HR: 1330h
AN: ED12B-0133 INVITED     [PDF]
TI: Pitfalls and Problems from the Professor's Prospective: Earth System Science Education Alliance
AU: * Spongberg, A
EM: aspongb@utnet.utoledo.edu
AF: The University of Toledo, Department of Earth, Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Toledo, OH 43616 United States
AU: Czajkowski, K P
EM: KCzajko@UTNet.UToledo.Edu
AF: The University of Toledo, Department of Earth, Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Toledo, OH 43616 United States
AU: Struble, J
EM: Jstrubl2@pop3.utoledo.edu
AF: The University of Toledo, Department of Earth, Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Toledo, OH 43616 United States
AB: In response to the need to improve scientific literacy of teachers and K-12 students in Toledo and Ohio, the University of Toledo joined the Earth System Science Education Alliance to offer the 5-8$^{th}$ grade Earth Science course in the fall of 2001. We have been teaching the course twice a year since that time. The use of the Internet for the delivery of higher education courses has dramatically increased especially at the University of Toledo where over 6,000 students a semester take distance-learning courses. However, our clientele of in-service teachers seem to have more than their share of technological problems, possibly due to the length of time since their graduation and lack of computer knowledge. Overcoming this technological hurdle has proven to be a major obstacle in the successful completion of the course, and, indeed, is the major cause of students' withdrawals from the course. Additional problems we have needed to address are the correct use of Internet materials, up to and including blatant plagiarism and computer etiquette. In our presentation we will discuss our findings from pre- and post-course surveys on teachers' comfort levels with the medium, as well as innovative ways we have dealt with other problems unique to distance learning.
DE: 6605 Education
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting