Science Education & Policy

Creationist Code Words Voted Down In Texas

Creationists have put us into a bizarre, alternate universe, at least when it comes to curriculum design. Their latest attempt to undermine science education involves inserting the code words 'strengths and weaknesses' into the public school sci ...

Article - Michael White - Mar 27 2009 - 4:04pm

Texas School Board Creationists Reduced To Incoherence

... Not that the Texas school board creationists were coherent before, but what else do they have left? After the defeat of language in the state standards to teach the "strengths and weaknesses" of evolution in Texas public schools, the creation ...

Article - Michael White - Nov 5 2011 - 10:05am

House votes to grant FDA authority over tobacco

The House passed  legislation by a 298-112 vote to grant FDA authority to regulate, but not ban, cigarettes and other tobacco products, according to NPR and the Wall Street Journal. The FDA could make ingredients public, ban flavoring and prohibit marketi ...

Blog Post - Becky Jungbauer - Apr 2 2009 - 12:54pm

A Scientific Approach To Science Education- Beliefs, Guided Thinking And Technology

Last time I discussed reducing cognitive load in a new approach to scientific education: Some ways to do so are obvious, such as slowing down. Others include having a clear, logical, explicit organization to the class (including making connections between ...

Article - Carl Wieman - May 19 2009 - 2:41pm

If I could do college over again...

This is what I would do: Princeton's Integrated Science curriculum. This is how science should be taught: ...

Blog Post - Michael White - Apr 8 2009 - 11:04am

Bonnie Bassler, 'The Bacteria Whisperer', Gives A Great Talk On The Secret Social Lives Of Bacteria

I'm not usually much for video- text allows me to do three other things at the same time whereas video occupies two of my senses and annoys me when I am playing guitar.    And I would like to ban all use of "X Whisperer" after the name of ev ...

Blog Post - Hank Campbell - Apr 9 2009 - 2:54pm

In Math Education, Comparisons And Concepts Are Better Than Specific Procedures

New research from Vanderbilt University has found students benefit more from being taught the concepts behind math problems rather than the exact procedures to solve the problems. The findings offer teachers new insights on how best to shape math instructi ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 10 2009 - 2:12pm

Ivory Tower Needs To Embrace Social Media

Universities, with a young  constituency and an employee base of academics interested in new discoveries and ways of communication, should have embraced social media early- but they have not and if they don't embrace new techniques in pedagogy they ri ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 11 2009 - 3:36pm

Your University Now Owns Your Blog

Bora has posted  an interesting draft policy on social media from an unidentified "Big Research Institution" (BRI). It's already stimulating some good discussion (follow the link for more links)- no surprise, since the policy guidelines cont ...

Article - Michael White - Apr 16 2009 - 10:26am

A Scientific Approach To Science Education- Technology And Institutional Change

Continued from A Scientific Approach to Science Education- Beliefs, Guided Thinking And Technology. ...

Article - Carl Wieman - Apr 21 2009 - 5:02pm