Projects

Active Projects

• A Civil Action - The Woburn Toxic Trial
  This project is developing web-based curricular materials investigating the events in Woburn, MA that inspired the movie A Civil Action. Developed from a popular mock-trial course at Ohio State University, the site will consist of a series of educational modules that students work through culminating in the presentation of a mock trial. Materials will be presented in such as way that educators can use them all in sequence with the mock trial as the destination or pull out specific modules for use in other classes or without conducting the mock trial at the end. More about this project
• Associated Colleges of the Midwest: Faculty Career Enhancement (FaCE) Program
  Supported by grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the ACM Faculty Career Enhancement (FaCE) Project has provided opportunities for faculty at ACM colleges since 2004. With renewed funding from the Mellon Foundation in 2008, Phase II of the FaCE Project supports a variety of new initiatives, building on lessons derived in the first years of activity. SERC will help build the web presence for this effort as well as act as a repository for the materials created by the initiatives.
• Building Strong Geoscience Departments
  This site provides information and resources for geoscience departments to improve their academic programs and presence on campus. Materials have been drawn from a number of disciplines and sources, including a workshop held at The College of William and Mary in 2005. More about this project
• The Carleton Interdisciplinary Science and Math Initiative (CISMI)
  The mission of the CISMI program is to promote and expand the inquiry-based study of complex and integrated systems, drawing on the power of disciplinary perspectives.
• Carleton's Quantitative Inquiry, Reasoning, and Knowledge (QuIRK) Initiative
  QuIRK is an innovative project intended to help Carleton and other institutions of higher education better prepare students to evaluate and use quantitative evidence in their future roles as citizens,consumers, professionals, business people, and government leaders. The focus of the project is on how quantitative reasoning (QR) is used in the development, evaluation, and presentation of principled argument.More about this project
• Earth Exploration Toolbook
  This site provides step-by-step instructions for using Earth science datasets and software tools in educational settings. Each chapter of the EET walks through a case study in which the user accesses data and uses analysis tools to explore issues or concepts in Earth system science. More about this project
• Expanding the Data Cycle: Empowering Middle Level teachers and students to Integrate Information Technology, Data ZSkills, and Science Content
  
• Geology of National Parks
  This project funded a new section of the Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum website devoted to activities that use National Parks as vehicles for teaching quantitative geoscience using spreadsheets.
• Increasing Production in the NSDL: Transforming a Nation-wide Evaluation Instrument for Use by NSDL Pathways, Projects, and Collections
  This project aims to take a nationally-used survey instrument and adapt it for use with digital library pathway projects. The survey instrument identifies faculty attitudes and practices towards digital resources.
• International Collaboration on Spatial Cognition and Learning (ICSCL)
  This project engages international experts in the realm of spatial cognition and learning to develop a coordinated approach to research in this field. The project has held two workshops bringing together researchers from two national spatial cognition research centers, one funded by Germany and one by the US National Science Foundation as well as other independent experts. The 2008 workshop focused on developing a plan for moving forward. The 2009 workshop focused on developing an integrated approach to research on the spatial cognition involved in navigation and visualization.
• MARGINS Data in the Classroom
  This project will be developing web-based undergraduate classroom teaching modules. A development workshop will be held to bring together scientists, educators and members of the MARGINS Steering Committee to identify critical content and initiate development of web-based MARGINS "Mini-Lessons" for use in undergraduate teaching. The aim is to engage the MARGINS research and educational community in the generation and testing of multidisciplinary learning materials derived from MARGINS science.
• The Math You Need, When You Need It
  Math You Need is designed to give students the quantitative knowledge that they need, just before they need to use it in their concurrent geoscience course. This program includes pre- and post-testing and self-paced modules.
• Minnesota Math and Science Teacher Academies
  SERC evaluated a program for the professional development of 8th grade mathematics teachers in southeastern Minnesota run by the MMSTA. This effort involved conducting evaluations of several workshops for the teachers as well as several learning group activities.
  
