Teaching Quantitative Reasoning with Real Data - The EDDIE Way!
Please join us as we introduce you to the Project EDDIE resource collection – the results of an NSF-funded effort to create flexible classroom modules that aim to expose students to real-world data and practice critical analysis and quantitative reasoning skills. The collection of modules includes a variety of topics in ecology, earth and environmental sciences and is freely available online. This two-day workshop will include short presentations of EDDIE materials, discussions of the common elements of structure of all EDDIE materials and the benefits of teaching with data on student learning, opportunities to freely explore the EDDIE collection, and time to consider revisions and adaptations to modules that are appropriate for participants' courses; our goal is that participants will leave with an action plan to adapt a module for their use in a new or existing course.
Overview
Development of quantitative skills and reasoning is a critical skill needed to address real-world environmental problems. Summarizing, condensing, displaying, and communicating quantitative data remains an ongoing problem in science education. The use of real data can both illustrate the evidence-based thinking behind these environmental problems and their solutions as well as engage students through open-ended exploration. This workshop will use Project EDDIE materials to address what it takes to be ready to teach quantitative reasoning with data in your course, including consideration of how to fit quantitative reasoning experiences into your course context and setting the context in a class so students are primed to be successful. We will model "The EDDIE Way" in our workshop design so that you will progress through the materials in the same way that your students will.
Target Audience
This workshop is designed for earth science instructors at any level from K-12 through graduate-level instruction, any class size, and any format (in-person or online). We especially encourage participation from those preparing to teach new courses (graduate students, early-career) or those looking to modify an existing course to make use of inquiry-based activities using real scientific data. Activities in the EDDIE collection span ecology, environmental science, geology, atmospheric science, biochemistry, and more.
Goals
After completing this two-day workshop, we hope that participants will be able to:
- Navigate the EDDIE teaching collection
- Identify and explain the components of "The EDDIE Way" and the benefits of student-driven inquiry on student learning outcomes
- Develop methods of adaptation of existing EDDIE activities to make them more appropriate for varied instructional settings
- Modify a course (or create an action plan) to incorporate one EDDIE activity module into a new or existing course
Format
Each day will include an introduction and overview of the topic(s) for the day. Participants can expect activities to include:
- Presentations of the guiding structure and goals behind "The EDDIE Way"
- Collaborative discussions and explorations of EDDIE activities
- Brainstorming activities and interactive report-outs (gallery tours, jamboards)
- Opportunities for both small-group and large-group interaction
- Time for participants to work on materials relevant to their own courses
Participants will need to bring a laptop.