// University Course

COSIA Course Sessions

  • COSIA Course Sessions

  • Session 1: Introduction to Communicating Ocean Sciences

    The introductory session of the course begins with participants sharing and discussing their ideas about learning and where learning takes place. The participants then experience different inquiry-based, hands-on activities, as examples of the kinds of activities they will present on the floor of the informal science setting later in the course. A short presentation on…

  • Session 2: Nature and Practices of Science

    This session is the second Foundation session. This session immerses participants in activities and discussions about what is science and how scientific knowledge is produced. Science is a way of knowing and attempting to explain phenomena and to understand the world around us. It’s seen as a social enterprise that advances scientific understanding over time.…

  • Session 3: How Learning Happens

    This is the third Foundation session. This session probes deeper into how learning happens. The focus is on how learners construct an understanding of the world around them through experiences, social interactions, and making connections with their prior knowledge. Participants do an activity that offers them a shared experience upon which to reflect on the…

  • Session 4: Teaching and Learning

    This is the first of the Designing to Support Learning sessions where participants consider how to design experiences to support learning. Participants access their prior knowledge about the relationship between teaching and learning by thinking about and experiencing how the design of different activities affects them as learners. Participants rotate through four activity stations focused…

  • Session 5: Designing an Activity

    This is the second of two the Designing to Support Learning sessions where participants think critically about designing learning experiences. In this session, participants focus on applying some of the insights and understandings they’ve gained in the course so far to the development of their activity with their partner. Participants are guided in the development…

  • Session 6: Conversations & Questions

    This session is one of four Apply and Refine sessions. The focus of this session is on conversations and questions, and the key role they play in supporting learning and meaning making of ideas and concepts for learners. Conversation can be a window into learners’ prior knowledge, skill-level, personality, previous experience, and ability to articulate…

  • Session 7: Objects in Teaching

    This session is one of four Apply and Refine sessions, which can be done in any order. In this session, participants examine the use of objects in learning experiences in informal environments, and think about the role of the objects in conversations and interactions. Participants explore how different types of objects that are commonly found…

  • Session 8: Creating an Inclusive Environment

    This session is one of four Apply and Refine sessions. In this session, participants consider diversity in learning environments and how to address the needs of all learners. The focus is to build knowledge about the relationship between language, culture, and science in order to create more inclusive science education environments. Issues related to diversity,…

  • Session 9: Inquiry

    This session is one of four Apply and Refine sessions. It introduces and provides an overview of inquiry in informal environments. Participants conduct an investigation, then observe visitors and facilitators interacting as they engage in an inquiry on the museum floor. The second part of this session focuses on how educators can build upon learners’…

Other Optional Session Components