Harnessing%20Technology%20to%20Promote%20Model-Based%20Learning%20and%20Scientific%20Literacy

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Harnessing Technology to Promote Model-Based
Learning and Scientific Literacy

• Janice Gobert
• The Concord Consortium
• jgobert_at_concord.org
• mtv.concord.org
• mac.concord.org
• Making Thinking Visible is funded by the the
  National Science Foundation under grant No.
  REC-9980600 awarded to Janice Gobert (Principal
  Investigator).
• MAC is funded by the the National Science
  Foundation and the U.S. Dept. of Education under
  a grant awarded to the Concord Consortium (IERI
  0115699). Any opinions, findings, and
  conclusions expressed are those of the presenters
  and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
  National Science Foundation or the Dept. of
  Education.

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INE/IKIT themes addressed by Making Thinking
Visible

• Building on intuitive understandings--MTV does
  this MAC leverages from physical intuitions.
• Focus on idea improvement--MTV MAC focuses on
  progressive model-building (White Frederiksen,
  1990 Raghavan Glaser, 1994 Gobert, 2000).
• Shared problem spaces as a basis for cross-age,
  cross-sector learning and knowledge
  creation.Shared problem spaces for
  cross-distance knowledge creation (MTV).
• Comprehending difficult text as a task for
  collaborative problem-solving--Scaffolding
  difficult learning tasks (MTV MAC). Other work
  on orienting tasks as a way to promote deep
  understanding of text (Gobert Clement, 1999
  Gobert, 1997 Gobert, in prep.)
• Controlling time demands of on-line teaching and
  knowledge-buildingScaffolding knowledge
  integration (model-building) and transfer (MTV
  MAC).

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What do we mean by scientific literacy?

• The book Science for All Americans (late
  80s)-party responsible for changing the way we
  think about WHO gets educated in science.
• If accessible to a broad range of learners, then
  how to make it so.focus on qualitative
  understanding of causal relationships underlying
  scientific phenomena.
• Knowledge in this form is more generative,
  transferable, and can be applied to everyday life
  which important to making decisions that effect
  our everyday lives (e.g., radon testing) .
• In addition to content knowledge, other aspects
  of scientific literacy are (Perkins, 1986)
• Process skills (I.e., inquiry, evaluation of
  evidence, communication, etc.)
• Understanding the nature of science- I.e., that
  it is a dynamic process and that the current
  understanding of science is based our theories
  and methods with which we view them.
• More recently, it has been argued that
  understanding the nature of models is an
  important aspect of epistemology as well (Gobert
  Discenna, 1996 Schwarz White, 1998).

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Making Thinking Visible Summary

• A large scale design study in which 2000 middle
  and high school students from California and
  Massachusetts collaborated on-line about plate
  tectonic activity in their respective location
  using WISE.
• The curriculum engaged students in many
  inquiry-oriented, model-based activities
• a) drew models of plate tectonic phenomena in
  their respective area using WISE
• b) wrote explanations of their models
• c) were scaffolded to critique their peers
  models
• d) revised their models based on this feedback
• e) discussed their own questions in an on-line
  forum.
• Data analysis focussed on measuring content
  gains, epistemological gains, and characterizing
  the nature of students models and model
  revisions, as well as their discourse.

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Grounded in research in Science Education and
Cognitive Science...

• based on students misconceptions of plate
  tectonics of both the inside structure of the
  earth and of the causal mechanisms underlying
  plate tectonic-related phenomena (Gobert
  Clement, 1999 Gobert, 2000), as well as
  students knowledge integration difficulties
  (Gobert Clement, 1994). More on this..
• emphasizes students active model-building and
  scaffolded interpretation of rich visualizations
  (Kindfield, 1993 Gobert Clement, 1999 Gobert,
  2000 Gobert Buckley, in prep.) as strategies
  to promote deep learning. More on this
• Implemented in WISE (Web-based Inquiry Science
  Environment) developed by Marcia Linn Jim
  Slotta at UC-Berkeley, which is based on 15 years
  of research in science education (Linn Hsi,
  2000).

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Previous research on students misconceptions in
earth science in general

• the earth as a cosmic body (Vosniadou Brewer,
  1992 Nussbaum, 1979, Nussbaum Novak, 1976
  Sneider Pulos, 1983)
• knowledge of rock-cycle processes (Stofflett,
  1994)
• conceptions of earth and space as it relates to
  seasons and phases of the moon, (Schoon, 1992
  Bisard et al, 1994)
• sea floor dynamics (Bencloski and Heyl, 1985)
• earths gravitational field (Arnold, Sarge, and
  Worrall, 1995)
• misconceptions about mountain formation
  (Muthukrishna, et al., 1993) and
• modeling the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere,
  and biosphere (Tallon Audet, 1999)
• Specific research on understanding of the causes
  of earthquakes with both children (Ross Shuell,
  1993) and adults (Turner, Nigg, Daz, 1986),
  both yielded significant misconceptions.

