Jacqueline Huntoon, Gregg Bluth, William Kennedy, Michigan Technological University, Michigan Technological University, Michigan Technological University
During the summer of 1999, a new type of field course was taught in five of eastern Utah's National Parks and Monuments. It targeted a combination of university undergraduates and K-12 teachers, emphasized development of participants' problem-solving skills, and assessed the effectiveness of several non-traditional teaching methods. The course's primary goal was to teach participants to develop and test their own ideas. The course was also designed to help participants learn to use tools and methods employed by research scientists. A mix of undergraduates and teachers was targeted so that the course could be used to introduce undergraduates to the concept of teaching as a career. Assessments of the course's effectiveness were made on the basis of the achievements of stated outcomes, and by pre-course and post-course testing.
Grade Level: Graduate/Professional Research on Learning: Assessment, Ways Of Learning:In the FieldKeywords: Research/education integration, Beliefs and attitudes, Cognitive gains
