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Engaging faculty use of the web in teaching as a basis for designing

This study explores how faculty think about teaching, make decisions in the classroom, and use web resources in their teaching. The findings inform the design of a website that provides teaching examples and pedagogic information for geoscience faculty.

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Engaging faculty use of the web in teaching as a basis for designing

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  1. Engaging faculty use of the web in teaching as a basis for designing Cathy Manduca, SERC, Carleton College Flora McMartin, MERLOT Wes Shumar, Drexel University Ellen Iverson, SERC, Carleton College

  2. Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College Cathy Manduca, Director of SERC Ellen Iverson, web development and evaluation

  3. Tale of Two Projects • Starting Point: Teaching Entry Level Geoscience Manduca, Merritts, and Savina NSF NSDL-0226243 serc.carleton.edu/introgeo • On the Cutting Edge: Professional Development for Geoscience Faculty Macdonald, Manduca, Mogk, Tewksbury NSF CCLI-0127141 serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops

  4. What we wanted to find out • How do faculty think about their teaching? • How do they make decisions about what to do in class? • What are faculty looking for on the web? How do they find it? • How do they use these materials in their teaching?

  5. Focused study on small sample • 8 structured interviews of faculty with a range of teaching experience • 21 additional walkthroughs using scenario-based think-aloud protocol • Iteratively developed coding scheme

  6. What are faculty thinking and doing? • Faculty like to talk about teaching. • Most expressed interest in teaching higher order thinking skills. • Decisions about what to do in class based largely on classroom experience of faculty member and colleagues. • Most faculty use the web a lot. • sources that colleagues recommend, • Google™ on science topics. • Faculty adapt and create from what they find.

  7. What are faculty looking for on the web? • Information or visuals about science topic • Specific data to use in exercise or lab • Ideas • Relatively few faculty search web for teaching materials • Even fewer think of web as source of pedagogic information

  8. Starting Point: Designed with this research in mind • Teaching examples searchable by geoscience topic and findable in Google™ • Pedagogic information linked with example and tips for use and adaptation • Site developed by faculty colleagues and peer reviewed to increase its ability to become a trusted source serc.carleton.edu/introgeo

  9. Initial Evaluation Results • Examples are extremely popular and spark creativity • Many faculty explore site using examples in a topic • Pedagogic information is placed in a useful context • 7000 hits per month; 1/2 from Google™ • Long visits initiated with searches on pedagogic topics

  10. Next steps • Broad dissemination of site • Demonstrating use • Case studies • Web stats • On-line feedback • Geo-ed survey • Vocabulary testing • Crit Lab/Heuristics

  11. On the Cutting Edge: Websites from Workshops

  12. Creating Coherence Website Use Survey 100 respondents 82 used site and recommended to colleague 2004 Workshop Evaluations 93% find workshop website easy to use 96% plan to use workshop website in future Less than 50% indicate awareness for larger Cutting Edge website Only 1/8 to 1/3 aware of other workshop/topical websites Primary issue is recognizing that there is more than one thematic collection

  13. Continuing Evaluation Who is using the site for what? Interviews Focus Groups Questionnaire Website usage Earth system and resource type vocabulary testing

  14. In sum • Research and evaluation have had big impact on site design • Evaluation in progress for purposes of demonstrating impact • Not yet successful in disseminating interesting results to larger community

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