The Ohio Higher Education Network (OHEN)
for Science and Mathematics Education
James Tomlin, Teacher Ed. & Biology, Wright State Univ.;
Michael Sandy, Geology, University of Dayton;
Todd Smith, Physics, University of Dayton;
Krishnakumar Nedunuri, Water Resources Management ,
Central State University;
Charles Ryan, Director of Graduate Programs,
Education and Human Services, Wright State Univ.
Purpose:
to develop and support a network of science, mathematic, and
education faculty to improve science and mathematics teacher
preparation and professional development.
Participating institutions include:
Cedarville University, Central State University, Cincinnati State
Community College, Clark State Community College, Clermont
College, College of Mount St. Joseph, Edison Community
College, Raymond Walters, Southern State Community
College, University of Cincinnati, and Urbana University
Goals
1.
Developing science, mathematics and education faculty understanding of professional
licensure requirement expectations and assessments such as PRAXIS II and/or ABCTE;
2.
Developing a common understanding among higher education science, mathematics and
education faculty of the mathematics and science academic content standards and ways that
these standards can be used to ground a P-16 curriculum;
3.
Developing higher education faculty practical and theoretical understanding of best practices
in content preparation of teachers and to support faculty implementing and assessing these
practices;
4.
Developing a community of science, mathematics, and education faculty with a shared vision
of how to improve science and mathematics education;
5.
Providing a network to enable and facilitate communication among faculty and institutions, to
provide access to resources, and to facilitate coordination of and collaboration in efforts to
improve science and mathematics education;
6.
Developing regional capacity to sustain improvements to science and mathematics teaching
and learning through development of leaders;
7.
Identifying and categorizing resources for higher education faculty working in the areas of
teacher preparation and professional development.
Experiential Professional Development Opportunities
•
•
half-day commitments chosen by faculty to provide concrete experiences in teacher
preparation, teacher professional development, or K-12 education
Examples have included: observing K-12 teachers teach science or mathematics in local
schools, visiting science or mathematics courses specialized for pre-service teachers,
visiting science or mathematics professional development offerings for in-service teachers.,
visiting science or mathematics educational methods courses, taking Praxis II science or
mathematics exams that future teachers must pass to be licensed.
Professional Development Workshops
•
•
half or whole day sessions designed to help provide faculty with information and resources
relevant to teacher preparation and professional development.
Topics have included K-12 math and science standards, teacher licensure requirements,
recommended practices for preparation and professional development of teachers, designing
curriculum for teachers, assessment of student and teacher learning, and the research base
for science and mathematics education.
Extended Professional Development Opportunities
•
•
More intensive professional development opportunities for science and mathematics faculty
interested in becoming significantly involved in science and mathematics education
improvement. The time commitment involved varies from two weeks to one month.
Examples have included team teaching courses for teachers, participation in educational
courses with area teachers, participation in professional development institutes for teachers,
and participation in educational research
Mini-grants:
•
•
Inter- and Intra-institutional teams of science, mathematics and/or
education faculty
intended to provide incentive funding for collaborative curricular
projects, both intra- and inter-institutionally, and to coordinate initiatives
in Southwestern Ohio
Examples:
Edison/Sinclair Community College: “Educating the Educators Math and
Science Courses for 2 Year Colleges”
University of Cincinnati: “Creation of Inquiry-Based Chemistry For PreService 4-9th Grade Science Teachers”
Willmington College : “An initiative to strengthen inquiry learning by
developing courses for pre-service and field teachers based on inquirylearning and science fair activities”
University of Dayton: “Enhancement of biology lecture and laboratory
classes of the Integrated Natural Science Sequence to demonstrate
best pedagogy to pre-service science teachers”
OHEN funded mini-grant in 2005
Integrated inquiry-based investigations on the
Mad River, Greene County:
Chemistry, Earth Science, and a new Evaluation
tool for Pre-Service Teachers
Suzanne Lunsford, Chemistry Department, WSU
Kumar Nedunuri, Water Resources Management, CSU
Michael Sandy, Geology Department, UD
GOALS Integrated inquiry-based investigations on the Mad River, Greene County
• Develop an interdisciplinary unit that incorporates
chemistry and geology into groundwater/surficial water
studies
• Incorporate inquiry
• Use a local easily accessible bedrock outcrop that allowed
investigation of all aspects in a fieldtrip:
- Geology and fossil collecting, surface water sampling, and
discussion of water chemistry (carbonate in water, etc.)
• The sites selected allowed students to record data and then
analyse results and sythesize
• Select sites for different groundwater/surface water
conditions
• Incorporate assessment of unit
Huffman Dam
Length of Dam - 3,340 feet
Height of Dam - 65 feet
Width of Dam at Base - 385 feet
Volume of Earth in Embankment - 1,655,000 cubic yards
• Students visited
both the bedrock
outcrop by the
railroad and the
river
• Studied the geology
of the site:
collected rock
samples and fossils
• Water samples were
collected from the
Mad River and the
bedrock outcrop by
the railroad
The field trip
Location of fieldtrip
Location of fieldtrip
Location of fieldtrip:
USGS Gauge Station located near dam - live data
Location of fieldtrip:
Huffman Dam, Greene County, Ohio
Location of fieldtrip
Why a dam here? Dayton Flood of 1913
Location of fieldtrip:
Changes in drainage patterns
Air strippers
downstream from
Huffman Dam
Wright Brothers’ Memorial near Huffman Dam
