(Inquiry, Design, Exploration And Study)

Since the beginning of SELECT, a group of science, mathematics and education faculty have met regularly to work together in revising or creating new courses that better incorporate an inquiry-based approach. The goal of the group has been to assist each other in creating learning environments where students are active learners, struggle with the concepts, grapple with their misconceptions, and ultimately understand the material covered better than they would with a traditional, passive-learner lecture style (e.g. Cusick 2001; McCray 2003).

The group includes 16 members with representation from: biology, chemistry, geological & marine sciences, graduate education (math & science), mathematics, physics, undergraduate education (math & science); administrators from the College of Liberal Arts, Education and Sciences.

The goals of this group are to:

• Assist each other in creating learning environments where students
  • are active learners
  • struggle with concepts
  • grapple with misconceptions
  • better understand materials
• Increase enrollment of education majors in lab science courses
• Increase education/science double majors

This program meets at least 4 of the 6 Guiding Principles for Improvement of Undergraduate Teaching (Fox & Hackerman, 2002).

Fox & Hackerman, 2002, Evaluating & Improving Undergraduate
Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics