Scientific teaching using classroom data to improve learning and teaching
Scientific teaching is a pedagogical approach used in undergraduate science classrooms whereby teaching and learning is approached with the same rigor as science itself.
According to a 2004 Policy Forum in Science magazine, "scientific teaching involves active learning strategies to engage students in the process of science and teaching methods that have been systematically tested and shown to reach diverse students."
The 2007 volume Scientific Teaching lists three major tenets of scientific teaching:
These elements should underlie educational and pedagogical decisions in the classroom. The "SCALE-UP" learning environment is an example of applying the scientific teaching approach. In practice, scientific teaching employs a "backward design" approach. The instructor first decides what the students should know and be able to do (learning goals), then determines what would be evidence of student achievement of the learning goals, then designs assessments to measure this achievement. Finally, the instructor plans the learning activities, which should facilitate student learning through scientific discovery.