Development of a grades 6-12 learning progression for biodiversity: an overview of approach, framework and key findings Presentation Written by: LAUREL

Development of a grades 6-12 learning progression for biodiversity: an overview of approach, framework and key findings

PresentationWritten by: LAUREL HARTLEY1, ANDY ANDERSON2, ALAN BERKOWITZ4, JENNIFER DOHERTY2, SHAWNA

MCMAHON3, JOHN MOORE3, CORNELIA HARRIS4, JONATHON SCHRAMM2, BROOK WILKE2

Culturally relevant ecology, learning progressions and environmental literacyLong Term Ecological Research Math Science Partnership

April 2011Disclaimer: This research is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation: Targeted Partnership:

Culturally relevant ecology, learning progressions and environmental literacy (NSF-0832173). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily

reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

LAUREL HARTLEY1, ANDY ANDERSON2, ALAN BERKOWITZ4, JENNIFER DOHERTY2, SHAWNA MCMAHON3, JOHN MOORE3, CORNELIA HARRIS4, JONATHON

SCHRAMM2, BROOK WILKE2

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER1, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY2, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY3, CARY INSTITUTE of ECOSYSTEM STUDIES4

Development of a grades 6-12 learning progression for biodiversity: an overview of approach, framework

and key findings

Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy

Who we are

• Ecologists + Science Education Researchers + Teachers + Grades 6-12 Students

Alan Berkowitz, Bess Caplan, Sarah Haines, et al. Cary and Towson University

Ali Whitmer, Scott Simon, et al. UCSB and Georgetown Univ.

John Moore, Kim Melville-Smith, Ray Tschillard, Bill Hoyt, Laurel Hartley NREL, CSU, UC Denver, UNC

Bob Mayes,Sylvia Parker, et al. Univ. of Wyoming

Andy Anderson, Brook Wilke, Jennifer Doherty, Jon Schramm et al. MSU

Many others:

Beth Covitt,Univ. of MT

Lia Harris, Eric Keeling, et al. Cary Institute, NY

Kristen Gunckel, Univ. of AZ

Karen Draney, UC Berkeley

Bob Waide, LNO

Pathways to Environmental Science Literacy Project

Why do we need biodiversity literacy?Learning Progressions for

Environmental Literacy

• Biodiversity is rapidly declining



• Species perform vital ecosystem functions/services.



• The more diverse a population or community is, the more resistant it might be to perturbations like disease

Why do we need biodiversity literacy?

How much do citizens need to know How much do citizens need to know to make sense of the information in to make sense of the information in

popular media and policy?popular media and policy?

How can a reader decide whether to How can a reader decide whether to trust claims, especially when reports trust claims, especially when reports

are contested in popular press?are contested in popular press?

Should we expect citizens to make or Should we expect citizens to make or accept changes in policies that affect accept changes in policies that affect

them on the basis of simplified them on the basis of simplified popular media, leaving “technical popular media, leaving “technical

details” to the experts?details” to the experts?


Goal of our Work

• Develop a grades 6-12 learning progression for biodiversity


Our working definition of a learning progression

Compatibility with current research: built on findings of the best research about both student learning and scientific thought

Conceptual coherence: “make sense”/ tell a reasonable story

Empirical validation: grounded in empirical data about real students

Learning progressions are descriptions of increasingly sophisticated ways of thinking about a subject.


Informed by, builds upon, corroborates

• Anderson

• Catley, Lehrer, and Resler

• Duncan

• Furtak

• Metz

• Nehm

• Schauble and Lehrer

• Songer and Gotwals

• and others


Upper Anchor Framework

Scale Processes Principles




Individual Life cyclesSeasonal cycles

1. An organism’s physical traits and behaviors are the result of genes being expressed within a determined range, moderated by the environment 2. Matter and energy are necessary for life cycle processes 3. Matter and energy are transformed as they are used by biota for life processes






