PATHWAYS TOWARD BUILDING A SUPERCOURSE OF SCIENCE

1
PATHWAYS TOWARD BUILDING A SUPERCOURSE OF SCIENCE

• Science and Technology in a Global Perspective
• AAAS Annual Meeting 15 Feb 2008
• Science SuperCourse Conference at Bibliotheca
  Global Health Breakout Session
• Alexandrina, 5 January 2009
• Gilbert S. Omenn, M.D., Ph.D.
• Center for Computational Medicine
• Biology
• University of Michigan
• Ann Arbor, MI, USA

2
POWER OF THE INTERNET TO FACILITATE SCIENCE
EDUCATION AND NETWORKING THE SUPERCOURSE

• Ron LaPorte, Univ of Pittsburgh
• Ismail Serageldin, Bibliotheca Alexandrina,
• Alexandria, Egypt
• Faina Linkov, University of Pittsburgh
• Vint Cerf, Google
• Gil Omenn, Univ of Michigan
• Panelists from four AAAS Sections
• Listed/sponsored by 10 AAAS Sections

3
The Need for Science Education Globally

• There are generally long delays in moving new
  knowledge to textbooks and classrooms.
• A close relationship between higher education and
  advanced research is a hallmark of countries with
  economic progress.  
• A tension between specialization of individual
  research and the need for multidisciplinary team
  research, especially for societys Grand
  Challenges (the theme of my AAAS Presidential
  Address in 2006...see SCIENCE 15 Dec 2006).
• Busy teachers need assistance in building
  teaching materials/lectures for their own use.  

4
Large-Scale Experiments in Science Education

• AAAS Project 2061, for the K-12 years
• Numerous efforts by field (computer sciences) or
  institutions (Boston Museum of Science MIT)
• Prototype Internet-based PowerPoint lectures the
  SuperCourse in Global Health
• Our breakout group has the opportunity to help
  shape all the BA SuperCourse fields based on
  experience and needs identified.

5

• 1989

6
Halleys Comet---1985/2061
7
(No Transcript)
8
Supercourse

• Provide a library of lectures slides by
  discipline and by theme
• Create a resource to be utilized and adapted by
  teachers at multiple levels
• Make resources available globally
• Facilitate adaptation via translation and mirror
  servers
• Generate a substrate for public education about
  science and engineering and about the importance
  of technology in our lives

9
Drivers Responses

• Students and faculty often comment, aftera
  spectacular lecture, that It would be wonderful
  if everyone could hear or see that lecture, or
  learn what was presented.  
• How much is the content?
• How much is the visual/live impression?
• Varies with the lecturer and the content
• We have used PowerPoints others are using videos

10
Drivers and Responses

• Producing quality lectures in a survey course of
  30 sessions is a daunting task.  
• Journal articles are increasingly dense and soon
  may be outdated.  
• The Epidemiology/Prevention/Global Health
  SuperCourse has demonstrated an impressive
  willingness of prominent, active scientists to
  share their PowerPoint lectures (now 3378).
• Teachers around the world (44,000) have
  downloaded these lectures from the Internet,
  studied the material, and adapted the slides and
  concepts to their own lecture needs.  
• It is a remarkably lively, two-way process
  (LaPorte).

11
Features of the SuperCourse

• Rapid sharing of outstanding lectures to
  scientists and educators globally
• Empowering teachers with credible template
  lectures readily adapted to their circumstances.
• Ease of usage, minimal cost to users,
  high-quality content.
• Translated into multiple languages
• Downloading facilitated by mirror servers
• Suitable for expansion

12
Quality Assurance

• There is considerable skepticism about the
  uniformity and quality of a broad collection of
  lectures.
• We will present findings and plans for quality
  assurance (Linkov).
• The Google method of user-determined ranking of
  lectures seems to be working (LaPorte).

13
Meeting Needs in the Developing World

• Fits the 2008 AAAS theme of Science and
  Technology in Global Perspective
• Spectacular partner in the Bibliotheca
  Alexandrina (Serageldin)
• Remarkable efforts in various countries to
  establish mirror servers (much faster downloads)
  and translate large numbers of SuperCourse
  lectures (Chinese, Russian, Italian, Spanish,
  Arabic)

14
Bringing Expertise from the Developing World to
the Global Community

• Top Anthrax lecture in the SuperCourse had been
  sent in from Peru before the 2001 episode in the
  U.S.
• Tsunami in Asia triggered emergency PowerPoint
  response within 48 hrs from a global network
• Real-time PowerPoints as Hurricanes Katrina and
  Rita came up the Florida coast were coordinated
  in Novosibirsk and Tehran

15
Scientific and Engineering Disciplines versus
Societal Problems or Themes

• Grand Challenges themes like energy/environment/su
  stainability, water, global health, and economic
  development could be organizing foci for lectures
• Disciplines should be natural base
• AAAS sections combine both approaches
• SuperCourse on Epidemiology and Global Health
  represents such a combination, with
  cross-categorization of lectures

16
Pathways to Expand from Global Health to Many or
Most Fields of Science Engg

• Collect individual lecturers from
  luminariesNobel Laureates, NAS/NAE/IOM members,
  AAAS Fellows globally
• Engage individual disciplines, some of whom
  already have suitable libraries of open-source
  lectures for which reciprocal links might be
  appropriate
• Stimulate AAAS sections to identify annual
  meeting lectures and individuals to invite
  lectures from them
• Build a great repository and nidus for Developing
  Countries at Bibliotheca Alexandrina

17
Questions for Today at BA

• What can established and new users of the
  SuperCourse tell us about how we can make the
  powerpoint lecture approach more user-friendly?
• Are search functions and filters very helpful?
• What determines which lectures appear when we
  click on a topic?
• What should be done to stimulate leaders in the
  developing world to contribute their best
  powerpoint lectures?
• How can contributors be given credit? Cited?
• How do we keep up-to-date?
• How do we expand the Community of Practice?

18
Contact Information

• SuperCourse www.pitt.edu/super1
• Followup
• ronaldlaporte_at_gmail.com,
  faina.linkov_at_gmail.com
• gomenn_at_umich.edu