Teaching Lab Science Courses Online E-Book

Linda Jeschofnig

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Serie: Online Teaching and Learning Series (OTL)
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 284

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Teaching Lab Science Courses Online is a practical resource for educators developing and teaching fully online lab science courses. First, it provides guidance for using learning management systems and other web 2.0 technologies such as video presentations, discussion boards, Google apps, Skype, video/web conferencing, and social media networking. Moreover, it offers advice for giving students the hands-on "wet laboratory" experience they need to learn science effectively, including the implications of implementing various lab experiences such as computer simulations, kitchen labs, and commercially assembled at-home lab kits. Finally, the book reveals how to get administrative and faculty buy-in for teaching science online and shows how to negotiate internal politics and assess the budget implications of online science instruction.

Leseprobe

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Chapter 1: Why Teach Science Online?

Science Is Integrative

Science Teaches Problem-Solving Skills

Why Science Is not Often Taught Online: It’s the Lab Component!

Why Science Experimentation Is Important

Change Is Hard

Moving Labs Off Campus

Learning With Off-Campus Labs

If Education’s Future Is Online, Lab Sciences must be Taught Online!

Perhaps Campuses Are Passé

Chapter 2: Teaching Science: Online Versus Face to Face

I Can’t See You

Online Communication Is Different

Online Communication Is Delayed

Online Communication Is Meaningful

Where Is the Lab?

Technology Makes It Possible

Overcoming Obstacles to Teaching Science Online

Chapter 3: Specific Tools and Software for Teaching Online Science

Learning Management Systems

Video-Conferencing Tools

Wikis

Academic Integrity Tools

Social-Networking Tools

Science-Specific Tools

Chapter 4: Online Science Lab Options

The Objectives of Science Laboratory Experiences

Traditional Campus Labs

Simulations and Virtual Labs

Remote Access Labs

Hybrid Labs

Kitchen Science Labs

Instructor-Assembled Labs

Commercially Assembled Lab Kits

Chapter 5: The Art of Teaching an Online Science Course

Start With a Comprehensive Syllabus

Interactive Presentations

Online Discussion Boards

Chapter 6: Promoting Academic Integrity in Online Science Courses

Set the Stage for Academic Integrity

Tools to Prevent or Reduce Cheating

Eliminate the Necessity for Dishonesty

Minimize and Detect Cheating on Lab Work and Lab Reports

Student Tracking Data

Chapter 7: The Art of Incorporating Online Lab Assignments

How Many Experiments to Perform

Using Computer Simulations with Online Science Courses

Using Kitchen Labs and Instructor-Assembled Kits with Online Science Courses

Using Commercial Lab Kits with Online Science Courses

Incorporating Lab Experiments and Lab Reports into the Online Course

Chapter 8: The Evidence Supporting Off-Campus Science Labs

Online Science Success at Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ

Online Science Success at Colorado Mountain College

Online Science Success at Herkimer County Community College, NY

Chapter 9: Online Teaching Advice from the Pros

Anatomy and Physiology Professor Dr. Laszlo Vass

Chemistry Professors Dr. Paul Vorndam and Dr. Peter Jeschofnig

Microbiology and A & P Professor Dr. Cindy Jones

Physics Professor Rusty Roe

Biology Professor Kate Lormand

Geology Professor Trina Riegel

Biology Professor Marge Vorndam

Chapter 10: The Tipping Point for Online Science Is Now!

Appendix: A Case Study from Start to Finish: The Why and How of Placing Microbiology Completely Online at Ocean County College 147 Dr. James Brown

References

Index

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“This book does a tremendous job of describing the methods and tools necessary to develop and implement an online science course or to transition from an existing face-to-face course. The authors have done an excellent job of sharing their in-depth understanding of the political, theoretical, and practical aspects of online science education.”

—Rob Duncan, Western Governors University

“Online education has proven itself as a viable alternative for many students. Linda Jeschofnig has been involved in the development of lab science classes for a number of years and now shares her knowledge in this book, a lifeline for colleges and instructors creating online science classes.”