• National Association of Geoscience Teachers
  The National Association of Geoscience Teachers works to raise the quality of and emphasis on teaching the geosciences at all levels. The website provides access to information about NAGT and it's programs, initiatives, and governance.
• The National Numeracy Network
  The National Numeracy Network (NNN) is a network of individuals, institutions, and corporations united by the common goal of quantitative literacy for all citizens. The website provides access to information about the NNN including teaching resources, workshops and the journal Numeracy: Advancing Education in Quantitative Literacy.
• On the Cutting Edge
  The NAGT/DLESE On the Cutting Edge project helps geoscience faculty stay up-to-date with research and teaching methods through a series of workshops and associated online resources. Check the project website for a schedule of upcoming workshops. More about this project
• Pedagogy in Action
  This pedagogic service capitalizes on the successful model of the Starting Point: Teaching Entry-Level Geosciences portal by allowing institutions and digital libraries partners to integrate information about effective pedagogy into their websites. More about this project
• Quantitative Social Science Digital Library Pathway
  This NSDL pathway seeks to improve teaching and learning with quantitative social science data. SERC is involved as the primary evaluator. The pathway plans to make use of the Pedagogic Service.
• SENCER Digital Library
  SERC has collaborated with the SENCER project to develop the digital library supporting discovery of SENCER teaching materials.
• Spatial Intelligence Learning Center
  SILC is engaged in a comprehensive study of spatial intelligence and education. Geoscience is a primary case study at the undergraduate level. SERC provides geoscience expertise for these studies and is engaged in conducting classroom research on the role of spatial skills in geoscience learning.
• Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum: Bringing Quantitative Literacy to the Next Level
  Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum is a three-year project to develop and test educational spreadsheet modules that enhance quantitative literacy wherever quantitative problems arise in the undergraduate curriculum.
• Starting Point: Teaching and Learning Economics
  Building on the success of the Starting Point: Teaching Introductory Geoscience project, SERC is a partner in developing this pedagogy-based resource for economics educators. More about this project
• State Your Case! Developing and Supporting a Point of View
  State Your Case! is a three-year inter-institutional project focused on helping students learn how to develop and support a point of view in any disciplinary or interdisciplinary field. It is the newest initiative of the Collaborative Assessment for Liberal Learning (CALL) consortium, currently including St. Olaf College, Carleton College, and Macalester College.
• Synthesis of Research on Teaching and Learning in the Geoscientists
  This project synthesizes existing knowledge and articulate unanswered questions in critical areas of research on cognition and learning relevant to the Geosciences.
• Teaching Big Science at Small Colleges: A Genomics Collaboration
  
• The Textbook Reconsidered - Creating the Shortbook of Geomorphology
  This project aims to develop a new undergraduate-level textbook for Geomorphology that takes advantage of the flexibility of the internet. A physical text covering generic process information will be combined with web-based vignettes or case stories on specific topics in specific locations.
• Tracing the Effects of Faculty Development into Student Learning Outcomes
  The TRACER project seeks to understand the impact of professional development opportunities at Carleton, particularly those supporting Writing-Across-the-Curriculum and Quantitative Inquiry, Reasoning, and Knowledge (QuIRK). The project traces the impact of professional development on faculty teaching and the susequent impact on student learning.
  

