M5 AM Managing Environment Issues for the Next 25 Years: The Role of Science
Monday, 14 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 11:40 AM in 321-323

(ASH-1118-440431) Exploring Science: A Undergraduate Non-Science Majors Course Aimed at Developing Life-Long Environmental Science Literacy.

Ashley, Jeffrey¹, Bockarie, Anne¹, Bryant, Amanda¹, Buchanan, George¹, Dispensa, Jaclyn¹, Halscheid, Evan¹, Miller, Joell¹, Pierce, John¹, Ross, Faye¹, Simon, Egbert¹, ¹ Philadelphia University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

ABSTRACT- At Philadelphia University, non-science majors must complete a two-course science sequence. We have designed and implemented an interdisciplinary inquiry-based second course in the sequence called Exploring Science. This hands-on, inquiry-driven course has adopted successful pedagogical approaches that build critical thinking skills, promote life-long learning, instill a greater appreciation of the scientific mode of inquiry, and enhance and sustain awareness of critical environmental and human health issues. In the first half of the course, students explore human and environmental health issues (e.g., obesity, genetically modified food, endocrine disrupting chemicals, water quality) through weekly modules which hone specific skills such as evaluating web-site credibility, developing quality assurance and control measures, and formulating hypotheses and means of testing them. In the latter half of the course, students collect, analyze and present vital and usable data to agencies addressing pressing environmental problems in the Philadelphia area using the skills learned in previous modules. Collaboration with regional environmental agencies provided scientific data for management and policy decisions. Student learning, science literacy, and attitudes/enthusiasm, quantified through pre/post surveys, the Student Assessment of Learning Goals (SALG) and the Science Attitude Inventory (SAI), were all enhanced significantly after this one-semester course.

Key words: undergraduate education, research-based approach, guided-inquiry