A. PROJECT TITLE: MINNESOTA MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHING PROJECT
(MINNEMAST)
B. PROJECT DIRECTOR: James H. Werntz, Jr., Professor of Physics,
Director, Center for Educational Development, University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, U.S.A.
(612)373 4537.
C. PROJECT HEADQUARTERS: 1. Contact: Minnemath Center, University of
Minnesota, 720 Washington Avenue, S.E., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455,
U.S.A. 2. Special facilities or activities available for visitor
viewing: None.
D. PRINCIPAL PROFESSIONAL STAFF: M. R. Boudrye, Research Associate,
Administrator.
E. PROJECT SUPPORT: 1. Funding agencies: University of Minnesota. 2.
Associated agencies: Formerly funded by the National Science Foundation.
F. PROJECT HISTORY: 1. Principal originator: Paul C. Rosenbloom,
Professor of Mathematics. 2. Date and place of initiation: 1961;
University of Minnesota. 3. Project terminated: September, 1970.
G. PROJECT OBJECTIVES: 1. Overall project purpose: To produce
coordinated mathematics and science curriculum for grades K 6. 2.
Specific objectives: To develop process acquisition, attitudinal
changes and scientific literacy.
H. UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROJECT: Broad spectrum of elementary
school children of varying capacities and backgrounds.
I. SPECIFIC SUBJECTS, GRADE, AGE AND ABILITY LEVELS: Coordinated
mathematics and science, grades K 3; college level, teacher preparatory.
J. MAIN METHODS OF INSTRUCTION USED IN THE PROJECT: Independent study,
laboratory investigations, seminars, and discussion sessions.
K. PRESENT COMMERCIAL AFFILIATIONS: Textbook in mathematics: "Ideas in
Mathematics," published by W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, Pa. 1970.
L. DESCRIPTION OF MATERIALS ALREADY PRODUCED: 1. Minnemath Reports
(terminated 1969).
2. Coordinated units: 1- 29 for grades K - 3.
3. Overview.
4. Living Things in Field and Classroom.
5. Extending Man's Senses.
6. Ideas in Mathematics.
7. Questions and Answers about MINNEMAST.
M. MATERIALS AVAILABLE FREE: Item 7 only. Please address the project
headquarters.
N. MATERIALS PURCHASABLE: Item 2- 5, information available by writing
project headquarters. Item 6 from W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
0. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS BEING DEVELOPED: Pre service and in service
teacher aids.
P. LANGUAGE IN WHICH MATERIALS: 1. Were originally written: English. 2.
Have been or will be translated: None.
Q. COUNTRIES IN WHICH MATERIALS ARE USED: United
States and Canada.
R. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION: 1. Total number of teachers using any of the
materials: 200. 2. Total number of students using any of the materials:
50,000+. 3. Total number of schools using any of the materials: 125. 4.
Number of teachers have adopted the entire program: 20 school systems.
5. Number of students involved: 6,000. 6. Number of schools involved:
125. 7. The totals stated in 1,2,3,5, and 6 are estimated. 8. Name and
location of selected schools where this program is in use: St. Paul,
Minnesota; West St. Paul, Minnesota; South Hadley, Massachusetts;
Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Newton, New Jersey; Quincy, Massachusetts;
Redlands, California.
S. TEACHER PREPARATION: 1. Consultant services available for teachers
using the materials: Write to the Center at address in C l. 2.
Activities conducted for pre service and in service teacher training:
Summer workshops, supported by National Science Foundation, in various
areas. Information available from NSF, Student and Curriculum
Improvement Section, Washington, D. C. 20550. 3. Available pre service
and/or in service teaching materials for science educators to use in
preparing teachers: Pre service and in service materials were planned,
and some early development completed. No funds have been available for
completing these materials and early phases are no longer available for
distribution.
T. PROJECT EVALUATION:
1. Has the effectiveness of the materials been
evaluated: Yes,
internally.
2. Published research studies:
(a) Hively, W., H. Patterson, and Sara H. Page, "A
Uni
verse Defined System of Arithmetic Achievement
Tests",
Journal of Educational Measurement Vol. 5, No. 4,
Winter
1968, p. 275.
(b) Johnson, P. E., "On the Communication of
Concepts in
Science", Journal of Educational Psychology, 1969,
Vol. 60,
p. 32 40.
(C) Murray, F., "Reversibility Training in the
Acquisition
of Length Conservation", Journal of Educational Psychology Vol. 59, No.
2, 1968, p. 82 87.
(d) Murray, F., "Operational Conservation of
Illusion
Distorted Length", British Journal of Educational Psychology Vol. 38,
Part 2, June 1968, p. 189 193.
3. Brief abstract of in house or unpublished research:
(a) Reports on the direct evaluation of most of the
K 3
units have been completed. These reports contain a
detailed
description of the test domain for the unit and a
summary
of the results obtained during the field test of the
unit.
