eCollaborations and Teaching Scientific Literacy

The Case for E-Collaboration: Engaging, Empowering, and Experiential
Patricia A. McGee, Associate Professor, University of Texas at San Antonio
Online courses can make students feel that they are in a "classroom of one," even in a learning environment that is saturated with social media and interactions. E-collaboration is an instructional strategy in which typically two or more groups of students work collaboratively and independently to achieve a predetermined instructional outcome. E-collaboration occurs between different populations: different course sections, different levels of education, different disciplines, or different geographical locations. Designed thoughtfully, e-collaboration supports and requires deeper thinking through active learning, social interaction, learner ownership of results, and contextualizing content.

OUTCOMES: Identify different types of e-collaboration * Articulate high-value areas for implementing e-collaboration * Share strategies that create social, cognitive, and teaching presence

Making Science Sense: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching Scientific Literacy
Kelly L. O'Donnell, Director of Science Forward, City University of New York
Undergraduate science education has traditionally relied on memorization of facts and replication of set experiments within isolated disciplines. Classes rarely focus on the fundamental questions of what science itself is and how to engage and empower students with the skills necessary to be scientifically literate citizens. At CUNY, Science Forward is an interdisciplinary blended learning course designed by scientists and teaching faculty that features an active, student-centered classroom. Our team has developed a companion open educational resources video series and web resource. Our session will demonstrate how we pair videos with learning activities that optimize blended learning synergies.

OUTCOMES: Discover a skills-based approach to critical thinking skills in basic science * Define basic skills common across scientific disciplines * Use OER and a video series available for multiple settings