Exploring the Process of Theory Building and Conceptual Change in a Dynamic Modelling Environment

Exploring the Process of Theory Building Exploring the Process of Theory Building and Conceptual Change in a Dynamic and Conceptual Change in a Dynamic

Modelling EnvironmentModelling EnvironmentBy

SC LiSC Li

Department of Education Studies, HKBU

1.1. Background: Research in Science Background: Research in Science Education Education

2.2. Modelling in Science EducationModelling in Science Education3.3. Brief highlight WorldMaker 2000Brief highlight WorldMaker 20004.4. Preliminary StudyPreliminary Study5.5. Findings & DiscussionFindings & Discussion

Outline:Outline:

Research in science educationResearch in science education

• Dominated by the Conceptual Change Model (CCM) in the past two decade (Posner, Strike and Hewson 1982)

• Learning involve changing a person’s conceptions rather than simply adding new knowledge to what is already there.

• 2 types of changes: assimilation and accommodation analogous to the pattern of theory change in science

Conceptual Change ModelConceptual Change Model

• For a person to undergo conceptual change, s/he has to– Become dissatisfied with existing

conception– Find new conception intelligible,

plausible and fruitful

Conceptual Change ModelConceptual Change Model

• For Instructional strategies to bring about conceptual change (POE)– Exposing alternative conceptions– Creating conceptual conflict– Encouraging cognitive accommodation

Conceptual Change ModelConceptual Change Model

• Conceptual conflict strategies yielded mixed results

• Students react to conceptual conflicts in several different ways that did not lead to conceptual change:– fail to recognize the conflict – recognize but avoid– resolve conflict partially– resolve conflict using alternative conceptions

CCMCCMCriticismCriticism• Competing conceptions can coexist in the learner

without necessarily replace one another• Conceptual change is rarely abrupt, but

incrementally revised• Learning is a process of that can take student

from preconceptions to target models . This may occur via one or more intermediate models that serve as partial models on the way to developing the target model.

Computer Modelling for Computer Modelling for Conceptual ChangeConceptual Change

Scientific conception

alternative conception

Modelling

Simulations vs. ModellingSimulations vs. Modelling

Lego blocks vs. Toy cars

Simulations vs. Modelling• to explore, or

• to express

They help students• externalize thoughts;• theorize and formulate explanations;• rectify alternative conceptions, and• advance in shifting across

intermediate conceptions.

Modelling

Computer Modelling for Computer Modelling for Conceptual ChangeConceptual Change

Scientific conception

alternative conception

Modelling

A world confined in a Discretized Space and TimeWhat is WorldMaker?

What is WorldMaker? An iconic collaborative modelling environment

with modelling techniques derived from the notion of cellular automata

Investigating the use of WorldMaker in Teaching and

Learning

Some preliminary studies

Research QuestionsResearch Questions• How effective is computer modelling in

understanding students’ alternative conceptions?

• How effective is computer modelling in fostering conceptual change?

• What teaching strategies can promote these processes?

Preliminary StudyPreliminary Study

Preliminary StudyPreliminary StudyDomain of StudyDomain of Study• Evaporation and diffusionParticipantsParticipants• 40 F1 students from a local (Band 1) girl

schoolSettingSetting• Normal classroom setting• The class is divided into 10 groups, each

group comprises 4 to 5 members

InstructionInstruction• Students were asked to predict and explain what

would happen to the vase of perfume as shown.• A simple demonstration followed by students’

group activities

perfume

Room A

Preliminary StudyPreliminary Study

Group activitiesGroup activities

Predict and explain– “What will happen to the perfume inside

the beaker after a certain period of time?”

– “Illustrate your ‘theory’ or explanation for the above phenomenon through simple drawing.”

Preliminary StudyPreliminary Study

Model co-construction• Each group is required to construct their

models and present to the teacher whenever they feel satisfied with their model or encounter any difficulties.

• Each group is encouraged to rectify their models after each discussion session. Students are encouraged to plan their own experiment to verify their claims if necessary.

Preliminary StudyPreliminary Study

Teacher’s role– as unobtrusive as possible– constantly challenged and encouraged

students to articulate their explanations and to externalize their thoughts through writing, drawing and model building

– Questions and challenges serves as a kind of cognitive perturbation

Preliminary StudyPreliminary Study

Major Alternative ConceptionsMajor Alternative Conceptions• No empty space exists between air particles• Air serves as an agent that drives the perfume

particles to move• The particles can only undergo vertical motion in

a way analogous to the motion of a convection current

• No phase transition between liquid and gaseous states

• Non-conservation of matter

FindingsFindings

FindingsFindings

FindingsFindings

FindingsFindings

Seven Levels of understanding1. perfume disappears and is absorbed or

annihilated by an external agent: e.g. air; heat generated by lamps and the sun)

2. perfume ‘evaporates’ as a result of being transferred from one location to another by an external agent (e.g. air movement; ‘sucking force’ from the sun)

3. phase transition 1: at the liquid surface, perfume breaks into small droplets and is drifted away by air

FindingsFindings

Seven Levels of understanding

4. phase transition 2: perfume emits ‘smell’ which adheres to air particles

5. phase transition 3: at the liquid surface, perfume changes into gaseous (particulate) form and can move on its own

6. 5 + perfume gas moves in a random manner

7. 6 + conservation of matter

FindingsFindings

FindingsFindings

FindingsFindings

FindingsFindings

FindingsFindings

FindingsFindings

ConclusionConclusion• According the the preliminary study,

there are evidences to convince us that the dynamical nature of the modelling tool does– help students to externalize and visualize

their thoughts as well as their alternative conceptions in a dynamical way

– provide a better context to confront students with conceptual conflicts and facilitates the progressive refinement of students’ conceptions through the process of theory building.

Nature of Scientific Investigations

Observation

Theorization

Prediction

Conjecture Refutation

Nature of Scientific Investigations

Observation

Theorization

Prediction

Weak in science

education

Overemphasized in science education

Nature of Scientific Investigation

Theory (model) building

Observation (experimentation)

theory exploration

theory building

refutation

conjecture

Thank you!