Dive Brief:
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has announced its creation of what it is calling the first comprehensive K-12 curriculum designed, tested and engineered to be aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.
- The curriculum materials, which will be ready for back-to-school 2017, emphasize three-dimensional learning and real-world applications of scientific concepts, with a focus on using technology to make the content come alive for students.
- According to the company, HMH Science Dimensions includes interactive online learning components like virtual reality field trips, online assignments with real-time feedback, and learning paths that put students in the driver’s seat along with professional learning and pedagogical support for teachers.
Dive Insight:
The Next Generation Science Standards require a significant shift for many science teachers. They need to find new instructional materials, as well as learn a new approach to instruction. The idea of three-dimensional teaching and learning means combining practices, cross-cutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas. Students should be behaving like scientists and engineers, forming a coherent worldview based on science through interdisciplinary connections, and learning the fundamentals of individual disciplines in every lesson and, importantly, every assessment.
States that have adopted the Next Generation Science Standards are working on developing statewide assessments to measure students based on them. Testing three dimensions is particularly difficult, as prior versions of science exams were much more likely to include just two — testing discipline-specific content and behaviors like reasoning, for example. The states that are farthest ahead on creating these assessments likely will not debut entirely new tests until 2018.