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Session Title: Evaluating Science Education Programs for Youth: Best Practices and Lessons Learned
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Panel Session 894 to be held in Suwannee 12 on Saturday, Nov 14, 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
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Sponsored by the Pre-K - 12 Educational Evaluation TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Kathy Dowell, Partners In Evaluation & Planning, kadowell@usa.net
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| Abstract:
Increasing students' interest and enjoyment of science is an increasingly important priority for educators and policymakers alike. Educating students in the sciences and increasing the number of students who enter into careers in the science field will help ensure that the U.S. maintains its status as a global leader in science and technology. Evaluation of science education programs has flourished over the past several decades, as we try to learn what works and what doesn't in fostering a love of science among young people. This panel will focus on methods used to evaluate a variety of science education programs, including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs that seek to incorporate STEM subjects into existing science curricula, to an after-school STEM program for adolescent girls, to mobile science laboratory programs. Presentations will focus on methodologies, strengths and challenges of current methods, and lessons learned in evaluating science education programs.
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Evaluating Mobile Science Laboratories: Successes, Challenges, and Lessons Learned
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| Kathy Dowell, Partners In Evaluation & Planning, kadowell@usa.net
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| Christina Lynch, Partners in Evaluation & Planning, colynch@verizon.net
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Mobile science laboratories are becoming an increasingly popular way to bring science education to students. These programs are designed to increase student knowledge of science content, and increase their enthusiasm and interest in pursuing careers in the science field. Activities address a wide variety of science topics, including forensics, genetics, diseases, anatomy and physiology. One of the greatest benefits of mobile science labs is that students get the opportunity to use advanced scientific equipment and participate in hands-on activities that are designed to pique their interest in science. This presentation will present experiences from evaluating three mobile science labs programs. Evaluations have focused on measuring changes in student knowledge, attitudes toward science, and interest in science careers, as well as teacher satisfaction. This paper will focus on methods used, challenges and successes in evaluating mobile science labs, lessons learned, and issues that have yet to be resolved.
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Using Science Notebooks to Embed Evaluation Into an After School Science Program
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| Kristin M Bass, Rockman et al, kristin@rockman.com
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Universe Quest is a multi-year afterschool STEM education program in which adolescent girls learn database-"enabled" astronomy and undertake game-authoring to engage in and acquire IT and science skills. This presentation describes how science notebooks have embedded assessment and evaluation into the program in an informative, meaningful way. Laboratory notebooks allow students to record information about investigations for later review, revision, and communication (Shepardson & Britsch, 1997, 2004). The contents of students' notebooks are heavily influenced by teacher practices and present varying opportunities for assessment (Baxter, Bass & Glaser, 2001). In Universe Quest, an interactive format allows students to reflect on what they've learned and encourages instructors to provide feedback. Evaluators are studying the notebooks for evidence of knowledge and skill development. In our presentation they'll talk about what is working well with the notebooks, what they've changed since they started and what the notebooks are contributing to the overall evaluation.
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Challenges in Evaluating a Middle School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Program Emphasizing Engineering and Technology
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| Janet Matulis, University of Cincinnati, matulij@ucmail.uc.edu
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| Nancy Knapke, Fort Recovery School District, fortnancy@bright.net
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This presentation describes the contextual and instrumentation challenges in evaluating MAKE-it, a middle school STEM program incorporating engineering and technology in the teacher professional development and curricula of three rural Ohio school districts. Evaluation of K-12 STEM education historically has focused on science and mathematics, subjects typically mandated in a district's curriculum and "covered" by content standards. Engineering, in particular, and technology have been the marginalized components of STEM education and are not as easily identifiable, if present at all, in curricula. This presentation highlights the MAKE-it project's instrumentation process used to help determine 1) teachers' self-efficacy incorporating engineering and technology principles into instruction and assessing related student performance, 2) students' knowledge and skills reflecting engineering and technology principles, 3) students' perceptions of their courses in developing STEM knowledge and skills, and 4) students' awareness and interest related to engineering and other STEM careers.
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Defining Career Academies and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-ocity
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| Bridget A Cotner, University of South Florida, bcotner@cas.usf.edu
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| Maressa L Dixon, University of South Florida, mdixon83@gmail.com
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| Corinne Alfeld, Academy for Educational Development, calfeld@aed.org
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| Tasha-Neisha Wilson, University of South Florida, twilson@cas.usf.edu
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Career academies are small schools within schools focused on a broad career theme, rigorous course taking, and school-business partnerships. Complications occur when when career academies are considered from the perspectives of state, district and school actors. Issues influencing the selection and evaluation of career academies include: 1.)differences between registered and unregistered career academies; 2.) questions of registration versus attendance and performance; and 3.)the degree to which the career academies and the required courses can be identified as having a science, technology, engineering , or mathematics (STEM) focus- or the STEM-ocity level. In this paper, these issues are explored using the state of Florida as an example in an ongoing study sponsored by National Science Foundation.
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