Say No To Drugs-Unless You're Learning Science

DRUG EXAMPLES ENLIVEN SCIENCE CLASSES

A team of Duke researchers has demonstrated that the use of teaching
modules, which use drug-related topics to teach biology and
chemistry, improved high school students' test scores by 16 percent.
Data from 7,210 students across the nation showed that those who used
one or more modules received higher scores on 20-question tests of
basic scientific knowledge than those who did not use the modules.

The findings were published in the Sept. 28 issue of Science magazine.

"It's stuff [students] learn in a dry context, but we put it in their
context," said Rochelle Schwartz-Bloom, head of the project and
director of undergraduate studies in pharmacology. "I call it
'stealth learning.' The kids are learning all this basic science
without realizing it. "

The Pharmacology Education Partnership-a collaboration between Duke
faculty and high school instructors nationwide started by
Schwartz-Bloom-developed six different learning modules, such as
"Steroids and Athletes" and "Acids, Bases and Cocaine Addicts," that
incorporate subjects from drug pharmacology.

The modules were presented in workshops at the National Science
Teachers Association conference and the North Carolina Science
Teachers Association conference in 2003 and taught in classrooms a
year later, Schwartz-Bloom said.

"We controlled for demographics like sex, race, grade and also for
potential differences between teachers," said Jerome Reiter, a
co-author of the Science article and assistant professor of
statistical science.

He said even after controlling for other factors, the data showed
increases in student scores with each module used, and because
testing was unannounced, scores reflected knowledge learned in the
classroom, not the amount students studied.

Schwartz-Bloom said the research is particularly important
considering the decreasing number of American students interested in
science. She said the modules would be a great resource for getting
kids back into science if the idea spreads to more teachers across the nation.

Currently, the modules have also been used in distance-learning
programs, and a similar program is available online, Schwartz-Bloom added.

"I think we hit on an idea that is destined to succeed as long as
people use it," she said, adding that the number of hits for the
program's Web site has spiked since the publication of the Science article.

Although the study only looked at high school students, both
Schwartz-Bloom and Reiter said the principles can be applied to
collegiate learning as well.

"When I teach statistics, I try to find interesting examples that
provide motivation to learn the underlying stats and math," Reiter
said. "It's the general idea of taking particular real-world
questions and trying to answer them, showing students they need to
learn the methodology."

Eric Toone, a professor of chemistry who currently teaches
Accelerated General Chemistry, said he has already begun
incorporating such principles into his class. His course takes a new
approach by teaching chemistry in terms of the cell-cycle and cancerous cells.

"The problem with the way we teach is that we teach lots of concepts,
but we never put them in contexts that students understand," Toone
said. "Students never make the connection that chemistry helps you
think about things that matter. A lot of my students are pre-meds, so
I tried to pick a problem they will care about. I think it's working."

Some students taking chemistry and biology at Duke, however, said
they were unsure whether drug-related examples would really help them
in the classroom, but agreed that relevant topics were key.

"Depending on the audience, it could work," said freshman Carol
Cheng, who is studying organic chemistry. "For people who have
experience or exposure about a certain topic, it could be very effective."