Welcome to the MAST Self-Study Course Homepage. On this page you will find links to the lessons for this course, a listing of available papers submitted by students of this course, and a list of references that were useful in making this course.
This course is now the subject of a new MAST book entitled, "Self-Instruction and Teaching: Science Education for the New Millennium."
The purpose of this course is to set out the ideas and methods by which self-study can be made efficient and thorough. For those taking this course as a member of MAST or SAS this is worth 1 credit towards a certification. This course has no certification.
Unlike other courses that require a project for which a paper is due after all coursework is done, this course requires a declaration of a project right away. This project will be the source for all student participation for each lesson. This project must be approved by your chosen instructor. I would recommend something that you can cover in a few weeks. As you work through the task-lists for the lessons use your project as the basis for what you will work on.
The documents in the links that follow require either Mathematica 8 or later, or the free Mathematica CDF Viewer (you can find that here).
The Nature of Learning. Determining Your Learning Style. Planning Your Learning Project. Conducting Your Learning Project
Your Learning Space. Your Learning Budget. The Free-Form Learning Style. Planning for Educational Resources
Building Your Learning Laboratory
Rewriting Your Thoughts
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Conducting a Study Session. Using a Notebook as a Study Tool. Critical Thinking Skills. How to Overcome Barriers and Failure.
Tactile Learning. Auditory Learning. Visual Learning. Brainstorming.
Designing Experiments for Verification.
Proofs.
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General Tasks. Critical Reading. Web Searching. Multimedia Learning.
Learning in Public. Using Course Listings. Taking Courses. Meetings, Seminars, and Colloquia.
Experimentation and Observations.
Thought Experiments, Derivations, and Proofs.
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Assessing language. Assessing principles. Assessing techniques. Goals met and not.
The timed, written exam. The timmed, oral exam. The take-home exam. Practice problems.
Assessing experimental and observational technique.
Assessing mathematical, theoretical, and computational technique.
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Learning Projects for Others. Course Content. Who Are The Students? What are the Products Delivered by the Project?
The Syllabus. Planning for Learning Experiences. Special Needs Students. Other Considerations.
Designing Experimental and Observational Components.
Designing Theoretical and Computational Components.
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Timing Your Lessons. Preparing Your Lessons. Internet Lessons. Case Studies.
Role Playing. Reports. Discussion Sessions. Seminars.
Labs.
Problem-based Learning.
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Critical Thinking. Why Critical Thinking? Specific Tasks to Encourage Critical Thinking? How does This Relate to Teaching?
Tactile Teaching. Auditory Teaching. Visual Teaching. Debate.
Teaching the Interetation of Experimental and Observational Results.
How to Read Defintions, Theorems, and Proofs.
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Why Do We Motivate? How Do We Motivate? Class Participation. Tapping into the Love of Learning.
Teaching How to Overcome Barriers. Inspiring Perserverence. Teaching How to Overcome Failure. The Decision Path.
Motivating Experiments and Observations.
Motivating Thought Experiments, Derivations, and Proofs.
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Homework Assignments. Quizzes. Exams. Papers.
Prior Knowledge. Lesson Assessments. Rubriks. Course Evaluations.
Assessing Labs and Field Work.
Assessing Thought Experiments, Derivations, and Proofs.
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Self-Instruction. Teaching. A Final Word.
Here is a list of the current instructors for this course. Contact can be made by email.
There are no student project papers here yet.
Ronald Gross [1991], Peak Learning, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam.
This book has a wonderful array of subjects describing how to find your learning potential and develop it. A good deal of lessons 1 and 3 are based on elements of this book. My only complaint is that the book seems a little too "preachy."
Arnold B. Arons [1997], Teaching Introductory Physics, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
This is a truly awesome book written by a significant contributor to the field. This book has honed my philosophy of science education. Much of the material in lesson 2 is due to this book.
Joseph J. Carr [1992], The Art of Science, Hightext.
This is a neat little book on how to do experimental research. I used it as the source for many of the logical fallacies outlined in lesson 2.
E. Bright Wilson [1952], An Introduction to Scientific Research, McGraw-Hill Book Company, reprinted with minor revisions by Dover Publications, Inc. in 1990.
Written by a Nobel laureate, this book is one of the best at describing the process of scientific research of any kind. It is quite a bit dated in terms of numerical and computational work, but the general principles are still sound. I used this as a guide to some of lesson 1 and a good deal of lesson 3.
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