Pedogogical Reform Enhances Student Learning and Success

Systemic Reform In Science (SyRIS), funded by the National Science Foundation and in-kind support from participating colleges and the mcli, is a district-wide project designed to improve student outcomes in science through changes in curriculum and pedagogy. The goal of SyRIS is to bring together science, math, engineering, and technology (SMET) faculty into collaborative teams at each participating college. These teams are charged with designing, developing, and field-testing interdisciplinary science modules for entry-level science courses using active learning strategies and critical thinking. The unique interdisciplinary element of the modules is to convey to students the links between the sciences. These hands-on science modules that reflect real-life applications will enhance student learning and success by improving the quality of undergraduate science instruction.

Project Director Jeffrey Pommerville, "conducts" the SyRIS Annual Workshop on August 17, 2001 at the District Office.

2000-2001 Products and Results

In 2000-2001, 34 SMET faculty from eight colleges were part of SyRIS. Besides attending active learning workshops to assist them in the preparation of their modules, each of the eight collaborative teams in fall 2000 completed an interdisciplinary science module. A summary of each module can be found on the SyRIS web site. Each team then field-tested the module at their college in spring 2001 and prepared an assessment report concerning the module’s success.

Project evaluation, conducted by the evaluation team, (Maria Harper-Marinick, Instructional Designer, mcli and Howard Sullivan, Professor of Psychology in Education, Arizona State University), focused on student success and student and instructor attitudes toward module development and implementation. Posttest or final product scores from 377 students in 19 class sections were used to assess student success. These scores averaged a very respectable 84 percent. Student attitude ratings averaged 4.08, somewhat above the "agree" (scored as 4.0 on the five-choice Likert-scale) in response to the positive statements on the survey. Many students reported that the module "was realistic or related to real life." Other frequent responses indicated that they enjoyed working with a cooperative group or with other students, doing the laboratory experiments, and using hands-on activities. The student responses strongly validate the goal of SyRIS, which is to develop science modules that stress cooperative learning and other active learning strategies.

Participants at the SyRIS Annual Workshop on August 17, 2001 at the District Office.

Surveys from the 17 instructors who field-tested the modules showed a strong favorable attitude toward the modules. These instructors affirmed that the material developed and field-tested was "worthwhile for students to learn" and "interesting and appealing." Several instructors cited the laboratory experiments, hands-on student activities, and the interdisciplinary nature of the instruction as module strengths. Again, these attitude responses reinforce the pedagogical reform intent of the SyRIS project.

2001-2002 Plans and Activities

Participants in 2001-2002 involve 42 SMET faculty, of which 27 are new to the project (see below). The nine interdisciplinary teams again are involved in the fall semester with the design and development of additional interdisciplinary science modules that will be field-tested in the spring semester 2002. Faculty will attend development workshops related to active learning strategies for successful instruction and student learning.

Conclusion

Reform in science education is not something that can be accomplished overnight. However, the efforts in pedagogical reform being carried out by SyRIS faculty will translate into a better, more applied curriculum. The project outcomes will foster a keener interest in and understanding of science and promote the thinking skills science and the community require.

Further Information

National Research Council. 1999. Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Stokstad, E. 2001. Reintroducing the intro course. Science. 293, 1608-1610.

Wyckoff, S. 2000. Changing the culture of undergraduate science teaching. Journal of College Science Teaching 30(5), 306-312.

Jeffrey Pommerville, Ph.D., mcli

SyRIS
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/syris/