Problem Solving in 13 Weeks
A new science course for non-majors challenges students to discover the thrill of exploration for themselves. By Jayne M. Iafrate, Photos by Nicki Pardo
Ask Deb Fahey and Kathy Morgan to describe a typical day in their new science course, "Ponds to Particles," and just as they catch each other's eye, they laugh. Loudly.
Typical?"This course was an experiment," said Fahey, an instructor of biology.
And that's exactly what it was meant to be. Welcome to the 21st-century answer to science education for non-majors. "Ponds to Particles" is a course designed especially for education minors and it casts future teachers in the role of scientists investigating water quality and energy issues in southern New England. Extensive fieldwork and community service accompany a full schedule of class meetings in an intensive program to prepare future teachers to excel in teaching science. It satisfies the general education science requirement at Wheaton, prepares students for the Massachusetts teacher's certification tests, and addresses the desire for greater hands-on learning that will enable future educators to connect classroom work to state curriculum frameworks in meaningful ways.
"It's problem solving in 13 weeks," Morgan said.
The belief that U.S. students would learn science and math better if future teachers discovered for themselves the excitement of scientific research is the hypothesis behind "Ponds" and three other Wheaton math/science education initiatives--Partners in Discrete Math, Mentoring in Discrete Math and Teaching Scholar Partnerships. A grassroots coalition of Wheaton professors--Fahey, Morgan, assistant professor of education Vicki Bartolini, professor of mathematics Shelly Leibowitz, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Laura Muller and Professor of Astronomy Tim Barker--set out in 2001 with a plan to make Wheaton the institution for science education in New England. Not only would Wheaton students benefit from the enhanced learning opportunities, but area in-service teachers would also have a place to learn and test new techniques for presenting math and science lessons inside the classroom and out.
"With courses such as 'Ponds to Particles' and projects such as Partners in Discrete Math, Mentoring in Discrete Math and Teaching Scholar Partnerships, there are great opportunities for change, for seeing science and math as active and relevant learning endeavors," Bartolini said. "Even if that change starts small and ripples outward, it eventually can impact the larger audience, [allowing] opportunities to think about problems, appreciate the puzzles, the patterns, the interactions and, ultimately, the responsibilities."
Wheaton's goal is to maximize equitable learning opportunities in the classroom where students must participate as active investigators--asking, challenging, strategizing, taking risks. Central to the project is the emphasis on active learning in groups and regular opportunities for application and reflection. These ideas are not new, but Wheaton professors are more overtly connecting their usage to more powerful learning and teaching, both for professors and student teachers. "These can provide opportunities for confidence building, for seeing oneself as capable of learning/ doing science and math," Bartolini added.
Science by Discovery
Funded in part by the Eisenhower Higher Education Preservice Grant Program from the Massachusetts Department of Education, "Ponds to Particles" focuses on water and energy over two semesters (it can be taken as a semester or yearlong course). The course allows for investigation of multiple disciplines--geography, biology, chemistry, physics--while the extensive fieldwork and community service models the type of active learning educators now believe optimal for teaching science. Wheaton students traveled throughout the region--from Boston Harbor and Narragansett Bay to Cape Cod, the Quabbin and Norton reservoirs and even campus dorms--to conduct research.
"It's not like any other science class," Morgan said. "We talk very little."
"The course was perfect for the kinesthetic learner," Fahey concurred. "This isn't the class for students who want to listen to lectures."
Classroom time (six hours a week) often starts with a discussion of the day's topic--water and soil sampling and testing, energy principles and conservation among them--followed by a lab session that supports the topic. For example, a discussion of water quality issues precedes the construction of a remediation pond, water sampling and a survey of native plants and their impact on water quality. The key is guided self-discovery, which is evaluated through exams, journals, in-class reports and group projects.
One group project conducted last fall was the first complete survey of Scott's Brook, a 2.2-mile stream that originates in Plainville and flows south through a few small ponds, a forested/agricultural area, and then a heavy residential area before joining the Ten Mile River in North Attleboro. Students Ethan Cannon '05, Erik Dana '04 and Harrison Wilcox '04 walked the length of the stream, recording physical observations and taking water samples. In the field, they noted that the stream was dry for much of the year, identified possible sources of pollution, and conducted a full geographical survey and GPS reading. In the lab at Wheaton, they tested water samples for ph levels, metals levels and other indicators of the stream's general health. The team was able to correlate laboratory results with physical observations to determine why certain water readings existed at certain points along the brook.
The group concluded that Scott's Brook had been long used as an open sewer for pollutants from development, agriculture and natural resources. This was a serious danger, the team reported, because Scott's Brook runs into Ten Mile River, a relatively clean waterway in the region. Unless it was cleaned up by spring, Scott's Brook represented a serious threat to the health of the Ten Mile, the student group told state officials, while also recommending a cleanup plan.
"This report will influence how the state environmental agencies monitor these waterways," said Andrea Langhauser, the team leader in Massachusetts' Executive Office of Environmental Affairs overseeing the conservation of Ten Mile River. "The level of work compiled by these students is far more detailed than that of most citizens' groups."
On-Campus Impact
Some groups of students didn't have to travel far to complete research projects that will have broad impact in the region. Two groups conducted water quality and usage surveys of the college, which draws its water supply from Norton's underground aquifers.
Despite the college's attention to water conservation issues, students discovered that a combination of student habits and leaking faucets and showerheads in the dorms wasted hundreds, if not thousands, of gallons of water each day. They uncovered leaking faucets in every quad and measured the amount of water lost. They also determined that the existing showerheads use 3.5 gallons of water per minute, whereas newer, environmentally friendly models use only 1.5 gallons per minute. During a 15-minute shower, they said, this represents 33 gallons of wasted water. The group submitted their full report to campus administrators, explaining how the results of the testing could impact the area's existing water shortage. They also recommended campus improvements to help alleviate some of the burden on town aquifers and education programs to help students better understand the consequences of their water usage on campus.
"I really loved 'Ponds to Particles' and I would recommend it to education minors or anyone who feels they are not strong in science," Sarah Alves '02 said. "The class looked at science as a practical and interesting topic, and supplied hands-on learning and experience. I now have a better understanding of the teacher's role in the science classroom."
Self-Assessment
Because "Ponds to Particles" challenges students to think about science and science education in new ways, Fahey and Morgan knew from the start that they'd have to think differently as well. They assessed their plans every step along the way, made adjustments when necessary, and learned as much about themselves as they did about the new course.
"I've worked so much harder preparing this class," Morgan said. "I have to think in so many new ways, in ways that take concepts and turn them into hands-on lessons that help students not only explore the materials, but explore their own minds."
"One person could never teach this course," Fahey added. "It really was very collaborative."
Both professors were surprised at how easily they adapted to the team-teaching model.
"We'd come in the morning of class and tell the other, 'Oh, you know, I was thinking about doing this...' and the other would always say, 'OK; let's try it," Morgan said.
Both Morgan and Fahey acknowledged that students were sometimes disconcerted by the adjustments that had to be made to the new course. The Sept. 11 attacks, for example, forced changes to the field trip schedule, which caused a ripple effect throughout the syllabus. For example, public access to the U.S. Military Reservation on Cape Cod was restricted, barring students from visiting the site of ongoing groundwater remediation efforts. Still, they were pleased at the students' resilience and hoped that the glitches became learning opportunities for future teachers. They did.
"As students, we learned to listen to other students and to make changes where they are necessary," Alves said. "It's important to shoot high, but it's also important to understand the students' needs. As a future teacher, I find this key to my educational experience."
