CATALYST is a three year faculty development program at the University of Rhode Island (URI) for high school teachers of science, mathematics, and computer science. It will: 1. Train 96 high school science, mathematics, and computer science teachers how to use interactive technologies in the classroom. This 1991-92 academic year component will stress hypermedia, intelligent tutoring systems, repurposed videodisc, microworlds, coaches, inspectable simulations, computer animation, and automated data collection and analysis. The teachers will learn how to: o Teach students how to solve scientific problems using the heuristic approach of Polya. o Manage CAI and video/digital audio projects (including writing, producing, implementing, and evaluating them). o Use the computer to write multimedia programs. o Deal with different learning styles of students. o Recognize science preconceptions and help students to overcome them o Evaluate software and interactive products. o Use information networks and database. o Creating instructional materials with commonly available software and microcomputers, workstations, and graphing calculators. The teachers will finish the program's initial phases with projects they design and implement themselves. 2. Select 32 participants to develop an in-depth project. At least sixteen will attend URI for a four week workshop during the summers of 1992 and 1993. They will also work at the University for 10 to 20 percent of the work week during the 1991-92- 93, and 1993-94 academic year. 3. Evaluate how well the teacher-developed materials works with students. 4. Develop a series of probes and sensors along with computer software tools to measure such phenomena as heat, temperature, electromotive force, light oscillations, and sound. The teachers will use these tools to produce a number of laboratory experiments. CATALYST relies on resources from several institutions. These include intelligent problem solving tutors and repurposed videodiscs from URI, inspectable simulations from Appalachian State University, multimedia from the Department of Art at San Francisco State University, and microcomputers based laboratory experiments from Tufts University. There is sharing of information and materials with a parallel project at the University of San Francisco. Cost sharing equals 186% of the NSF award.
