Translating Scientific Translating Scientific Research into Effective Research into Effective Classroom UseClassroom Use

Karin KirkKarin Kirk

Science Education Resource CenterScience Education Resource CenterCarleton CollegeCarleton College

What makes a good What makes a good classroom activity and classroom activity and

student experience?student experience?

Warm-up questionWarm-up question

Think-Pair-ShareThink-Pair-Share

In your experience what makes an In your experience what makes an effective student activity?effective student activity?

Think 1:00Think 1:00

PairPair 2:002:00

Share :20Share :20

In your experience what In your experience what makes an effective student makes an effective student activity?activity?

Some attributes of effective activitiesSome attributes of effective activities

• Students engaged and working Students engaged and working hard - interesting, hard - interesting, contextualized, relevant, contextualized, relevant, something they think they can something they think they can dodo

• Scaffolded to the level of the Scaffolded to the level of the studentsstudents

• Authentic or open ended - Authentic or open ended - freedom to explore, answer is freedom to explore, answer is not previously known, group not previously known, group working on different thingsworking on different things

• Clear objective/goal - start with Clear objective/goal - start with a questiona question

• Passionate deliveryPassionate delivery• So what--learning has to So what--learning has to

contextulize in terms of what contextulize in terms of what already know already know (individual/culture/history)(individual/culture/history)

• Addresses critical thinking and Addresses critical thinking and valuesvalues

• Understand policy impactUnderstand policy impactss

• Working (sometimes) in groupsWorking (sometimes) in groups• They are responsible for They are responsible for

learning/contributing/reporting/tlearning/contributing/reporting/teachingeaching

• EntertainingEntertaining• Exploring real/complex Exploring real/complex

problems--not black and white; problems--not black and white; multiple solutionsmultiple solutions

• Visually engaging/supportedVisually engaging/supported• Structured DiscussionsStructured Discussions• Comfortable/supportive Comfortable/supportive

environmentenvironment• Writing-communicatingWriting-communicating• Quantitative reasoningQuantitative reasoning• Clear understanding of success Clear understanding of success

and mechanism for assessmentand mechanism for assessment• Encourages creativity and Encourages creativity and

curiosity,curiosity,• Relevant to curriculumRelevant to curriculum• Build difficulty through course Build difficulty through course

Translating scientific researchTranslating scientific researchinto classroom experiences into classroom experiences

(trickle-down pedagogy)(trickle-down pedagogy)

Cool science

Wisdom for students

goals

sequencing

assessment

engaging deliveryrelevance

skill development

Why teach with authentic Why teach with authentic science?science?

What are some necessary What are some necessary translation steps?translation steps?

Teaching the Teaching the Process of ScienceProcess of Science

• Scientific thinking is widely Scientific thinking is widely misunderstood.misunderstood.

• Consider expert vs novice approach Consider expert vs novice approach to problem solving.to problem solving.

• Scaffold problems so each Scaffold problems so each assignment builds on skills assignment builds on skills developed in previous activities.developed in previous activities.

• Teach scientific thinking hand in Teach scientific thinking hand in hand with content.hand with content.

A Design StrategyA Design Strategy• Setting Goals: Setting Goals:

What do I want them to be able to do?What do I want them to be able to do?

• Measuring Success: Measuring Success: How will I know that they can do this?How will I know that they can do this?

• Designing for Success: Designing for Success: How will they gain the skills, knowledge and How will they gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to succeed?experience they need to succeed?

• Designing for Engagement:Designing for Engagement:How will the activity draw them in and hold their How will the activity draw them in and hold their

attention?attention?

Set goals first!Set goals first!

• Upon completion of this activity, Upon completion of this activity, students should be able to…students should be able to…

How do you measure if How do you measure if goals have been met?goals have been met?

• Assessment is much easier when Assessment is much easier when it’s not an afterthought.it’s not an afterthought.

Design activities to meet Design activities to meet goalsgoals

• Designing for Success: Designing for Success: How will they gain the skills, knowledge and How will they gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to succeed?experience they need to succeed?

• Designing for Engagement:Designing for Engagement:How will the activity draw them in and hold How will the activity draw them in and hold

their attention?their attention?

Principles of DesignPrinciples of Design

1) Students must be engaged to learn1) Students must be engaged to learnHow does the activity engage them?How does the activity engage them?

2) Students must construct new knowledge 2) Students must construct new knowledge incrementally as a results of experience.incrementally as a results of experience.

What experiences will they have in this activity?What experiences will they have in this activity?

3) Students must refine and connect their 3) Students must refine and connect their knowledge to be able to use it furtherknowledge to be able to use it furtherHow will the activity promote reflection on and How will the activity promote reflection on and application of the new knowledge?application of the new knowledge?

Edelson, 2001, Learning for Use Edelson, 2001, Learning for Use A Framework for the Design of Technology-Supported Inquiry Activities: A Framework for the Design of Technology-Supported Inquiry Activities: Journal of Research in Science Journal of Research in Science

Teaching, vol 38, no 3, p 355-385Teaching, vol 38, no 3, p 355-385

A few strategies worth A few strategies worth mentioningmentioning

• Using visualizationsUsing visualizations

• Using dataUsing data

• Authentic Authentic problem-problem-solvingsolving

Design Checklist:Design Checklist:Does the activity…Does the activity…

• Encourage student interest and attention?Encourage student interest and attention?• Include opportunities for students to reflect, Include opportunities for students to reflect,

discuss, and synthesize?discuss, and synthesize?• Engage students in data analysis and synthesis?Engage students in data analysis and synthesis?• Help students visualize data relationships, Help students visualize data relationships,

geologic processes, or other relationships?geologic processes, or other relationships?• Provide opportunities for students to confirm Provide opportunities for students to confirm

their understanding?their understanding?• Require students to integrate Require students to integrate

ideas/information from different sources?ideas/information from different sources?

Instructions for working Instructions for working groupsgroups

• Possible topicsPossible topics• Interpreting sediment coresInterpreting sediment cores• Reconstructing lake levelsReconstructing lake levels• Great Lakes climate historyGreat Lakes climate history• Dune geomorphologyDune geomorphology

• Form groups of 2-3 people around Form groups of 2-3 people around similar topics or approachessimilar topics or approaches

• Go to the workspace page for your Go to the workspace page for your group numbergroup number

• Login to SERC account to access Login to SERC account to access workspace pageworkspace page

• Work in the workspace page:Work in the workspace page:• Add text, links, images, indefinitely Add text, links, images, indefinitely

editableeditable

• 4:45 – show and tell of your 4:45 – show and tell of your activity pageactivity page