Feinberg Graduate School

The Department is composed of groups working in mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, earth and environmental sciences, life sciences, and science and technology for junior-high school. In all these areas there are extensive research and development projects, aimed at producing improved and up-to-date learning materials that integrate the use of modern technologies, and implementing these materials throughout the Israeli education system. Work is based on an underlying philosophy that considers curriculum development and implementation, teacher in-service development, research and evaluation as interrelated and continuous long-term activity. Therefore, research related to all aspects of curriculum development and implementation forms an integral part of the process. This research includes evaluation of pilot materials through classroom research, affective and cognitive studies, analysis of student learning difficulties and effectiveness of specific learning and teaching strategies.

Home Page (in Hebrew only): http://www.weizmann.ac.il/sci-tea/home.html

Mathematics Group

A. Arcavi and R. Even

Junior-High, Senior-High and Elementary School Curriculum Development: Preparation of Learning Materials

A. Arcavi, N. Hadas

Long-term design of a new curriculum for grades 10, 11 and 12 for non-academically oriented students.

A. Arcavi

Design of a new geometry curriculum based on the ideas of "realistic mathematics" for non academically oriented students in grades 8-9.

A. Friedlander

Development of enrichment materials.

Development of assessment tasks on the concept of function.

Development of activities with computerized tools in elementary schools.

Compu-Math: Long term curriculum development for learning mathematics with computerized tools, in Junior-High school.

N. Robinson

Development of learning materials for heterogeneous Junior-High school classes.

N. Zehavi

Development of computer software and its implementation.

Development of Materials for Learning and teaching mathematics with Computer Algebra Systems (CAS).

Development of mathematics programs for the Arab population .

Junior- and Senior-High School Teacher Development

A. Arcavi

Fellowship program for distinguished young teachers.

R. Even

MANOR - National center for mathematics teachers:

• Education and advancement of professional leadership of teachers.

• Support and counseling to professional development programs and activities in the regional teacher centers.

• Development of a professional teachers' community.

• Establishing a resource database.

• Research and evaluation.

Outreach Programs

A. Friedlander

Enriching the teaching and learning of mathematics in Tel-Aviv.

N. Zehavi

A textbook for teachers "computers and Mathematics Education".

Courses for teachers who specialize in computers and mathematics education.

Web course for teachers on the history of negative numbers.

Research and Evaluation

A. Arcavi

Research on cognitive characteristics of non academically oriented math students.

R. Even

Characterization and examination of teacher knowledge.

Development and study of research-based teacher education programs.

Preparation of research-based materials for use in teacher education.

A. Friedlander

Research on learning and teaching processes in Algebra in a computerized environment.

N. Zehavi

Research and development of Computer Algebra System (CAS) teaching methods.

Changes that CAS technology brings to teachers' professional development.

Formative evaluation of Web courses.

Effectiveness of the microcomputer software.

Physics Group

B. Eylon

High school curriculum development

1. Translation and adaptation of selected units from the course "Visual Quantum Mechanics" developed by the Physics Education Research Group in Kansas State University.

2. Preparing texts and materials for elective units for physics majors (lasers, chaos). Using computerized networks (internet and intranet) for distance learning of these courses.

3. Development of modules for student activities in Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism and Optics.

4. Development of modules for inquiry learning in the context of "mini-projects".

5. Development of a new course on Light and Waves for 10th and 12th grades.

6. Development of physics programs for the Arab population.

7. Elaboration of the national physics syllabus and the matriculation examinations.

8. Preparation of materials for e-learning in mechanics and electricity that can be used in various models that integrate in-class and distance learning of physics.

B. Eylon, U. Ganiel

Research, evaluation and planning

1. Research of problem-solving processes in high school physics.

2. Study of concept learning and misconceptions in high school physics.

3. Study of processes involved in integration of technology in physics learning.

4. Formative and summative evaluation of new courses.

5. Research and development of various strategies for integration of microcomputers in physics learning processes.

6. Investigation of learning processes and teaching methods in teacher training programs.

7. Study of long-term professional development of teachers and leader-teachers.

Application of microcomputers in physics teaching

1. Development of open environments for promoting physics reasoning and inquiry learning.

2. Developing custom made programs for specific learning activities within the physics curriculum.

E. Bagno, B. Eylon, U. Ganiel

Teacher development: National center for physics teachers

1. In-service teacher training courses.

2. In-school projects for promoting the teaching of physics through the use of computers.

3. Long-term didactical courses introducing teachers to current research in physics education and its implications to the learning/teaching process.

