Abstract:

The fundamental activities of design, creation, implementation and research concerning educational and learning processes supported by technologies pose a unique set of challenges for Cyberinfrastructure (CI) that merit investigation in their own right. The CyberQUEST (Cyberinfrastructure for Quality Understanding and Engagement for Students and Teachers) project is a multi-year intervention funded by the National Science Foundation that has not only provided professional development for 200 middle school science teachers which led to innovative CI-enabled geosciences learning experiences for 10,000 middle school students, but also has effectively disseminated project lessons to hundreds of teachers in several states. This abstract highlights key components of the CyberQUEST professional development model. Details of the professional development activities and analysis of their effectiveness will be provided in the full paper.

The project first engaged a cohort of Project Teachers in a 2-year program that included week-long summer academies, collaborative lesson study rotations, on-going mentoring and classroom support. The intensive weeklong summer academies include activities that allow Project Teachers to challenge misconceptions, acquire new instructional strategies and key CI concepts and skills, and then implement them in their classrooms with the support of the project leaders. Teachers have opportunities to ask questions about technical aspects of using CI resources and tools, gain confidence in using them, and recognize the opportunities presented by these CI resources and tools to support the learning of Earth science by middle school students. During the school year, Project Teachers are involved in two Collaborative Lesson Study (CLS) rotations each year, one in fall and another in spring, focusing on different topics within their science curriculum. Key components of CLS include collaborative development of lessons by grade level teacher teams who then team teach, analyze and reflect on outcomes through the lens of student work, and then revise the lesson to strengthen the design based on outcomes. By clarifying and incorporating teachers’ individual beliefs, values, and priorities during the planning phase, CLS circumvents common roadblocks toward improvement.

The CyberQUEST project nurtured and produced a cadre of Lead Teachers who contributed to the development of an innovative CI-enhanced geosciences curriculum for middle school. The curriculum units are referred to as TechQuest Lessons as they provide technology (Tech) supported inquiries and investigations of concepts (Quest). The project then partnered with education leaders in California, Arizona, and New York to identify local teachers, referred to as QUEST Teachers, to receive professional development through a 1-day CyberQUEST Workshop. The CyberQUEST Workshop model incorporates the following principles: (1) participants apply learning to authentic tasks, (2) project-based learning provides opportunities for participants to apply new processes to target curriculum and standards in a content area, and (3) instructors model appropriate instructional strategies and use of emerging technologies. Feedback from Quest Teachers as they implement TechQuest Lessons in their classrooms have contributed to the continuous refinement of TechQuest Lessons.