On November 5, 2008 the CSME sponsored a lecture, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (or the Beauty) in Conducting Interdisciplinary Research: A personal journey", presented by Dr. Chun-Yen Chang, Research Chair Professor at the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) Taipei, Taiwan. Dr. Chang described advantages and disadvantages while conducting interdisciplinary research particularly in the area of STEM education and e-Learning. The presentation included a summary of research conducted at NTNU during the past several years. Dr. Chang also presented challenges while collaborating with researchers from other disciplines. Dr. Chang received his doctoral degree in science education from The University of Texas at Austin in 1986.
During his visit to the CSME, Dr. Chang interacted with faculty and graduate students and with staff members of the Texas Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching. He also attended the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching in Forth Worth, Texas.
Drs. Chang and Barufaldi have collaborated on a number of research projects and their recent manuscript, "The Positive and Negative Effects of Science Concept Tests on Student Conceptual Understanding", has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Science Education.