Aug. 23, 2004

Following is a roundup of back-to-school trend and research stories at NC State University for use by the media as briefs or as background for stories. Faculty and News Services contacts are listed after each item. Color digital copies of photos are available by contacting NC State News Services at 919/515-3470.

The Introductory Science Class of the Future is Here, Today

In introductory science classes at NC State, “transmission of information” lectures and “cookbook” lab sessions are quickly becoming relics.

Led by instructors like Dr. Bob Beichner, professor of physics, and Dr. Maria Oliver-Hoyo, assistant professor of chemistry, introductory classes in physics and chemistry are instead breaking new academic ground and leading the overhaul of traditional introductory science courses.

Student Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) classes include about 100 students divided into groups of nine students at a table. Each table is split into teams of three students, and each three-member group has its own laptop computer for problem solving and research.

These teams of students collectively come up with solutions to problems posed by roving instructors. Thought-provoking problems are based on real-world quandaries, forcing students to collaborate and think critically. In this classroom, students interact with physical phenomena every day.

Research shows that students who work collaboratively in small groups and take an active role in class learn more and get better grades. Beichner has used the method in his classes since 1997, and has found that the overall failure rates are one-half of what they are in traditional classes. For women, the failure rate is one-fifth that of their peers in regular classes, while minority failure rates are reduced by a factor of four.

Oliver-Hoyo will make a presentation on SCALE-UP at the American Chemical Society Annual Meeting in Philadelphia on Monday, Aug. 23. In April, Beichner was co-author of a Policy Forum paper in the journal Science that called for research universities to take the lead in restructuring introductory science classes.

Media Contacts:
Dr. Bob Beichner, 919/515-7226
Dr. Maria Oliver-Hoyo, 919/515-2212
Mick Kulikowski, 919/515-3470

Education Experts Can Offer Practical Advice for Making Adjustments to Middle School

Puberty. Peer pressure. Rebelliousness.

Middle grades students face challenges – just as all students do – as they develop mentally, physically, emotionally and academically. Many issues, such as puberty and peer pressure, can influence a student’s motivation, interest and enthusiasm levels for school. Experts
in NC State’s College of Education can help parents, students and teachers understand and deal with these issues.

Dr. Candy Beal, associate professor of middle grades education, Dr. Pat Dalton, clinical assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, and Dr. Carol Pope, professor of middle grades English/language arts education, can provide practical advice to help parents, students, and teachers achieve personal and academic success.

Media contacts:
Dr. Candy Beal
Dr. Pat Dalton, 919/515-3221
Dr. Carol Pope, 919/515-1776
Chad Austin, NC State News Services, 919/515-3470

Comprehensive Strategy Needed to Combat Terrorism, Expert Says

Dr. Linda P. Brady

The recently released report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9-11 Commission) concludes that the United States’ foreign policy, defense and national security institutions must be transformed to deal effectively with the new threats posed by international terrorism.

While much attention has been given to the recommended institutional reforms, a noted NC State expert in U.S. national security and defense policies says that only a comprehensive preventative strategy involving diplomacy, foreign aid, intelligence, homeland defense, military force and public diplomacy will lead to long-term success in fighting terrorism.

Dr. Linda P. Brady, dean of NC State’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of political science who worked on national security issues in the Departments of State and Defense during the Carter and Reagan Administrations, says there is a need for broader understanding of Islam and the Middle East and the social, economic and political contexts that spawn acts of terrorism.

Additionally, Brady supports expanding “public diplomacy” initiatives such as cultural exchanges, joint library programs and study-abroad opportunities for American students.

She also says there is a need for serious research and scholarship related to measuring risk and vulnerability and the impact of the institutional reform recommendations on the efficiency of government operations, the state of private sector preparedness, security screening and the balance between security and protection of civil liberties.

Media contacts:
Dean Linda P. Brady, 919/515-2468
Chad Austin, NC State News Services, 919/515-3470

Need for Public Art the Impetus Behind New Campus Sculptures

Bee Sculpture

The start of a new semester creates quite a buzz on campus. One student in the College of Design has captured the renewed sense of vibrancy at the university in a public art exhibit near campus. That fervency is depicted in a swarm of bees crafted from circular steel rods that circle the roundabout in front of Brooks Hall on Pullen Drive between Hillsborough Street and Western Boulevard.

The bees are the creation of Jennifer Van Orden, a senior art and design major from Sanford. The sculptures represent how quickly people move in and around the university, she says. Plus, they are representative of the artist who created them. “Bees are very fun and energetic,” Van Orden says. “They’re colorful and people like them. They also showcase my personality and represent a lot about my character.”

The project was born out of a summer studio assignment in the College of the Design in which students had to blend one of their favorite images with the work of one of their favorite artists. Van Orden’s bees reflect the work of Raleigh artist Matt McConnell, who uses steel to create custom elements for residential, commercial and public spaces. The bees will remain in the roundabout for about another week before they fly off to Cary Academy to be used in conjunction with a spelling bee and then displayed in local parks.

Media contacts:
Jennifer Van Orden
Chad Austin, NC State News Services, 919/515-3470

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child (And a Successful College Student)

Villages are cropping up all over NC State’s campus – living and learning villages, that is.

The village concept allows students to more fully integrate academic and student affairs initiatives. Put simply, it means providing opportunities for like-minded students to get involved in residential programs that complement classroom instruction.

Linked courses in First Year College – in which students living together in Tucker and Owen Residence Halls have the opportunity to take more than one class with the same cohort – have statistically significant effects on students’ grade point averages, NC State administrators say.

Other villages house both the University Honors and University Scholars programs, which contain some of NC State’s finest students.

Another village, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), brings together first- and second-year students and upperclass mentors majoring in science. Women are traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering, NC State experts say, and providing living and learning links – alongside role models – help women gain a foothold in these fields.

The Students Advocating for Youth (SAY) village provides opportunities for students – many of them majoring in education – to discover effective ways of becoming advocates for young people. It combines field experiences, cultural trips, educational conferences and community service opportunities to make students more aware of societal changes on youth.

Media contacts:
Dr. John Ambrose, 919/515-1660 or john_ambrose@ncsu.edu
Mick Kulikowski, 919/515-3470

Traffic Light in a Parking Lot? It’s All About Transportation Research

Traffic signal installed for NCDOT training

A visit to the lower parking lot of Research Building IV on Centennial Campus’ Capability Drive may have visitors a little confused due to the traffic signal placed seemingly in the middle of nowhere. But it’s all part of a bigger plan to improve traffic signal training and research.

Two years ago, NC State’s Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) received funds from the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program to install a traffic signal training facility that would be used to support North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), ITRE, and NC State training initiatives.

The signal is located on Centennial Campus due to its low-traffic area and its proximity to teaching facilities. NCDOT will maintain the training intersection and ITRE will incorporate the signal into training courses and testing projects. NC State’s Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering will also use the signal for transportation classes. The facility is equipped with capabilities for training and research on different types of traffic controllers, loop/video/microwave detection, and pedestrian activation and crossing.

“The primary function of the signal will be for NCDOT training,” said Chris Cunningham, research assistant at ITRE and signal training facility project manager. “ITRE will be developing a class specifically for the signal facility as well.”

The signal is being used in “Principles, Detection and Timing of Traffic Signals,” a two-day traffic operations workshop conducted by ITRE. In the future, the signal will be used in various research projects, including a program that would study pedestrian crossings for the sight-impaired.

Media contacts:
Lisa Gullette, ITRE Communications Manager, 919/515-8039