Scholarship & Research
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Item Implementation and evaluation of an educational tour as a form of outdoor education(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1969) Hane, John KinnaItem A evaluation of activity sheets created to enhance science learning during the self-guided tour at the Tennessee Aquarium(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2015) Howell Shaw, Carrie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.This project evaluated activity sheets that I created for the Tennessee Aquarium based on Tennessee state science standards and the informal education model of free-choice learning. The research focused on one of the worksheets about habitats created for second through fourth grade students. Teachers from those grades who were scheduled to visit the Aquarium in the month of March were solicited to participate in the study. Two teachers agreed to participant in different capacities. Based on the lack of student enthusiasm and my evaluation of completed the activity sheets and student surveys, I determined that the activity sheet was not effective at fostering learning or interest. However, the activity sheets were effective when used by chaperones instead of individual students. Additional research should be conducted to specifically evaluate using chaperones to led activities during self-guided tours of the Tennessee Aquarium.Item The impact of scientists' and engineers' involvement in a one-day program for middle school students at Princeton University(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2011) Greco, Shannon Lee; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.This paper examines the changes in attitudes towards science, scientists and students' own identities as scientists as a result of their participation in a one-day science and engineering education outreach program. More than 450 middle school students participated in two events held on March 1 and March 4, 2011. The events, called 'Making Stuff', were each one-day materials science programs conducted by the Princeton Center for Complex Materials education outreach office. PCCM's education outreach office designed the program to include activity tables, auditorium shows and lab tours all performed by scientists or engineers affiliated with PCCM or Princeton University and its partner organizations. The aim of this paper is to show that a one-day program of direct interaction with research scientists and engineers has a positive impact on students' attitudes towards science.Item A comparison of learning : integration of a virtual and traditional field trip into an introductory environmental geology course(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2004) Cantwell, Laurie Beth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: David W. MogkField trips are a common component of geoscience courses. However, time and budget constraints, increased safety considerations and large class size have become common obstacles to teaching in the field. Technology has provided an attractive alternative through the virtual field trip. While there is a wealth of virtual field trips available on the internet, it is unclear how students learn on a virtual field trip and how those trips are best incorporated in Earth Science curriculum. The goals of this study are to establish the learning goals addressed by virtual field trips, determine if virtual field trips are best used as a pre- or post-activity in conjunction with a traditional field trip and provide suggestions for developing effective virtual field trips. A groundwater hydrology and policy virtual field trip was developed and compared to a traditional field-based counterpart. The field trip was designed to help students gain an understanding of groundwater flow and aquifer properties, understand how geology influences the groundwater availability, learn how to use and evaluate data, develop question-asking and hypothesis-testing skills, develop observational and spatial reasoning skills, and gain an appreciation for the complexity of science and its application to real-world problems. A modified pre-test/post-test and attitude study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of virtual field trips, gain insight into how they are best used in an introductory Earth Science course and explore students' attitude toward virtual field trips. Students' performance, confidence, knowledge and attitude were evaluated prior to and following, the virtual and traditional field trips. The virtual field trip did not successfully mimic teaching observation and data evaluation learning goals; however it was able to address question and hypothesis posing skills and establish an appreciation for the complexity of a scientific issue. The virtual field trip in this study was best used as a preactivity, it helped reduce novelty space and establish necessary content knowledge prior to going to the field. However, using the virtual field trip as a pre-activity may diminish studentsα sense of discovery and wonder about the natural world.