Helen To add to Eric's suggestion, as a part of research on geoscience misconceptions, I would like to see whether strengthening geoscience education in the early grades (at a time that many misconceptions are being solidified) might prevent the formation of so many robust misconceptions that must be reversed later on. *********************************************** Susan F. Grammer Education Outreach Coordinator Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education (MGRRE) Western Michigan University Department of Geosciences 1903 W. Michigan Ave. Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008-5241 <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] (269) 387-8642 <http://wst023.west.wmich.edu/MGRRE%20Website/TAS_WELCOME.htm> http://wst023.west.wmich.edu/MGRRE%20Website/TAS_WELCOME.htm _____ From: GEOEDUCATION RESEARCH INTEREST GROUP [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Eric J. Pyle Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 1:50 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Geoscience Education Research Info Request Importance: High Helen, One future direction for research includes increasing the depth of research on geoscience misconceptions, which lags woefully behind that of the other disciplines in science. You might also consider the relative nature of field experiences and engagement in real (uncontrolled) phenomena, the integration of variable spatial and temporal scales, and the nature of inquiry in the geosciences relative to other sciences. Just some thoughts... Regards, Eric ---- Original message ---- Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2008 13:43:41 -0400 From: Helen King <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Geoscience Education Research Info Request To: [log in to unmask] Hi everyone, I have been invited to participate in a panel discussion at a workshop conducted by the National Academies' Board on Science Education at the end of June. I've been asked to provide a brief presentation summarizing the major findings from geoscience education research and identifying directions for future research (see messages below). Whilst I feel I have a reasonable perspective on these things myself, it would be great to know that I'm appropriately representing the community of geoscience education researchers. So I'd really welcome your ideas and comments under each of these headings: 1) Summarize the major findings from discipline-based education research in your discipline (geosciences). 2) Identify the most promising or important directions for future research. Thanks very much for your help and hope to see you all at GSA in October! All the best, Helen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dr Helen King NTF FSEDA Helen King Consultancy Personal & Professional Development in Higher Education <http://www.helenkingconsultancy.com/> http://www.helenkingconsultancy.com Tel: (001) 703 505 3358 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Hilton, Margaret [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 04 June 2008 13:09 To: Helen King Cc: Schweingruber, Heidi; Krone, Rebecca Subject: RE: Invitation-June 30th Hi, Helen: Thanks so much for participating in the panel discussion of discipline-based geosciences education research at our June 30th workshop. This panel is tentatively scheduled to last one hour and will include 4 panelists from different disciplines. In order to maximize discussion, I hope you will provide a brief 10-minute presentation that will do two things: 3) Summarize the major findings from discipline-based education research in your discipline (geosciences). 4) Identify the most promising or important directions for future research. The other panelists will include Bill Wood, Biology, University of Colorado; Joe Redish, Physics, University of Maryland, and Art Ellis, Chemistry, Seattle Pacific University. I'll send you the agenda next week, when it is more fully developed. Margaret _____ From: Hilton, Margaret [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 03 June 2008 11:56 To: [log in to unmask] Cc: Schweingruber, Heidi Subject: Invitation-June 30th Dear Dr. King: With support from the National Science Foundation, the National Academies' Board on Science Education is conducting a series of two workshops on Promising Practices in Undergraduate STEM Education. The workshops are designed to explore the evidence of impact for selected innovations and to provide information to the Wisconsin Center for Education Research in its effort to expand national dissemination of evidence-based knowledge and resources to improve undergraduate STEM education. A more complete description of the workshop series is pasted below this message. I'm writing to invite you to participate in a panel discussion of discipline-based education research during the first workshop, to be held on June 30th here in Washington, DC. The overall guiding question for this panel is: What is the state of evidence in discipline-based education research? We are especially interested in the state of evidence of the effectiveness of changes in pedagogy within individual STEM courses and classrooms. If you are interested and available, we would ask you to prepare a short presentation as part of the panel discussion. I hope to hear from you soon about your participation in this important workshop. Sincerely, Margaret Hilton Margaret Hilton Senior Program Officer Center for Education The National Academies 202-334-1419 [log in to unmask] Numerous and varied teaching, learning, assessment, and institutional promising practices in undergraduate STEM education have been developed in recent years - many funded by NSF-- but little is known about their impact. The goal of this proposal is to begin to focus on the evidence of impact for a selected number of such promising practices. To do this the National Research Council (NRC) will facilitate two, one-day workshops which will be overseen by an independent steering committee appointed by the Chairman of the NRC. Each workshop will shed light on the state of knowledge on the selected STEM promising practices as well as suggest areas for additional research or where a major synthesis of existing research is needed. All of the conceptual work described in this proposal will be coordinated with and provide information and guidance to the work of another proposal being sent to NSF by the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER). Eric J. Pyle, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Geology and Environmental Science James Madison University MSC 6903 Harrisonburg, VA 22807 540.568.7115 7100A Memorial Hall "The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it" The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam