Pubdate: Wed, 10 Oct 2007
Source: Chronicle, The (Duke U, NC Edu)
Copyright: 2007 Duke Student Publishing Company
Contact: http://www.dukechronicle.com/contactus/
Website: http://www.dukechronicle.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2269
Author: Deborah Wei

Say No To Drugs-Unless You're Learning Science

DRUG EXAMPLES ENLIVEN SCIENCE CLASSES

A team of Duke researchers has demonstrated that the use of teaching 
modules, which use drug-related topics to teach biology and 
chemistry, improved high school students' test scores by 16 percent. 
Data from 7,210 students across the nation showed that those who used 
one or more modules received higher scores on 20-question tests of 
basic scientific knowledge than those who did not use the modules.

The findings were published in the Sept. 28 issue of Science magazine.

"It's stuff [students] learn in a dry context, but we put it in their 
context," said Rochelle Schwartz-Bloom, head of the project and 
director of undergraduate studies in pharmacology. "I call it 
'stealth learning.' The kids are learning all this basic science 
without realizing it. "

The Pharmacology Education Partnership-a collaboration between Duke 
faculty and high school instructors nationwide started by 
Schwartz-Bloom-developed six different learning modules, such as 
"Steroids and Athletes" and "Acids, Bases and Cocaine Addicts," that 
incorporate subjects from drug pharmacology.

The modules were presented in workshops at the National Science 
Teachers Association conference and the North Carolina Science 
Teachers Association conference in 2003 and taught in classrooms a 
year later, Schwartz-Bloom said.

"We controlled for demographics like sex, race, grade and also for 
potential differences between teachers," said Jerome Reiter, a 
co-author of the Science article and assistant professor of 
statistical science.

He said even after controlling for other factors, the data showed 
increases in student scores with each module used, and because 
testing was unannounced, scores reflected knowledge learned in the 
classroom, not the amount students studied.

Schwartz-Bloom said the research is particularly important 
considering the decreasing number of American students interested in 
science. She said the modules would be a great resource for getting 
kids back into science if the idea spreads to more teachers across the nation.

Currently, the modules have also been used in distance-learning 
programs, and a similar program is available online, Schwartz-Bloom added.

"I think we hit on an idea that is destined to succeed as long as 
people use it," she said, adding that the number of hits for the 
program's Web site has spiked since the publication of the Science article.

Although the study only looked at high school students, both 
Schwartz-Bloom and Reiter said the principles can be applied to 
collegiate learning as well.

"When I teach statistics, I try to find interesting examples that 
provide motivation to learn the underlying stats and math," Reiter 
said. "It's the general idea of taking particular real-world 
questions and trying to answer them, showing students they need to 
learn the methodology."

Eric Toone, a professor of chemistry who currently teaches 
Accelerated General Chemistry, said he has already begun 
incorporating such principles into his class. His course takes a new 
approach by teaching chemistry in terms of the cell-cycle and cancerous cells.

"The problem with the way we teach is that we teach lots of concepts, 
but we never put them in contexts that students understand," Toone 
said. "Students never make the connection that chemistry helps you 
think about things that matter. A lot of my students are pre-meds, so 
I tried to pick a problem they will care about. I think it's working."

Some students taking chemistry and biology at Duke, however, said 
they were unsure whether drug-related examples would really help them 
in the classroom, but agreed that relevant topics were key.

"Depending on the audience, it could work," said freshman Carol 
Cheng, who is studying organic chemistry. "For people who have 
experience or exposure about a certain topic, it could be very effective."
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart