This project is a collaboration of the Aspen Global Change Institute (AGCI) and Georgia State University to develop a set of 7 web-based learning modules for high school and early undergraduate students. The learning modules have at their core video vignettes on specific topics in the geosciences and global change derived from 20 years of workshops held at AGCI and archived in 1200 hours of video. The archive consists of scientists from around the world in an interdisciplinary setting presenting and discussing their research. The modules are organized around the seven research themes of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (atmospheric composition, climate variability and change, global water cycle, land use and land cover change, global carbon cycle, ecosystems, and human contributions and responses). Along with the specific content goals, the archive will also be used to illustrate the nature of science through scientific discourse, science as a human endeavor, and contain common themes such as scale, change, and systems consistent with overall goals of scientific literacy. The specific activities are to: (1) identify the parts of the archive that satisfy selection criteria; (2) map the material to standards/benchmarks and FAQs (e.g. IPCC 2007) associated with Earth system science; (3) produce modules that include the digitized video vignettes (of archival and new video) combined with visuals, voice-overs and profiles of the scientists; (4) pilot test the modules with high school and undergraduate students; and, (5) disseminate web-based modules informed by the formative and summative evaluation. The modules will serve student populations that infrequently have the opportunity to meet and interact with scientists. The modules will further student understanding of the process of science, gain a sense of scientific careers, and how basic science is applied in understanding Earth and complex topics such as climate change and its significance to society.
From the Horse’s Mouth (FtHM) is a free, educational, online resource on topics of global environmental change. The website was developed by the Aspen Global Change Institute (AGCI), enabled by funding provided by the National Science Foundation (Grant GEO-10351251). Designed for high school and early undergraduate students, the website is NGSS aligned. The website consists of short video clips of scientists presenting their research in an interdisciplinary settings and are enhanced with supportive educational materials. The source of these clips is AGCI’s 1200 hour video archive, which represents 24 years of global change workshops attended by leading scientists from around the world. The FtHM project started with AGCI’s desire to share their archive’s valuable knowledge-base with students and the public by mining the archive for short nuggets of scientific significance captured in video clips of 2 to 5 minutes. Staff sought clips that illustrate the content and nature of science. The content represented in the archive is very broad. It covers topics as diverse as biodiversity, human development, atmospheric chemistry, ocean dynamics, and more. Many of the talks and discussions feature prominent issues of our time, such as the nexus between science and society, the ozone hole, climate change, ocean acidification, or species extinction. Grouped into 7 research elements that parallel United States Global Change Research Program topical divisions (air, climate, water, land, carbon, life, and people), the video clips are provide a start-point to explore supportive material that builds upon the content shown in each video clip. Supportive materials include interactive quizzes, further reading, a glossary, science journal activities, and links to related videos. The website further offers pages devoted to teacher navigation and user feedback. Also included is biographical information about each scientist featured in a video clip and, in some cases, scientist interviews on how they became interested in science or a particular area of expertise. The FtHM website centers around video clips of scientists presenting and discussing their research in a way that offers learners a unique opportunity to experience how scientists communicate with each other in a relaxed setting. While the AGCI workshops are informal, they reveal important insight in to the process of science in action. Implicit in the presentations and discussions are the methods and processes employed by researchers using both experimental and theoretical approaches. The presentations and dialogs captured in the video clips reveal aspects of the human dimension of science and the how the complex systems of Earth and human interactions necessitate cooperation and collaboration beyond single disciplines. While there are many outlets in the media of scientists explaining their work to lay audiences, how scientists communicate with one another is rarely seen by students or the general public. Demonstration and evaluation sessions have taken place with over 160 undergraduate and high school students. The majority of student users rated the site as navigable and the clips as easy to understand. Furthermore, initial evaluation suggests that the site may positively influence students toward a career in science by demonstrating the variety of job types associated with scientific fields. Teachers introduced to the website have expressed an enthusiastic interest in using the site as an in-classroom tool to augment their curriculum materials. The reception the project has received so far suggests that there is an interest both from students and teachers in using this resource within and outside the classroom. AGCI has shared the resource at annual American Geophysical Union Meetings (2011 and 2013) and plans to continue improving the FtHM website with new material, in addition to publishing on this educational approach in the near future. From the Horse’s Mouth is currently populated with 25 video clips and is now publically available at horsesmouth.agci.org. Early indications are that this resource will contribute to greater science literacy and career interest within the geosciences, and AGCI intends to promote both those goals in moving forward with the project. More information about AGCI can be found at www.agci.org 1 Opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in FtHM do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.
