Increasing the science literacy of undergraduate students in STEM: Merging the crosscutting concept of scale with introductory science course content

University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee WI

Investigators

Abstract

Science education research has revealed that students endeavoring to learn material in courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) generally find it difficult to understand processes they are not able to observe directly. These challenges can be especially pronounced when students encounter concepts involving sizes, distances and time frames of very small or very large scales. This project will conduct research and develop innovative teaching strategies and learning assessments that address challenges in scale literacy, which is a measure of an individual's ability to grasp concepts and reconcile phenomena involving widely varying scales of sizes, distances, and time frames and is an important component to one's overall science literacy. Although the project will focus on introductory chemistry and biology courses, the insights gained from the research will be broadly applicable to STEM education in all disciplines. This work will be informed by preliminary research conducted by the investigators of this project at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) that successfully demonstrated student learning gains were achieved in General Chemistry I by integrating scale as a theme into instruction. Furthermore, the prior work led to the development of two assessment instruments, a Scale Concept Inventory (SCI) and a Scale Literacy Skills Test (SLST), which will be utilized in this project. Through this project, scale-themed instruction at UWM will be extended to General Chemistry II and introductory biology (Anatomy and Physiology I) and will contribute to enhancing understanding of the relationship of scale literacy to student success in STEM courses. To facilitate the adoption of effective instructional strategies developed through this project by educators in STEM disciplines other than chemistry or biology, assessment of scale literacy will distinguish domain-general from domain-specific scale conceptions. In addition to the SCI and SLST, specific instruments and data sources that will be utilized to measure project outcomes include standardized final examinations from the American Chemical Society Examinations Institute, student interviews focused on assessing conceptions of scale, and institutional records of student performance in the targeted courses.