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Pilot studies as background to design of Making
Thinking Visible curriculum.

• Students learning difficulties in this domain
  yielded three main difficulties in student model
  construction processes
• (1) problems with setting up a correct static
  model of the layers,
• (2) difficulty understanding causal and dynamic
  information
• (e.g., heat as causal in forming convection
  currents, or currents causing plate movement),
  and
• (3) difficulties with the integration of several
  different types of knowledge including causal and
  dynamic knowledge into a causal chain in order to
  build an integrated mental model of the system.
• Each difficulty has different ramifications on
  model construction and revision processes, as
  well as the transfer and inference-making
  afforded on the basis of the model (for more
  detail, see Gobert, 2000).

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Typical models of structure of earth (Gobert,
2000)Type 0 10.6, Type 189.4
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Typical models of volcanic eruption 4.25,
61.6, 29.8, 4.25 respectively
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Other research literature.

• In addition to students pre-instruction models
  in designing the unit, we (J. Gobert, Jim Slotta,
  Amy Pallant) drew on current findings from
• causal models (White, 1993 Schauble et al, 1991
  Raghavan Glaser, 1995),
• model-based teaching and learning (Gilbert, S.,
  1991 Gilbert, J. 1993)
• model revising (Clement, 1989 1993 Stewart
  Hafner, 1991)
• diagram generation and comprehension (Gobert,
  1994 Gobert Frederiksen, 1988 Kindfield,
  1993 Larkin Simon, 1987 Lowe, 1989 1993),
• the integration of text and diagrams (Hegarty
  Just, 1993), and
• text comprehension (van Dijk Kintsch, 1983
  Kintsch, 1998).

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Forms of Knowledge, Info Processing Cognitive
Affordances

• Knowledge comes in various forms degree of
  visual isomorphism to the object being
  represented is an important difference in terms
  of the information processing required and the
  affordances of the knowledge form. Examples
• textual representations, which describe in words
  various aspects of science phenomena
• diagrams/illustrations of static features of
  phenomena
• models and simulations that attempt to show the
  dynamic, causal mechanisms as well as the
  temporal features of a phenomenon.
• Textual representations offer the fewest
  cognitive affordances for learners and that
  models and simulations, on the other hands,
  SHOULD offer the greatest number of cognitive
  affordances for learners..

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Student Difficulty in Learning from Models

• But simply adding a diagram or a model does not
  facilitate understanding because
• it increased cognitive load on learners
  (Sweller, et al, 1990).
• students lack the necessary domain knowledge in
  order to guide their search processes through
  diagrams/models in order to understand the
  relevant spatial, causal, dynamic, and temporal
  information (Lowe, 1989 Head, 1984 Gobert,
  1994 Gobert Clement, 1999).
• Thus, students need scaffolding in order learn
  from models, in particular to guide their search
  processes (all info is presented simultaneously),
  to support perceptual cues afforded by models,
  support inference-making from these perceptual cu
  es.

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Model-Based Teaching Learning (Gobert
Buckley, 2000)

• Synthesis of research in cognitive psychology and
  science education
• Model-based learning as a dynamic, recursive
  process of learning by constructing mental models
  of the phenomenon under study.
• Involves formation, testing, and reinforcement,
  revision, or rejection of mental models.
• Requires modeling skills and reasoning during
  which mental models are used to understand and
  create representations, generate predictions and
  explanations, and transform knowledge from one
  representation to another as well as analyze data
  and solve problems.
• Analogous to hypothesis development and testing
  seen among scientists (Clement, 1989).

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Project Goal

• East and West coast Students collaborate on-line
  about the differences in plate tectonic phenomena
  on-line using WISE (Web-based Inquiry Science
  Environment Linn Hsi, 2000).
• In doing so, students develop
• Content knowledge of the spatial, causal,
  dynamic, and temporal features underlying plate
  tectonics.
• Inquiry skills for model-building and
  visualization.
• Epistemological understanding of the nature of
  scientific models.
• See AERA and NARST papers from 2002-03 for these
  papers at mtv.concord.org
• Demo unit

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Model-based activities and respective scaffolding
for unit Whats on your plate?

