Shared Futures: Global Learning and Social Responsibility
Teaching Science to Non-Majors: Three Guiding Questions and Three Sample Courses
This resource is adapted from a presentation by Drs. Julia Plummer and Lauren Howard, of Arcadia University, at AAC&U's "Engaging Science, Advancing Learning" conference, November 6-8, 2008.
Three Guiding Questions:
What do non-science majors need to learn about science in higher education?
- Science literacy:
- How to read science newspaper articles (scientific jargon, data collection and interpretation through quantitative reasoning).
- Critical thinking and problem solving:
- To distinguish between science, pseudo science, art, religion, and other ways of knowing the world.
- To identify high quality sources.
- Understanding the role of science in society
- To understand the connection between science and global issues: autocratic oil states, global warming, energy sustainability, clean water, hunger, and disease.
- To appreciate the necessity to fund science.
How are the needs of non-science and science majors different?
- Elementary education - The capacity to teach some parts of all science
- Philosophy - Critical thinking and integrating science with philosophy
- Math - Differing levels of math proficiency
Should majors/non-majors take separate courses?
- The methods of study may be a challenge. The science major knows how to study science; non-science majors may learn differently.
- The solution may depend on the emphasis of the course. If focusing on “factoids,” integration can be accomplished by using specific topics that are new to all students (such as theory of relativity in a physics class). Talk about it conceptually to level the playing field – everybody has the same chance to be successful.
- The Introduction and Capstone solution: A course could be an introduction for the science major and a combined introduction and capstone for the non-major.
- What should an intro course look like for ALL students? Will the traditional approach, to fill their head with “stuff," be sufficient? What are the goals? Where do they form the connections? How will change transpire in the existing paradigm?
Three Examples of Science-Based Courses for Non-Majors at Arcadia University:
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The Night Skies of Pennsylvania - First Year Seminar
The Night Skies of Pennsylvania is different from a traditonal astronomy class in that there is less emphasis placed on conceptual understanding and more on the students' ability to apply skills and solve problems while working cooperatively within a community.
Students use star charts to find constellations, planets and deep-sky objects and, using binoculars and telescopes, conduct their own nighttime observing projects. In addition, students go to local star parties, visit a planetarium, and attend the meetings of local amateur astronomy clubs.
Goal: Students will understand the skills, attitudes, and basic knowledge possessed by amateur astronomers. They will begin to think of themselves as amateur astronomers.
- Students will explore observational topics of personal interest.
- Students will find and review resources for amateur astronomers.
- Students will visit observatories and planetariums.
- Students will speak with amateur astronomers.
Culminating activity and project: Observing Night and Star Party
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Visualizing Sustainability: Contemporary Art and Environmental Science - University Seminar
Satisfies Multiple Requirements:
Goals:
- Students will understand conventions of contemporary art and the relationship between contemporary art and science.
- Students will develop the ability to visualize scientific data and information through the use of advanced technology.
- Students will create works of art in which the content of the work is explicitly tied to scientific analysis of sustainability.
- Students will understand concepts of sustainability.
- Students will understand the impacts of daily choices on the environment, biodiversity, and human health.
- Students will understand the connectivity and unity of life, including topics from evolution and ecology.
- The overarching goal of the course is to have students become educators - so that they have the ability to articulate the impacts of societal choices and environmental concerns to others.
4 Units: Food, Waste, Water, Fuel (three weeks each)
- Each unit is taught as a seminar (Tuesday) and as a practical lab/studio (Thursday) that incorporates field trips for data collection, screenings of movies, guest speakers, and group project time.
- Each unit includes one day to explore misinformation in the media.
- Each unit culminates in an art exhibition where students showcase art projects that illustrate scientific principles at work in a specific experimental context, based on data collection and hypothesis testing.
Integration of cutting-edge teaching technology
- Course materials are available at students’ fingertips.
- Makes scientific principles immediately relevant in students’ lives as they collect data and photographs.
- Integrates the use of mobile devices (e.g., iPod Touch) and digital cameras.
- Online Syllabus: links to podcasts, artists, scientists, films, and other online resources.
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Scientific Ethics - University Seminar
Satisfies Multiple Requirements
- University seminar: (builds connections between the scientific and ethical viewpoints)
- Areas of Inquiry: (natural & physical world, scientific perspective & cultural legacies, ethical perspectives)
- Intellectual Practices: (consider the power and influence that some ethical systems have in influencing the local and global distribution, availability, and impact of technological advances)
Goals: To have students consider the effect that different ethical systems play in decisions about the acceptance or rejection of the application of scientific principles.
Online Seminar Format
- The Good Aspects
- Students that will not normally speak in class have the opportunity to fully contribute to the ongoing discussion.
- Discussions are often more carefully formulated as students have time to think about their responses.
- Most activities are asynchronous so can be completed when the students have time in their busy schedules.
- The Challenges
- Some students prefer to speak up in a classroom setting (although they may be less prepared to do so).
- Much of the work is completed in small groups that often do not communicate effectively to one another.
Download a pdf of the full presentation, Building Connections Between the Sciences and the “Real” World: Integrating science into the general education curriculum for non-majors. More information about Arcadia's undergraduate curriculum is also available.
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