Location of Fieldtrip: Huffman Dam Railroad Cut
Brassfield Formation
Silurian
Drakes Formation
Ordovician
Whitewater Formation
Specimen of the trilobite
Isotelus from Huffman Dam
Railroad Cut construction,
1919 - largest known
trilobite at that time - 41 cm
long
Central State and University of Dayton
joint field trip
Study of Water Quality
• The following parameters were measured/estimated:
– Flow (qualitative)
– Temperature
– pH
– Nitrite/Nitrate
– Phosphorus
– Dissolved oxygen
– Carbon dioxide
Assessment
• Pre-test, Post-test, and Inquiry module were
prepared.
• The questions were designed to familiarize
students with different problem solving steps.
• Different learning tools were used.
• The levels of difficulty in questions
corresponded to different levels of Blooms’
taxonomy of higher order thinking.
Tabulated results for Geology
Pretest and Posttest
Question Pretest %
correct
Posttest %
correct
1
2
3
4
5
Average
94.4
88.8
66.6
33.3
100
74.4%
83.3
38.8
22.2
22.2
88.8
55.1%
This activity was incorporated into a new
course for preservice teachers “Geology for
Teachers” offered for the first time in 2006 at
the University of Dayton (had run as a pilot
for several semesters).
“Traditional” lecture/lab meetings have been
incorporated into a once-a-week meeting.
This allows adequate time for fieldtrips and
inquiry activities incorporated into the
classroom.
Development of a website with resources:
http://www.wright.edu/cosm/scied/ohen/
Development of a website with resources:
http://www.wright.edu/cosm/scied/ohen/
Development of a website with resources:
http://www.wright.edu/cosm/scied/ohen/
Problems/challenges
I have worked on a number of projects over the last decade.
My “pure” geological research is definitely different from
curriculum development and clearly time in the reseach lab. is
impacted. That can have professional implications …
• Institutions may not have a culture of collaboration between
Schools of Education and Faculty from the Arts and Sciences
• This means that the activity may not be understood, appreciated,
or considered worthwhile
• I have found a generally supportive atmosphere …
• However, I have also encountered from time-to-time a lack of
appreciation that such activities are presumably benefiting
science teachers in Ohio (that’s our vain hope!).
Integrated inquiry-based thingys and this and
that on the Mad River, Greene County:
Chemistry, Earth Science, and a new Evaluation
tool for Pre-Service Teachers
Michael Sandy, Geology Department, UD
Kumar Nedunuri, Water Resources Management, CSU
Suzanne Lunsford, Chemistry Department, WSU
PREMISE
• Certain concepts of chemistry can be taught to
Pre-service Middle Childhood teachers in
geological and hydrological settings.
• Such an integration of hydrogeology into
chemistry would enhance their learning of basic
principles of chemistry.
• This notion has been illustrated in this study
through teaching a concept of chemical
equilibrium.
INSTRUMENTS
• A field trip to Huffman dam by the Mad River and
a nearby geologic outcrop was used.
• Certain geologic processes such as dissolution and
chemical weathering of minerals were observed
while on the field trip.
• Monitoring of water quality by the outcrop and on
the river was performed.
• The use of the measured parameters in
understanding the chemical equilibrium of natural
water was appreciated.
APPROACH
•
Measured parameters such as
temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen,
nitrite/nitrate, flow and phosphorus.
•
Measurements were taken both on
the river and by the outcrop using
portable water kits.
•
Collected samples both from the
river and by the outcrop.
•
Conducted experiments in the wet
chemistry lab at WSU to measure
total hardness and calcium.
•
Estimated the measured
concentrations using simple
equilibrium chemistry.
Geologic outcrop near the dam
Mad river by the Huffman dam
EXPERIENCE
• Dr. Lunsford taught this course summer of
2006 to a class of 35 Middle school preservice teachers at Wright State University.
• Teachers expressed greater understanding,
association and retention of concepts of
chemical equilibrium.
ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY
• The chemical equilibrium was taught using
conventional classroom only approach and
guided inquiry using field trip.
• Pre-tests and post-tests were administered
before and after instructional delivery using
both methods.
• Authentic assessment was used to evaluate
student learning.
ASSESSMENT RESULTS
• No improvement in scores when the unit
was delivered using a traditional classroom
approach.
• Normalized gain of 0.6 was observed when
the same unit was delivered using guided
inquiry through the investigative field trip.
A Redesign of the Conceptual
Physics Course SCI190 at
The University of Dayton
for Pre-Service Teachers
Todd Smith, Said Elhamri,
Lynne Erdei, and Susan Ferguson
GOAL
More and Better Science Teachers
• Increased conceptual knowledge (content)
• Demonstration of best practices (inquiry)
• Bring elements of teacher preparation into
the science lecture
• Create an environment conducive to
choosing a science concentration
The Redesign
 Placed 64 first year education majors in the
same sections of lecture and labs
Coordinated the lecture and labs with the
teacher prep course EDT109
Demonstrated best practices (inquiry)
Encouraged them to teach each other in
small group discussions
Introduced the Ohio Academic Content
Standards for Science and identified
common physics misconceptions
Assessment
• Pretest / posttest in 2 subject areas
– Force and motion
– Heat and temperature
• Three additional sections were given the
same pretest / posttest
• Attitudinal surveys towards science and
science education
Normalized Gain vs. Pretest Score
0.90
0.80
Normalized Gain
0.70
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
Squares = EDU majors
Circles = non-EDU majors
0.20
Each color represents a
different instructor
0.10
0.00
32
34
36
38
40
42
Pretest Score
44
46
48
50
Charles Ryan, Director of Graduate
Programs,
Education and Human Services, Wright State
ChangingUniv.
Attitudes
• Will a science class designed for future
teachers increase the number who will go
on to teach science? YES!!!
• Attitudinal Shift
–
–
–
–
Science as a subject of interest
Difficulty in learning science
Difficulty in teaching science
Science teaching as a career choice
OHEN Evaluation Guidelines

