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Contact: Dr. Robert Potter, (813) 974-3538
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY
All college-educated Americans, and especially elementary school teachers, should have a broad understanding of science concepts and processes. Most introductory science courses now taken by non-technical majors do not adequately educate these target audiences. Such courses are often discipline-centered, not relevant or interesting to students, superficial, taught in a teacher-centered lecture mode, and rarely emphasize critical thinking and evidence based decision-making.
To overcome these shortcomings, we adopted a broad based approach to help make the learning of science interesting and relevant, create a positive attitude toward science, and develop in-depth understanding of all major science concepts and inquiry skills as outlined in the National Science Education Standards (NSES) and Florida Sunshine State Standards (SSS). This approach helps science faculty to overcome cultural and fiscal barriers. The course structure helps faculty to be more effective with teaching basic science concepts, some of which might lie outside their home science discipline, and helps them adopt accepted teaching practices that lead to improved student learning.
The formation of Science That Matters was begun in 1996 at the University of South Florida's Coalition for Science Literacy with a regional three-day conference that involved 25% of the science and science education faculty from 16 institutions who gathered to identify the needs of science education and potential solutions. Out of this initial meeting grew a partnership that led to the development of two new courses with support materials. This course sequence was designed to integrate the sciences and address all National Science Standards and Florida Sunshine State Standards in Science. The course sequence allows for flexibility and consistency in topic selection and course delivery, and incorporates (for each topic) detailed guidance for teaching strategies that model what school teachers should do and are based on research in learning
The fundamental principle of our approach is to make science more relevant and approachable by using a variety of well-established teaching and learning strategies. To accomplish this, we abandoned the past monolithic discipline-specific, textbook driven, lecture intensive college course that used assessments emphasizing memorization. In its place, we developed a course presenting broad based, integrated science that interests students and is delivered through a combination of active learning and discovery processes, as well as direct instruction, taking advantage of what we know about learning. Writing about science is emphasized as is evidence-based decision making.
TODAY
Science That Matters (STM), a two semester interdisciplinary science course sequence for non-science majors/future teachers, was first offered at the University of South Florida in 1999 with three sections of the two-semester sequence ISC1004 & ISC1005 offered since 2001. As of fall 2003, Science That Matters is also being offered at three regional Florida institutions, Hillsborough Community College, Manatee Community College and St. Petersburg College, and at two out-of-state institutions, Fairmont College in Fairmont, West Virginia, and Middlesex Community College in Bedford, Massachusetts.
Science That Matters is taught using real world problems in a way that incorporates important concepts from the necessary disciplines as they are needed to understand and solve problems. Since real world issues such as global warming, water quality and availability, biodiversity or genetic profiling or genetically modified foods are complex, their solutions require understanding of concepts from a number of different science disciplines and thus serve as natural vehicles for teaching science with an integrated science approach. The modular approach allows a course to be divided into units that are focused on a set of well chosen scientifically significant and naturally integrated topics. Suggested assessment strategies are integrated throughout the course and emphasize critical thinking as well as core content knowledge. Written assessment strategies are encouraged but a variety of assessments can be used.
Science That Matters, Volumes I and II, each containing six modules, are now available from Kendall/Hunt Publishers. The modular course materials are available in student and instructor versions with important additional pedagogical and content information available for instructors. Workshops on teaching the courses are available to guide faculty who plan to use these modules.
FUTURE
The future goal is to have a broad base of more than 36 modules in the library available for custom packaging in a ready to use bundle complete with background materials, fully described learning activities and suggested assessment strategies. By allowing faculty to choose from a library of modules covering a broad base of the sciences, faculty flexibility and choice over curriculum is maintained. By requiring that the chosen combination of modules (full sequence) addresses all National and State Standards, the approach ensures that students have the opportunity to develop true science literacy and to form a better understanding of and appreciation for the role of science in their lives.
Click here to see a list of all modules (with abstracts).
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