—Cindy Jones, science instructor for CCCOnline and owner, Sagescript Institute

“I wish Teaching Lab Science Courses Online had been available when I started as a resistant faculty member 30 years ago!”

—Marcia Bradley, professor of science, Ocean County College

“This book reinforces those who believe in online labs and may change the mind of those who don’t.”

—Kimberly F. Regier, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver

“Linda and Peter Jeschofnig state a compelling argument in support of offering all components of lab-based sciences online, including hands-on lab experiments, and give practical suggestions for doing so. This book is for every serious online science instructor and administrators.”

—Dr. Angie Carraway, chemistry instructor, Meridian Community College

“A must-read for anyone thinking of teaching an online science course! Even the most experienced online instructors will benefit from the information.”

— Patricia Thompson, professor of chemistry, North Lake College

“This book discusses the benefit of online education and addresses concerns associated with online science education. Science faculty will be able to design at-home and handson laboratory exercises while adhering to high course standards and never compromising the integrity of the course content. This book will benefit every science online instructor and distance education faculty in general.”

—Nahel W. Awadallah, Johnston Community College, director of programs, Humanities, Social, and Natural Sciences

“Teaching Lab Science Courses Online is about learning by doing! It is an eye-opening examination of teaching science successfully in online education.”

—Alanna M. Tynes, professor of biology, Lone Star College-Tomball

Copyright © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Jeschofnig, Linda, 1948-

Teaching Lab Science Courses Online : Resources for Best Practices, Tools, and Technology / Linda Jeschofnig and Peter Jeschofnig.

p. cm.—(Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning ; 29)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-470-60704-6 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-1-118-00999-4 (ebk)

ISBN 978-1-118-01000-6 (ebk)

ISBN 978-1-118-01001-3 (ebk)

1. Science—Study and teaching (Higher) 2. Laboratories. 3. Web-based instruction—Design. 4. Science—Electronic information resources. I. Jeschofnig, Peter. II. Title.

Q181.J376 2011

507.8'5—dc22

2010048702

PREFACE

Community, education, business, and government leaders are increasingly recognizing the decline in science literacy in the United States and despairing of the alarming implications such ignorance bodes for the future and progress of the nation, the planet, and humanity. The seriousness of this situation is evidenced by recent presidential initiatives and new funding allocated in support of educating the scientists, engineers, environmentalists, inventors, health care providers, and other science-related professionals to lead the nation in science for the benefit of current and future generations.

There is no doubt that every aspect of modern life stems from scientific advancement and that the future prosperity of our country and the world requires a more science-literate population as well as more and better scientists. It is important that today’s students acquire genuine understanding of science and the scientific method if they are to accurately assess cause-and-effect relationships, to address global environmental issues, to succeed in science- and technology-related careers, and to acquire the rational thinking skills needed for effective decision making. Government, industry, and education leaders all acknowledge these needs, and their publications are replete with calls for more and better science instruction at all levels of education.

These experts know that when students study science and follow the scientific method, they cannot help but develop the logical, pragmatic, and critical thinking skills that will serve them well throughout their lives, regardless of their ultimate fields of endeavor. In contrast, a lack of science education and science experimentation opportunities promotes science illiteracy and contributes to a rise in “magical thinking” that impairs the rational decision-making abilities critical to the students’ personal success as well as to the success, sustainability, and prosperity of humanity.

THE NEED FOR ONLINE SCIENCE

Over the past decade, the United States has seen a dramatic rise in the online delivery of higher education instruction accompanied by growing evidence of online education’s effectiveness. A report from the Sloan Consortium entitled “Staying the Course: Online Education in the United States, 2008” estimates that over 20 percent of all U.S. higher education students were taking at least one online course in the fall of 2007 (Allen & Seaman, 2008). This report also states that the 12.9 percent growth rate for online enrollments far exceeds the 1.2 percent growth of the overall higher education student population.

