Recipients Of Provost’s Teaching And Learning Award Named
August 21, 2000
University Park, Pa. – The Science Education Program in Penn State's College of Education and Penn State Erie's School of Business are recipients of the second annual Provost's Academic Unit Collaborative Teaching and Learning Award. Each will receive a $15,000 grant to continue its efforts.

This award recognizes academic units - one at University Park and one at a campus college location - for demonstrating commitment to improving teaching and learning development and evaluation, and for setting a standard for all academic units to consider as they prepare their instructional planning and programming.

"We are grateful for the commitments of the Science Education Program and Penn State Erie's School of Business for their commitments to improve teaching and learning at Penn State," said Rodney Erickson, executive vice president and provost. "They have taken the initiative in establishing innovative programs that benefit both students and faculty."

The Science Education Program in the College of Education aims to improve science teacher learning by designing fundamental aspects of science teacher education at Penn State. A careful assessment identified program strengths and limitations and as a result, the following initiatives were developed:

•Science content courses for education majors that incorporate physical science, applied science and engineering;

•Science methods courses for prospective teachers that include use of technology applications - including the Internet, data collection software and simulation software - to help them learn science and science teaching.

•Opportunities for prospective K-12 teachers to teach technology-enhanced science lessons; and

•Web-based portfolios for prospective teachers containing information from coursework and field experiences to demonstrate their problem-solving, decision-making and communication skills.

Many of the recent initiatives of Penn State Erie's School of Business focus on integrating teaching, research and outreach activities. Developments include:

•A first-year seminar integrating business disciplines using problem-based and collaborative learning methods;

•An interdisciplinary team-taught business course to medical students at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine through the Division of Continuing and Distance Education;

•A senior-level small business-consulting course that requires students to conduct applied business research and provide outreach to area businesses; and

•An Entrepreneurship Advisory Board consisting of 19 business leaders, who are members of the College's Council of Fellows, to work with students enrolled in "Entrepreneural Ventures" (MANGT 497E).

Contact: Amy Neil at (814) 865-7517 or at