http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification 720 https://escholarship.org/uc/isee_pdp20yr_activity/rss Recent eScholarship items from Activity Descriptions Sat, 12 Sep 2026 20:47:00 +0000 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9wq3h6zr A multi-class period activity on the physical principals underlying ocean circulation was designed that utilizes real world data and inquiry pedagogies for use in an undergraduate, introductory oceanography course. Goals for the activity were for students to practice the scientific method, carry out an experiment of their own design, read and interpret real oceanographic data, and use their data, observations and relationships gleaned from these small-scale demonstrations, experiments, and activities to build an understanding of large-scale ocean circulation while practicing multiple inquiry process skills. Student outcomes related to both process skills and content knowledge improve as a result of the activity’s implementation, as indicated by a 14-percentage point increase in student scores on the same ocean circulation homework assigned in years before and after the new activity was created. During the COVID pandemic of 2020 this learning activity was taught in a hybrid classroom... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9wq3h6zr Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Black, Frank J https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7mn8v4zb As part of the Institute for Scientist and Engineer Educators Professional Development Program (PDP), our team designed an activity for the Akamai internship program’s Preparation for Research Experiences and Projects (PREP) course. The activity focused on content around different renewable energy and storage technologies, and the widely applicable engineering practice of optimization through iteration and evaluating trade-offs. Here we describe the overall activity, with primary emphasis on how the PDP backward design process and integration of the Equity & Inclusion (E&I) theme led us to design and implement a unique model we call the “expert training model” that has important E&I implications. We found that an educational activity design that focuses on E&I considerations, such as identifying multiple ways to productively participate and developing learners’ identity in STEM, simultaneously satisfies criteria for being an engaging and authentic STEM experience.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7mn8v4zb Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Perez, Kauahi Barnes, Austin Mousavi, Ali Kassab, Richard https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7ch3f7zz Data literacy and the ability to synthesize and communicate complex concepts are core components of modern scientific practice. Here we present the design and implementation of an inquiry activity about climate variability that was taught as a part of the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) Workshops for Engineering & Science Transfers (ClimateWEST) in 2019. The two-day activity introduced interdisciplinary undergraduate and community college transfer students pursuing graduate school to the field of climate science through a series of inquiry activities. Climate science is a complex topic, and research shows that there are certain concepts that are particularly difficult to grasp. Our climate activity focused on disentangling some of those misconceptions, by emphasizing the following themes or core dimensions of climate variability: (1) Climate varies on both shorter timescales (e.g. seasonal or annual cycle) and on longer timescales (e.g. climate change); (2) Both... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7ch3f7zz Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Pozo Buil, Mercedes Ianiri, Hope Carroll, Gemma Trayler, Robin https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7dx183mk Here we discuss the design and implementation of an introductory DNA Barcoding module that we developed for the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Science in Action Program, a two-week summer program that teaches high school students about Hawai‘i’s biodiversity. Students used the concept of characterization to explain the relationships among organisms using morphological, ecological, and molecular data. Additionally, students gained experience in the scientific practice of generating explanations by gathering multiple lines of evidence to support or refute a claim, linking claims with evidence, and presenting such claims in written and oral formats to identify unknown algae samples. During this activity, students also gained real-world research experience in the field of biodiversity research. We also discuss potential modifications for future iterations of this module. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7dx183mk Thu, 29 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Tateno-Bisel, Amber Perez, Kauahi https://escholarship.org/uc/item/28r6g3kf The Workshops for Engineering and Science Transfers (WEST) program was designed to foster critical-thinking skills and develop a supportive community for new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) community college transfer students at the University of California, Santa Cruz, with the ultimate goal of improving student retention and persistence in STEM. All learners in the program participate in inquiry activities devised to incorporate elements of backward design and equity and inclusion. Here we discuss our 2019 Toxicology WEST workshop activity, an in-depth exploration of dose-response relationships created to provide an overview of the field of toxicology and clarify common misconceptions. To reflect authentic research design, we had learners assume the roles of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientists tasked with investigating the effects of environmental toxicants on the model organisms Caenorhabditis elegans and Daphnia magna. Learners were asked... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/28r6g3kf Thu, 29 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Santiago, Nicholas A Glasenapp, Matthew R Howard, Shanna L https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9r8167ms We designed, facilitated, and re-designed an inquiry activity in an introductory undergraduate astronomy research methods course at the University of Texas at Austin over two different semesters. The teaching venue for this inquiry activity took place in the course “AST 376R: A Practical Introduction to Research Methods”, the inquiry activity was inserted into an existing course structure, taking place over multiple class periods. We discuss how we were able to leverage the Professional Development Program (PDP) inquiry themes and introduce students to specific STEM practices, using this experience as a primer or mini version of a larger research activity and research experience that they would determine and lead themselves later on in the semester. In this paper we describe the benefits for students in this course and the lessons learned by the instructors. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9r8167ms Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Finkelstein, Keely Martinez, Raquel Vanderbosch, Zachary https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6fv1s464 Software development is becoming increasingly ubiquitous in STEM disciplines resulting in the need for education in associated computational skills. To address this need, we designed a "Sustainable Software Development with Collaborative Version Control" workshop in the 2019 Institute for Scientist & Engineer Educators (ISEE) Professional Development Program (PDP). We describe here the development process and following delivery of the workshop. In particular, we explored how to apply an inquiry approach to learning computational skills. By design, PDP activities intertwine content and “cognitive STEM practices,” and teasing apart content and practice is important for STEM education. We encountered challenges with this task because our content — exploring software sustainability with collaborative version control — is much like a practice in itself. We designed our workshop to introduce the critical skill of sustainable software development using collaborative version control... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6fv1s464 Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Frisbie, Rachel LS Grete, Philipp Glines, Forrest W https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2tk5j8zh Classification is a general tool of science; it is used to sort and categorize biological organisms, chemical elements, astronomical objects, and many other things. In scientific classification, taxonomy often reflects shared physical properties that, in turn, may indicate shared origins and/or evolution. A “hands-on” galaxy-classification activity developed and implemented by Professional Development Program (PDP) participants, for a high-school summer STEM enrichment program, has been adopted for various age groups and venues, from young (K–3) to college students. We detail the basic tools required, outline the general activity, and describe the modifications to the activity based on learners’ ages and learning objectives. We describe the facilitation strategies learned through PDP training and used when implementing the activity, including prompts to motivate the students. We also discuss how we connected the classification process to astronomy and science more broadly during... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2tk5j8zh Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Cooksey, Kathy L Metevier, Anne J Rubin, Kate HR Choi, Philip I Raschke, Lynne https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1808f7rw We present highlights from a series of hands-on physics lab modules developed for remote teaching. The labs were composed of multiple self-guided inquiry modules. Though the labs were developed from scratch, some modules that were central to the design process were borrowed from previous PDP sessions and the guiding PDP principles of mirroring authentic Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) practices (e.g., allowing students to raise questions and take ownership of decision making). One notable aspect of this work is that by sourcing and assembling low-cost ($25 per student) lab kits that were sent to each student, the majority of the modules were hands-on despite being fully online. Combining online resources and simulation tools with individual hardware kits and small lab groups allowed for a mix of synchronous and asynchronous exploration. This mixed lab mode was successful in promoting both inquiry exploration and community building. One example of a lab... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1808f7rw Wed, 21 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Contreras, Daniel Robles, Vicente Choi, Philip I