Writing as a Teaching and Learning Tool in SMET Education

This article reports on a research study designed to address the role of writing in terms of the assessment of student learning. The two-phase study involved an instructional technique for incorporating writing into the curriculum for non-majors. This technique was developed to bring science and engineering topics to the forefront in a new introductory physics course entitled Physics for a New Millennium designed exclusively for non-majors at American University in Washington, DC. Participants in the initial phase of this study were students enrolled in Physics for a New Millennium during the fall 1999 semester and those in the second phase were students enrolled during the spring 2001 semester. Throughout this course students were exposed to all aspects of preparing a formal research paper for publication. The process began with the submission of an abstract and was followed by the preparation of a draft paper for formal review, as well as the preparation of a revised, cameraready copy for publication in the conference proceedings. Students then presented their final papers at an in-class conference held at the end of the semester. A summary of the curriculum devised for this writing technique will be presented. In addition, lessons learned from the initial phase of the study will be shared along with how those lessons were translated into effective changes for the second phase of the study. Connections will be made to the importance of making science and engineering topics accessible to nonmajors through the active process of writing. Students’ overall perceptions of this activity will also be shared. Introduction The primary purpose of teaching is to facilitate student learning. Traditional teaching methodologies have been shown to put students in a role of passive rather than active learning (Jones & Paolucci, 1998). In addition, traditional instructional methods have also been shown to be very inadequate in terms of the promotion of deep learning and long-term retention of important concepts. Students in traditional classrooms acquire most of their “knowledge” through classroom lectures and textbook reading. A troubling fact is, after instruction, students often emerge from our classes with serious misconceptions (Arons, 1990; Halloun & Hestenes, 1985; Hein, 1999a; Hein & Zollman, 2000; McCloskey, Caramazza, & Green, 1980: McDermott, 1984; McDermott, 1991). A significant body of educational research supports the fact that students must be functionally active to learn (Laws, 1991; Chiappetta, 1997; McDermott; 2001). Furthermore, Koballa, Kemp, and Evans (1997) note that “ALL students must become scientifically literate if they are to function in tomorrow’s society” (p. 27). Scientific literacy is of critical importance for all students, at all educational levels, but is especially important for students who are not science or engineering majors. In written remarks regarding the improvement of science and technology literacy of all undergraduate students, given to the National Science Foundation and contributed as part of the Education and Human Resources Advisory Committee Public Hearings on Undergraduate SME&T Education, it was suggested that “In the information age we have already, no college educated person can expect to be fully equipped for a job or career without at least a working knowledge of modern scientific theory and a modicum of technical competence and know how. This will require our colleges and universities to revisit the general curriculum and revise the requirements to ensure that their students are prepared. This will not happen without the enlightened leadership of scientists and other academics. It will not work if all the scientific community is willing to offer is the usual array of introductory courses intended to introduce the student to the major. True literacy of all students will require science departments to become much more creative; to work collegially with other science departments and resource centers. Scientists must offer courses that the non-scientist likes and which are conceptually oriented, not just fact oriented. The ‘sage on the stage’ will have to be replaced by the talented storyteller and the multimedia expert who has not only mastery of the material but mastery of the method of conveying the exciting and dynamic world of science” (Shaping the Future: Volume II, p. 34). The active and creative process of writing about current topics in science and engineering can significantly foster, as well as contribute to the enhancement of, scientific literacy. Furthermore, writing activities in nontraditional courses such as is the focus of this article can lead to deeper learning and heightened scientific literacy. The National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996) further emphasize that inquiry-based techniques should form the core of what it means to learn and do science. Edwards (1997) suggests that the publication of the National Science Education Standards offer reason to be optimistic that inquiry-based learning will become a central part of science education. Inquiry-based learning strategies