Making Science Sense: Using the interdisciplinary Science Forward OER to promote scientific literacy

Presenter:

Kelly L. O’Donnell, Director of Science Forward, Macaulay Honors College, CUNY.
Lisa A. Brundage, Director of Teaching, Learning, and Technology, Macaulay Honors College, CUNY
Joseph Ugoretz, Senior Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning, Macaulay Honors College, CUNY

Abstract:

For too long undergrad science education has taken the form of sage-on-the-stage lectures and memorization of facts that are regurgitated and then forgotten. Little time is spent exploring what science is and what it means to be scientifically literate. The Science Forward (SF) OER was created to give instructors access to freely available videos, syllabi, and lesson ideas that help promote scientific literacy in the classroom. The SF OER (http://cuny.is/scienceforward) matches each professionally-produced video with ideas for activities and readings that can be customized to cater to the student population. These materials are ideally suited for an active, flipped classroom where classroom time is used to practice scientific thinking skills including interpreting graphs, analyzing data, making evidence based arguments, designing experiments, etc. Our main learning goal is to get students to hone these skills, which allows them to be informed producers, consumers, and evaluators of scientific information. The SF OER can be used in its entirety or as individual modules on specific subjects. The modules can also be used in non-science courses to provide background information where relevant. Many modules feature topics with broad appeal such as evolution of viruses, climate change, and feeding the world. Our presentation will introduce the SF OER and demonstrate how we pair videos with activities to get our students thinking like scientists. We will discuss how professors from different disciplines can utilize a common resource. We will show a sample video and break into groups to brainstorm ideas for activities for different populations and environments. We will conclude by reconvening to share ideas.