• Draw, in WISE, their own models of plate
  tectonics phenomena.
• Participate in an on-line field trip to explore
  differences between the East and West coast in
  terms of earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains
  (beginning with the most salient differences).
• Pose a question about their current understanding
  (to support knowledge integration and
  model-building)
• Learn about location of earths plates (to
  scaffold relationship between plate boundaries
  anf plate tectonic phenomena).
• Reify important spatial and dynamic knowledge
  (integration of pieces of model) about transform,
  divergent, collisional, and convergent
  boundaries.
• Learn about causal mechanisms involved in plate
  tectonics, i.e., convection subduction
  (scaffolded by reflection activities to integrate
  spatial, causal, dynamic, and temporal aspects of
  the domain).
• Learn to critically evaluate their peers models
  which in turn serves to help them think
  critically about their own models.

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Model-based activities and respective scaffolding
for unit (contd)

• Engage in model revision based on their peers
  critique of their model and what they have
  learned in the unit.
• Scaffolded reflection task to reify model
  revision which prompt them to reflect on how
  their model was changed and what it now helps
  explain. Prompts are
• I changed my original model of.... because it
  did not explain or include....
• My model now includes or helps explain
• My model is now more useful for someone to learn
  from because it now includes.
• Reflect and reify what they have learned by
  reviewing and summarizing responses to the
  questions they posed in Activity 3.
• Transfer what they have learned in the unit to
  answer intriguing points
• Why are there mountains on the East coast when
  there is no plate boundary there?
• How will the coast of California look in the
  future?

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Portfolio for one pair of students selected for
typical performance.
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Activity 1 (contd) Explain your model.
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Activity 3 Pose A Question.
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Activity 4 Earths Plates.
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Activity 5 The Mantle.
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Activity 6 Students Evaluation and Critique of
the Learning Partners Models.

• 2. Students Evaluation and Critique of the
  Learning Partners Models
• Students read two pieces of text in WISE called
  What is a Scientific Model? And How to
  evaluate a model?
• Students critique learning partners models using
  prompts in WISE. Prompts include
• 1. Are the most important features in terms of
  what causes this geologic process depicted in
  this model?
• 2. Would this model be useful to teach someone
  who had never studied this geologic process
  before?
• 3. What important features are included in this
  model? Explain why you gave the model this
  rating.
• 4. What do you think should be added to this
  model in order to make it better for someone who
  had never studied this geologic process before?
• Prompts were designed to get students to reflect
  on what causal features should be included in the
  model and how useful the model was as a
  learning/communication tool.

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W. Coast groups evaluation of E. coast groups
model
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E. Coast groups revised model.
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E. Coast groups revised explanation.
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Notes on model revision.
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Activity 8 What have we learned?
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Part 1 Content Gain Results

• The students from one class on the West coast
  were partnered with the students from two classes
  on the East coast because of the differences in
  class sizes. Five such sets or virtual
  classrooms (referred to as WISE periods) were
  created in WISE.
• This is analysis of 360 students.
• A significant pre-post gain was found in all five
  WISE classrooms for content gains.

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WISE Period 1- sig. Content gains
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WISE Period 2- sig. Content gains
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WISE Period 3- sig. Content gains
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WISE Period 4 - sig. Content gains
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WISE Period 5 - sig. Content gains
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Part 2 Epistemological Gain Results

• A significant pre-post gain was found in all five
  WISE classrooms for epistemological gains.

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WISE Period 1 - sig. Epistemological gains
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WISE Period 2 - sig. Epistemological gains
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WISE Period 3 - sig. Epistemological gains
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WISE Period 4 - sig. Epistemological gains
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WISE Period 5 - sig. Epistemological gains
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Comments on Example 1...
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Comments on Example 2..
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Comments on example 3.
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Comments on Example 4.
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Conclusions

• Opportunities for collaboration with very
  different sectors of the populations
• Extends a current vein of progressive
  model-building in science education by having
  students critique each others models as a way to
  promote deep understanding.
• In all modeling tasks (constructing models,
  learning from models, critiquing models, revising
  models, etc), we are scaffolding this using our
  model-based learning framework.
• This, authentic science experience promotes both
  deep understanding of the content as well as
  promote a deep understanding of models in science
  and how they are used in science.
• As such can significantly impact scientific
  literacy.

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To found out more ...

• To view the unit, go to wise.berkeley.edu, click
  on Member entrance, and for login enter TryA1
  and wise as your password. Click on Plate
  Tectonics Whats on Your Plate?
• To find more information
• E-mail jgobert_at_concord.org and get a copy of
  this paper.
• Other papers are available on this work at
  mtv.concord.org
• For more on The Concord Consortium contact
  www.concord.org.