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K-State Today

April 11, 2014

Chemistry educator to present on education, research and curriculum reform today

Submitted by Lou Wojcinski

Melanie Cooper, Lappan-Phillips professor of science education at Michigan State University, will present "Evidence-Based Approaches to Curriculum Reform" at 4 p.m. Friday, April 11, in the Flint Hill Room in the K-State Student Union.

Abstract: We now have a fairly large body of work from the learning sciences providing us with insights into how people learn; and from Discipline Based Education Research, or DBER, we know what discipline specific difficulties students face. However, it is quite surprising that relatively little of this understanding has made its way into the design of STEM curricula offered at most colleges and universities. While there is much discussion of evidence based reform, most of these efforts are focused on incorporating "active learning" techniques, rather than redesigning the curriculum in light of evidence from research. This presentation will focus on the need for evidence based curriculum reform, the research findings that can guide such reforms, and how we might assess the results of these reforms.