4. Long-term frameworks for leader teachers: Three-year courses for basic training and forums for acting teacher-leaders.

5. Resource materials and frameworks for teacher development.

6. An annotated database of selected internet resources relevant to high school physics in Israel (in Hebrew).

7. One-day national conference and workshops for physics teachers in Israel.

8. A prize for outstanding teachers or teams of teachers (together with the physics department and the Amos de-Shalit fund).

Chemistry Group

A. Hofstein

High school curriculum development and implementation

1. The development and implementation of a text book and teachers' guide. "synthetic polymers".

2. Preparation of resources and units for the teaching of Industrial chemistry in Israel.

3. Development of new instructional techniques to teach chemistry in high schools
   • Enquiry type experiments.

   • The use of internet for instruction.

   • Development of CAI.

4. Development of introductory (basic) modules for a new syllabus in high school chemistry. ("The development of chemistry" and "Chemistry and life").

R. Mamlok

The National chemistry teachers' center: Professional development of Chemistry teachers

1. Leadership courses and professional development of school chemistry coordinators.

2. In service training of chemistry teachers both in content and pedagogy.

3. In-service teachers training in the area of industrial chemistry (conducted by the industrial link center).

   Development of chemistry literacy: a workshop.

A. Hofstein

Research and evaluation

1. Evaluation (formative and summative) of textbooks written by the group.

2. Identification of learning difficulties in the context of high school chemistry with regard to concept formation, scientific thinking and cognitive theories.

3. Classroom learning environment, motivation and achievement in high school chemistry.

4. The development of "non conventional" instructional methods for teaching chemistry and assessment of their educational effectiveness.

5. Analysis of learning difficulties and misconception in chemistry in the Israeli "Bagrut" matriculation examination.

6. Students conceptions of the basic laws of thermodynamics.

Science and technology for all (The MUTAV project): R. Mamlok and A. Hofstein

(Science education for non science Oriented students in the Senior high School)

High school curriculum development and implementation

Development of modules for this program

1. Brain medicine and drugs.

2. The "Black Gold"* From Dinosaurs to Darwin (jointly with Nir Orion).

3. Scientific aspects of the police investigations (forensic-science).

4. Science in the service of the police (forensic-science).

Research and evaluation

1. Formative and summative of the above mentioned modules.

2. Teachers' and students' perceptions of science and technology.

3. Non science oriented students' conception of key ideas of thermodynamics.

Computer Science Group

M. Ben-Ari

Concurrent and Distributed Computation

Development of a high school course on concurrent and distributed computation.

Research into cognitive aspects of learning concurrency and lab software to support teaching the course.

M. Ben-Ari

Object-oriented Programming for Novices

Research into teaching OOP as an introductory computer science course: curriculum and teaching methodology, programming language, lab software and visualization.

Z. Scherz

Project Organizers

Development of an organizer as a framework for students carrying out projects in computer science.

Z. Scherz

Logic Programming (Prolog)

Preparation of a Prolog compiler for writing programs in Hebrew.

Earth Science and Environment Education Group

N. Orion

High school curriculum development for the Earth science curriculum

1. Preparing texts for a basic course "Introduction to Earth Science".

2. Development of experiments for laboratory activities.

3. Development of research projects for students named "Geotop".

4. Development of a microcomputer simulation named Geo3D for learning geological structures and for the development of spatial visualization.

5. Development of a module in environmental geology emphasizing the relationships between Earthquakes and society.

6. Development of a module named the Carbon Cycle which integrates the Earth Systems including man.

7. Development of a module "Evolution in the perspective of the geological time" which integrates the geology with biology and chemistry.

