English Majors: Roadblocks to STEM-Based Prosperity!

Some blog followers might be interested in a recent post “English Majors: Roadblocks to STEM-Based Prosperity!” [Hake (2013)]. The abstract reads:

ABSTRACT: According to the National Governors Association webpage “Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) Education” at http://bit.ly/14epfgM: “STEM education for all students is linked to our nation's future prosperity . . . . . GOVERNORS ARE IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO ADVANCE COMPREHENSIVE STEM EDUCATION POLICY AGENDAS. . . . . . . . .” [My CAPS.]

Governors are also in a unique position to deter English Majors (EMs) from blocking STEM-Based Prosperity. Governors need to take immediate steps to (a) outlaw offerings of the English Major in state universities; and (b) counter pro-EM propaganda by English professors - for example, Matz's “Dear Garrison” at http://bit.ly/14E1t4W, a counter to Garrison Keillor’s EM-belittling jokes, and Edmundson’s “The Ideal English Major” at http://bit.ly/1974pFo. Edmundson went over the top with: “All students - and I mean all - ought to think seriously about majoring in English.”

The late John Atherton (1986) - see http://lat.ms/18X3qHu - in his brilliant “Confessions of an English Poetry Eater” at http://bit.ly/17cwUPw has relayed the tragic testimony of Joseph Priestly Galileo (JPG), whose potential as a STEM superstar was demolished by closet English major “B.” JPG’s transcript reads in part:

“It was in my 22nd year that the horrible incident occurred. I had spent an idle and debauched evening at the home of B. . . . . . Suddenly B remarked, ‘Joseph, have you ever seen a copy of T.H. Huxley's ‘On a piece of chalk?’ . . . . . . ‘You see, Joseph,’ he said, as the poison on the pages worked its way with me, 'how can it be so bad if it gives so much delight? You must visit me more often. Perhaps,' he lowered his voice and bent close to my ear, 'perhaps I may let you read a novel.' When I drew back in alarm, he understood that he had gone too far. . . . . .When [my father] heard that I had sniffed the sulphur of metaphor, [he] at once confined me to the laboratory with a copy of Principia Mathematica. But the damage had been done. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . If my story can be a warning to susceptible scientists, I will rest more easily. Remember, not a scintilla of metaphor can be allowed to touch the minds of our youth. We must stamp our ruthlessly any trace of the terrible traffic in tropes. Alliteration! The horror, the horror! Nurse, please, a couplet, for I am fading fast."
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Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
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“As for me, my senses have been completely shattered by contemporary poetry. There is no known cure.”
- Joseph Priestly Galileo as quoted by John Atherton (1986)


REFERENCES [URL’s shortened by http://bit.ly/ and accessed on 11 August 2013.]
Hake, R.R. 2013. “English Majors: Roadblocks to STEM-Based Prosperity!” online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at http://bit.ly/19dKg0h. Post of 11 Aug 2013 10:46:17-0400 to AERA-L and Net-Gold. The abstract and link to the complete post are being distributed to various discussion lists.

Over Fifty Suggestions of Books For a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Book Club

Some blog followers might be interested in “Over Fifty Suggestions of Books For a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Book Club” [Hake (2011)].

The abstract reads:

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ABSTRACT: POD’s Linda Serro, in a post “STEM Education Books,” requested suggestions for “STEM Education book titles that might be appropriate for a book club.” PODers Nilson, Nuhfer, Smith, and Nelson suggested a few books and possible sources of books from which I derived 25 book titles. I add 26 more for a total of 51 references. These constitute only a tiny fraction of the books that might be appropriate for a STEM education book club. Others may wish to add their own recommendations.
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To access the complete 42 kB post please click on http://bit.ly/nO8AIY.

Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
Honorary Member, Curmudgeon Lodge of Deventer, The Netherlands
President, PEdants for Definitive Academic References which
Recognize the Invention of the Internet (PEDARRII)

rrhake@earthlink.net
http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake
http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~sdi
http://HakesEdStuff.blogspot.com
http://iub.academia.edu/RichardHake

“People have nowadays . . . got a strange opinion that everything should be taught by lectures. Now, I cannot see that lectures can do so much good as reading the books from which the lectures are taken. Lectures were once useful; but now, when we can all read, and books are so numerous, lectures are unnecessary.”
Samuel Johnson according to James Boswell (1791)


REFERENCES [All URL's shortened by http://bit.ly/ and accessed on 29 September 2011.]

