Using Technology to Enhance Discussions in Environmental Science Classrooms: A Case Study, Study notes of Environmental Science

Download Using Technology to Enhance Discussions in Environmental Science Classrooms: A Case Study and more Study notes Environmental Science in PDF only on Docsity! SUPPORTING CLASSROOM DISCUSSION WITH TECHNOLOGY: A CASE STUDY IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Natalie Linnell, Richard Anderson, Jim Fridley, Tom Hinckley, and Valentin Razmov Intro Environmental Science and Resource Management (ESRM) Series Integrate training in key skills into curriculum: Critical thinking, writing, and problem solving skills Working with people of highly varied interests Responsibility for one’s work Interactive learning environment Field trips Guest lectures 2-3 instructors Writing assignments Encouraging verbal discussion Active learning exercises Classroom Presenter Tablet PC-based classroom interaction system Facilitates active learning Instructor Students Public Display A Novel Deployment of Presenter First UW deployment outside of computer science Very different activities Fewer “right or wrong” activities Interested to see what instructor goals would emerge Why Technology? Facilitate distribution/collection Anonymous Integration with public display Artifacts chosen based on content, not student’s identity Student work on same level as instructor content All students consider question before any answers are discussed Deployments ESRM 303 Autumn 2006, 23 students First half of course, every day (10/20 classes) Second half guest lecturers ESRM 301 Winter 2007, 21 students 13/18 classes Other days student presentations or guest lecturers ESRM 302 Spring 2007, 46 students 6/19 lectures Exclusively by one professor Students worked in pairs Focus on Autumn 2006 deployment Activities Driven by Pedagogical Goals Helps define a set of techniques for designing activities to satisfy a particular goal Provides criteria for determining success of an activity Use the technology to effectively support specific goals Goals neither exhaustive nor mutually exclusive Goal: Generating Artifacts for Class-Wide Discussion Shy students can participate anonymously Get used to having their work critiqued Easier for students to disagree with student- generated content than instructor-generated Goal: Application/Reinforcement Ask students to think deeply about a concept Encourage deep understanding before building on a concept Focus on strengthening students’ understanding Goal: Assessment Focus on instructor understanding students’ level of understanding Must be easy to tell quickly if answer is right or wrong Goal: Collective Brainstorming Gather a diverse set of ideas Stimulate discussion Student Evaluation: Autumn “Did the system have an effect on your learning experience?” Positive effect: 86% “Did you feel more or less engaged when the system was used?” More engaged: 86% “I learned from my peers and heard what other ideas were out there besides mine or the professor’s”