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Successful Science and Engineering Teaching in Colleges and Universities, 2nd Edition

Edited by:
Calvin S. Kalman, Concordia University

A volume in the series: Science & Engineering Education Sources. Editor(s): Mark J. Lattery, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

Published 2017

Based on the author's work in science and engineering educational research, this book offers broad, practical strategies for teaching science and engineering courses and describes how faculty can provide a learning environment that helps students comprehend the nature of science, understand science concepts, and solve problems in science courses.

This book's student‐centered approach focuses on two main themes: writing to learn (especially Reflective Writing) and interactive activities (collaborative groups and labatorials). When faculty incorporate these methods into their courses, students gain a better understanding of science as a connected structure of concepts rather than as a toolkit of assorted practices.

CONTENTS
PART I: INTRODUCTION, ROAD MAP OF THE BOOK. Writing to Learn. Two Goals for Any Science and Engineering Course. Questions by Students. What Students Get Out of Class. In‐Class and Out‐of‐Class Activities. Solving Problems. Computer Aids. PART II: REFLECTIVE WRITING. Freewriting. Getting Students to Read Material in the Textbook Before Coming to Class. Gadamer’s Hermeneutical Approach. Instructions on Doing Reflective Writing. Samples of Student Use of Reflective Writing. Marking Reflective Writing. Student Response to Reflective Writing. Reflective Writing Rubric. PART III: WRITING TO LEARN. Reflective Write–Pair–Share. Scenario for a Class. The Course Dossier Method. Transforming Each Lecture Into a Mini Research Paper. End of Semester. Hosting an End of Semester Conference. PART IV: CONSTRUCTING STUDENT KNOWLEDGE. Cognitive Dissonance Students’ Intellectual Development. Student Misconceptions. Debate in the Science Education Community. Critical Thinking. PART V: COLLABORATIVE GROUPS. Team Work and Group Projects Benefits to Having Students Work in Groups. Team Formation. Team Size. Team Management. Team Evaluation. Group Development. Classroom Warmups. Roles for Group Member. Dysfunctional Groups. PART VI: UTILIZING COLLABORATIVE GROUPS TO PROMOTE CONCEPTUAL CONFLICT. Conceptual Conflict. Peer Instruction. Collaborative Group Conceptual Conflict Activity. Comparison of Peer Instruction With the Conceptual Conflict Group Activity. Incommensurabilty in Conceptual Change. Task Sheets for Warm-Up and the Four Concept Exercises. CHAPTER VII: SELECTED METHODS OF UTILIZING COLLABORATIVE GROUPS. Labatorials. Jigsaw. The Learning Cell. Concept Mapping. Collaborative Concept Mapping. Appendix. Sample Labatorial Worksheet. PART VIII: CHANGING STUDENTS’ EPISTEMOLOGIES. Developing a Scientific Mindset. Stages in Epistemic Development in Students. Critique Exercise. Model Course: Presenting Students With Alternative Frameworks: Pre‐Galilean Physics and Newtonian Physics. The Calgary Study: Reflective Writing and Labatorials. Epistemology. Critique Exercise. Students’ Epistemic Thinking. Appendix: Critique #1. Critique #2. Critique #3. PART VIII: PROBLEM SOLVING. Solving Problems Using Templates Versus Solutions. Using Paradigms. Five-Step Method for Solving Problems. PART X: METHODS FOR TRAINING STUDENTS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. Writing Their Way Into the Solution. Collaborative Problem‐Solving Groups. How Many People Should Be in the Group? Who Should Be Placed in the Group? Individual Accountability. Appendix. A Student’s Advice for Studying Physics. PART XI: USING THE COMPUTER TO AID TEACHING. Computer‐Assisted Instruction (CAI). Using the Computer to Manage Laboratories. References.

REVIEWS
"Brief, concise, to‐the‐point, the book is written in a conversational style. He displays a rich knowledge of the cognitive psychological research done to understand better how students learn science. The works cited include aspects of improving teaching not only in the physical sciences and engineering, but in mathematics and biology as well. This is a very practical work replete with carefully considered, useful, no ‐nonsense suggestions of ways to improve student learning in science and engineering classes. Such suggestions will be helpful to science and engineering faculty members who are interested in transforming their classes to ones where students come to understand how they learn what they learn, which can lead them to a deeper understanding of the science concepts in their discipline. Whether you are a beginning faculty member or one who has taught for some time, there is much to be gained from reading this book. I recommend it especially for its ability to get the reader to reflect about how teaching is being done in his or her classroom and why the teaching is done in the manner that it is." Conrad Stanitski in Journal of Chemical Education

"This book is a light and joyful read. Its friendly features and structures help readers understand both the theoretical and practical aspects of these research-based teaching strategies. … In this book, Kalman introduces many strategies that can scaffold students’ learning to connect their prior knowledge, create conceptual conflict, and enact conceptual change when applicable. These strategies not only help professors teach science more effectively in large classes, but also offer useful methods to help students learn science outside of class. This book is a great reference for beginning science and engineering professors, especially those who teach large classes in higher education." Pei-Ling Hsu University of Texas at El Paso in Teachers College Record

"Calvin S. Kalman has provided an invaluable instructor’s manual for all those people genuinely concerned with changing the culture of traditional physics and engineering education for the betterment of their students and enjoyment of their subject. One can only hope that many instructors will profit by it." Roland M. Schulz Simon Fraser University in Science & Education (Read full review)

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