Melissa McCartney

Bio: Melissa McCartney is an academic researcher from Florida International University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Science education & Active learning. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 31 publications receiving 160 citations.

Learning to Read, Reading to Learn

Abstract: ![Figure][1] CREDIT: ALEXEY CHUVARKOV/GETTY IMAGES How often have you had your eyes pass over a text, only to realize some time later that you absorbed nothing of it? Or spent an hour listening at a seminar, only to walk away unclear about what the most important advance was? Is this entirely your fault, or is the design of the text or the seminar partly to blame? In this special issue, we have collected a variety of articles that focus on literacy in science. The term represents two angles of the problem: knowing what science has discovered and being able to communicate in the language of science. And the value is twofold, as well: Good literacy skills make it easier to learn science, but science topics can also be used to teach literacy skills that will translate well to other subjects. As Snow points out (p. [450][2]), the language used in science is different from the language used in everyday conversation. The focus on details, the exclusion of ambiguous interpretations, and the complexity of the vocabulary all present the reader with challenges different from those found in fictional texts. But as van den Broek discusses (p. [453][3]), strategies taken by the writer or speaker can help the novice through the language barrier. Webb (p. [448][4]) discusses the kinds of supports that are helpful when the language of school is not the native language of the students. Krajcik and Sutherland (p. [456][5]) analyze how scientific texts are best used in a classroom setting and how to design curricula that support life-long science literacy skills. Taking the view that not all literacy is about writing, Osborne (p. [463][6]) discusses how argumentation skills are critical for understanding why some ideas are wrong and others right. Pearson and colleagues (p. [459][7]) describe the integration of literacy and science training through professional development for teachers, innovative curricula, and enhanced classroom materials. And research reported by Taylor et al. (p. [512][8]) analyzes how both genetics and the teachers available affect a child's literacy skills. In the Education Forum, Schleicher (p. [433][9]) discusses how literacy skills required for participation in increasingly sophisticated societies have evolved and how meaningful international assessments can be conducted. In the 20 and 27 April issues, Science Signaling presents a set of Teaching Resources by Thatcher, each of which is a pair of short animations of a canonical signaling pathway; student-authored Journal Clubs cover topics ranging from signaling in cells of the immune system to signaling in plants. Science is about generating and interpreting data. But it is also about communicating facts, ideas, and hypotheses. Scientists write, speak, debate, visualize, listen, and read about their specialties daily. For students unfamiliar with the language or style of science, the deceptively simple act of communication can be a barrier to understanding or becoming involved with the science. [1]: pending:yes [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1182597 [3]: /lookup/volpage/328/453?iss=5977 [4]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1182596 [5]: /lookup/volpage/328/456?iss=5977 [6]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1183944 [7]: /lookup/volpage/328/459?iss=5977 [8]: /lookup/volpage/328/512?iss=5977 [9]: /lookup/volpage/328/433?iss=5977

Annotated primary scientific literature: A pedagogical tool for undergraduate courses.

Abstract: Annotated primary scientific literature is a teaching and learning resource that provides scaffolding for undergraduate students acculturating to the authentic scientific practice of obtaining and evaluating information through the medium of primary scientific literature. Utilizing annotated primary scientific literature as an integrated pedagogical tool could enable more widespread use of primary scientific literature in undergraduate science classrooms with minimal disruption to existing syllabi. Research is ongoing to determine an optimal implementation protocol, with these preliminary iterations presented here serving as a first look at how students respond to annotated primary scientific literature. The undergraduate biology student participants in our study did not, in general, have an abundance of experience reading primary scientific literature; however, they found the annotations useful, especially for vocabulary and graph interpretation. We present here an implementation protocol for using annotated primary literature in the classroom that minimizes the use of valuable classroom time and requires no additional pedagogical training for instructors.

Annotated Primary Literature: A Professional Development Opportunity in Science Communication for Graduate Students and Postdocs.

Abstract: Formal training in communicating science to a general audience is not traditionally included in graduate and postdoctoral-level training programs. However, the ability to effectively communicate science is increasingly recognized as a responsibility of professional scientists. We describe a science communication professional development opportunity in which scientists at the graduate-level and above annotate primary scientific literature, effectively translating complex research into an accessible educational tool for undergraduate students. We examined different types of annotator training, each with its own populations and evaluation methods, and surveyed participants about why they participated, the confidence they have in their self-reported science communication skills, and how they plan to leverage this experience to advance their science careers. Additionally, to confirm that annotators were successful in their goal of making the original research article easier to read, we performed a readability analysis on written annotations and compared that with the original text of the published paper. We found that both types of annotator training led to a gain in participants’ self-reported confidence in their science communication skills. Also, the annotations were significantly more readable than the original paper, indicating that the training was effective. The results of this work highlight the potential of annotator training to serve as a value-added component of scientific training at and above the graduate level.

