Research

ED 4372 Educational Technology (course update)

Re-design of original course to meet needs of today's pre-service teachers made possible by a 2008-2009 award from the UT-System TeleCampus. This undergraduate level course was taught completely online via UTTC from Fall 2001 through Spring 2010 when it was moved to UTD. This course update is important in that ED 4372 is now required for all students seeking Texas state teacher certification through the Teacher Development Center. Funds were used to enhance existing content resources, to address recent advances in information technology, to leverage new tools and resources for distance education, and to integrate literacy objectives overtly with best practices. Learning Outcomes: 1. The student will be able to execute the educational technologies utilized in an asynchronous, online course. 2. The student will be able to choose tools and resources to improve educational practice within their field. 3. The student will be able to construct electronic media to support their ideas for enhancing teaching and learning with educational technologies.

Texas Course Redesign Project – Environmental Science Online

Investigation into faculty incorporation of third-party materials into online coursework made possible by a 2007-2008 award from the UT-System TeleCampus. In designing SCI 5325: Integrated Earth Science for Teachers, Nix presented a new look at fundamental content by incorporating the physical and life sciences within the broad field of earth science. The ultimate goal of this course was to help students to learn how to make the connections among information, opinion, observation, experimentation, and imagination. Such complex interdependencies are not readily apparent without an intentional exploration of topics and guided application across seemingly independent disciplines. This capability to transfer knowledge and understanding throughout multiple contexts is paramount to developing higher-order thinking skills and critical thinking abilities at all ages. The licensed resources in the National Repository of Online Courses (NROC) enabled efficient development and support effective delivery of UTTC coursework. Given the experience and expertise of faculty intellectual property, creative approaches to mixing these items with hands-on activities (inquiry-based Penny Ante Science laboratories and leading-edge PASCO probeware experiments) produced an academically rigorous and educationally robust course.

Adopting Third-Party Content for Online Courses in Higher Education

Incorporating 3rd Party Content into Online Coursework

Space relations and abstract reasoning online

The goal of this investigation is to determine to what extent visual thinking networking influenced abstract reasoning for adults in an integrated earth science students. Abstract reasoning can be defined as the capacity to reason when problems are presented in terms of size, shape, or position, or quantity, or other non-verbal, non-numerical forms (Bennett, Seashore, & Wesman, 1974). This is important to us because it seems to correlate with increased problem-solving ability. The VTN metacognitive learning strategy did indeed improve Abstract Reasoning abilities in science learners online! A Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test revealed a statistically significant increase in abstract reasoning ability by using Visual Thinking Networking in an online science course, z = -2.432, p = .015 with a large effect size (r = .56). The median score on the Differential Abilities Test for Abstract Reasoning increased from pre-VTN (Md =58) to post-VTN (Md = 68).

Program Development | Master of Arts in Teaching - Science Education

The MAT-SE Online! is an distance education option of the thesis strand of UTD's 36-hour Master of Arts in Teaching – Science Education (MAT-SE) degree. Launched in Fall 2006, this completely-online, fully-asynchronous program was jointly developed by the Science/Mathematics Education Department and Teacher Development Center at the University of Texas at Dallas to serve science teachers around the globe. It is made possible by a 2005-2006 award from the UT-System TeleCampus.

• Research Method Design Tool (RMD)
• Drawing TEaCHNIQUES: Art Skills Tutorials
• Balancing Act media collection

Not only are the MAT-SE Online! courses student-centered, but so are the program options in order to better serve a diverse population with specific needs. Degree plans can accommodate elective hours to fulfill prerequisite deficiencies and content hours to address specialization area interests. Course sequencing enables students to maintain a full or partial load over independent semesters. Thesis research is scalable from district-wide evaluations to individual case studies, as well as the range of possibilities within virtually unlimited bounds.

Library Integration Projects

Form Following Function (Notes | Handout)

Meeting in the Middle (Notes | Handout)

Teacher Quality Grant | Middle School Science, Grades 6 & 7

Taking them to the top! II is a year-long professional development program that was jointly developed by the Science/Mathematics Education Department and Teacher Development Center at the University of Texas at Dallas to serve science teachers in north Texas. It is made possible by a 2005-2006 award from the Teacher Quality Professional Development Grants Programs, which in Texas are administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Designed specifically for current or prospective middle school teachers, the year-long instruction includes an intensive summer field experience followed by on-campus meetings and on-line modules. Scientific investigations will use hands-on activities and infuse technology innovations into classroom instruction. A cohort of teachers will be instructed in the use of various scientific and educational technologies and exposed to an array of curriculum tools and resources.

Action-Interaction-Reaction: YOU are THE key!

YOU are THE key! is a 1-day professional development workshop that was jointly developed by the Teacher Development Center and the Science/Mathematics Education Department at the University of Texas at Dallas to serve K-12 teachers in north Texas. It is made possible by a 2004 award from the North Texas Clean Air Coalition Community Grants Program, which was funded by TXU. Participation is designed to inspire the artistry of teaching by enabling teachers to experience different types of learning and by empowering them to use a range of valuable curriculum tools and resources. Offered to current or prospective classroom school teachers, the 7-hour instruction specifically promotes the awareness and understanding of air quality - a critical resource that most of us take for granted. Virtually invisible, it is a difficult concept to master and a challenging topic to teach.

Cultivating an integrated science learning environment with applications of information technology and environmental education

Taking them to the top! is a year-long professional development program that was jointly developed by the Science/Mathematics Education Department and Teacher Development Center at the University of Texas at Dallas to serve science teachers in north Texas. It is made possible by a 2004-2005 award from the Teacher Quality Professional Development Grants Programs, which in Texas are administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Designed specifically for current or prospective middle school teachers, the year-long instruction includes an intensive summer field experience followed by on-campus meetings and on-line modules. Scientific investigations will use hands-on activities and infuse technology innovations into classroom instruction. Coursework will support the development of a comprehensive virtual field trip web site. To that end, a cohort of teachers will be instructed in the use of various scientific and educational technologies and exposed to an array of curriculum tools and resources.

MT SCIENCE: Mobile Technology for teaching and learning SCIENCE in the real world

MT SCIENCE is an innovative and critical resource made possible by a grant from the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board. As the teachers of our teachers, we must update our higher education infrastructures to assure access to current information technology and meet the demands of an increasingly technological citizenry. UT-Dallas' past successes in delivering field-based programs within a multi-faceted learning environment make both content and pedagogy relevant. Using that same approach, supported by appropriate information technology, we will be enabled to provide a tangible opportunity for teachers to gain organized knowledge to make practical changes in education.

What Educators Want from the World Wide Web

Research focused on defining what educators want from the World Wide Web and how content providers and administrators might fulfill needs with emerging multimedia tools. Studies included advanced educational research and science courses, in addition to development of lessons/units that reflect original applications of technology in teaching.