Maine Center for Research in STEM Education (RiSE Center)
Colloquium Series
Presents
Dr. Kristina Cammen and Dr. Tim Boester
Monday, November 6, 3:00–4:00 p.m.
Zoom only
(link and passcode available by email)
FIG-MLA Faculty Reports
Engaging Students with Science Communication
Beyond mastering content and technical skills, STEM curricula increasingly include a focus on students becoming critical readers and fluent communicators of science to diverse audiences. To achieve this goal, students in SMS308, a mid-level elective focused on the Ecology and Conservation of Marine Mammals, complete and discuss multiple paired readings throughout the semester. Each set of readings includes a primary scientific article and a related communication product (e.g., newspaper article, video abstract, podcast) for a general audience. At the end of the semester, this part of the course culminates with students preparing their own science communication product on a recently published scientific paper of their choice. This year, with support from a FIG-MLA Reboot Award, I developed and implemented two new modification to these course activities: 1) student development of a science communication rubric; and 2) interleaved practice with the production of their own science communication. During my talk, I will share further details and initial reflections on these course modifications.
Bio
Kristina Cammen is an Associate Professor in the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine, where she teaches and conducts research in marine mammal science. Her research program focuses on improving our understanding of marine mammal ecology and ocean health, and advancing the use of genomic techniques in conservation biology. In complement, she teaches an undergraduate course in Marine Mammal Ecology and Conservation and a graduate seminar in Ecological Genomics.
The Ramifications of a Department Grading Policy
MAT 122 (Precalculus) uses a research-based curriculum that fosters student collaboration, sense-making, and communication of covariational reasoning. In order to assess these “process standards,” in addition to in-class tests, students were also given take-home test questions that allowed for collaboration and required written explanation. However, weighting these take-home tests equally with the in-class tests meant that the students’ final course grade did not clear 60% in-class assessment requirement given in the Department of Mathematics & Statistic’s self- imposed course grade policy. With the support of the FIG-MLA Reboot award, I explored what the effects of re-weighting the two portions of each test were, in order to comply with the policy, for the Spring 2023 classes.
Bio
Tim Boester is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Introductory Mathematics at the University of Idaho. Before moving to Idaho this past summer, he spent five years at the University of Maine coordinating MAT 122 (Precalculus), both within the university and through bridge program courses with high schools across the state of Maine. His research focuses on transforming undergraduate mathematics instruction through a social constructivist perspective.
For more information about the FIG-MLA program, visit the RiSE Center website: umaine.edu/risecenter/university-programs/fig-mla.
To be added to the Colloquium email list and receive the Zoom link and passcode, please email the RiSE Center: risecenter@maine.edu.
To request a reasonable accessibility accommodation, please submit a request form and/or contact the RiSE Center by email or phone: 207.581.4672.
