University-level teaching of Anthropogenic Global Climate Change (AGCC) via student inquiry

This paper reviews university-level efforts to improve understanding of anthropogenic global climate change (AGCC) through curricula that enable student scientific inquiry. We examined 152 refereed publications and proceedings from academic conferences and selected 26 cases of inquiry learning that overcome specific challenges to AGCC teaching. This review identifies both the strengths and weaknesses of each of these case studies. It is the first to go beyond examining the impact of specific inquiry instructional approaches to offer a synthesis of cases. We find that inquiry teaching can succeed by concretising scientific processes, providing access to global data and evidence, imparting critical and higher order thinking about AGCC science/policy and contextualising learning with places and scientific facts. We recommend educational researchers and scientists collaborate to create and refine curricula that utilise geospatial technologies, climate models and communication technologies to bring students into contact with scientists, climate data and authentic AGCC research processes. Many available science education technologies and curricula also require further research to maximise trade-offs between implementation and training costs and their educational value.     

Examining Educational Climate Change Technology: How Group Inquiry Work with Realistic Scientific Technology Alters Classroom Learning

This study with 79 students in Montreal, Quebec, compared the educational use of a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) global climate model (GCM) to climate education technologies developed for classroom use that included simpler interfaces and processes. The goal was to show how differing climate education technologies succeed and fail at getting students to evolve in their understanding of anthropogenic global climate change (AGCC). Many available climate education technologies aim to convey key AGCC concepts or Earth systems processes; the educational GCM used here aims to teach students the methods and processes of global climate modeling. We hypothesized that challenges to learning about AGCC make authentic technology-enabled inquiry important in developing accurate understandings of not just the issue but how scientists research it. The goal was to determine if student learning trajectories differed between the comparison and treatment groups based on whether each climate education technology allowed authentic scientific research. We trace learning trajectories using pre/post exams, practice quizzes, and written student reflections. To examine the reasons for differing learning trajectories, we discuss student pre/post questionnaires, student exit interviews, and 535 min of recorded classroom video. Students who worked with a GCM demonstrated learning trajectories with larger gains, higher levels of engagement, and a better idea of how climate scientists conduct research. Students who worked with simpler climate education technologies scored lower in the course because of lower levels of engagement with inquiry processes that were perceived to not actually resemble the work of climate scientists.     

Diagnostic online assessment of basic IT skills in 1st-year undergraduates in the Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford

Attitude, experience and competence (broadly covered by the European Computer Driving Licence syllabus) in information technology (IT) were assessed in 846 1st-year Medical Sciences Division undergraduates (2003–06) at the start of their first term. Online assessments delivered during induction workshops were presented as an opportunity for self-evaluation and to provide performance-related recommendations for training. Results were consistent over 4 years. There was no difference in attitude between years or programme of study and the majority selected 'competent to use a range of applications'. Nor were there any differences in competence between all students in any year; however, male Medical Science students performed significantly better than females (2006). Students with a recognised IT qualification also did significantly better than those without. There was a discrepancy between measured skill and individual self-evaluation of competence; in particular, weaker students overestimated their competence. In all years, some students showed a fundamental lack of understanding of basic IT skills. Introducing online diagnostic testing raised the profile of the importance of IT skills to both academic staff and students.     

Warranted uncertainty and students' knowledge and use of drugs

The ability to recognize when it is warranted to be uncertain was developed effectively in 167 elementary school students through daily 15-min lessons over a 5-week period. This initial training did not deal with drug use in any way. A 3-year follow-up evaluation measured retention of these warranted-uncertainty skills, and assessed the effects of these skills on students' use of hard and soft drugs. In comparison with the matched control subjects, there was evidence of some retention after 3 years: the trained subjects were slightly better able to recognize when it is warranted to be uncertain about the effects of drugs. There was also strong evidence that many of the controls had acquired, somehow, the ability to generate warranted uncertainty, and that warranted uncertainty functioned as a stable construct (irrespective of how it was acquired) and was related to drug use. It appeared to produce a skepticism or an analytic attitude that allowed the student to ignore peer and parental dogma about drugs.     

INTERNATIONAL INTER‐UNIVERSITY FACULTY AND STUDENT EXCHANGES ‐ A VIEW FROM THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

As the role of a university is like that of a lighthouse, international inter‐university exchanges of students and of teachers enable universities to perform their instructional and research‐oriented tasks with increased efficiency and creativity. The universities of the German Democratic Republic, having accumulated more than thirty years of experience in the domain of student and faculty exchanges, can offer the world some advice on the subject. Although good and bad points can be identified with regard to different kinds of exchanges, the good points predominate. No one condemns the overall usefulness of inter‐university exchanges of teachers and students. The future will no doubt witness an increase in the number of exchanges, particularly of those arranged through multilateral agreements