| CODE | MSS5002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Resources for the Secondary Science Curriculum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Mathematics and Science Education | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit will consider a number of resources that are used to teach science in secondary schools. The study-unit will have a strong practical component that links to the learning theories being presented in the course. The resources that will be reviewed in this study-unit can be broadly subdivided into three areas. The first area is the STEM classroom. This includes fundamental principles of laboratory design and management, laboratory demonstrations and investigations and group work. Following this, one will consider various digital resources related to science teaching such as multimedia and simulation software packages, classroom response systems, data and video loggers, the Internet as a science teaching resource, visual media and digital devices. The last area that will be considered refers to community resources for science teaching. This involves tapping expertise from the community, fieldwork and visits to places of scientific interest. Students will also consider the use of platforms like Globe and innovative approaches to integrating scientific knowledge, research and pedagogy into the teaching and learning of other areas as art in order to develop interdisciplinary curricula that enrich the teaching of science through other disciplines. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims to: - help students to identify and use resources that reflect contemporary science research work and society; - create an awareness that teaching science involves teaching formal and abstract concepts, hence the need for classroom resources to support students' learning; - familiarize student teachers with the resources that can be utilized when teaching science; - provide students with hands-on activities that would allow them to use these resources and note how these could be useful in teaching; - present suitable digital teaching resources; and - help students identify links between educational theory and classroom practice when using these resources; - engage students with a science background in creative interpretations with the visual arts. Learning Outcomes: 1. nowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - recognise organisational issues in the STEM classroom; - identify sites of potential hazard in the laboratory; - describe exemplars that provide evidence of the abstract nature of Science by referring to the Science curricula; - list a spectrum of resources that are available for secondary school Science teaching; - critically evaluate the suitability of use of a particular resource to address diverse learning needs; and - describe and appraise the educational potential of community resources. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - set up and use appropriate resources in the STEM class; - design layouts of the STEM classroom to reflect diverse learning needs; - produce teaching resources for classroom Science; - set up hardware [such as data loggers] needed for a classroom activity; - select and use appropriate digital software and hardware that will support learning; and - plan and organize out of classroom activities. - plan lessons and schemes of work that show evidence of and lead to an understanding of how skills in science, such as observation and analysis, overlap with those in other disciplines like the visual arts. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Cuban, L. (2002). Oversold and Underused - computers in the classroom. Harvard University Press. - Holliman, R. and Scanlon, E. [eds.] (2004). Mediating science learning through Information and Communications Technology. London: Routledge Falmer. - Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, RM., Crismond, D. (2008). Meaningful Learning With Technology. Merill Education Products. Pearson. - Linn, Marcia and Hsi, Sherry (2000) Computers, Teachers, Peers Science Learning Partners. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers Mahwah, New Jersey. Other readings compiled by tutors. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Patrick Camilleri Rodrick Cini Edward Duca Ramona Mercieca Michel Spagnol Raphael Vella |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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