Scientists%20Mentoring%20Graduate%20Students%20on%20Research%20and%20Teaching%20Through%20COSEE%20Concept%20Mapping%20Collaborative%20Workshops

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Scientists Mentoring Graduate Students on
Research and Teaching Through COSEE Concept
Mapping Collaborative Workshops

• P. Kwon, COSEE-West, pkwon_at_aqmd.gov?C. Companion,
  University of Maine, carla.companion_at_maine.edu?A.
  deCharon, University of Maine,
  annette.decharon_at_maine.edu?T. Repa, Touro
  College, theodore.repa_at_touro.edu

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Background

• NSF promotes the preparation of the next
  generation of scientists to uphold position of
  world leadership in science, technology,
  engineering and mathematics (STEM)
• COSEE-Ocean Systems took on part of the challenge
  by both revising and scaling up its peer to
  peer workshop model for scientists and educators

• Revised model is designed to help faculty-level
  scientists mentor graduate students to improve
  their teaching by graphically organizing and
  presenting their research

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Concept Mapping

• A concept map is a diagram showing the
  relationships among concepts
• Concepts are connected with labeled arrows that
  articulate the relationship between them
• Concept maps have their origin in the learning
  movement called constructivism
• "The most important single factor influencing
  learning is what the learner already knows.
  Ascertain this and teach accordingly. (D.
  Ausubel)

Concept A
Concept B
Phrase that describes the relationship of A to B
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Original Peer to Peer Model
Content knowledge
Scientist
Educator
Pedagogical knowledge

• Both groups believe they can learn something from
  the other
• Teams of 1 scientist and 3-4 educators
  constructed maps for target audiences of
  non-scientists
• In post-workshop interviews, scientists
  recommended that the model be adapted for
  graduate students

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Revised Mentor / Mentee Model
Content knowledge
Graduate Student
Present content to
3rd party audience
Scientist
Audience knowledge

• Both groups are interested in learning how to
  effectively reach a third-party audience
• Third-party audience types are chosen to allow
  graduate students to provide insight on their
  needs
• At the workshops end, graduate students receive
  feedback on their presentations from the target
  audience (or its proxy)

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Workshop Locations Target Audiences
COSEE West April 2011 High School Students
COSEE NOW May 2011 Informal Audiences
COSEE California October 2011 Undergraduate Stud
ents
COSEE Ocean Systems February 2010 High
School Students
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Third-Party Audiences Feedback
Participants are rated on their ability to put
their research into a big picture context, use
of jargon, the organization of the concept map,
and the clarity of a take home message
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Workshop Models Participants Feedback
Feedback on both Educator and Graduate Student collaborative models Educators N Graduate Students N
Quality of interaction with scientists 6.6 67 6.5 71
Understanding how concept maps are used to present concepts 6.6 107 5.9 71
Concept mapping helped to think through topics 89 106 85 71
Interacted as peers / colleagues 91 66 90 71
Share ideas and build a bridge with scientists / faculty 90 67 68 71
measured on a 7 point scale Answered Yes
(others chose Sort of)
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Evaluation Strategy

• To supplement data on the workshop, the team
  chose to administer a follow-up survey at least 6
  months after each workshop
• The goal of this follow-up survey was to
  determine how participants had used the content
  and tools since the workshop

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Follow-Up Survey Results

• 49 graduate students responded (66, n74)
• 47 OS 60 West 67 NOW 94 California
• All were satisfied with assistance from COSEE
  staff
• 98 were satisfied with the faculty interaction

• 90 would recommend it to peers/colleagues
• 90 would like more pedagogical training in
  their graduate program

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Feedback about Use of Concept Mapping for
Educational Outreach or Teaching

• Highest responses (n48)
• To better organize thoughts (63)
• To provide a bigger picture or context (54)
• Use of concept mapping for teaching purposes was
  limited (n44)
• 16 stated that they used concept mapping to
  help students understand research concepts in an
  undergraduate or graduate seminar
• 11 used it for assessing (their) students
  knowledge

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Feedback about Use of Concept Mapping for
Graduate Research

