epistemic complexity as a measure of inquiry progress in science education ? dr. françois lombard...
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Tecfa
Epistemic Complexity as a measure of inquiry progress in science education ?
Dr. François Lombard
Prof Dr. Mireille Betrancourt
TECFA – Geneva University
Tecfa
TecfaRationale• “Educational gains”
– Strict statistical significance but… all interventions have an effect (Hattie 2008)
• Poor scientific understanding of students (PISA,
Rocard, 2006)
• Relevance of what is measured– “the need to develop appropriate and feasible assessments
that specifically target inquiry to track changes” Capps, D. Crawford, D. (2013)
• Process measure vs Curricular assessment– What is measured as progress…
• Comparison subject-independent
TecfaEpistemic complexity• Epistemic complexity (Hakkarainen, K. 2003, Zhang,
J., Scardamalia, M. 2007)
≠ simple/ elaborate descriptions (facts)…
-> simple / elaborated explanations
• Current biology paradigm • Explanations of underlying mechanisms (Morange, P.
2003)
– Higher level cognitive skills(Bloom, 1956)
TecfaResearch Design• Part of a larger (PhD) research• Develop IBL design (~10 years) • Validate design :
– School : adequate curricular / results /
– Relevant to biology paradigm – In-depth scientific understanding
• Analyze design : DBR– Analyze iterations of design / holistic approach
– Conceptualization– -> Relevant variables
– Validated Design Rules
Tecfa« In other courses, you wait a few moments and the teacher gives the answer, so you write it down and don’t do the effort of thinking, and finally you must redo all the work of understanding at home. '’ A student during the evaluation of the activity 2006
TecfaInquiry Based Learning• How does the teacher ensure students
adress the « good » questions while having them keep ownership of Q°– Under press in JBE
• What scaffolding / ressources access / social structure guides towards in-depth scientific knowledge ?
• Findings not discussed here – 34 Design rules – Synthetic abstract model of IBL.
TecfaResearch Q° • What measure of student understanding
Relevant / Content independent ?
Today :
“Can epistemic complexity be used as a measure of inquiry progress in science education ?”
TecfaThe design we analyzed
TecfaSample• 19 year old final higher secondary
school students N = 61 • Wiki records 106 words– Questionnaires • End of year• 1 year later at university
• 4 years 2006-2010 • Full year inquiry• 12-16 students / 4 groups• Normal time, curriculum, exams
T=R !
TecfaCoding method– Students write their understanding in a shared wiki space.
• Documents critical for student exams
– One final Wiki document typically 200 EC items• 3-4 weeks, 3000 words 3-4 students
– Coding of all units of meaning within student text into 4 categories of EC
– Dependent on writing of students – assignments -> measure possible at a limited number of moments
– Not double coding.
TecfaCoding scheme : 1/2• 1 Unelaborated facts: – Description of terms, phenomena, or experiences
without elaboration.
• 2 Elaborated facts: – Elaboration of terms, phenomena, or experiences.
Zhang, J., M. Scardamalia, M. Lamon, R. Messina, and R. Reeve. "Socio-Cognitive Dynamics of Knowledge Building in the Work of 9-and 10-Year-Olds." Educational Technology Research and Development 55, no. 2 (2007): 117-45. Appendix B pp 142-143
“Antigen : Any substance against which antibodies can beproduced. Also called Immunoglobulin””
“Antibodies are composed of two heavy chains and two light assembled to form a Y. These chains are joined by disulfide very flexible bridges (= hinge zones on fig.A) between the two heavy chains and between each light chain and heavy chain.”
TecfaCoding scheme 2/2• 3 Unelaborated explanations:
– Reasons, relationships, or mechanisms mentioned without elaboration.
• 4 Elaborated explanations: – Reasons, relationships, or mechanisms elaborated.
Zhang, J., M. Scardamalia, M. Lamon, R. Messina, and R. Reeve. "Socio-Cognitive Dynamics of Knowledge Building in the Work of 9-and 10-Year-Olds." Educational Technology Research and Development 55, no. 2 (2007): 117-45. Appendix B pp 142-143
How are the correct type of lymphocytes activated by cytokines, i.e. what is double activation?Double activation. Certain T8 responses require T4 : T8 recognizing antigens on weakly co-stimualtory cells can only be activated in presence of T4 linked to the same APC. This happens mainly by way of a T4 recognizing an antigen on an activated APC inducing high levels of co-stimulatory activity on the APC, which in turn activates T8 to produce it’s own IL-2. (Translated from french) »
Tecfa Investigation progress
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 800
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20
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0
5
27
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03
44
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1 2
60
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Epistemic complexity over investigation time for one group's text (end 2006)
Unelaborated facts (UF) Elaborated facts (EF)
Unelaborated Explanations (UE) Elaborated Explanations (EE)
Inquiry progression : version number
Item
co
un
t
Tecfa
Inquiry progression / Duration needed
1 10 44 9427, janvier 12h 27, janvier : 14h20 5,Février : 10h03 14, mars : 9h22
0
50
100
150
200
250
0 5 729
0
2432
68
0
13
25
76
0
2
9
50
Epistemic complexity during inquiry (2007)
Inquiry progression: document version / date (2007)
item
co
ou
nt
22.4%
34.1%
30.5%
13.0%
TecfaYearlong progress / duration
"Sept. 2008" "Mar. 2009"0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
40 40
32
7736
1719
54
Fig. 3 : Epistemic complexity begin end year for one group (2008-2009)
Elaborated Explanations (EE)
Unelaborated Explanations (UE)
Elaborated Facts (EF)
Unelaborated Facts (UF)
Period of year
Item
nu
mb
er i
n f
inal
do
cum
ent
TecfaCompare implementations
Year 2005-6
Year 2006-7
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 800
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
05
27
50
03
44
55
0
15
47
60
1 2
6055
Numéro de version
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 1000
10
20
30
40
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60
70
80
0 29
50
0
13
25
76
0
24
32
68
05 7
29
TecfaInform teacher’s intervention
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 800
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70
0
5
27
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03
44
55
0
15
47
60
1 2
60
55
Epistemic complexity over investigation time for one group's text (end 2006)
Unelaborated facts (UF) Elaborated facts (EF)
Unelaborated Explanations (UE) Elaborated Explanations (EE)
Inquiry progression : version number
Item
co
un
t
Tecfa
Information to discuss phases
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 1000
1020304050607080
0 29
50
0
13
25
76
0
2432
68
05 7
29
Epistemic complexity over investigation time for one group's text (end 2007)
No
mb
re d
'item
s
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10002468
101214161820
Question count over inquiry time for one group's text (end 2007)
Qu
esti
on
co
un
t
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 1000
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
2572
Wordcount over inquiry time for one group's text (end 2007)
Wo
rd c
ou
nt
TecfaPotentials and limits– Relevant to biology • Coherent with scientific paradigm
– Process variable : informs progression– Subject-independant – Comparisons of implementations,
interventions, designs etc.– Teacher training : discuss learning effects– - routine class use : simpler version ? – - acceptance in research : not validated– - acceptance in schools : not aligned with
frequent assessment.
TecfaAcknowledgements : • Advisor Daniel K. Schneider • With the support of Département de
l’Instruction Publique Genève, DGPO– TECFA , IUFE University of Geneva– Collège Calvin
Tecfa
Define scientific understanding• Knowledge justified (Toulmin)
– Based on data
– Aware of methods and assumptions -> limitations
– Debated with community• Subjected to peer-reviewing
• “Deepness” of scientific understanding
• Knowledge is within student– To understand scientifically
≠ about science
– Scientific understanding : potential explanation (of mechanism)