along with three applications lessons, were developed for use by undergraduate soil science courses. Pre- and post-tests were used to assess learning gains. A postactivity survey was also used to assess perceptions of the web-based lessons by student users. Students' test performance from pre- to post-test improved by 69%. Although there were no differences in post-test gains among learning styles, or between genders, the students majoring in professional golf management had higher post-test gains than other majors. Since their inception in 2006, lessons have continued to be both primary and supplemental resources for multiple courses serving over 140 students each year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Oregon State University-Cascades. The lessons will be especially useful for teachers who do not have extensive training in soil science yet cover the subject as part of a basic earth science course.
Making Curriculum Decisions in K-8 Science: The Relationship between Teacher Dispositions and Curriculum Content
Author: Eidietis, L.
Date: 2011-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Oceanography,Teacher Surveys,Teacher Attitudes,Educational Practices,Multiple Regression Analysis,Scientific Literacy,Incidence,Readiness,Predictor Variables,Elementary School Teachers,Middle School Teachers,Scientific Attitudes,Mail Surveys

This study examined teachers' dispositions toward and choices to teach ocean science using a survey design. A sample of 89 in-service K-8 teachers in the United States reported their (1) feelings of preparedness to teach about ocean literacy and (2) attitudes toward ocean science on three measures. Results of multiple linear regression showed that teachers' dispositions significantly predicted frequency of teaching ocean literacy. Findings indicated that teachers' curriculum decision-making likely reflects feelings of preparedness to teach and attitudes regarding particular topics. Implications for elementary science teacher preparation and professional development are discussed.
College Students&apos; Conceptions of the Role of Rivers in Canyon Formation
Author: Sexton, Julie M.
Date: 2012-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Students,Student Attitudes,Natural Resources,Earth Science,Water,Scientific Concepts,Comparative Analysis,Qualitative Research,Geology,Semi Structured Interviews,Misconceptions

Rivers are important surficial geologic processes that shape Earth's landscape. Students' conceptions of river features and processes serve as a foundation for their learning of new river concepts. Despite the importance of rivers and students' conceptions of them, little research has focused on identifying students' river conceptions. This study investigated students' conceptions of the role of river processes in canyon formation. In-depth interviews with 18 college students were conducted, and students' responses were analyzed using a modified version of constant comparative analysis. Students' conceptions fell into three categories: incomplete scientific conceptions, alternative conceptions, and incomplete scientific-alternative conceptions. Students with incomplete scientific conceptions thought that rivers carved canyons and did not recognize the connection between surficial processes and base level changes in forming a canyon. Students with alternative conceptions thought that catastrophic processes such as earthquakes form canyons or that canyons do not undergo a formation process at all (i.e., they have always been there). Students with incomplete scientific-alternative conceptions thought that catastrophic processes initiated canyon formation (similar to those students who held alternative conceptions) but also thought that rivers contributed to the process of canyon formation (similar to those students who held incomplete scientific conceptions). These findings add to the growing knowledge base of geoscience conceptions and have implications for improving geoscience teaching strategies.
An Integrated Field-Based Approach to Building Teachers&apos; Geoscience Skills
Author: Almquist, Heather
Date: 2011-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Earth Science,Science Instruction,Faculty Development,Elementary Secondary Education,Science Teachers,Geographic Information Systems,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Satellites (Aerospace),Workshops,Summer Programs,Visualization,Spatial Ability,Time,Scientific Concepts,Science Process Skills,Scientific Principles,Thinking Skills,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Inquiry,Technological Literacy,Teaching Methods

