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What Works in Undergraduate Science Education?

This research paper explores the innovations and instructional strategies that have been found to be effective in undergraduate science education. The study includes a meta-analysis of existing research and identifies common factors that contribute to student learning. It also discusses the importance of outcome measures and the need for empirical evidence in evaluating educational interventions.

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What Works in Undergraduate Science Education?

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  1. What Works in Undergraduate Science Education? Heidi Iverson, Colorado State University OECD France Workshop Education for Innovation: the Role of Arts and STEM Education May 24th, 2011

  2. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 Traditional Science Classes

  3. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 Innovations What works in undergraduate science education?

  4. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 Meta-Analysis • Systematic approach to the synthesis of research findings • Pooling existing evidence • Summing up: • Innovations implemented • Evidence of success

  5. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 What is needed? • Gather empirical evidence • Metric for computing effects of different studies? Effect Size

  6. Gathering and Coding of Research Studies

  7. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 What was included? Four criteria: • focus on undergraduate education in biology, chemistry, engineering or physics; • include one or more instructional strategies considered to be an innovation; • refer to actual classrooms, rather than controlled conditions; and • be reported in article published in 1990 or later. (Suter & Narayanan, 2006; Beichner, 2009)

  8. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 Innovation Commonalities

  9. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011

  10. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 Effect Size Distribution Included Studies n = 166 ES from -1.06 to 2.57 Mean = 0.47 SD = 0.54 83% Positive Effect Size

  11. Factors Explaining Variability?

  12. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 Innovation Type

  13. Biology Mean = 0.54 (0.66) Chemistry Mean = 0.27 (0.41) Engineering Mean = 0.08 (0.58) Physics Mean = 0.59 (0.37)

  14. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 The Issue of Assignment • 88% of studies do not have random assignment of individuals to treatment and control • Pretest scores are essential to ensure group equivalence • For those studies that do, when taken into account: • Mean effect size is much larger

  15. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 Importance of Outcome Measure • Outcome measure item format • Multiple-choice (mean ES=0.56) • Open-ended (mean ES= 0.35) • Alignment of the outcome measure to the study In one particular study: • Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (ES = 1 .36) • Open-ended traditional problem solving (ES = -0.62)

  16. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 Subsequent Analysis in Physics All Studies n = 79 Study Design Pretest-Posttest 2 Group n = 48 Control Group Traditional n = 29 Outcome Measure Multiple Choice Conceptual Evaluation n = 23

  17. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 Workshop/Studio Physics 1. Integrated Classroom Environment 5. Instructor is Facilitator 4. Research-Based Activities 2. Structured Student Group Work 3. Students Gather Data Using Technology

  18. OECD France Workshop May 24th, 2011 Conclusions • Innovations have a positive effect on student learning • Things to consider: • Providing sufficient empirical data • Importance of outcome measure • Pretest administration • Workshop/Studio Physics has a particularly high effect on student learning

  19. Special Thanks to:Ayita Ruiz-Primo, Derek Briggs, Lorrie Shepard, and Bud TalbotThis research has been funded by NSF grant REC-REESE 0635491 Contact Email: Heidi.L.Iverson@Gmail.com

  20. SEI at CU Boulder End of Year Event 2011 Study Search Methods

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