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Some discussion list subscribers may be interested in arecent
"Science" article titled "Scientific Teaching" byHandelsman et al.
(2004). For reports on this article see Reuters (2004) andHHMI News
(2004)."HHHHHHHHHHHH. . . .
The introductory paragraphs read [bracketed by lines
."]:Americans"
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Since publication of the AAAS 1989 report "Science for all
[AAAS (1989)] commissions, panels, and working groups haveagreed
that reform in science education should be founded on"scientific
teaching," in which teaching is approached with the samerigor as
science at its best [AAAS (1990)] Scientific teachinginvolves active
learning strategies to engage students in the process ofscience and
teaching methods that have been systematically tested andshown to
reach diverse students [SOM (2004)].that change
Given the widespread agreement, it may seem surprising
has not progressed rapidly nor been driven by the researchbeen
universities as a collective force. Instead, reform has
initiated by a few pioneers, while many other scientistshave
actively resisted changing their teaching. So why dooutstanding
scientists who demand rigorous proof for scientificassertions in
their research continue to use and, indeed, defend on thebasis of
the intuition alone, teaching methods that are not themost
effective? Many scientists are still unaware of the dataand analyses
that demonstrate the effectiveness of active learningtechniques.
Others may distrust the data because they see scientistswho have
flourished in the current educational system. Still othersfeel
intimidated by the challenge of learning new teachingmethods or may
fear that identification as teachers will reduce theircredibility as
researchers [SOM (2004)].read
This Policy Forum is needed because most scientists don't
reports but they do read "Science." In addition, reportsgenerally do
not offer a guide to do scientific teaching, as we do withsupporting
online material [SOM (2004)].and table (see page 522). Wealso
present recommendations for moving the revolution forward.University
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana
24245 Hatteras Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367change in
<rrhake@earthlink.net>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~sdi>
"The academic area is one of the most difficult areas to
our society. We continue to use the same methods ofinstruction,
particularly lectures, that have been used for hundreds ofyears.
Little scientific research is done to test new approaches,and little
systematic attention is given to the development of newmethods.
Universities that study many aspects of the world ignorethe
educational function in which they are engaging and fromwhich a
large part of their revenues are earned."Univ. in
Richard M. Cyert, former president of Carnegie Mellon
"Problem Solving and Education: Issues in Teaching andResearch,"
ed. by D.T. Tuma and F. Reif (Lawrence Erlbaum, 1980)report on
REFERENCES
AAAS. 1989. "Science for all Americans: A Project 2061
literacy goals in science, mathematics, and technology,"American
Association for the Advancement of Science; a descriptionis at
<http://www.project2061.org/tools/sfaa/default.htm>:"Science for All
Americans" presents a unified vision of science literacythat serves
as a basis for discussions of the skills and knowledgethat our
nation's students should have."Association for the
AAAS. 1990. "The Liberal Art of Science,"American
Advancement of Science. See also AAAS (2004).<http://www.aaas.org/education/>.
AAAS. 2004. Education Homepage; online at
Chang, R.
Handelsman, J., D. Ebert-May, R. Beichner, P. Bruns, A.
DeHaan, J. Gentile, S. Lauffer, J. Stewart, S.M. Tilghman,W.B. Wood.
2004. "Scientific Teaching," Science 304 (23): 521-522,April; online
(free to AAAS members only) athtml#policyforum>;
<http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol304/issue5670/index.s
Supporting Online Material (SOP) material may be freelydownloaded at
<http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/data/304/5670/521/DC1/1>.The complete
article may be downloaded for free at Handelsman'shomepage
<http://www.plantpath.wisc.edu/fac/joh/joh.htm> / "ReviewArticles"
where "/" means "click on," or more directly by simplyclicking on
<http://www.plantpath.wisc.edu/fac/joh/scientificteaching.pdf>
(100kB).You Do
HHMI News. 2004. "Bye-Bye Bio 101: Teach Science the Way
Science," Howard Hughes Medical Institute, online atscience education
<http://www.hhmi.org/news/042304.html>: "University
needs reform, and effective methods are already known. Yetfor years,
many scientists and educators have actively resistedchanging their
teaching methods. Now, a group of persistent reformers israising
scientists' awareness of successful approaches to scienceteaching
and providing them with tools to implement thosestrategies in their
own classrooms and institutions."Says" 22
Reuters. 2004. "College Science Classes Are a Bore, Report
April; online at53&e=4&u=/nm/20040422/sc_nm/science_classes_dc>:
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=570&ncid=7
"Dr. Robert Beichner, a professor of physics at NorthCarolina State
University, and colleagues said educators were still notaware that
there are better ways to teach science. . . . If schoolsstart to
make the changes, they said, society will benefit as moreand more
graduates will be scientifically literate -- even if theydo not go
into the sciences themselves, Beichner and colleaguespredicted."
al. (2004);
SOM. 2004. Supporting Online Material for Handlesman et
online at<http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/data/304/5670/521/DC1/1>.