(b) The MINNEMAST Experiment with Domain Referenced
Achievement Testing Systems A detailed description of the
evaluation procedures used in the MINNEMAST
evaluation
project.
(C) A Curriculum Evaluation and Revision Based on
Domain
Referenced Achievement Test System This paper describes
how an individual unit (Unit 2) was evaluated and
revised
based upon the results of that evaluation. It also
pre
sents the results of a subsequent evaluation.
(d) The Use of Sample Test Items As Objectives for Instruction- The
Effects Upon the Teacher and Upon the Learner. This paper describes a
study in which six kindergarten teachers were provided with sample test
items for a
MINNEMAST unit while a matched sample of six other
teachers
were provided with the unit only. The study sheds
some
light on the role of objectives in instruction.
(Edward) Future Uses of Domain Referenced Achievement
Testing
Systems This paper outlines some of the potential uses
for Domain Referenced Achievement Testing Systems. It also
points to some of the pitfalls in those applications.
(f) An Introduction to Domain Referenced Achievement
Testing An overview of the psychological basis for the
evaluation model utilized in the MINNEMAST Project. The
paper also includes a glossary of terms as utilized in the
testing model
(GCMP) The Experimental Analysis of Educational Objectives
Ph.D.Thesis, University of Minnesota, George Rabehl. The
paper represents the philosophical and scientific rationale
for casting the formulation of educational objectives into
an experimental context. It shows that the specification
of relevant and irrelevant conditions is not a once and for
all activity but requires instead a continuing self correc
tive process involving the steps of hypothesis, application,
analysis, and a reformulation of educational intent. What
is achieved is a framework for analyzing, describing, and
comparing curricular materials; for making inferences from
student performances beyond a finite set of items; and
finally a basis for proposing and interpreting psycholog
ical studies in terms of the actual characteristics of
educational requirements.
(h) A Comparison of Two Conceptual Frameworks for
Teaching
the Basic Concepts of Rational Numbers Ph.D. Thesis, Uni
versity of Minnesota, Donald Sension. This paper compares
the effects of two physical models for teaching fraction
concepts on student performance. It utilizes a Domain
Reference Achievement Testing System.
(i) An Investigation of the Effectiveness of Independent
Study of Novel Mathematics Material in the Elementary
School Ph.D.Thesis, University of Minnesota, Lester
Becklund. The paper presents the results of a study which
examined the role of the teacher in presenting some novel
mathematics. A MINNEMAST game unit on vectors and transformations was
used.
(j) Arithmetic Achievement Test Performance of MINNEMAST
Mathematics Pupils in the Third and Fourth Grades This
paper presents a summary of the results of a two year
study of the performance of pupils in the MINNEMAST mathe
matics program on selected arithmetic achievement
tests.
(K) The Relationship Between Concepts of Conservation of
and Number. The purpose of this study was to
describe the relationship between attainment of concepts
of conservation of length and number. The concepts were
embodied in a compound number length task. Two aspects
of performance were investigated: (10) the comparative
performance of solvers and non solvers on conservation of
number and conservation of length, and (2) the
stability
of performance characteristics across the age span sampled.
Fifty five children, 21 females and 34 males, ages 6
through 9 years, participated in the study.
U. PROJECT PUBLICITY: 1. Ahrens, R. B., "MINNEMAST- The
Coordinated Science and Mathematics Program", Science and Children Vol
65, December 1965, p. 811 814. 2. Bray, Edmund C., "MINNEMAST, An
Elementary Math Science Program", School Science and Mathematics June
1969. 3. Bray, Edmund C., "The MINNEMAST Elementary MathematicsScience
Program", The Physics Teacher May 1968. 4. Maxwell, Graham, "Some Notes
and Comments on the Minnesota Mathematics and Science Teaching
Project", The Australian Mathematics Teacher March 1969. 5.
Rising, Gerald R., "Research and Development in Mathematics and Science
Education at the Minnesota School Mathematics and Science Center and
the Minnesota National Laboratory", School Science and Mathematics Vol.
65, December 1965, p. 811 814. 6. Rosenbloom, P. C., Journal of
Research in Science Teaching (1963), p. 276 280. 7. Subarsky,
Zachariah, "Curriculum Construction for K 6 Science and Math- a
Strategy", Science and Children November 1968. 8. Subarsky, Zachariah,
"The Systems Concept in Science", The Instructor January 1968. 9.
Victor, Laurence, "Systems: An Organizing Principle for Science
Curricula", Science and Children January/February 1968, p. 17 20. 10.
Werntz, James H., "A Style of Understanding", Nature and Science Vol.
4, No. 12, March 13, 1967.
V. BRIEF SUMMARY OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES SINCE 1970 REPORT: Preparation
for sale of printed materials and laboratory kits.
W. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE: Continued availability of materials. Write to
the Center.