The Paleo Exploration Project was a professional development program for K-12 teachers from rural eastern Montana. The curriculum was designed to incorporate geospatial technologies, including Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and total station laser surveying, with authentic field experiences in geology and paleontology in an effort to enhance teachers' abilities to incorporate geospatial technologies and inquiry-based approaches into their classrooms. The program included preparatory weekend workshops for teachers and week-long summer research institutes for teachers and students, in which core geosciences skills were practiced in the field. These skills included (1) geology-related spatial visualization, (2) understanding absolute geologic time, including the concepts of physical and temporal correlation of stratigraphic units, (3) actualistic thinking, or the ability to interpret ancient environments through comparison with modern ones, (4) geological field strategies and techniques, and (5) scientific reasoning. Teachers responded very positively to the program, and nearly all went on to create, implement, and enhance their own technology-embedded, inquiry-based projects with their own students over the following two years. Intense preparation for the field experience, including building teacher content knowledge, technology skills, and field techniques, as well as the field-based approach, combining GIS as a visualization tool with field-based examination of geologic features, metacognitive reflection, and working with students in the field, were considered key elements of the program's success.
Teaching Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating: An Analog Activity Based on Fluid Dynamics
Author: Claiborne, Lily L.
Date: 2012-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Radiology,Science Instruction,Mechanics (Physics),Science Activities,Earth Science,Instructional Effectiveness,Hands on Science,Logical Thinking,College Science,Introductory Courses,Geology,Pretests Posttests,Undergraduate Students

We present a new laboratory activity for teaching radioactive decay by using hydrodynamic processes as an analog and an evaluation of its efficacy in the classroom. A fluid flowing from an upper beaker into a lower beaker (shampoo in this case) behaves mathematically identically to radioactive decay, mimicking the exponential decay process, dependent on the amount of fluid in the upper beaker (representing the amount of parent isotopes) and the size of the hole in the beaker (representing the decay constant). Students measure the fluid depth with time for several runs with varied conditions, then graph their results, create decay equations, manipulate these equations and use them to &quot;date&quot; another experiment. They then apply their new understanding to make predictions regarding complications involved in the decay process and its use in dating (such as daughter loss). Student quiz performance improved from before to after the activity, indicating improved student learning. Student comments and questions indicated deep understanding and a new curiosity about the process and its application.
Science Literacy, Critical Thinking, and Scientific Literature: Guidelines for Evaluating Scientific Literature in the Classroom
Author: Jurecki, Karenann
Date: 2012-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Scientific Literacy,Critical Thinking,Scientific and Technical Information,Evaluation,Scientific Research,Evaluation Criteria,Science Instruction,College Instruction

In this work, we present an approach for teaching students to evaluate scientific literature and other materials critically. We use four criteria divided into two tiers: original research, authority, objectivity, and validity. The first tier, originality and authority, assesses the quality of the source. The second tier, objectivity and validity, assesses the quality of the information presented in that source. The purpose of this work is to develop a concrete system of evaluation based on scientific terminology that can be taught to students over a wide variety of grade levels. Ultimately, the goal is to improve the overall quality of scientific literacy.
Using the Domenico Solution to Teach Contaminant Transport Modeling
Author: Devlin, J. F.
Date: 2012-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Equations (Mathematics),Heuristics,Geology,Science Instruction,Science Activities,College Science,Monte Carlo Methods,Mathematical Models,Graduate Students,Student Surveys,Instructional Effectiveness

The Domenico solution is a heuristic simplification of a solution to the transport equation. Although there is a growing consensus that the Domenico solution is undesirable for use in professional and research applications due to departures from exact solutions under certain conditions, it behaves well under conditions suitable for instruction. Moreover, the solution is easily programmed into spreadsheets, and incorporated into classroom exercises that illustrate the basic processes of advection, dispersion, retardation, evaluation of the error and complimentary error functions, sensitivity analyses, and Monte Carlo simulations. Exercises of these kinds provide students in introductory (e.g., students with no previous exposure to the subject) or intermediate courses (e.g., students having completed previous, related course work) with bottom-up experience preparing models, without a full commitment to learning a programming language. This frees the students to spend more time learning the physical processes, the parameter relationships, and experiencing the steps of moving from the equations to a computer code. A student survey and an instructor evaluation of a class project (class of 11 students) both indicated success in student learning at the levels desired for the course.
Geoscience Education in the Boy Scouts of America
Author: Hintz, Rachel
Date: 2012-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Geology,Earth Science,Science Education,Youth Clubs,Males,Extracurricular Activities,Informal Education,Experiential Learning,Recognition (Achievement),Science Achievement,Achievement Gains,Pretests Posttests,Scores,Outcomes of Education,Outdoor Education,Hypothesis Testing,Statistical Analysis,Correlation,Longitudinal Studies