Plenty of Challenges for All

Abstract: [Index to Education 2013 special section][1] Why should anyone who is not a scientist care about science education? Professional scientists and educators may find the question insulting. Every culture has struggled to find the most effective ways to teach the uninitiated and translate that learning into productive skills. But if students and parents around the world don't see the need for a high-quality education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (the so-called STEM fields), or mistakenly think that they are already receiving satisfactory teaching in those areas, then calls from the scientific community to improve STEM education will fall on deaf ears. ![Figure][2] CREDIT: THINKSTOCK In this special issue of Science , we have invited experts to tell us what they think are the most important challenges facing science education. Through a mixture of News, Reviews, Perspectives, Education Forums, and an Editorial, we explore the obstacles to progress, be they within the classroom, across the school system, or in the larger social arena. We also offer substantive suggestions on how to proceed. For example, distance education, online simulations as educational aids, and social networking tools are already part of science education. Many university faculty members are working to upgrade centuries-old approaches to instruction. And, with a new emphasis on the practice of science, promising assessment tools are being developed to improve learning. The challenges covered in this special issue will be familiar to those who have devoted their lives and livelihoods to improving education. There is a huge and expanding literature on these topics and many others not covered in these pages. Yet convincing the public of the importance of STEM education will require more than explaining what the research shows or finding ways to scale up best practices to reach the billions of students who are entitled to a high-quality education. For scientists, advances in science and technology arrive at such a rapid clip that last year's knowledge barely scratches the surface of what is needed next year. At the same time, larger and more diverse student populations clamor for access to knowledge. Not only will the scientific workforce for the 21st century need skills and knowledge we haven't even heard of yet, but all global citizens, whether in their doctor's office or in a polling booth, need to be better informed. Turning the fire of the natural curiosity of students into effective, flexible, and well-grounded outcomes will take a concerted effort by many different actors. Among them, scientists must play a central role. This is another grand challenge, and one that the scientific community ignores at its peril. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/site/special/education2013/index.xhtml [2]: pending:yes

Laying the Foundation for Lifetime Learning

Abstract: ![Figure][1] CREDIT: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM Although you may have forgotten your earliest experiences before school, they continue to affect many aspects of your life, perhaps your comfort with math or even the size of your paycheck. Early childhood education research is focused on understanding these impacts, both near- and long-term. The articles in this section detail what is known about these processes and programs, and what remains to be explored. In addition to acquiring cognitive skills, the ability to pay attention, follow directions, and function productively in groups helps a child get the most out of school. Diamond and Lee (p. [959][2]) review how such skills can be taught in preschool. Dickinson (p. [964][3]) describes how a teacher's ability to support language and conceptual knowledge can foster early language skills, providing a foundation for later literacy. Clements and Sarama (p. [968][4]) discuss effective ways to establish early grounding in math. Without consensus on how, and when, to teach science, cognitive psychologists and education researchers differ regarding what aspects of the research are most important. Klahr et al. (p. [971][5]) highlight the contributions of cognitive psychology to this field. The value of investment in early education depends on the quality of interventions and the conditions under which they are administered. Barnett (p. [975][6]) reviews longitudinal studies and meta-analyses that demonstrate how educational interventions can produce persistent effects on cognitive, social, and schooling outcomes. In early childhood education, as in other domains, scientific research seeks to inform public policy. Gormley (p. [978][7]) discusses situations and practices that can help or hinder the influence of research on policy. In an Education Forum, Shonkoff (p. [982][8]) argues that the impacts of even the best preschool curricula are likely to be limited by toxic social stress on the developing brain. He suggests research and programs aimed at improving the ability of caregivers and educators to help the most vulnerable children take advantage of early enrichment opportunities. In a series of News stories, Mervis looks at three longitudinal studies fueling the economic argument that high-quality early intervention pays off handsomely for society as well as individuals (p. [952][9]). He also reviews the 46-year-old Head Start program, which provides education and other services to 1 million low-income U.S. children and their families (p. [956][10]), and interviews Joan Lombardi (p. [957][11]), who leads the Obama Administration's efforts to coordinate health and education programs for young children in the United States. Science Careers profiles neuroscientists working with children to explore the bases of dyslexia and dyscalculia, characterized by difficulties in reading and math. Early childhood education remains peppered with both opportunities and debate. Continued progress will require new research that bridges traditional disciplines of neuroscience, psychology, sociology, economics, public policy, health, and education. Although many best practices remain to be elaborated, research demonstrates that these years lay a powerful foundation for subsequent learning, and that they should be taken at least as seriously as schooling in later years. [1]: pending:yes [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1204529 [3]: /lookup/volpage/333/964 [4]: /lookup/volpage/333/968 [5]: /lookup/volpage/333/971 [6]: /lookup/volpage/333/975 [7]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1206150 [8]: /lookup/volpage/333/982 [9]: /lookup/volpage/333/952 [10]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.333.6045.956 [11]: /lookup/volpage/333/957

