6. The Effect of the NOVA Model on University Courses zA total of 135 courses were developed and...

6. The Effect of the NOVA Model on University Courses

A total of 135 courses were developed and offered at 84 NOVA institutions. 24% - biology, life science, life in space, or environmental

science 21% - earth and space science 20% - combined categories of mathematics, mathematics and

technology, mathematics and science, or statistics 16% - chemistry alone or chemistry, physics, or physical

science 10% - nature of science, inquiry science, or integrated

mathematics and science 5% - mathematics or science methods for preservice teachers 4% - engineering based for preservice teachers.


10060%

5001%

400

8%30015%

200

16%

NOVA Phase I Course Levels by Percent of Total


Course Level for Modified and Created Phase I Courses

0

20

40

60

80

100

L-100 L-200 L-300 L-400 L-500

No. Courses 81 21 20 11 2

7. The Impact of the NASA Mission, Data and Information, and Fundamental

Questions on the NOVA Courses

NASA Strategic Enterprise Representation

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

ATE BPRE ESE HEDS SSE

Institution 18 3 74 39 51



Percent of NOVA Courses Making Connections with each NASA

Enterprise

10%

1%

40%21%

28%

ATE

BPRE

ESE

HEDSE

SSE



During workshop sessions, the research program of each NASA Strategic Enterprise is described and participants are provided: NASA Strategic Plan NASA Implementation Plan for Education, 1999-2003 NSES & NCTM standards NRC’s Project 2061 & Science for All Americans NSTA’s College Pathways to the Science Education

Standards ISTE’s standards



Many institutions have 3 or more connections to NASA Enterprises

Number of NASA Enterprises implemented remains similar across institutions by Carnegie Classification.



An assessment instrument identifying NASA resources indicated: 78% were able to readily identify NASA

Enterprises relevant to their proposed course 70% had course materials that clearly

indicated the NASA Enterprises relevant to the courses being taught

91% stated they had used NASA resources to develop college level activities



Examples of use of NASA resources: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga offers

2 courses using NASA materials through Phase III NASA Field Center projects

Brescia University used spreadsheets involving NOVA data as part of course activities

University of the Incarnate Word integrated NASA research data and NASA Internet sources in laboratory investigations

8. Aspects of NOVA Professional Development Model that are Effective in

Creating and Sustaining Change

Sunal, Hodges, Sunal, Whitaker, Freeman, & Edwards (2001) examined faculty conceptions about effective teaching and learning at 30 universities.

Information was gathered on faculty attitude, knowledge, teaching efficacy, course planning, and classroom interactions.

Results showed that faculty who described themselves as facilitators of learning and those with higher self-efficacy were more likely to follow through on implementing change.

Successful implementation of change was also dependent upon knowledge of pedagogy and course design.

a. What are the faculty perceptions of effective elements in the NOVA professional development

process?



Nine important criteria emerged for successful implementation of change. For example:

interaction between science/mathematics and education faculty

administrative and collegial support a sense of common purpose and similar goals among faculty interpersonal skills and trust between faculty developmental and incremental change importance of action research component network of faculty as a support mechanism

a. What are the faculty perceptions of effective elements in the NOVA professional development

process?



Fifty-two action research plans were analyzed: Eight were in the novice-apprentice range Thirty-two in the apprentice-proficient range Thirteen in the proficien-distinguished range

Most were weak on the data analysis component Some did not devise actual research questions or

hypotheses Most were a mixture of qualitative and quantitative; most

common was pre-posttest design

b. Does action research conducted as a regular part of faculty teaching facilitate development of

effective courses in science and mathematics?



Emphasis of action research resulted in the use of a range of techniques for student assessment: • journals • on-line tasks • performance tasks • rubrics • observations • interviews • concept maps • discussion groups • discourse analysis • video and audio tape • self-evaluation • peer review





Most institutions saw students as the only source of data or unit of analysis

Research focused on student content knowledge, student skills, student attitudes, etc.

Cleveland State University used an approach where instructors focused on their own teaching: Two instructors constructed portfolios that included

personal reflections, philosophies, methods, student surveys and suggestions for improvement





Cyclical nature of change is indicated in action research



Planning

Acting

Reflecting

Observing

Followed by

Does it answerthe problem?

