GDSE/RES: Women's Science Equity Online

Terc Inc, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

TERC proposes to study the characteristics of online science courses for teachers that correlate to positive learning outcomes for women. There are now hundreds of science courses offered online for teachers, yet there are very few aggregate studies or meta-analyses of online courses. At the same time, women teachers are the largest users of online education, and there are no large-scale research studies focusing on women learners in online professional development courses in science. The first phase of the project is a descriptive survey and analysis of 100 online science courses for teachers. The second phase will use the analysis of course characteristics to select a subset of 20 courses for in-depth examination. Finally, the team will develop a set of guidelines for online course developers that include general recommendations on issues of alignment to national professional development standards, interactivity, and accessibility, along with examples and vignettes from courses. TERC has been a leader in research and development of telecommunication-supported learning since the 1980's. The project staff and the advisory committee comprises highly experienced online developers, science educators, teacher professional development experts, and educational researchers with experience in diversity and gender issues. Among the course providers interested in participating are the National Teacher Enhancement Network (NTEN), University of North Carolina, and the American Museum of Natural History. Potentially, the research will inform organizations who are currently investing in online professional development for science teachers with little benefit of research underpinnings. Improving the science skills of teachers - mostly women at this time - indirectly improves science education for all students and builds national capacity in education. TERC's research will promote higher quality learning experiences for teachers by identifying best practices (suggested elements of program structure, format, and facilitation) and design factors in online learning that are particularly effective for women as learners.