HR: 10:35h
AN: ED32A-02 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Teaching with Data: Resources for Designing Effective Activities
AU: * Manduca, C A
EM: cmanduca@carleton.edu
AF: Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057
AU: Mogk, D W
EM: mogk@montana.edu
AF: Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
AB: Faculty and teachers understand the power of engaging students directly with data and are tremendously enthusiastic about the possibilities of incorporating data-rich activities in their teaching. This enthusiasm reflects the desire to empower students to solve problems, to place learning in an exciting and authentic real world context that motivates learning, and to illuminate students' understanding of the nature of science. Data-rich activities provide abundant opportunities to motivate students to engage in learning, to integrate learning of facts and skills, and to build on prior knowledge. These are all factors that are identified by research as fundamental to the learning process (How People Learn, 1999, NRC). Data-rich activities can place learning in a context that enhances students' ability to use information in new situations. Seismological data offer many opportunities due to students' familiarity with and interest in earthquakes, and its use to probe the internal structure of the Earth. Three of the most challenging aspects of teaching with data are 1) presenting data with analysis tools that can be quickly mastered, 2) designing learning activities to match the level of student expertise with data analysis and critical thinking, and 3) creating assessments that capture learning beyond factual recall. The Using Data in the Classroom website (serc.carleton.edu/usingdata) helps faculty excel at teaching with data by providing easy access to a wide range of data, discussion of the ways in which data can be effectively used in the classroom, examples of data-rich activities at a variety of educational levels across a range of geoscience topics, and references to pedagogic information. The Earth Exploration Toolbook (serc.Carleton.edu/eet) supports teachers' use of particular datasets and tools by providing step-by-step instructions in the context of an example. The Investigating Earthquakes chapter focuses specifically on use of GIS to analyze USGS earthquake data (serc.Carleton.edu/eet/earthquakes).
UR: http://serc.carleton.edu/usingdata
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
DE: 0825 Teaching methods
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting