NLT: a STEM course for upper secondary Berenice Michels, Harrie Eijkelhof, Nelleke den Braber RME conference September 27 2013, Boulder

Content What is NLT? Why is it developed? How is it developed? What products are developed? What research is ongoing? What effects does NLT have?

What is Nature, Life and Technology (NLT)? Elective interdisciplinary STEM course for upper secondary For students who take chemistry and mathematics as well as physics and/or biology Since 2007 in high schools (two ability levels: havo and vwo) Modular: choice of 6 – 8 (havo) or 8 – 11 (vwo) modules from over 70 modules

Essential characteristics of NLT: Interdisciplinary Focus on interaction between Science and Technology (S&T) Focus on the role of math in S&T Focus on S&T studies and professions

Why is it developed? To enhance the number of S&T students in Higher Education by giving science oriented 16+ students an authentic image of S&T, corresponding with current activities of active professional scientists To enhance cross-disciplinary collaboration between high school science teachers To enhance cross-disciplinary experiences for high school science students

How is it developed and how is quality secured? Development of materials: Cooperation between high school science teachers and scientific experts Each module consists of student material and teacher material (including assessment tools) Cyclic development process, resulting in certification of materials, meeting quality requirements

Expert check (content &didactics) Development process development Pilot in school testversion Expert check (content &didactics) Final version Evaluation report Quality certificate

How is it developed and how is quality secured? Implementation on schools: Teacher teams, consisting of three or more teacher from different disciplines Enhancing ownership, by stimulating teachers to engage in developing or testing materials

What are the products of the development? 73 context based modules (25 havo, 48 vwo) 45% of all upper secondary schools offering NLT, 16% of all upper secondary science students take NLT 10 Regional Support Centres (RSC): cooperation between universities, polytechnic colleges and high schools developing and maintaining materials supporting NLT-teachers, providing PD programs

Examples of modules Using GIS for safety Epidemics in agriculture Making and tasting bread Surviving in the International Space Station Blue energy: energy from salt and sweet water Forensic science Driving and drinking Measuring the Milky Way Medicin production and consumption Dynamic modelling Molecules of life * Food or fuel? * Dynamic earth * Care for your heart Molecular gastronomy * Lab on a chip Data collection and interpretation Biosensors * available in English

Modules Take a look at one or more of the translated modules Do you think these modules could be used in your country / lessons? Adaptations? Do you recognize the role of mathematics in this module? How could it be intensified? Take a look at the overview of the other modules Which would be of most interest for you to be translated into English? Why

Develop your own module  Yellowstone, Geiser Basin Boulder Creek Playground

Starting a new module Context: central question or sub themes Concepts and subjects involved Activities Expert input Check the certification criteria

What research activities are currently ongoing? Quantitative analyses of characteristics of NLT students Qualitative analyses of experiences of schools, teachers and students with NLT research into interdisciplinarity aspects of NLT analysis of the effect of NLT on the way students select an undergraduate program

What are the effects of NLT? NLT teacher teams on nearly all NLT-schools NLT-students experience more coherence among science disciplines students recognize that NLT introduces them to S&T studies and professions, and that NLT impacts their choice of undergraduate program RSC's extend activities of RSC to other science subjects

... shows me the coherence among science disciplines (%)

The methods in … are comparable to those in other science disciplines (1 = total disagree, 4 = total agree)

Student reactions [In NLT I discovered] that math is about more than high school lessons [I advise students to take NLT] because it is about the connection between different sciences and technology, so it is more like the real world [NLT is] approaching [a problem] from different perspectives, multiple subjects together

How did NLT help you in selecting your undergraduate program How did NLT help you in selecting your undergraduate program? (N = 182, in %)

Which activities took place during your NLT course Which activities took place during your NLT course? Activities related to orientation on study programs and professions (N = 182, in %)

Student reactions NLT showed me my favorite way of learning, which didn't influence the choice of my major, but did influence the choice of my university. It makes the choice of an undergraduate program more difficult: you get in touch with a broad scope of S&T programs, so you might end up with 3 programs you'd like to choose. […] so, NLT is the most important course I took. I am going to study Physics, astronomy & mathematics, which I wouldn't have done without NLT: Physics in high school is (…) not challenging enough. NLT gave me a scent of real physics

More information: b.michels@slo.nl www.betavak-nlt.nl/english