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.
"I most enjoyed the nature of the interactive discussions with the scientists as I tried to answer the open-ended questions. The nature of the questions permitted entry into the discussions at many levels of knowledge. The links expanded my awareness of the resources available online. The way that the threaded discussions required me to think carefully about the explanations I gave as well as the opportunity to see the responses others gave, and to discuss those responses."
—high school chemistry teacher, Fall 2005
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—education graduate student, Summer 2005
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"I enjoyed being able to interact with people from a wide variety of locations and backgrounds. The material was very interesting. [The instructor] did a great job of interacting with us and helping us to fully explore the material."
—middle school general science teacher, Summer 2005
"I liked the interactives, especially Find a Vent. This exercise showed in a very active way, from the user's point of view, how tedious, time-consuming—and with an aspect of 'needle-in-a-haystack' towards a discovery—fieldwork can be. I thought this interactive conveyed the scientific inquiry process excellently. I feel it would be very successful with high school students."
—high school general science teacher, Summer 2005
"I learned a lot of new information that will be helpful when teaching my students about the ocean. I loved how easy the weekly checklists were to follow."
—elementary school general science teacher, Summer 2005
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... |