Boy Scout geoscience education is not &quot;desk&quot; education--it is an informal, hands-on, real-world education where Scouts learn through activities, trips, and the outdoors, as well as in meetings and in the merit badge program. Merit badge requirements, many of which meet National Science Education Standards for Earth and Space Science, give boys foundational experiences and familiarity with geoscience topics. Earning a Geology merit badge at any location resulted in a significant gain of content knowledge (P &lt; 0.001). The combined treatment groups for all location types had a 9.2% gain in content knowledge, but the amount of content knowledge acquired through the merit badge program varied with location. The longitudinal posttest scores, with a 15.0% increase from the attributed average pretest score, were higher than the posttest scores from any location except summer camp. No gains were seen in the control group; age and grade were not significant factors. Combining interview data with quantitative data indicates that Scouts who participate in the Geology merit badge are better prepared for school geoscience classes. Participation in the Geology merit badge provides geoscience experiences and &quot;familiarity&quot; with geoscience concepts that allow Scouts to create and retain geoscience knowledge.
Use of Geochemistry Data Collected by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in Gusev Crater to Teach Geomorphic Zonation through Principal Components Analysis
Author: Rodrigue, Christine M.
Date: 2011-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Earth Science,Chemistry,Data,Factor Analysis,Astronomy,Science Instruction,College Science,Science Laboratories,Science Activities,Student Evaluation,Student Surveys,College Students

This paper presents a laboratory exercise used to teach principal components analysis (PCA) as a means of surface zonation. The lab was built around abundance data for 16 oxides and elements collected by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in Gusev Crater between Sol 14 and Sol 470. Students used PCA to reduce 15 of these into 3 components, which, after quartimax rotation, very strikingly divided the surface traversed by Spirit's into three distinct zones. Students then used such concepts as the Bowen reaction series, typical minerals in Earth's basalts and andesitic arcs, the periodic table, and the Goldschmidt classification, together with Pancam images from Spirit and the Mars Orbiter Camera, to interpret the surfaces over which the rover moved. Students found this foray to Mars a challenging but enjoyable project, and it made PCA memorable to them long after the class had ended. Some variant on this lab could work for multivariate statistics courses in geology, geography, and environmental science, as well as advanced courses in the content of those disciplines, particularly those dealing with zonation.
The Satellites, Weather and Climate (SWAC) Teacher Professional Development Program: Making the Case for Climate and Geospatial Literacy
Author: Dupigny-Giroux, Lesley-Ann
Date: 2012-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Instruction,Faculty Development,Satellites (Aerospace),Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Climate,Elementary Secondary Education,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Inquiry,Problem Solving,Observation,Laboratories,Lecture Method,Summer Programs,Attitude Change,Teacher Attitudes,Skill Development,Program Effectiveness,Thinking Skills,Critical Thinking,Surveys

