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Materials Science and Technology: A curriculum that works

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Thomas G. Stoebe and
John M. Rusin
Thomas G. Stoebe
Affiliation:
University of Washington. Seattle, WA
John M. Rusin
Affiliation:
Edmonds Community College, Lynnwood, WA
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Extract

Materials Science and Technology is a curriculum developed at Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, which emphasizes hands-on, minds-on studies of materials science and technology. This curriculum has been taught to over 1000 middle and high school teachers nationwide in a series of week-long institute programs, and is used in classrooms in 16 states. Evaluations have shown that the curriculum is highly effective in getting students interested in science and technology, and in encouraging them to study more science.

This paper presents the basics of the curriculum and its approach, along with venues used for promoting the curriculum and the teaching methods used. Full evaluation results are discussed, including the assessment of increased student interest and increased student involvement their own learning. Means of adapting the program to a local situation are also presented.

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References

1. Materials Science and Technology Teachers Handbook, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 1990 – 1998). Development and teacher training supported by U.S. Dept. of Energy, 1985–96 (contact Karen Wieda, Box 999, Richland, WA 99352), http://science-ed.pnl.gov/mstcourse.stm Google Scholar
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