Diffusion and Molecular Motion: A Visual Demonstration

Abstract

had grown. Furthermore, the teachers indicated they are using or plan to use ideas and activities presented in the minicourses. Sixty-five percent of the teachers plan to increase time they spend teaching science (from a few minutes to two hours per week). Eighty-one percent plan to teach science differently; they mention more outdoor work, more hands-on activities, and more verbal interaction with students as methods of teaching science differently. Ninety-eight percent indicated that they would be interested in enrolling in science minicourses in the future; all of the teachers would encourage their colleagues to enroll in any future minicourses. Eighteen topics for future minicourses were suggested; space and astronomy, geology, and wildflowers were mentioned most frequently. Of the 13 minicourses offered the last two summers, all but two would be recommended at about the same frequency to their colleagues (5065%). The teachers reacted most positively to emphasis on hands-on activities, that they were kept busy, and the short amount of calendar time (three days) that was required to earn a graduate credit in science. Two negative aspects of the minicourses mentioned by more than 10% of the teachers were that the short time limited an in-depth study of the topic plus the limited time made the study period too intense. Conclusion