The purpose of this project is to develop and test a model for revitalizing introductory geoscience courses. The approach is two-pronged: (1) to use appropriate computer-based technology to engage students in constructivist, inquiry-based activities in large introductory science courses, and (2) to help enrolled pre-service teachers critically analyze the teaching and learning strategies used in these courses. The goals for this project are to restructure and revitalize two introductory science courses and to develop companion science methods courses to be taken concurrently by pre-service teachers. Java simulations will be developed to provide natural learning environments for students and to allow instructors and students to analyze student efforts and thought processes. These methods will be tested in similar science courses at the University of Northern Iowa. This project will: 1) produce a collaborative model to improve learning in large introductory science classes by restructuring the classes to integrate constructivist, inquiry-based activities, 2) enhance pre-service teacher science education by encouraging student teachers to focus on their own metacognition while learning science, 3) provide learner-centered, inquiry-driven simulations and management software which will be widely available on the Internet for use in K-12 and college science courses 4) model exemplary uses of instructional technology for pre-service teachers 5) demonstrate the transferability of the model to other scientific disciplines by revising an introductory course in a second geoscience area, and 6) provide an instructional software design framework for use in the development of future inquiry-based simulations.
