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`U' prof. takes research into classrooms

Prof. Elliot Soloway researches and teaches electrical engineering and computer science. But some of his most important research occurs not in a University laboratory, but in a public school classroom.

Soloway's research focuses on improving classroom education in science through an integrated curriculum and extensive use of computers. The new curriculum focuses on what Soloway calls "authentic questions," instead of the rote learning often promoted in science classes.

"Thirty years ago, kids would sit and teachers would deliver information. Now, kids need to inquire, investigate and explore. They need to be engaging information. One of the sources of that information can be the teacher, another can be books, and another can be the Internet," Soloway said.

"We want to deal with authentic questions, things that are meaningful to kids," Soloway said. "You can teach kids about the different states of matter or different kinds of energy, or you can ask them, `Where does our school waste energy?'"

In the pilot classrooms of Soloway's project, students may spend weeks on subjects that once were covered in hours. They conduct original research and publish the results of their investigations on World Wide Web pages. "That gives them a lot of motivation, because they think `Someone might actually read what I write, and use it for something else,'" Soloway said.

"All of our projects are long-term, and they have a purpose other than just to turn it in to the teacher," said Elizabeth Stern, a science teacher at Ann Arbor Community High School. She explained students are more motivated when they know their results will be published.

By the end of the semester, 1,000 students in the Ann Arbor high and middle schools will be using software developed by Soloway's projects.

Information technology, such as access to the Internet and the University of Michigan Digital Library, are crucial to Soloway's project.

Information technology, such as access to the Internet and the University Digital Library, are crucial to Soloway's project.

Grades kindergarten through 12 are "actually an information-poor environment," Soloway said, adding that most school libraries have relatively few books, and those that do have them are often outdated or unavailable. "If you want kids to do serious research, then you have to give them serious information resources," Soloway said.

Soloway's dedication to improving public education comes from experience.

"Thirty years ago, it was OK to educate only the top 10 percent of kids," Soloway said, explaining that teaching only bright students allowed teachers to merely present information without elaborate teaching strategies. "The next 80 or 90 percent got a job on the line, working in a factory, and they made a good living, they made a middle class living."

Those jobs are hard to come by now, Soloway said. His education was provided by public schools. His parents immigrated from Europe in 1946, and Soloway's first language was Yiddish. "I learned English because I went to public schools. This is a way for me to pay back what it did for me," he said.

Soloway brings tremendous personal energy to his work. In his office in the University's Advanced Technologies Laboratory building, his loud laughter echoes off the walls of his cubicle, spilling out into the silence of the rest of the building.

"Some faculty write a very elegant treatise, a book, and that's their magnum opus," Soloway said, but he describes his work as the "here and now."

From the beginning, Soloway has been the motivating force behind this research. "He's a great ideas man," said Jonathan Klein, an LSA senior who works on one of Soloway's projects. "He's very enthusiastic and a great speaker. I took a class from him once, and it was just one unbelievable lecture after another."

Soloway's research projects encompass faculty from his department as well as colleagues in the School of Education, and the School of Information and Library Studies.

Ron Marx, a professor in the School of Education, also cites Soloway as an "ideas person." "He has a lot of charisma, and he's a lot of fun to work with," Marx said.

"He's really driven to be out there on the cutting edge of technology in classrooms," said Steve Stratford, research assistant. "He's always on the lookout for new ideas, pushing the envelope of what's been done before."

Soloway's project is "somewhat unusual," because of its connection to the public schools and interdisciplinary nature, said George Haddad, chair of the electrical engineering and computer science department. "We try our best to reach out into the community. It's something we encourage."

"He's an excellent teacher, and he's fun to be around," Haddad said. "He really projects the maximum personality and I enjoy interacting with him myself."

Soloway's research projects, plus meetings across the country, make his own office a brief stopping point in Soloway's bustling schedule.

"He's always running around the country. Sometimes it's frustrating, because you want to be able to talk to your adviser," Klein said.

Soloway's research is on the "cutting edge" of technology in education. Students participating in the project have access to Macintosh Powerbooks on a daily basis.