Population Evolution 1. There is phenotypic and genotypic variability among individuals in and between populations2. Matter and energy are finite and limit the growth of populations3. There is differential survival and reproduction in populations based on fitness of traits and chance4. Dispersal of individuals into and out of a population can change the populations size and/or gene frequencies






Population Evolution 1. There is phenotypic and genotypic variability among individuals in and between populations2. Matter and energy are finite and limit the growth of populations3. There is differential survival and reproduction in populations based on fitness of traits and chance4. Dispersal of individuals into and out of a population can change the populations size and/or gene frequencies

Community/Ecosystem

SuccessionCommunity AssemblyFood Webs

1. Dispersal2. Abiotic conditions/resources3. Interactions with other organisms4. How organisms interact with one another affects how they change themselves and the environment in ways that then change the nature of the interactions between those organisms

Methods

Define ContentArea

Observe patterns in student thinking (literature search and pilot studies)

assessments teaching experiments

Construct a model about we how think students progress

Revise the model

Test the model


Methods

Written Assessments (MD, NY, CO, MI, CA)


School Level Tests(2010)

Interviews (2010)

Middle School 698 58

High School 672 47

Teachers 38

Methods

Written Assessments (MD, NY, CO, MI, CA)

Clinical Interviews(MD, NY, CO, MI, CA)


School Level Tests(2010)

Interviews (2010)

Middle School 698 58

High School 672 47

Teachers 38

Methods

• Created rubrics for each item with 10 student answers• Attempted rubrics with 30 student answers, refined rubrics• Used rubrics to code interview data

– Refined rubrics– Eliminated unreliable questions

• Coded all student answers with refined rubrics– 10% of answers were coded by multiple coders– Less than 80% reliability led to another round of

developmental coding• IRT analysis is on-going



Basic Learning Progression

Level General Description

4 Model-Based Reasoning

3 School-Science Narrative

2 Force-Dynamic with Hidden Mechanisms

1 Force-Dynamic Reasoning

Upper Anchor

Lower Anchor

Outline• Paper 1: Development of a Grade 6-12 Learning Progression for

Biodiversity: an Overview of the Approach, Framework, and Key Findings, Laurel Hartley

• Paper 2: The Role of Heredity and Environment in Students’ Accounts of Adaptation by Selection and Phenotypic Plasticity, Jennifer Doherty

• Paper 3: Endangered Species Conservation as a Context for Understanding Student Thinking about Genetic Diversity, Shawna McMahon

• Paper 4: Student understanding of species diversity in ecosystems, Jonathon Schramm, Brook Wilke

• Paper 5: Using complexity in food webs to teach biodiversity, Cornelia Harris


Characteristics of Levels: Individual Scale

• See individuals as static life forms recognize change in individuals over life cycles and seasons

• Type I survivorship curves Type II and III survivorship curves

• Recognize traits of individuals connect trait with function and environment


Characteristics of Levels: Population Scale

• Recognize Individuals/families recognize populations within communities

• Traits of individuals shaped by free will traits shaped by genetics moderated by environment

• All survive survival in face of strong selection pressures recognize reproduction as important, recognize weak as well as strong selection

• Phenotypic plasticity as rationale for “free will” explanation as rationale for genetic explanation

• Change within generation long-time generational time


Characteristics of Levels: Community Scale

• See direct biotic interactions also see indirect, resource-mediated interactions, see time lags from action to response

• Simplistic view of connections recognition of variable strengths of connections, recognition of functional redundancy

• Change only from catastrophic events or human intervention change as constant and mediated by interplay among biota and abiotic environment

• Isolated landscapeslandscape mosaics

• don’t invoke dispersal see dispersal as important and moderated by traits

Future Directions• Teaching Experiment (N=1200)• Revisions of 2010 Assessments and Framework

– Plasticity– Importance of weaker selection pressures– Socio-ecological contexts

• Differences among students– Demographics– Schools and teaching practices

• Incorporating learning progression teaching strategies into our teacher professional development

Questions?

Documents

Development of a grades 6-12 learning progression for biodiversity: an overview of approach, framework and key findings Presentation Written by: LAUREL