As online instruction has increasingly become a popular delivery tool for higher education, many have noted and decried the scarcity of laboratory science courses in the online mix of high school and college course offerings. This deficiency has been especially condemned by college students who require laboratory science courses to complete degree and certificate programs or who hope to train in currently lucrative health- and science-related careers but whose complicated lives prevent them from taking courses on campus. The reasons laboratory science courses are thus far infrequently offered online are many, but most revolve around doubts that instruction in laboratory sciences can be effectively delivered online and educators’ trepidation about how to provide online students with appropriate experimentation activities that are traditionally associated with effective laboratory science teaching and learning.

The authors of this book are retired college professors who have been recognized as passionate pioneers in the field of distance science education. They so firmly believe in the importance of studying science that they have dedicated their lives to making real-world laboratory science learning experiences available to all students, especially those studying online. Their work in this field along with that of a small core of dedicated online science instructors has proven that the obstacles to teaching laboratory science courses online can be overcome and that students can be genuinely engaged in rigorous science learning from a distance.

To be effective, science education must actively engage students. It must stimulate and foster curiosity and the inquiry skills that drive hypothesis formulation. It must kindle contemplation and creativity to devise tests of hypotheses. Its activities must hone observation, recording, reporting, and analytical skills. And it must demonstrate the importance of correctly accumulating valid evidence and properly evaluating genuine cause-and-effect relationships. These life skills and science learning experiences can be effectively taught online as evidenced by several hundred online science educators we have encountered.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK

This book examines the obstacles to teaching laboratory sciences online and explores means of overcoming these obstacles. It also describes laboratory science courses that are being effectively taught 100 percent online by a small cadre of experienced educators.

Engaging in laboratory experimentation and following the scientific method is universally recognized as the best way to learn science. The method of course delivery is irrelevant to this science learning requirement. Regardless of how, where, or when a science course is taught, experimentation that follows the scientific method must be a part of the experience. Thus this book explores options available for providing online students with valid science laboratory experiences. These options include computer simulations, remote labs, kitchen science labs, instructor-assembled lab kits, and commercially assembled lab kits.

The topic of online laboratory science education is particularly relevant to the academic deans, training teachers, and curriculum developers who are responsible for creating and delivering online courses. It is also relevant to high school and college science educators who wish to transition to online instruction with off-campus science experimentation activities; to current online science instructors who wish to improve or expand their online science courses; and to home-school parents seeking to make their science instruction more engaging. Specific examples highlighted in this book include the disciplines of anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, geology, microbiology, and physics. However, the materials covered also have applicability to astronomy, forensics, environmental science, and other laboratory science subdisciplines.

Economic and societal forces are driving the demand for well-trained online science educators. Today’s students want and require greater exposure to lab science courses, and they want these courses to be offered fully online. Many of these students are nontraditional, adult learners who are returning to college to obtain knowledge and skills that match current employment opportunities and who take online courses to accommodate their complicated schedules. Traditional-age college students are also driving the demand for online courses. This younger generation was brought up with technology, is comfortable with asynchronistic communication, and wants the freedom and flexibility of anytime-anywhere education that online courses provide. Both groups are attracted by the savings in time and transportation realized through online education. Military personnel stationed abroad and students in rural communities beyond commuting distance to a college campus are also major consumers of online courses.

The demand for online courses by these varied consumers has created a tipping point for online education, which is fast becoming the primary instructional mode in higher education. Educational institutions have been actively recruiting and vigorously training nonscience instructors to teach online during the past decade as online education has grown in popularity. However, few laboratory scientists have been recruited or trained to teach their courses online due to the prevalent belief that laboratory sciences can only be effectively taught in campus-based facilities. This mistaken belief has created a scarcity of trained online science educators to meet the growing demand for fully online lab science courses. We hope that the evidence presented in this book will convince skeptical science educators that lab science can be effectively taught online and encourage them to offer their courses online.

Thus, another purpose for this book is for use as a training tool to help address and mitigate higher education’s current shortage of online science instructors. By sharing the successful pedagogical methods, technological tools, and best practices of experienced online science educators, this book can not only help to train willing and able online science educators but also reduce the time they need to transition their campus-based lab science courses to online. This book addresses the online science educator shortage in these ways:

1. It encourages science educators to teach their lab science courses online because

the world needs science-literate populations;online is fast becoming the major instructional delivery mode of the future;there is a desperate need and demand for lab science courses to be taught online; andthere is a corresponding need for lab science educators capable of teaching their courses online.

