Using Project EDDIE Materials

Jump to: Why Use EDDIE Materials | What you Get with EDDIE Materials | How to Adapt and Use EDDIE Materials | Related Resources

What Are Project EDDIE Materials

EDDIE materials are designed following the principles of the EDDIE Way. In particular, they are based on a relevant scientific question, a set of learning objectives, a plan for assessing student achievement, and utilizing a dataset that provides an opportunity to explore the scientific concept or environmental problem. The common goal for all modules is to improve quantitative reasoning and skills associated with data manipulation and visualization. To achieve this goal, modules use an "A-B-C" structure that gradually removes scaffolding, and students become progressively more independent as they conduct inquiry-based investigations. This provides students opportunities to explore and make increasingly sophisticated choices about data and analysis to address a scientific question (see O'Reilly et al, 2022). Project EDDIE materials aim to help users:

• develop comfort with student-driven learning
• encourage a vibrant inquiry environment, bringing enthusiasm and encouraging exploration of the unexpected
• incorporate data interpretation, critical reasoning, and scientific argumentation into learning activities
• scaffold modules to address students' diverse interests, experiences, and quantitative experiences

Project EDDIE materials were designed and developed by your peers as part of the EDDIE community. Faculty and instructors at diverse institutions from across the country have come together to inform, develop, and test these materials that were designed to be adaptable for a wide variety of classroom contexts. This page provides some information about EDDIE materials that will help you adopt, adapt, and implement EDDIE materials.
Read More about Module Development

Why Use Project EDDIE Teaching Materials

Project EDDIE Materials encourage exploration and are designed to garner enthusiasm for the process of science through exploration a relevant scientific question using real data. Scaffolded student-driven inquiry leads students from prescriptive inquiry through guided inquiry and eventually to open inquiry as they progress through the ABC-structured module. As encountered in the real world, students are able to explore and embrace the unexpected, which promotes discussion of scientific principles, new research questions, analysis procedures, and encourages curiosity. All modules are ready to use, with clearly stated learning objectives, instructional materials needed to complete the module, a pre-packaged version of the dataset, allowing for offline use of the module, if needed, and properly cited materials.

What you Get with Project EDDIE Materials

Project EDDIE has a variety of ready-to use materials. Teaching modules include a complete set of teaching materials that are complete and stand-alone, so that the instructor would not need to supplement with other resources. These could include introductory material (e.g. instructional slides), student handouts/guides, and instructor handouts/guides.

EDDIE Modules

Instructor Materials

Each EDDIE module includes an Instructor's manual that provides an overall module description, pedagogical connections, workflow of the module, and instructions for how to use the module. There may also be additional material such has an instructor's slideshow or any other materials that an instructor would need to implement the module.

Publicly Available Environmental Datasets
EDDIE modules utilize large environmental datasets that are publicly available online. Using existing public data sets allow instructors to choose data and focus on specific locations, time periods, or content. Additionally, each module's materials include a pre-packaged version of the dataset that could be used to complete the module offline if needed.

Student Materials

Each module includes all materials a student would need to complete the module and could include readings, an offline dataset, and a guided instruction handout. The guided instruction handout included with each module is designed to be handed directly to the student and it includes all the instructions necessary to complete the module. Some modules may include additional guided instructions for on-ramping with the R statistical package or other complementary programs (e.g., Excel, Seismic Canvas, Jupyter Notebook) used in the module.

Video Tutorials & Primers

Project EDDIE modules utilize software such as Excel and R to tackle common statistical processes such as regression. If you and/or your students are new to these software or could use a refresher, check out the Project EDDIE videos featuring primers on using Excel, R, and EDDMapS. Videos on regression and a video on teaching and pedagogy are also available.

Browse the Video Collection »

Statistical Vignettes

The EDDIE Statistical Vignettes provide a broad suite of materials for instructors to use as stand-alone teaching tools or in conjunction with EDDIE modules. Conceptually similar to Just-In-Time Math, EDDIE Statistical vignettes consist of brief lectures and supporting materials on statistical topics to explicitly address quantitative concepts presented in our modules. Cognitively, the vignettes help students engage in elaboration: the process of clarifying the relationships between what the student already knows and what is being learned.

Browse and Learn more about EDDIE Statistical Vignettes »

How to Use Project EDDIE Materials: Adapting EDDIE materials for your Classroom

EDDIE modules were designed with flexibility in mind so that they can be utilized in a wide variety of settings and individuals can adapt the module to fit their specific needs. Whether you're at a community college, large research institution, or teaching a small or large class - you will find the guidance you need to implement EDDIE materials in your environment.

Project EDDIE modules use a flexible "A-B-C" structure that scaffolds learning from novice to more advanced levels. The modules are scalable across different skill levels (novice to advanced), and both within and across different types of institutions. This structure allows for an instructor to choose how they want to use the materials in the classroom, where an instructor can adapt and adopt the module as needed for different contexts. For example, one instructor might teach the whole module, while another instructor might teach just A and B, or start with B, or assign C for homework. The progressive format creates on-ramps for greater student independence and engagement with the chosen data sets. The EDDIE community has used EDDIE materials in a variety of environmental related disciplines (hydrology, freshwater ecology, biology, and geosciences) and in a diversity of classroom settings. Their stories, adaptions, and advice were captured in Instructor Stories to provide guidance for their colleagues looking to use EDDIE materials.

We've made sure that all the materials are completely free to use and re-purpose within a traditional educational setting. Most are offered under a standard Creative Commons license. All the details are available on our terms of use page.

Check out the collection already-developed modules or, if you're ready to make your own EDDIE-style module, check out our quick-start guide for tips!