Science for All. The Science Literacy Project Faculty of Science University of Calgary

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1 Science for All The Science Literacy Project Faculty of Science University of Calgary

2 The Science Literacy Project Mission Statement To develop a set of course guidelines, learning objectives and effective teaching strategies and practices for the service courses offered by the Faculty of Science for non-science majors. These will adhere to the overarching goals of improving students science literacy and increasing success in the areas of student engagement and learning outcomes. Project Goals To improve students science literacy in the context of three key areas: understanding scientific concepts, the nature of science and the application and relevance of science and technology to everyday life and society. To engage non-science majors in science literacy-based courses with relevant, meaningful content. To provide instructors who teach service courses with clear guidelines and expectations on science literacy. To assist instructors with course direction and support via a series of course templates they can choose from that suit their teaching style and class size. To improve student engagement in the service courses offered by the Faculty of Science. Project Timeline ( ) Year 1: Data Collection (classroom observations, surveys, focus groups) Year 2: Evaluation & Course Redesign (three pilot service courses) Year 3: Pilot Course Delivery, Summative Evaluation, Recommendations & Sustainability Plan Funding The Science Literacy Project is funded by the Teaching and Learning Funding Committee & the Faculty of Science. 2

3 Science Literacy at the University of Calgary An Overview Currently Every year, thousands of U of C students from departments outside the Faculty of Science enroll in science courses necessary to complete the breadth requirement for their program of study. The reasons for including these service courses in program requirements vary but often reflect increasing students breadth of knowledge and aspects of science literacy. The following are examples of rationales given for science service courses: Introduce students to scientific study & foster their appreciation of how scientists approach their subjects - University of Alberta Expose students to new theoretical perspectives, forms of thought and modes of enquiry - Simon Fraser University Breadth requirement - University of Calgary The Faculty of Science offers a broad range of service courses, with non-science major students in mind, in the areas of geoscience, natural hazards, paleontology, biology, botany, ecology, astronomy, computer science and math. These are often large, lecture-based classes (>200 students) without labs, tutorials or projects. Why Change? The Faculty of Science has two main concerns regarding its service courses. The first is with what students are learning in these classes: is the content relevant, meaningful and designed to increase science literacy? The second is with the learning activities: how engaged are students in these courses? Currently, there are no data gathered in these service courses as to what students are learning with regards to science literacy, how engaged they are in their learning process and how this learning provides breadth to their knowledge. The Faculty of Science also recognizes that many societal issues facing its students (climate change, energy, biotechnology) require an understanding of science for informed decision-making. Service courses taught with a relevance to daily life provide an excellent opportunity to improve science literacy in its students for both personal fulfillment and to help them be informed citizens in a global society. To address the above concerns, the Faculty of Science launched Science for All: The Science Literacy Project in the fall of

4 Science Literacy: A Working Definition Science literacy is a common phrase. But what does it mean? To find out, the Faculty of Science at the U of C commissioned a literature review of contemporary English studies on the topic (Scientific Literacy in Higher Education, 2008, Errol Salamon). The term science literacy was coined in the 1950 s to describe a comprehension of science and its applications to society. Additional definitions of science literacy included: what the general public ought to know about science knowledge one needs to understand the scientific component of public issues an understanding of the norms and methods of science (i.e. the nature of science); of key scientific terms and concepts; and of the impact of science and technology on society to be scientifically literate did not require individuals to practice science as scientists do. (There was a distinction between doing and using science.) Although this review found little consensus on a definition, it did note agreement on the importance of science literacy. The importance was tied to the notions of democracy, socioeconomic needs, informed decision-making and personal fulfillment. While age, gender and social class could impact an individual s level of science literacy, the major contributor has been education. The literature review found the groups particularly interested in science literacy are science educators and professional science education associations. Science educators are concerned with the purpose, performance, and reform of existing higher education science courses. Professional science education associations are concerned with educational policy and reform issues. 4

5 SCIENCE LITERACY IS an evolving combination of the science-related attitudes, skills, and knowledge students need to develop inquiry, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, to become lifelong learners, and to maintain a sense of wonder about the world around them. From the Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes - Council of Ministers of Education, Canada Measuring & Improving Science Literacy at the U of C We will use three categories to measure science literacy in our service courses: the nature of science, key concepts, and the impact of science and technology on society. After we collect data and evaluate current teaching methods, the project s focus will turn to course redesign. In conjunction with faculty, we will incorporate new teaching strategies and practices into a small number of pilot courses. These methods could include: emphasizing broader themes and teaching science as a personal experience incorporating real-world problems to promote active learning and critical thinking skills shifting from a teacher-centred to a student-centred instructional practice coordinating lab activities closely with lectures to give sufficient time for students to reflect and discuss using history and/or a narrative approach, enabling students to place scientific facts within a group of scenarios that are both memorable and easily integrated using demonstration equipment such as video and other visual media The pilot courses will be delivered in Year 3 of this project. We will collect data on their effectiveness and, from this information, develop a sustainability plan for the group of service courses. 5

6 Science for All The Science Literacy Project Faculty of Science University of Calgary Contacts Project Leader Leslie Reid, Ph.D., Tamaratt Teaching Professor Department of Geoscience Project Manager Susan Cannon