Testimonials
Teachers who take courses through Seminars on Science have overwhelmingly praised the program for its exciting content, rigorous academics, wonderful instructors, and the convenience of its online course structure. Many teachers come back to explore further courses in subsequent semesters.
"The very regular feedback from our instructor was great and forced me to become more current on the latest advances in modern genetics, something I've wanted to do but given my own time and schedule had not done. I really liked logging on and seeing what responses people had given to my posts from the day before. I felt there was a lot of interaction among the participants, and this kept me motivated to keep up with the readings."
—high school biology and chemistry teacher, Fall 2005
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—elementary substitute and Challenger Center teacher, Summer 2005
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"Investigating and discussing the ethics of the revolutionary concepts that have emerged in the field of genetics was a positive educational experience. The essays for week 6 were particularly interesting. Also, taking an online class was great—work submitted early in the week allowed a dialogue throughout the week. In addition, it was advantageous to have an entire week to finish up projects that took longer to complete. The instructors were very helpful with their comments; grades were submitted in a timely manner."
—high school biology teacher, Summer 2005
"The essays are well written, thought-provoking, current, and timely. Thanks for the effort put into these writings—well worth it!"
—high school general science teacher, Summer 2005
"The content and how it built over the course was great. As I look back on weeks 1 & 2, I realize how far we came and how much I learned. I talk about the ideas from this course with people almost daily. I am sorry it is over, as I like how the structure keeps me in the literature."
—university science faculty, Winter 2005
"Online discussion was so much better than face-to-face in a classroom. It gave me time to think about how to respond and to look up material to support my point of view. I was also able to evaluate more critically the responses of others and make thoughtful comments."
—teacher, Summer 2004
Evaluation
Inverness Research Associates, a national, independent educational research organization, assessed the Seminars on Science program as "outstanding." Four out of five teachers who took the courses reported mastering significant new material, gaining a better sense of how science is conducted, and acquiring valuable resources. Eighty percent rated Seminars on Science as good or better than other professional development programs.
Complete evaluation details... |
