Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) in partnership with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) and with Teacher-Leaders throughout Oklahoma will expand the phase I Biotechnology/Bioinformatics Discovery! project to rural Oklahoma and disseminate to a national audience. The broad goals of the project are to enhance science education through professional development for teachers, to improve student success in science, especially among underrepresented groups, so that more students will enter college and choose careers in the health sciences, and to increase awareness of the contributions of the biomedical research enterprise to our local and national well-being. At least three of the four geographic regions of rural Oklahoma are targeted and the project will focus on isolated rural schools with large numbers of students from underrepresented groups in science. The Native American networks developed by OUHSC will be a primary resource. High quality inquiry modules for laboratory experiments for high school students are prepared and ready for adaptation to middle school students. Teacher participants will attend summer institutes, and subsequently implement laboratory experiments with their students, using the learning cycle as the pedagogical approach (explore, develop concept, apply/extend). The quality and content of the laboratory experiments are derived from peer-reviewed national projects to give students experiences with science content and technology that would not otherwise be available. Project personnel provide the laboratory modules """"""""ready to go"""""""" for classrooms along with in-class support for the teacher as requested. Project Coordinators will make regular visits to each region. A Teacher-Leader for each rural region will become an active member of the implementation plan. Teacher-Leaders will help set up a regional equipment leaner center and form a mock biotechnology company with their students to learn to prepare module materials locally. Capstone activities to celebrate and promote the health sciences will occur regularly for students and their teachers with the aid of OUHSC partners. A DVD and learning module focused on clinical trials tailored to student audiences will be one project outcome. An external evaluator will provide formative feedback for continuous improvement as well as a summative evaluation. Data measures will include classroom observations, teacher surveys at baseline and post-workshop and post module implementation, student surveys pre and post implementation, student acquisition of science process skills, and student interest at baseline and post-capstone experiences in science and health careers. ? ? ?