Boswell, J. 1791. Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, online at http://bit.ly/qfDXPz .

Hake, R.R. 2011. “Over Fifty Suggestions of Books For a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Book Club,” online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at http://bit.ly/nO8AIY. The abstract and link to the complete post are being transmitted to various discussion lists.

Physics Education Research - Not Widely Known in Higher Education

Some blog followers might be interested in discussion-list post “Physics Education Research - Not Widely Known in Higher Education” [Hake (2011)].

The abstract reads:

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ABSTRACT: Economist Bill Goffe in his PhysLrnR post “Re: Business agenda for K-12 STEM education: not research-informed” wrote (paraphrasing):

“. . . it appears that Physics Education Research isn't widely known even in higher ed. For example Trudy Banta and Charles Blaich in a Change Magazine article “Closing the Assessment Loop” http://bit.ly/lQyEYp bemoan the fact that they can find very few instances of improved learning after a teaching innovation. The extensive physics education research that so convincingly demonstrates such a connection is not even mentioned.”

That Trudy Banta http://bit.ly/mKElpt and Charles Blaich http://bit.ly/iNrXrL are evidently either unaware or dismissive of physics education research is typical of the near total disconnect between (a) Psychologists, Education specialists, and Psychometricians (PEP’s), and (b) education researchers in STEM disciplines - see e.g., “Evidence on Promising Practices in Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education” http://bit.ly/ceg1Bx, and “Possible Palliatives for the Paralyzing Pre/Post Paranoia that Plagues Some PEP's? [Hake (2006) http://bit.ly/caWtWl].

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To access the complete 15 kB post please click on http://bit.ly/iT4YsN.

Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University

Honorary Member, Curmudgeon Lodge of Deventer, The Netherlands
President, PEdants for Definitive Academic References which

Recognize the Invention of the Internet (PEDARRII)

rrhake@earthlink.net

http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake
http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~sdi
http://HakesEdStuff.blogspot.com
http://iub.academia.edu/RichardHake

“There is substantial evidence that scientific teaching in the sciences, i.e., teaching that employs instructional strategies that encourage undergraduates to become actively engaged in their own learning, can produce levels of understanding, retention and transfer of knowledge that are greater than those resulting from traditional lecture/lab classes. But widespread acceptance by university faculty of new pedagogies and curricular materials still lies in the future. . . . . We conclude that widespread promotion and adoption of the elements of scientific teaching by university science departments could have profound effects in promoting a scientifically literate society and a reinvigorated research enterprise.”

Robert DeHaan (2005)

“One of the most striking findings [came from comparison of the learning outcomes (as measured by the FCI and a related inventory on mechanics) from 14 traditional courses (2,084 students) and 48 courses using "interactive-engagement" (active learning) techniques (4,458 students). . . . .[[Hake (1998a,b)]]. . . . . The results on the FCI assessment showed that students in the interactive engagement courses outperformed students in the traditional courses by 2 SDs. Similarly, students in the interactive-engagement courses outperformed students in the traditional courses on the Mechanics Baseline Test, a measure of problem-solving ability. This certainly looks like evidence that active learning works! Research in physics education is having a profound effect on the development of instructional materials.”

Joel Michael (2006)


REFERENCES [All URL's shortened by http://bit.ly/ and accessed on 27 April 2011.]

DeHaan, R.L. 2005. “The Impending Revolution in Undergraduate Science Education,” Journal of Science Education and Technology 14(2): 253-269; the abstract and first page are online at http://bit.ly/cqIK1w.

Hake, R.R. 2011. “Physics Education Research - Not Widely Known in Higher Education” online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at http://bit.ly/iT4YsN. Post of 27 Apr 2011 17:07:07-0700 to AERA-L and Net-Gold. The abstract and link to the complete post are being transmitted to various discussion lists.

Michael, J. 2006. “Where's the evidence that active learning works?” Advances in Physiology Education 30: 159-167, online at http://bit.ly/fjJ2Lj .

Data Demonstrating the Benefit of Reform Pedagogy in STEM Disciplines

Some readers might be interested in:

Hake, R.R. 2008. "START WITH THE DATA: Over Eighty Annotated and Hot-linked References to Sources Containing or Alluding to Data Demonstrating the Benefit of Reform Pedagogy in STEM Disciplines," post of 10 October; online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at  http://tinyurl.com/4z3qlt .  [Here STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.]