Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

A Professional Development Program For Science Adjunct Faculty: The Mentoring-Learning Community (Mlc), Linda B. Purvis, Jason D. Lang, Julie A. Luft

Georgia Journal of Science

Institutions of higher education have become increasingly dependent on adjunct faculty. These faculty members are often unfamiliar with current teaching strategies emphasizing an active learning approach. To support science adjunct faculty in learning about active learning, a professional development program was designed and implemented by the authors of this study, the Mentoring-Learning Community. The Mentoring-Learning Community program design was informed by literature regarding the use of professional development programs that focused on adjunct faculty. To determine the impact of this program, participants in the Mentoring-Learning Community were observed and interviewed over one semester. Mentoring-Learning Community participants transformed through all three …

Effect Of Hypothesis Type On Scientific Literacy In Nonscience Majors, Sharon Schmidt, Leanne Davis, Danyelle N. Dehner-Aganovic, Margaret (Meg) Smith

Georgia Journal of Science

The University System of Georgia has undergone nine consolidations of institutions of higher education in the past seven years. One consequence of a consolidation is that faculty from historically different institutions are brought together to work in newly-created units, and this requires merging of ideas, particularly at the departmental level. In the Department of Biology of our own institution, this manifested as differences in the types of hypotheses taught in nonmajors classes in which scientific literacy is a learning outcome of high priority. Data can be useful for resolving such differences, but there was limited data on the effect of …

A Transdisciplinary Laboratory Course Increases Stem Retention, Caroline A. Brown, Royce Dansby-Sparks, Sarah Formica, Margaret (Meg) Smith

Georgia Journal of Science

STEM retention is a national challenge. Recent literature suggests that students leave STEM for many reasons including lack of context, lack of academic preparedness for entering college, and challenges with quantitative reasoning. These observations compelled us to design an introductory, transdisciplinary STEM lab course which we describe herein. This course was designed to integrate the disciplines of biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics with activities that engage students in real-world, inquiry-based exercises and help students develop quantitative reasoning skills. Assessment showed that students in this STEM lab have higher STEM retention rates than those in equivalent disciplinary courses. The largest gains …

Variations In Implementation Of Specifications Grading In Stem Courses, Mai Yin Tsoi, Mary E. Anzovino, Amy H. Lin Erickson, Edward R. Forringer, Emily Henary, Angela Lively, Michael S. Morton, Karen Perell-Gerson, Stan Perrine, Omar Villanueva, Marygeorge Whitney, Cynthia M. Woodbridge

Georgia Journal of Science

Specifications grading is an assessment strategy based on mastery learning, clear learning objectives, and frequent evaluations and feedback. Twelve instructors at a southeastern four-year public college implemented the specifications grading method across eight discrete courses in four STEM areas. In this modified assessment strategy, the students controlled their grades through multiple attempts, with limitations, on assessments of course objectives. The instructors designed and executed specifications grading in unique ways that aligned with their content areas, teaching beliefs, and individual teaching styles.

Preliminary observations suggest that, regardless of subject area, specifications grading can be used as an alternative to traditional assessment …