Implementing Successful Geoscience
Education and Outreach Efforts
Larry Braile, Purdue University
AGU Meeting, San Francisco, December 14, 2004
braile@purdue.edu, www.eas.purdue.edu/~braile
What is Education and Outreach?
 Outreach – Information for general public; generate interest
in the program; disseminate results to interested
people; informal education.
 Education – Primarily for educators and students; used in
classroom or other educational settings; lessons that
can be used directly; background materials;
educational resources, teaching modules/units.
Geosciences E&O can be used to disseminate
geoscience research results and generate interest in
the geosciences, but also as a vehicle for infusing
effective science education into schools.
Why Geoscience E&O?
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Future geoscientists
Science literacy (students, general public,
decision-makers)
Enhance science education (K-16, graduate,
informal)
Benefit to scientist/researcher
Contribute to pre-service and
in-service (professional
development) education
of teachers
The Committee on Science and
Mathematics Teacher Preparation
(NRC) report (2000) includes the
following guiding principles and
recommendations:
CSMTP “guiding principles”:
“1. The improvement of teacher education and teaching in
science, mathematics, and technology should be viewed as a
top national priority.” and, “4. Both individually and
collectively, two- and four-year colleges and universities must
assume greater responsibility and be held more accountable
for improving teacher education.”
“Many more scientists,
mathematicians, and engineers
must become well informed
enough to become involved with
local and national efforts to
provide the appropriate content
knowledge and pedagogy of their
disciplines to current and future
teachers.”
Committee on Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation,
National Research Council, Educating Teachers of Science,
Mathematics and Technology – New Practices for the New
Millennium, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2000,
205 pp. (http://books.nap.edu/catalog/9832.html).
Science, mathematics and
engineering faculties are encouraged
to take more responsibility, in
cooperation with science education
faculty, in these efforts. For example,
a recent report from the Commission
on Undergraduate Science Education
(1999) of the NRC states as one of its
visions:
“VISION 4: SME&T faculties would
assume greater responsibility for the
pre-service and in-service education
of K-12 teachers.”
Commission on Undergraduate Science Education, National
Research Council, Transforming Undergraduate Education in
Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology, National
Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, 1999, 113 pp.
(http://books.nap.edu/catalog/6453.html).
More than half of scientific professionals with a Ph.D. say
their first interest in science came at age 5-10 (56% say
that their science
interest was influenced
by a parent or teacher
or by childhood
experiences such as
field trips or science
fairs; USA Today
statistics that shape
our lives, September
10, 1998; data from
the Bayer Corp. and
the NSF).
It is appropriate for E&O efforts to target all educational levels.
“Inquiry-centered science provides an experiential base that
children can relate to information they are acquiring through
other sources. Because an experiential base is crucial for
learning, it is appropriate to place hands-on learning first, before
other kinds of learning take place.” (National Science Resource
Center, 2002)
“Students whose teachers conduct hands-on learning activities
out-perform their peers by more than 70% of a grade level in
math and 40% of a grade level in science” [from 1996 NAEP 8th
grade math and science assessments]. (Wenglinsky, H., 2000)
National Science Resource Center, How children learn, California
Journal of Science Education, Vol. 11, issue 2, Spring 2002, p. 19-32.
Wenglinsky, H., How Teaching Matters – Bringing the Classroom Back
into Discussions of Teacher Quality, Educational Testing Service,
Princeton New Jersey, 2000, 36 pp. (www.ets.org/research/pic).
Effective E&O efforts
 Teach the teachers (multiplying factor).
 Develop materials that can be easily used
directly, or modified and implemented by
teachers.
 Planning is important; commitment is critical
(E&O doesn’t have to be a large part of a budget,
but can’t be just an “add-on”).
 Get some experience with K-16 education (attend
state or national teachers association meetings).
 Connect to National or State standards and
standard curricula (Plate tectonics; Earth
materials; Processes that shape the Earth;
Natural hazards; Environment).
 Provide opportunities for in-depth study,
discovery learning, hands-on activities, student
and teacher research; short lesson to extensive
unit.
 Take advantage of existing materials and
resources (Internet, lessons, software,
activities, lesson plans that are already
developed).
 Emphasize fundamentals but provide
opportunities to connect to the latest results
and research.
 Provide for effective dissemination effort (“If
you build it, they will come” model doesn’t
always work).
National Science
Teachers Association
www.nsta.org
Become more involved in the science education
community. Attend state, regional or national
science education meetings, and present workshops
at these meetings; gain experience with education
and working with teachers! The regional or national
NSTA meeting is a good place to start.
Take
advantage of
existing
materials
Making waves poster
from SEACOOS website
(http://seacoos.org/)
Connect materials to national and state standards
for ease of access and use by teachers.
Virtual Waves Classroom from
SEACOOS website (http://seacoos.org/)
Connect your research results to related and
relevant fundamental science concepts and topics.
For example, for research involving mid ocean
ridge processes:
Develop or use
activities on plate
boundaries,
composition of sea
water, marine life at
depth, hot springs
and volcanic
activity, convection,
ocean basin
bathymetry, ocean
currents, ocean
pollution, etc.
 Don’t forget evaluation and assessment.
 You can have an impact!
“In my end of the year evaluations,
your earthquake building project is
always the favorite project for my
students. I can't thank you enough.
How else can you teach drafting,
engineering, composite technology,
architectural design, seismology,
construction economics, and have fun
at the same time?” (quote from
teacher; activity: http://www.eas.purdue.edu/
~braile/edumod/building/building.htm)
Perhaps surprisingly, E&O efforts often have a
significant positive effect on the
scientist/researcher.
(PowerPoint presentation available online at:
www.eas.purdue.edu/~braile, click on What’s New.)