HR: 11:35h
AN: ED32A-06    [Abstracts]
TI: Recruiting Minority Students to the Geosciences
AU: * Marchese, P
EM: pmarchese@qcc.cuny.edu
AF: Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York, 222-05 56 Avenue, Bayside, NY 11364, United States
AU: Cotten, D E
EM: decotten@aol.com
AF: Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York, 222-05 56 Avenue, Bayside, NY 11364, United States
AU: Cheung, T D
EM: tcheung@qcc.cuny.edu
AF: Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York, 222-05 56 Avenue, Bayside, NY 11364, United States
AU: Johnson, L P
EM: leon.johnson@verizon.net
AF: Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, 1650 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225, United States
AU: Austin, S
EM: shermane.austin@gmail.com
AF: Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, 1650 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225, United States
AU: Tremberger, G
EM: gtremberger@qcc.cuny.edu
AF: Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York, 222-05 56 Avenue, Bayside, NY 11364, United States
AU: Bluestone, C
EM: cbluestone@qcc.cuny.edu
AF: Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York, 222-05 56 Avenue, Bayside, NY 11364, United States
AB: Queensborough Community College (QCC) and Medgar Evers College (MEC) of the City University of New York have been actively involved in recruiting primarily minority students to the Geosciences by involving students in research and by incorporating innovative and proven pedagogical methods into the classroom. Students at both colleges have been actively involved in doing research in Space and Earth Science. Students work during the summer under the mentorship of CUNY faculty conducting experiments and analyzing data. At the end of the summer students present findings at various science meetings. In the lecture room, the method of instruction was modified to emphasize active learning. Educational materials and pedagogical methods developed at QCC and other 4 year colleges was introduced to the predominantly minority student body at QCC and MEC. Many of these students did poorly at pre-college schools where lecture based learning is the chief method of instruction. It is not unexpected that many of them are having difficulty if the method of instruction has not changed at the postsecondary level. The intent of introducing active learning was to have students develop an appreciation of science, and have an increased understanding of relevant scientific principles. As a result of these activities student scores increased as compared to student scores in a more affluent college. Students also demonstrated increased conceptual understanding of the material, had higher self- efficacy scores, and seemed to enjoy the class better. Lower scoring students demonstrated the greatest benefit, while the better students had little (or no) changes.
DE: 0810 Post-secondary education
DE: 0840 Evaluation and assessment
DE: 0855 Diversity
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly