Earth Systems Science (40) This project is revising an existing undergraduate course in the earth sciences, integrating expertise in education, content, technology, and assessment. The target audience for the course is pre-service teachers studying in Union Institute and University's (UI&U) nontraditional teacher-education program at its Florida Academic Center (FAC). The project helps FAC's largely minority teacher-education students achieve content knowledge consistent with Florida's Sunshine State Standards, improve their attitudes towards science education and the scientific process, and enhance their ability to use instructional technology to learn about science.
To serve students studying in this low-residency program, the course is using a blended online/live format that emphasizes online investigation and limited live collaborative sessions and field trips. The investigation team is consulting with pre-service teachers and university alumni currently teaching elementary school in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties to identify appropriate exercises to improve knowledge of standards-based earth science topics. With this group, and an outside evaluator, the team is designing the course following best practices in online learning and problem-based pedagogy, adapting approaches and materials from an earth systems science course developed by the faculty of San Francisco State University, and materials from DLESE and MERLOT.
This project is aiding in the development of a system of best practices in online course offerings for UI&U's undergraduate programs nationwide. New course materials and assessment instruments developed during this project will be made available via DLESE, MERLOT, and ERIC.