In July 2008, a new professional development program called Satellites, Weather and Climate (SWAC) began at the University of Vermont. Its goal was to enhance the competency of in-service K-12 science and mathematics Vermont teachers in the atmospheric, climate, and geospatial sciences. The pilot program ran until 2010, during which time 14 teachers representing three cohorts were exposed to the eight training modules developed specifically for the program. The SWAC program is social constructivist in nature and implemented in such a way that participating teachers built upon prior SWAC content knowledge with each passing year in the program. SWAC modules were based on inquiry, problem, and project-based techniques and were presented in lectures, outdoor observation, and remote sensing laboratory settings. Participating teachers typically began the program during a weeklong, intensive summer program that covered the core SWAC concepts and skills. This was followed by two 1-h workshops every month during the academic year in which participants focused on a specific content module, geospatial skill, or technique. These content and skill workshops alternated with lesson planning sessions to allow teachers to develop lessons, units, or projects with SWAC materials. Program effectiveness was quantified by pre- and posttest evaluations of the modules, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis in January 2010, and a comprehensive survey of participants' pedagogical changes, as well as the skills and attitudinal changes of the 927 students they taught during the pilot phase. Teachers reported that participation in SWAC transformed their pedagogical approaches and in-class effectiveness while dramatically improving their students' observational abilities, critical thinking skills, and understanding of geospatial technology. An additional outcome of the SWAC program was the Teacher Learning Community that developed, in which participants were able to share activities and challenges across grade levels, school systems, and institutional barriers in a setting not found anywhere else in their professional development environments.
A Severe Weather Laboratory Exercise for an Introductory Weather and Climate Class Using Active Learning Techniques
Author: Grundstein, Andrew
Date: 2011-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Geology,Weather,Climate,Meteorology,Introductory Courses,Laboratory Experiments,Active Learning,Hands on Science,Science Process Skills,Cooperative Learning,Interdisciplinary Approach,Learner Engagement,Prediction,Outcomes of Education,Questionnaires

This paper describes a new severe weather laboratory exercise for an Introductory Weather and Climate class, appropriate for first and second year college students (including nonscience majors), that incorporates inquiry-based learning techniques. In the lab, students play the role of meteorologists making forecasts for severe weather. The exercise is designed to teach students how to identify the atmospheric conditions that promote severe weather and how to prepare a severe weather forecast. We utilize collaborative learning in the lab exercise where students are encouraged to work in teams to accomplish the class assignment. Working in teams teaches students about how modern interdisciplinary science is conducted, as well as creates accountability for students to learn the material and complete their share of the work. Our results show that important content knowledge is maintained in comparison with a traditional lab and that students found the new lab more engaging.
No Teacher Left Inside: Preparing a New Generation of Teachers
Author: Marcum-Dietrich, Nanette
Date: 2011-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teacher Education,Elementary School Teachers,Science Interests,Science Instruction,Teacher Competencies,Hands on Science,Field Experience Programs,Experiential Learning,STEM Education

It is ironic that although children often form lasting decisions, at a young age, about their aptitude for and interest in science we are least successful at preparing elementary teachers to nurture their students' science interests. This is despite the fact that most elementary teachers teach in contained classrooms where they are responsible for science content at this critical, developmental stage for their students. Science preparation for preservice, elementary teachers is traditionally relegated to large, general-education lecture courses. Even when these courses have laboratories, they tend to depend on cook-book style exercises where procedures are given and the outcomes are known. This leaves many pre-service, elementary teachers not only ill-prepared, but also fearful of the science content that they must teach. We here advocate a change in the way science is taught to preservice, elementary teachers. By developing hands-on field learning and teaching experiences for these future teachers, we believe that elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education can better encourage more children to become scientists and to encourage all students to become the next generation of informed citizens.
Incorporating Concept Sketching into Teaching Undergraduate Geomorphology
Author: Reusser, Lucas J.
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Instruction,College Science,Undergraduate Students,Earth Science,Freehand Drawing,Teaching Methods,Spatial Ability,Scientific Concepts,Concept Formation,Photography,Student Attitudes,Assignments,Satellites (Aerospace),Geographic Information Systems,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education

Constructing concept sketches (diagrams annotated with short captions in which students demonstrate their understanding of form, process, and interactions) provides a new and different way to teach Earth surface processes and assess the depth of student learning. During a semester-long course in Geomorphology, we used concept sketches as an icebreaker, as a means to help students place field observations in a spatial context, and as a catalyst for understanding complex graphical presentations of data. For the mid-term and final assessment components of the course, we required students to consider a historic aerial photograph of a local site they had not visited previously in order to strengthen their abilities in landscape interpretation based upon imagery alone; a task many of them will be required to undertake in their future endeavors. Anecdotal student response to the use of concept sketches in Geomorphology was uniformly positive with students self-reporting that the sketches helped them to synthesize large amounts of seemingly disparate information. As instructors, we found concept sketches particularly useful for motivating students and for identifying misconceptions and knowledge gaps.