Dr. James T. Laverty
Michigan State University
In 2012, the National Research Council released A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. This report synthesized the literature on how students learn science into a plan for developing a national curriculum. Recently, calls have been made to use the idea of "three-dimensional learning" in higher education, both to help develop new K-12 science teachers and to capitalize on the kind of education incoming college students will be exposed to in the near future. I have been working with others to develop two instruments that can be used to help guide changes in college physics to improve student learning. The Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol (3D-LAP) can be used to characterize existing assessments or develop new ones that align with "three-dimensional learning". I will demonstrate these uses and discuss future research with it. The Three-Dimensional Learning Observation Protocol (3D-LOP) is intended to characterize both "how" a class is taught as well as "what" is being taught. I will discuss how this instrument is different from other observation protocols and identify future plans for it. This research has been funded by the Association of American Universities' STEM Education Initiative.
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