Past Projects

• AccessData
  AccessData Workshops bring together a wide range of professionals who have a stake in getting data used in educational settings: Earth science data providers, data access and analysis tool experts,scientists, curriculum developers, and educators all work together to explore and address issues regarding data use.
• Bringing Research on Learning to the Geosciences
  This site brings together resources for faculty, teachers and curriculum developers working in the geosciences. The contents of the site aim specifically to raise faculty awareness of advances in the science of teaching and learning and include essays from researchers, websites, recommended reading lists. More about this project
• Carleton's Energy Future
  This three-day workshop brought together a learning community that studied Carleton College's energy future from different perspectives and disciplines. Work was done in small interdisciplinary teams in order to share and probe disciplinary/specialty perspectives, moving toward creation of a "blended" inquiry in the Carleton's energy future.
• Climate Change Collection
  The Climate Change Collection is a suite of science education web resources developed primarily for middle school science teachers and their students relating to the causes and effects of natural climate variations as well as human impacts on the climate system.
• DLESE Community Services Center is creating examples that demonstrate the power of DLESE in classrooms and for the geoscience education community.
• Integrating Research and Education This site explores ways to bring modern research results into undergraduate courses. This is a primary pathway for ensuring our courses reflect rapid advances in the discipline and serves as an exciting mechanism for engaging students. More about this project
• Preparing Teachers to Teach Earth Science
  This site examines the role of geoscience departments and faculty in preparing preservice teachers and supporting practicing teachers who teach Earth science at all pre-college levels. More about this project
• Teaching Quantitative Skills in the Geosciences
  Quantitative skills are an essential tool for both the geoscientist and the citizen. This site provides resources for faculty that include pedagogic methods, teaching resources, supporting materials for students and a discussion of the issues. More about this project
• Using Data in the Classroom Portal
  Engaging students in inquiry is increasingly important in teaching both the methodology and content of science. This interdisciplinary site includes information about why one might wish to use data in a course, examples of effective use, on-line access to data sets and tools, classroom activities, ideas for evaluation and assessment, and a discussion forum. More about this project
• EarthLabs
  EarthLabs provides a national model for rigorous and engaging Earth and environmental science labs. Four units illustrate sequences for learning science concepts through data analysis activities and hands-on experiments. In the activities, students use satellite imagery, numerical data, and computer visualization software to explore Earth system processes.
• EarthScope in the Northern Rockies
  EarthScope's network of multipurpose geophysical instruments and observatories will significantly expand capabilities to observe the structure and ongoing deformation of the North American continent. The goal of this workshop was to formulate an integrated research and education agenda to optimize the use of the Earthscope facility in the northern Rockies, to identify the "big" scientific questions of the region, and to engage the public through a variety of education and outreach activities.
• Engaging the NAGT Membership in Creating Web Resources
  This grant from the National Association of Geoscience Teachers aimed to tap into their members' expertise in teaching geoscience to create collections of teaching activities around particular themes. The pilot of this effort was the creation and population of the Teaching in the Field section of the NAGT website.
• Eyes in the Sky
  Forty-nine science, math, and technology middle and high schoolteachers participated in the Eyes in the Sky project. Beginning in the spring of 2004, three overlapping cohorts of teachers received eighteen months of professional development that consisted of a 12-week distance learning course, a two-week summer institute, and a classroom implementation phase, culminating in a research showcase. Participating teachers used geospatial technologies to carry out community-based research projects with their students. More about this project
• Faculty Participation in the NSDL
  This project explores the use of digital libraries by higher education faculty. Research is being conducted to examine factors that encourage use of and contribution to these collections. Of equal importance is assessing why faculty do not use materials from digital libraries with a particular focus on why faculty, who are aware of digital libraries, are not active users.
• Kéyah Math
  The Kéyah Math Project has developed a series of versatile online activities in mathematical geoscience, using the natural and cultural landscapes of the Southwest United States as context and setting. These place-based exercises are available to enhance any undergraduate geoscience course, and may be of particular interest to students and teachers with cultural ties to the Southwest, including American Indian and Hispanic students and teachers.
• Landscape Change Program
  SERC staff are currently engaged in evaluation of the Landscape Change Program website. We are conducting evaluations of the site usability as well as consulting with that program on the use of imagery in undergraduate geomorphology classes.
• MAA Convergence Online Magazine
  In support of the Mathematics Association of America, SERC staff conducted a survey and interviews of users of the Online Magazine, Convergence. The goals for the project were to identify roles and use of different material types in the classroom, characterize barriers for discovery and use, and affirm users willingness for site usage.
• The MERLOT Faculty Project - Faculty Development Centers and Online Repositories Collaborating to Share Exemplary Practices
  SERC staff worked with the MERLOT Elixr project to create videos of faculty using particular pedagogic methods in the classroom along with interviews about why and how they came to use them. These videos were then integrated into the Starting Point and Pedagogy in Action web modules relevant to those pedagogies and their impact was evaluated by interviewing part of the user population. (See ConcepTests and Just in Time Teaching for examples of the videos.)
  
• Microbial Life - Educational Resources
  MLER aims to provide a contemporary and expanding resource of expert information about the ecology, diversity and evolution of micro-organisms for students, K-12 teachers, university faculty, as well as for the general public. More about this project
• Reconsidering the Textbook
  This invitation-only workshop reconsidered the textbook by bringing together NSF DTS (Distinguished Teaching Scholars) and CAREER awardees, other leaders in education and technology, and NSF program officers. Participants assessed the state of the textbook and other learning resources, identified the pertinent questions, produced a white paper to encourage future thinking on this critical topic, and planed for widely disseminating their findings.
• Starting Point: Teaching Entry Level Geoscience
  This site focuses on instructional methods that work with entry-level undergraduates. It describes the why/when/how of a variety of teaching methods reinforced with a set of classroom-ready examples spanning the Earth system. More about this project
• Sustainability Workshop: Cows, Colleges, and Curriculum
  This workshop was a cooperative effort by the two liberal arts colleges in Northfield, MN: St. Olaf College and Carleton College. The workshop will be looking at activities on both campuses as they both strive to integrate sustainability issues across their curricula.
• Teaching with Chronos Data and Tools
  This workshop at Iowa State University will lay the groundwork for the development of complete, free-standing teaching and learning activities on stratigraphy and sedimentary geology that utilize data, tools, and other resources from the CHRONOS project.