Recipient Organization
UNIV OF IDAHO
875 PERIMETER DRIVE
MOSCOW,ID 83844-9803
Performing Department
Schoolo of Food Science
Non Technical Summary
This project proposes to increase the number and quality of secondary instructors providing science, technology, engineering, agriculture and math (STEAM) education through attendance of a Dual Credit Food Science workshop. The National Research Council has forecast an increasing need for students completing agricultural post-secondary degrees, and in particular food science, in order address global food safety issues. Idaho has a high secondary graduation rate, but low attendance and completion rates in food science and STEAM post-secondary majors.Beneficiaries of this project will be secondary agriculture, science and pre-service instructors delivering a college credit food science course in Idaho secondary schools. Secondary education students will be impacted through increased educational and career opportunities, and improved STEAM curriculum. Importantly, the student attending the Dual Credit course will be better prepared to complete food science and STEAM degrees. The workshop attendees will produce problem-and inquiry-based classroom and laboratory exercises that will be posted on a web-based eLearning system that supports the food science course. The eLearning system will be available to all instructors in Idaho adopting the Dual Credit course. Outcomes of the project will be (1.) increased offerings of Dual Credit Food Science courses at secondary schools, (2.) increased enrollment and retention of secondary students in food science and STEAM majors in post-secondary programs, and (3.) an expanded offering of inquiry-based teaching material available to secondary instructors in both science and agriculture courses. Additional impacts will be improved instructional and curricular interactions between secondary and post-secondary educators.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
10%
Developmental
80%
Goals / Objectives
The project's target objectives are to train secondary instructors and pre-service teachers in the food science discipline through curriculum development to deliver a Dual Credit course Food Science course, improving instructional delivery efficiency using a collaborative eLearning site (BlackBoardLearn), and expanding the opportunities and awareness of careers for secondary education students in the food processing industry (Educational Needs Area 1). The anticipated overall impact is an increase in the number of secondary education students seeking and attaining degrees in food science related STEM disciplines followed by employment in the food processing industry. The anticipated results will be thirty new laboratory exercises or class activities complete with learning objects, teaching notes, and supply lists. These will be made available on the BlackBoardLearn site. The outcome of the project will be 12 secondary instructors prepared to teach a Dual Credit Food Science course with a minimum of four Dual credit courses offered in the spring of 2015, a commitment of 10 secondary students to the UI food science program, and 10% higher application rate of secondary student from these schools to food science or STEM majors.
Project Methods
Agriculture instructors representing each of the Idaho regions, science teachers and pre-service student teachers will be selected for a summer workshop. Prior to the workshop, workshop objectives, the Dual Credit course materials, access to the BlackBoardLearn site, and pre-workshop orientation activities will be provided and completed by the attendees. Pre-workshop questionnaires will be used to determine the level of prior knowledge in food science and STEM. The workshop will run one week in the summer of 2013 at the University of Idaho. Mornings will be dedicated to presentations by food science faculty and food industry representatives providing foundations to food science followed by team activities for the secondary instructors reinforcing and expanding on the presentations. Afternoons will be spent in the teaching kitchens, teaching or research laboratory, or tours University food processing laboratories and facilities. Evenings will be spent on studying and preparing materials for the following day. Learning cadres will develop teaching materials that will be submitted to Co-PIs for scientific and pedagogical acceptability followed by submission to the external reviewers for evaluation. The secondary instructors will produce two original activities while the pre-service teachers will produce one activity each. Following review and revisions, the materials will be posted to the BlackBoardLearn site for general use. The workshop attendees with then be expected to commit to teaching the Dual Credit Food Science course, in the spring of 2014, and then again in 2015 following assessments and revisions. Assessment of increased numbers and diversity of students pursuing post-secondary degrees in food agriculture or STEM (SPECA Goal 1) will track student educational paths. Dual Credit students will be surveyed with respect to their perceptions of the quality of the course, instructors and their intent to pursue food science or STEAM degrees in a post-secondary setting. These data will be used to revise the course in order to improve its effectiveness in recruiting and retaining students in to STEAM. To assess workshop effectiveness, pre-and post-tests to will be given to the participants to determine effect size as well as a satisfaction survey. To evaluate the enhancement of the quality of secondary instructor preparation (SPECA Goal 2), a comprehensive written examination of the course material will be given; evaluation of the teaching materials by the external reviewers; and evaluation of videotaped presentations of the in-class or laboratory exercises developed by the secondary or pre-service teachers. The analysis of these assessments will be used to improve future workshops and may provide important insights to STEAM education improvement which may be appropriate for publication. Long term, the secondary students participating in the Dual Credit Program will be a part of the annual follow-up study of all CALS DCP participants. The influence of individuals such as their parents, secondary agriculture teachers and UI faculty on their program participation and university enrollment decisions will also be assessed.