Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 11/6/98
      Contact:                           Carol Dotson 22

TOWSON PROFESSOR TO PRESENT NSF WORKSHOPS AT SLU
     HAMMOND -- Southeastern Louisiana University's Connections program and the
Center for Faculty Excellence, in conjunction with the National Science Foundation (NSF), will
present two workshops to help faculty improve their grading process and class assignments.
     The workshops will be presented by Dr. Virginia Johnson Anderson, a professor of
Biology at Towson university and co-author of "Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and
Assessment." 
     Anderson's visit is part of the National Science Foundation's Reciprocal Science Success
project. The initiative examines ways to enhance the success of urban high school graduates
enrolling in university science courses. 
     Anderson is the chair of the Towson biology department's assessment committee and a
nationally recognized author. She has also served as an assessment consultant on several NSF
projects and presented formative assessment workshops for the American Society of
Microbiologists and U.S. Peace Corps. In particular, she emphasizes the assessment of student
performance in guided-inquiry laboratory situations and in pairing teams of active scientists with
science-education professors in an attempt to share knowledge and experience.      
     The sessions being presented are: "Effective Grading: Strategies for All Disciplines,"
Thursday, Nov. 12 , 2pm-4pm in the Teacher Education Center KIVA and "Authentic Science
Assessments for Laboratory and Inquiry," Friday Nov. 13, 10 am - noon, Room 213 Student
Union.
     SLU educators Ernie Simoneaux (Education) and Mitchell Robertson (Chemistry and
Physics) were part of the team of SLU professors Anderson invited to participate in her recent
NSF project which teamed scientists and science-educators. Simoneaux and Robertson will
describe their participation during the "Effective Grading" seminar, 
     Refreshments will be served at both sessions.  For more information contact Michael
Greene at 3600 or visit the website at www.selu.edu/connections.

                                          -SLU-
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