8. Development of educational field trips.

9. Development of strategies for using multimedia presentations as an educational tool.

Junior-high school Curriculum Development

Supporting the Junior-high group in curriculum development and in-service training

Kindergarten Curriculum Development

Let's rock - a curriculum for the kindergarten

In-service courses in earth-sciences

Integrating issues in the "earth sciences" in the junior-high school curriculum.

Research Evaluation and Planning

Formative and summative evaluation of new courses, learning environments and learning strategies.

Life Sciences Group

A. Yarden

High School Curriculum Development

Development of learning materials for elective units in biology:

1. The secrets of embryonic development: study through research: A student text.

2. An adventure in the immune system.

3. Bioinformatics.

Junior-High School Curriculum Development

Development of learning materials in biology for the science and technology curriculum:

1. Let's Characterize Life.

2. The living cell as a longitudinal axis.

3. Senses and Sensors.

4. The heart of the matter.

5. Ecology.

6. Nutrition and health.

7. Computerized learning material about the living cell.

Research and evaluation

1. Study off learning through research papers can serve as a stimulus for question-asking among high school students.

2. Investigate the possibilities to promote junior-high school students understanding of the relationships between cellular processes and function of multicellular organisms.

3. Study the interplay between procedural and declarative knowledge used by junior-high school students during classification.

Implementation

In-service teacher training courses and in-school teachers guidance.

Home page (in Hebrew): Home page (in Hebrew): http://stwi.weizmann.ac.il/G-Bio/index.html

Science and Technology in Junior-High School Group

B. Eylon

Preparation of learning materials for 7-9 grade

Learning Units

• Introduction to Science and Technology.

• Vacuum and particles: The particulate model of matter.

• About Fibers

• Interactions, Forces and Motion

• Scientific and Technological Communication.

• Projects as Tools for Learning.

• The Materials' Cycle in Earth's Crust.

• The World of Water.

• Simulation Based Curriculum on "Heredity".

• "The Cell "- a Strand in the Curriculum .

• Elements and Compounds.

• Inside the Atom.

• Field Trips in Science and Technology.

• Transport Systems: The Heart of the Matter.

• Bridges - Structure, Materials and Function.

• A Journey into the Living Cell.

• Systematic Inventive Thinking.

• The Art of Measurement.

• Various Learning Units on "Systems".

• Senses and Sensors.

• Various Learning Units on "Energy".

• Introduction to Spatial Reasoning in Astronomy.

• The Atmosphere.

• Systems in Industry: The Color Path.

• Health and Nutrition.

Computerized Materials

• Computerized courses and resources for the teaching the topics of "Energy - a Multidisciplinary View", "Nutrition and Health", "Nature as a Model for Imitation - The Bionic Man".

• Computer simulations for studying units dealing with "Systems".

• A Computerized environment for analyzing videotapes of motion.

• Computer programs accompanying the study of Earth-Sciences in grades 7-9.

• Computer program accompanying the study of the "cell" as a longitudinal strand (with the Center of Educational Technology).

• "The Golden Way" - A Navigational Tool for Project Based Learning in Science and Technology (with the Association for the Advancement of Science Education in the Upper Galillee).

Z. Scherz, B. Eylon, I. Hopfeld, N. Orion, O. Kedem, Y. Ben-Hur

In-service courses in science and technology for junior-high school teachers

1. Design and implementation of 3-year courses for teachers.

2. Preparation of leading science and technology educators.

3. Conducting regional long term activities in several regional teacher centers.

4. Conducting in-service teacher courses for the Arabic population.

5. A National Teacher Center for Juniour High School Teachers (in collaboration with Tel Aviv University).

B. Eylon, Z. Scherz, N. Orion, S. Rosenfeld, U. Ganiel

Research and Evaluation

1. Research on teacher and teacher-leader development in science and technology.

2. Investigation of various instructional strategies for understanding central concepts in the science and technology syllabus for junior-high school, and development of learning and thinking skills.

3. Investigation of project based learning (PBL) focusing on learning styles and the integrated development of concepts and skills.

4. Investigation of longitudinal development of conceptual frameworks and learning capabilities.

5. Investigation of learning through the course "systematic inventive thinking".

 This file was last modified on 08/15/2004 15:13:58

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