Early childhood investments substantially boost adult health

Abstract: High-quality early childhood programs have been shown to have substantial benefits in reducing crime, raising earnings, and promoting education. Much less is known about their benefits for adult health. We report on the long-term health effects of one of the oldest and most heavily cited early childhood interventions with long-term follow-up evaluated by the method of randomization: the Carolina Abecedarian Project (ABC). Using recently collected biomedical data, we find that disadvantaged children randomly assigned to treatment have significantly lower prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in their mid-30s. The evidence is especially strong for males. The mean systolic blood pressure among the control males is 143 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), whereas it is only 126 mm Hg among the treated. One in four males in the control group is affected by metabolic syndrome, whereas none in the treatment group are affected. To reach these conclusions, we address several statistical challenges. We use exact permutation tests to account for small sample sizes and conduct a parallel bootstrap confidence interval analysis to confirm the permutation analysis. We adjust inference to account for the multiple hypotheses tested and for nonrandom attrition. Our evidence shows the potential of early life interventions for preventing disease and promoting health.

Guided Play: Where Curricular Goals Meet a Playful Pedagogy

Abstract: Decades of research demonstrate that a strong curricular approach to preschool education is important for later developmental outcomes. Although these findings have often been used to support the implementation of educational programs based on direct instruction, we argue that guided play approaches can be equally effective at delivering content and are more developmentally appropriate in their focus on child-centered exploration. Guided play lies midway between direct instruction and free play, presenting a learning goal, and scaffolding the environment while allowing children to maintain a large degree of control over their learning. The evidence suggests that such approaches often outperform direct-instruction approaches in encouraging a variety of positive academic outcomes. We argue that guided play approaches are effective because they create learning situations that encourage children to become active and engaged partners in the learning process.

Genre awareness for the novice academic student: An ongoing quest

Abstract: Genre, the most social constructivist of literacy concepts, has been theorized and variously applied to pedagogies by three major ‘schools’: the New Rhetoric, English for Specific Purposes, and Systemic Functional Linguistics. In this paper, I will discuss my long, and ongoing, search for a pedagogy drawn from genre theories for novice academic students. With others, I am trying to find or develop an approach that is coherent and accessible to students while still promoting rhetorical flexibility and genre awareness. I will first define and problematize the term genre. Then, I will briefly discuss what each of the three genre ‘schools’ can offer to novice students ‐ as well as their pedagogical shortcomings. Finally, I will suggest two promising approaches to teaching genre awareness: learning communities and ‘macro-genres’.

Youth (in)justice: oral language competence in early life and risk for engagement in antisocial behaviour in adolescence

Abstract: Youth offenders are complex and challenging for policymakers and practitioners alike and face high risks for long-term disadvantage and social marginalisation. In many cases, this marginalisation from the mainstream begins in early life, particularly in the classroom, where they have difficulty both with language/literacy tasks and with the interpersonal demands of the classroom. Underlying both sets of skills is oral language competence—the ability to use and understand spoken language in a range of situations and social exchanges, in order to successfully negotiate the business of everyday life. This paper highlights an emerging field of research that focuses specifically on the oral language skills of high-risk young people. It presents evidence from Australia and overseas that demonstrates that high proportions (some 50% in Australian studies) of young offenders have a clinically significant, but previously undetected, oral language disorder. The evidence presented in this paper raises important questions about how young offenders engage in forensic interviews, whether as suspects, victims or witnesses. The delivery of highly verbally mediated interventions such as counselling and restorative justice conferencing is also considered in the light of emerging international evidence on this topic.