ERIC Number: EJ988862
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-May
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: 12
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-231X
Challenging Disciplinary Boundaries in the First Year: A New Introductory Integrated Science Course for STEM Majors
Gentile, Lisa; Caudill, Lester; Fetea, Mirela; Hill, April; Hoke, Kathy; Lawson, Barry; Lipan, Ovidiu; Kerckhove, Michael; Parish, Carol; Stenger, Krista; Szajda, Doug
Journal of College Science Teaching, v41 n5 p44-50 May 2012
To help undergraduates make connections among disciplines so they are able to approach, evaluate, and contribute to the solutions of important global problems, our campus has been focused on interdisciplinary research and education opportunities across the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This paper describes the mobilization, planning, and implementation of a first-year interdisciplinary course for STEM majors that integrates key concepts found in traditional first-semester biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics courses. This team-taught course, Integrated Quantitative Science (IQS), is half of a first-year student's schedule in both semesters and is composed of a double lecture and a weekly lab and workshop. Features of this first-year course, including themes and concepts covered each semester, some of the materials developed, lessons learned, challenges, and preliminary measures of success are described. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)
Descriptors: Physics, Majors (Students), Interdisciplinary Approach, Computer Science, Science Curriculum, STEM Education, College Science, Undergraduate Students, Workshops, Science Education, Mathematics Education, Comparative Analysis, Introductory Courses, Biology, Chemistry, Higher Education
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A

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