Recent crte items

Thinking like an Expert: Scaffolding Mathematical Concepts in Physics Courses

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Thinking like an Expert: Scaffolding Mathematical Concepts in Physics Courses

Immigrants’ Success in Science Education and Careers

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The contribution of immigrants to the scientific and technological innovation and progress of the United States is significant. Beyond the existing statistics describing their status, this study explored the factors driving such immigrants’ success in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and careers, focusing on their learning and career growth environments. The goal of this study was to seek and expose qualitative information for the development of a pro-active STEM curriculum of education and career enhancement, in addition to fostering such academic policy guidelines for STEM students and scholars in multicultural and diverse settings. The study targeted first generation students and scholars in terms of immigration status as well as university education, while also intentionally including all STEM field people, regardless of immigration status, in an effort to offer a more comprehensive view of success factors and needs in STEM, and also to seek non-immigrants’...

Relationship of Time-Management Behaviors to the Effectiveness of Chemistry Pre-Laboratory Assignments

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Inadequate writing skills are a common problem in science classes. Writing scientific papers require a different skill type than writing prose and often learning the terminology is similar to learning a second language. Research has shown that activities such as group projects and peer review are helpful in addressing this challenge in other contexts. This project will use three sections of upper division physiology university students; one section is the experimental group and the other two are control groups. All students write five lab reports with a partner during the semester, which are used to practice peer review. The class is trained on how to review a paper and a rubric in the form of a feedback worksheet is provided. The class anonymously exchanges papers and review prior to turning them in for grading. The reports with the attached feedback worksheet and additional comments from the instructor are returned to the students and common problems are discussed in class....

Pulling Back the Curtain on College-Level Literacy Skills

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000

This article outlines the benefits of self-reflection and skill-building exercises in freshman-intensive courses, with particular focus on reading assessment activities. As literacy practices are critical to one’s sense of academic community, all instructors have a responsibility to address writing style, organization and reading skills applicable to a given discipline. This is of particular importance to freshman, first-generation and transfer students who are making the most intensive transition to university life. Prior knowledge assessment benefits instructors in determining skills needs, with students also gaining voice and confidence. Part of the “pulling back the curtain” concept is explaining expectations (via rubrics) and modeling successful practices. This article concludes with an affective reading survey and best practices list.

Grasping the Materiality of the Past: Digital Archaeology in Lower-Division Courses

Tue, 2 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Archaeology is a material, embodied discipline; communicating this experience is critical to student success in lower-division courses. This article presents an overview and case study of how a digital approach to laboratory work can positively affect student learning. Virtual reconstruction serves, then, as an important bridge from traditional coursework to fieldwork. Highlighted curriculum samples include ill-defined problem sets, which help to scaffold students towards this fieldwork laboratory experience.

Developing Critical Thinking Skills in an Introductory Calculus-Based Physics Class with the Aid of Peer Review

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

College coursework requires students to use their critical thinking skills in order to succeed in classes. Current culture in higher education assumes that students arrive to college with a well developed set of critical thinking skills or that they are able to develop the necessary skills on their own. This assumption is especially evident in science coursework, where the students are asked to use their critical thinking on everyday basis (doing lab work, solving the problems), but are rarely taught how. The lack of these skills puts students at a great disadvantage. First generation students are especially at a disadvantage because they usually arrive to college less prepared than their peers from families where parents have had some college education. We propose that the absence of critical thinking manifests itself in low test scores. We investigate this connection by observing the relationship between student test scores before and after the set of exercises developed...

Peer Review Improves Undergraduate Science Writing Skills

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000