2. It shows skeptical science educators that it is possible for them to safely and effectively provide online students with great science—learning opportunities that include laboratory experiences to help clarify, amplify, enrich, and reinforce science knowledge.

3. It provides science educators with information, tools, encouragement, examples, and inspiration to help them transition their campus-based lab science courses and laboratory sessions to be taught fully online.

THE ORGANIZATION OF THIS BOOK

The first two chapters of this book discuss the need for science education in general and online science education in particular. We review the perceived and actual obstacles that must be overcome when moving a lab science course completely online.

Chapter 3 explores the technological tools such as learning management systems and Web 2.0 tools that facilitate, enrich, and expand the online teaching realm. Chapter 4 reviews the options available for providing a laboratory experience to accompany online science instruction.

Chapter 5 examines the components of an online course and shows how they should be structured for laboratory science courses. A major issue of concern to new online instructors, academic integrity, is thoroughly explored in chapter 6, which also describes numerous tools that can be used to minimize and detect cheating.

Chapter 7 describes how the different types of laboratory options are incorporated into an online science course. Chapter 8 reviews quantitative as well as qualitative data regarding the effectiveness of online lab science courses and provides several examples from institutions that have moved their science courses online, including how Ocean County College adapted its nursing program, and then all its science programs, for fully online course delivery.

In Chapter 9, long-practicing online science educators offer advice for newcomers to online instruction, and Chapter 10 encourages science instructors to cross the chasm and move into the growing world of online laboratory science instruction. The Appendix provides a detailed case study of Ocean County College’s need, thought processes, and implementation procedures employed to initiate an online microbiology course.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are numerous exceptionally dedicated and competent science educators who have greatly enriched our lives with their friendship and whose tremendous knowledge about teaching, science, and online education has enhanced our own. These individuals through their actions as well as their words continually support science education and teaching excellence. We are extremely grateful for their encouragement of our efforts and their commitment to improving science literacy in the world.

Marge Vorndam, biology professor and co-chair of CCCOnline’s Science Department, has been Linda’s friend, technical advisor, web assistant, and personal mentor in the biological sciences for almost a decade. Marge is the author of LabPaq’s biology manuals for science majors (BK-2A and BK-2B). Her professional efforts and commitment to excellence in serving students’ needs is boundless. Marge is retired from the Colorado State University at Pueblo but continues to teach online biology courses for CCCOnline.

Paul Vorndam, chemistry professor and co-chair of CCCOnline’s Science Department, has been a witty, willing, and cheerful consultant on all things scientific. He has taught chemistry for the Air Force Academy and CCCOnline for over a decade.

Cynthia Alonzo, microbiology professor, gave up a lucrative research career to make a difference in science education. She is the author of LabPaq’s microbiology manual and teaches microbiology online for CCCOnline.

Laszlo Vass, the author of most of LabPaq’s anatomy and physiology manuals, utilizes his unique theatrical skills to captivate students’ interest and motivate them in their very difficult studies toward careers in health care. He teaches anatomy and physiology online for CCCOnline.

Trina Riegel, geology professor, is the author of LabPaq’s physical and historical geology manuals. She teaches online geology courses for a number of colleges including CCCOnline and the University of Maryland.

James Brown, microbiology professor and former dean of Ocean County College, New Jersey, has been tireless in proving and convincing others that rigorous science learning can be delivered effectively via fully online course formats. We are especially grateful for the insightful appendix he contributed to this book that details his firsthand experience in fostering a unique online science program and in teaching microbiology in a fully online format.

Penny Perkins-Johnston is an innovative online anatomy and physiology professor at California State University, San Marcos, who has generously shared her enthusiasm as well as expertise in distance science education with us.

We also wish to thank Cindy Jones, Rusty Roe, Kate Lormand, and the numerous other distinguished online science instructors who so generously have shared their time and expertise with us.