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Getting Down and Dirty
with Science Workshops for teams of
science and science education faculty to incorporate inquiry-based learning into courses
at any level for biology majors or non-majors using biological field stations as resources Biological field
stations offer exceptional opportunities for teaching biology in ways that enhance student
learning tremendously. However, the majority
of faculty that have access to field stations or other natural settings have limited
experience with instructional strategies to teach science through inquiry. Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching
Through Field Stations (Project FIRST) is an NSF funded program designed to prepare groups
of faculty throughout the United States to develop and implement inquiry-based, active
learning approaches for reforming undergraduate biology courses and curricula, using
biological field stations as centers for developing innovative teaching methods. San Diego State University field stations have
been selected to serve as one of 5 FIRST sites from around the country and the SDSU FIRST
faculty team is recruiting 5 “institutional teams” of faculty from 2- and 4-yr
colleges in our region to form a network for improving undergraduate biology education,
centered at the field stations. During
workshops and meetings at biological field stations, the SDSU team will work with this
community of faculty to develop active learning models and translate those innovative
teaching methods for use in courses and curricula within their “home”
departments. We expect that the institutional
teams will incorporate active learning into courses in Fall 1999 and share methods,
experiences, and evaluations with other FIRST teams around the country. Institutional Teams A team is composed of
three college science faculty, preferably two with field experience and one with a science
education background. Five teams of three
will be selected who will incorporate inquiry-based strategies into a various curriculum
levels. We are especially interested in
receiving proposals from faculty who are teaching courses that include pre-service
education majors. Activities • Orientation
meeting in fall, 1998 • Four-day
professional development workshop in spring 1999 • Implementation
of active learning into courses in fall, 1999 • One-day feedback
meeting about the program and assessment of implementation efforts in spring 2000 SDSU FIRST
Facilitators Ms. Sedra Shapiro,
Associate Director of SDSU Biological Field Stations Dr. Kathy Williams,
Ecology Program Area, Department of Biology Dr. Debbie Dexter,
Ecology Program Area, Department of Biology Dr. Kathleen Fisher,
Science Education Research, Department of Biology Dr. Bob Hoffman,
Educational Technology, Department of Education Goals and Objectives of
the FIRST Project Mission Statement for
SDSU FIRST project Develop inquiry-based
biology learning for undergraduates at regional colleges and universities using biological
field stations as professional support. This
is being done in collaboration with five other field stations nationally, sponsored by NSF
Faculty Institute for Reforming Science Teaching (Project FIRST). Vision for SDSU FIRST
project • Incorporate
inquiry-based learning in courses at regional colleges and universities for biology majors
and non-majors at all levels • Create a web-site
that has models for inquiry-based teaching illustrated by specific case studies • Develop ongoing
evaluation mechanisms to assure that the biological field stations meet users' needs • Facilitate the
propagation of inquiry-based instruction through universities and colleges to improve the
quality of undergraduate and graduate education Project FIRST Goals • Use field stations
as the foci to build and maintain coalitions of faculty who will implement and sustain
reform in undergraduate biology education at field stations and in their colleges and
universities. • Prepare teams of
faculty associated with field stations to become regional professional developers of
biology faculty, including new faculty and post-doctoral students. • Enable faculty to
gain experience in inquiry-based science teaching and learning through workshops that
model this kind of science teaching. • Enhance faculty's
ability to provide all students opportunities to gain scientific understanding through
direct experience with methods and processes of inquiry in the field and in undergraduate
science courses. • Facilitate
collaboration and communication among faculty about their reforms in biology teaching. For additional
information, contact: Sedra S.L. Shapiro,
619-594-5386, sshapiro@sunstroke.sdsu.edu Kathy S. Williams,
619-594-4358, kwilliam@sunstroke.sdsu.edu Deborah M. Dexter,
619-594-6379, ddexter@sunstroke.sdsu.edu Kathleen M. Fisher,
619-594-4453, kfisher@sciences.sdsu.edu Also see our web sites: FIRST Project http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~oimb/first SDSU Biological FIeld
Stations http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/BFS
Getting Down and Dirty
with Science - Application Materials Workshops for teams of
science and science education faculty to incorporate inquiry-based learning into courses
at any level for biology majors or non-majors using biological field stations as resources Location: Four SDSU Biological Field Station sites, around
San Diego Dates: One-day orientation meeting on December 11, 1998;
four-day workshop in late spring 1999; one-day follow-up meeting in spring 2000. Application Deadline: Applications are due by Oct. 1, 1998. Applicants will be notified of decisions by Oct.
15, 1998. Who Is Eligible: Science and science education faculty from two-
and four-year colleges and universities in San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial County, CA,
regions. Support Provided by the
Project: • Room and board for
the four-day workshop at an SDSU biological field station near Temecula, CA • Workshop supplies
for all workshops and meetings • Lunch for one-day
workshops and meetings Support to be Provided by
Participants: • Transportation
to and from workshops and meetings • Any costs
associated with inquiry-based learning activities incorporated into the participants'
courses Applications should
include: • The name of your
institution. •A one-page
description of the three-member team from your institution, to preferably include two
science faculty with field experience and one faculty member with science education
experience. • A one-paragraph
resume of each member of the proposed team, including position at home institution,
research interests, teaching experience, and statement of teaching philosophy. • Identify courses
in which you will incorporate inquiry-based learning using field studies, including class
size, course level, and whether it is for biology majors or non-majors. • Letter of support
from your department chair or dean. • Personal
information: • Team leader
(contact person): • Mailing Address: • Phone: • Fax: • E-mail: • Second team
member: • Title: • Mailing Address: • Phone: • Fax: • E-mail: • Third team member: • Title: • Mailing Address: • Phone: • Fax: • E-mail:
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Send mail to first@oimb.uoregon.edu with questions or comments about this web site.
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