Evaluation requires a substantive
assessment of goals, objectives and activities

Evaluation of project goals and
networking requires early involvement in the
design of projects, e.g. writing the proposal

Evaluation depends upon explicit,
agreed-upon objectives and how they are to be
achieved


General goals, e.g. “To develop science
and mathematics faculty practical and
theoretical understanding of best practices
in content preparation of teachers,” may
be difficult to assess.
Question: How will we assess
understanding of best practices? How
will we assess the integration of best
practices in content preparation of
teachers?
Evaluation of funded projects: Did they have?



Measurable objectives
Resource use aligned with program
activities and intended outcomes.
Leadership to motivate and ability to
manage the program
Management of projects has a higher chance of
success if objectives are well defined, not when
activities are carried out and later linked back to
an objective.

Essential conditions for evaluation of
programs, e.g. program staff and sponsors
agree on the criteria to be used in assessing
whether the objectives have been met.

Example: OHEN goal: Developing
higher education faculty practical and
theoretical understanding of best practices in
content preparation of teachers and to support
faculty implementing and assessing these
practices.



How might we assess this goal?
What criteria must we agree on to use in
assessing whether this goal has been met?
Evaluation questions:
o What are the best practices?
o What content should teachers be exposed to?
o What process should be used to implement
these practices?
o What evaluation procedures should be used
to assess implementation of these practices?


What support services were provided to
support faculty in implementing and assessing
these practices?
Evaluation methods to consider:
o
Formative Studies:

Consultation with Faculty

Mini impact evaluations could be
conducted to secure estimates of
progress on all goals (objectives)
Summative Studies - Occur at conclusion



Sample small groups at one or two sites to
assess awareness/knowledge of the
projects.
Conduct a trial run to determine faculty
ability to identify best practices.
Maintain careful records of memos,
meeting minutes, workshop agenda,
evaluations of workshops, and faculty
concerns for later data analysis.
Summative Evaluation



Usually performed at the end of a project.
Terminal assessment used to judge the
cumulative outcomes over a considerable
term of instruction, treatment, or activity.
Research methods commonly use a diversity
of procedures for general data collection,
e.g. historical, biographical, case study,
information gathering techniques, content
analysis, interviews, tests, and varied ways
of interpreting data, e.g. cause, comparison,
prediction.




SUMMARY
Formative studies vary in rigor and
sophistication of data collection and analysis, but
even simple studies provide insights into problems
and results.
Evaluators external to the project should be involved
in the design of goals, objectives and program
activities to increase success of the project.
Planning the evaluation as a team provides both
evaluators and project staff with realistic
expectations and sets the resources needed for the
evaluation.
Design of the evaluation plan must occur in the
initial planning of the project.