The Big Crunch: A Hybrid Solution to Earth and Space Science Instruction for Elementary Education Majors

Abstract

We describe the rationale and process for the development of a new hybrid Earth and Space Science course for elementary education majors. A five-step course design model, applicable to both online and traditional courses, is presented. Assessment of the course outcomes after two semesters indicates that the intensive time invested in the development of the course results in a manageable workload during the semester for faculty with an already full teaching load. We also found that average scores in proctored online exams for this cohort of students are identical to the average scores of students from the same major enrolled in a face-to-face (F2F) course. Exam scores significantly improved in the second semester after adjustments to the workload and the introduction of explicit test-taking tips at the beginning of the semester. We found that our students, at all stages of their studies, were not used to the self-guided instruction required for success in online courses, and were often not as comfortable using Web-based technology for instruction as we expected. KeywordsEarth and space science, preservice teachers, elementary education, hybrid course, distance education RightsThis is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. ABSTRACTWe describe the rationale and process for the development of a new hybrid Earth and Space Science course for elementary education majors. A five-step course design model, applicable to both online and traditional courses, is presented. Assessment of the course outcomes after two semesters indicates that the intensive time invested in the development of the course results in a manageable workload during the semester for faculty with an already full teaching load. We also found that average scores in proctored online exams for this cohort of students are identical to the average scores of students from the same major enrolled in a face-to-face (F2F) course. Exam scores significantly improved in the second semester after adjustments to the workload and the introduction of explicit test-taking tips at the beginning of the semester. We found that our students, at all stages of their studies, were not used to the self-guided instruction required for success in online courses, and were often not as comfortable using Web-based technology for instruction as we expected. Ó

The importance of affective learning goals: lessons learned from the design and evolution of a geoscience course for preservice primary teachers

“…In 2010 new State licensure requirements requested that preservice elementary teachers' science content include three credits each in physical sciences (physics and chemistry), life sciences, and Earth and Space Sciences. Since no one course existed at our university that covered the required E&SS content, a new twocredit online course and one-credit lab were created and offered fall and spring semesters starting in fall 2011 (Cervato et al 2013). The state standards guided the content selection for the course, and the initial course design and creation process took place over one year.…”

“…There was no cumulative final exam. To engage the students more deeply with the content and to emphasize the relevance of E&SS, we designed a semester-long project that involved writing a letter to the U.S. President, with multiple drafts and feedback opportunities (4 semesters, Cervato and Kerton 2017;Cervato et al 2013) and then transitioned to a semester-long project culminating in a teaching demonstration addressing common E&SS misconceptions (2 semesters). Students were also required to complete seven assignments using Google Earth that allowed them to explore geological features and work on simple quantitative exercises.…”

“…To promote greater understanding of science and the use of hands-on teaching techniques, encourage future teachers to engage more with science material, as well as meet our State's science requirements for preservice teachers, a hybrid introductory science course (online lecture and hands-on lab) was launched in fall 2011 at a large research-intensive public institution in the U.S. Midwest (Cervato et al 2013). The course was created in response to changes in the state-mandated requirements for licensure that moved from nine credits of science content, chosen by the individual student from a list of entry-level science courses, and three credits of science methods, to three credits each of physical, Earth and Space, and life sciences plus three credits of science methods.…”

Assessment in Online Learning—It's a Matter of Time

“…We recently designed a two-credit online course in Earth and Space Science for elementary education majors (Cervato, Kerton, Peer, Hassall, & Schmidt, 2013). The course, taken by between 35 and 48 students per semester, with between 64% and 94% of those being first-and second-year students, is divided into 15 weekly content modules consisting of online multimedia content and offline readings, projects, and experiments.…”