Leads to

Results in



Sixteen action research papers presented at the NOVA Leadership Development Conferences, 2001 & 2002: 13 described improvement in science or math content

knowledge, attitudes to the subject, process skills, and teaching efficacy

Others dealt with instructor issues such as classroom environment and teaching strategies

Studies of student outcomes showed improved student outcomes as a result of new courses





2002 LDC surveys showed 91% agreed that NOVA workshop provided opportunities to learn about NASA resources

Site Evaluation Visit interviews showed that continued interaction between disciplines was a valuable form of professional development

There was a relationship between a shift to a more student-centered approach and the effectiveness of NOVA teams

c. What factors relate to sustaining change brought about through the NOVA professional development

process?

9. Impact of the NOVA Model on Classrooms and Students

Most common title was interdisciplinary course in science Second most typical was a course in a single discipline Third - “NOVA Project” Fourth - integration of science, mathematics, and

technology Fifth - mathematics course for preservice teachers Sixth - connection between pedagogy and science or

mathematics Others involved nature of science, inquiry-based science,

etc.

a. Course Disciplinary Content


Exemplary action research projects

San Francisco State University Kansas State University Alaska Pacific University Brescia University



San Francisco State UniversityNOVA Geology Course

Higher scores in attitudes toward science as inquiry and nature and study of climate

Better connections between concepts



Kansas State UniversityNOVA Geology Course

Students had significantly higher teaching efficacy More positive attitudes toward geology



Alaska Pacific University

Significant gains in content knowledge Gains did not depend on gender, class standing, or major Students with lower initial scores made more gains



Brescia University

Significant gains in content knowledge No significant difference in students’ science literacy

although NOVA groups scored higher Students valued hands-on, collaborative approach Revised methods improved course in second year



68% were using inquiry-based lessons Majority of faculty have shifted to more student-centered

approaches and others are in transtition Team approach was seen as essential 98% used technology of some sort 80% of instructors had high full-scale scores on the ESTEEM

Science Classroom Observation rubric Content-specific pedagogy subscale was lowest indicating

more NOVA workshop time should be spent on pedagogy

b. Classroom Pedagogy


100% indicated national standards were referred to in development of course

Students reported hands-on methods with little or less lecture, lots of group work, motivational instructors, improved content knowledge, and enhancement of learning by technology

Three NOVA institutions experienced poor implementation of the NOVA model Instructors were not original NOVA team members

c. Specific Disciplinary Pedagogy


Overall, typical NOVA courses emphasized:construction of knowledge through hands-on, inquiry-

based activitiesfocusing on solving relevant problemssupport from technologyenhancement from cross-college faculty

collaboration



Doctoral dissertation studies showed:Modeling, active engagement, project-based

activities, and cooperative learning positively affected science teaching efficacy (Staples, 2002)

Higher achievement in elementary students of teachers experienced in NOVA (Staples, 2002)

Cross-college faculty collaboration is effective but time consuming (Hodges, 1999)


10. Impact of the NOVA Model on Science and Mathematics Literacy of University

Students

Integration of lab & lecture to promote a hands-on approach

Goal should be understanding, not just content Awareness of prior knowledge Ability to explain on students’ level Use diverse ways of teaching Make science “come to life” NOVA model “improved content knowledge, attitude and

confidence”

a. What are students’ perceptions of effective learning in science, mathematics, or engineering

classrooms resulting from the NOVA course?


Students

Increased content knowledge Appreciation and enjoyment in becoming comfortable with

technology aids High rates of employment and admission to graduate

school Positive impact on minority students Overall improvement in attitude toward science and

mathematics More confidence in future ability to teach science

b. What changes in attitude toward science and mathematics are found in the students who

experienced the NOVA course?


Students

Increased self-efficacy in science Greater understanding of mathematical concepts Increased ability and willingness to teach science and

mathematics Improvement in attitudes toward the language of mathematics Decrease in misconceptions Long-term retention of science content Improvements in achievement on science content assessments A variety of ways to teach mathematical content were learned

c. What changes in teaching efficacy and learning outcomes resulted from students taking the NOVA

course?


Students

Overall increase in science and mathematics literacy Increase seen in minorities and females Increased understanding of the nature of science More positive learning climate Positive impact on attitudes toward mathematics Long-term effects such as incorporation of relevant nature

of science topics in secondary content

d. What changes in the nature of science and nature of mathematics, related to the literacy goals in the

national standards, are found in students taking the innovative NOVA courses?


Students

Overall achievement improvement in all areas of science and mathematics understanding related to national standards

Improvement in achievement on science content assessments

More comfortable attitudes toward the idea of teaching science

Improved Personal Science Teaching Self-Efficacy Comfort with constructivist learning environments

e. What are the indicators of change in students in NOVA courses related to knowledge and

performance of standards-driven reforms as a K-12 teacher of science and mathematics?

6. The Effect of the NOVA Model on University Courses zA total of 135 courses were developed and...

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