The United States participated along with 40 other nations in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a comparative achievement test of mathematics and science at the fourth, eighth, and twelfth grade levels. This site contains many resources for learning about and discussing TIMSS, including Attaining Excellence: A TIMSS Resource Kit, developed by the U.S. Department of Education. Additional materials and contact information will help educators, teacher educators, parents, and students understand and work with TIMSS data.
Type of Material:
This site is a resource object that contains no direct instruction, although several of the links provided are to instructional objects.
Technical Requirements:
The site itself is primarily text-based and requires no special plug-ins for the browser. However, there are literally hundreds of links to other apparently valuable resources that may require special plug-ins.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
As stated by the author, "ENC serves all K-12 educators, parents, and students with free products and services. * Acquires and catalogs mathematics and science curriculum resources, creating the most comprehensive collection in the nation. * Provides the best selection of math and science education resources on the Internet. * Supports teachers' professional development in math, science, and the effective use of technology. * Collaborates with the Eisenhower Regional Consortia and many other organizations across the nation to promote education reform." This is a site for teachers and teacher educators to identify resources for and about teaching practices and materials. As such, it does not fit into a direct instructional framework
Target Student Population:
K-12 classroom teachers of science and mathematics as well as college and university faculty who prepare math and science teachers. Stated by the author,
"ENC Serves all K-12 educators, parents, and students."
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
To use this site successfully, educators must be able to navigate to and within the site. Teaching experience would be helpful to understand and apply the contents, but may not be required.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The site offers a wide range of resources, organized by Ohio State University. The nature of the media of each resource is indicated by an icon of a book, disc, CD-ROM, Video etc.
Concerns:
There does not seem to be any rating or evaluation of the sites by external agencies. Likewise, the selection criterion for inclusion is not apparent. This site offers valuable resource materials. However, to utilize it successfully, searching, identifying and applying the resources to classroom instruction requires a great deal of time.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
This site offers discussion questions to promote professional development in teaching math and science. The points of inquiry are useful for reflective practice. In addition, the site provides resources for learning about the Third International Mathematics and Science Study that is significant to educational research as well as teaching and learning.
Concerns:
To appropriately use the site as a learning object, the teacher would benefit from a strong understanding of educational research design to facilitate discussion of validity and reliability of the study?s results to effectively apply the recommendations to improve teaching and learning of math and science.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Navigation through the links is quite easy, and things are explained briefly but adequately.
Concerns:
No major concerns noted by the review team. The review team commented that they did have some concern with regard to a faculty member using this site, or one of the students who do not have high speed connection, would find it difficult to navigate.
Creative Commons:
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