• Highest responses (n48)
• Organize thinking about an existing
  research/dissertation topic (56)
• Develop research/dissertation topic (44)
• Explain my research to my colleagues and/or peers
  (44)
• 91 of the responding participants indicated that
  they have already, will, or may add concept
  mapping to their tools for organizing their
  research (n47)

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Feedback about Usefulness of Workshop for
Graduate Students Primary Work

• 62 of the 34 graduate students who answered this
  question indicated yes it has or yes it will
• Positive responses in order of workshops
• Winter 2010 (OS) 8 out of 8 (100)
• Spring 2011 (West NOW) 8 out of 15 (53)
• Fall 2011 (CA) 5 out of 11 (45)

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Participant Experiences
Winter 2010 Workshop (OS)
I have used at least one concept map to organize
ideas at the beginning of each new project. I
included concept maps in my dissertation work, in
lectures and presentations, in organizing
thoughts instead of taking notes, and in
designing new algorithms e.g. in testing new data
analysis tools. I have become more interested
in outreach/education aspects of scientific
research.
Spring 2011 Workshops (West NOW)
Helped me organize my thoughts and what was
needed for my research.
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Participant Experiences
Fall 2011 Workshop (CA)
As I am about to transition to a different
field of research, I could see how concept
mapping would help me organize my thoughts
regarding this new material and that the workshop
will be beneficial to me. It has helped me
in organizing my thoughts for my dissertation to
flow in a logical sequence. I used it to
organize my qualifying exam.
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Feedback about Workshops Helpfulness with
NSF-defined Broader Impacts

• 22 of the survey respondents reported that
  workshop has been helpful to them in all five
  Broader Impacts areas, the highest being
• Advance Discovery (82)
• How well does the activity advance discovery and
  understanding while promoting teaching, training
  and learning?
• Benefits to Society (77)
• What may be the benefits of the proposed
  activity to society?
• 82 of these respondents also reported increased
  involvement in activities related to Benefits to
  Society as a result of the workshop

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Specific Examples of Broader Impacts Benefits
(1 of 3)

• I used a concept map to explain my research to a
  group of scientist peers whose specialty is
  outside my own field the concept map helped me
  to both organize my thoughts and share the
  information. (CA)

While in graduate school, this tool helped me
disseminate information regarding my graduate
work and focus area. (OS)
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Specific Examples of Broader Impacts Benefits
(2 of 3)

• Engaged in research projects that lead to
  concrete recommendations for policy makers,
  fishermen, environmental consultants and many
  others interested in better management of marine
  resources. (OS)
• I was a part of a webinar series, in which I
  presented my research to the large community of
  educators, graduate students and who ever else
  logged in. I have used COSEE as a tool to
  disseminate the results of my research, so larger
  number of people can use it for education,
  research or whatever else. (OS)

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Specific Examples of Broader Impacts Benefits
(3 of 3)

• Visited a local high school to talk about
  concept mapping and my own oceanographic
  research. (OS)
• I created a concept map highlighting my research
  topic which is available on the COSEE-OS site,
  along with an accompanying blog (encouraging
  other grad students to use these tools) and a
  webinar presentation I've also shared the
  concept mapping tool at a national meeting. (OS)

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Conclusions

• Workshops achieved its primary goal provide
  tools and training to help graduate students
  better understand the bigger context of their
  research
• The workshop model can be transferred to
  different trainers and in different locations
  across the country
• COSEE-OS on-line concept mapping tool, CLIMB, is
  useful for graphically organizing how scientists
  and graduate students think about their research

http//cosee.umaine.edu/climb
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Recommendations

• COSEE Centers consider implementing follow-on
  activities to concretize graduate students use
  of these tools for science research, teaching,
  and educational outreach
• Share these findings in a publication that is
  read by the oceanographic research and teaching
  community

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References

• Ausubel, D., Educational Psychology A Cognitive
  View, Holt, Rinehart Winston, (New York), 1968.
• Novak, J.D. Gowin, D.B., Learning How to Learn,
  Cambridge University Press, (Cambridge), 1984.