JANA BOUWMA-GEARHART, STEM EDUCATION

ANDREW BOUWMA-GEARHART, BIOLOGY

MOLLY FISHER, STEM EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

DECEMBER 3, 2011

Meeting the New Science Standards: Engaging Students In Modeling-Based Inquiry

Collaboration and Communication Via Instructional Technology

1. Discuss with a partner your notion of what it would look like to engage students in inquiry while using technology.

2. How do you think your notion of inquiry compares with that most often offered by others advocating that students engage in inquiry?

Introductory Questions

•Overview Of New National Science Standards

•Overview Of Modeling-based Inquiry

•Modeling Activities (Yes, You Will Have To Think!) Enhanced With Communication

Technology

•Discussion

Presentation Organizer

A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core

Ideas (National Research Council, July, 2011)

“The framework calls for a full integration of the practices of science with the ideas and concepts. That is, students should learn the ideas of science through actually doing science. This approach was also emphasized in previous documents, but was not fully implemented on a wide scale.”

The framework consists of elements in three dimensions:

(1) scientific and engineering practices (2) crosscutting concepts(3) disciplinary core ideas in science

Dimension 1: Scientific And Engineering Practices

1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)

2. Developing and using models 3. Planning and carrying out investigations 4. Analyzing and interpreting data 5. Using mathematics and computational thinking* 6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing

solutions (for engineering) 7. Engaging in argument from evidence 8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating

information

= engagement in inquiry, collaboration, and communication akin to that of practicing scientists

The Enhanced Role of Communication In the Science Standards

By grade 12, students should be able to: Discuss the limitations and precision of a model

and suggest ways in which the model might be improved to better fit available evidence.

Offer causal explanations. Identify possible weaknesses in scientific

arguments and discuss them using reasoning and evidence.

Recognize the major features of scientific writing and speaking and be able to produce written and illustrated text or oral presentations that communicate their own ideas and accomplishments.

What is a Scientific Model?

A set of ideas that describe a natural process…and can be mentally run, given certain constraints, to explain or predict phenomena.

- Cartier et al. (2001)

Ex. Model of universal gravity explains various phenomena concerning object relationships and motions in the universe

What is Modeling-based Inquiry Instruction?

Guided inquiry; instructor works as facilitator with specific learning outcomes (science content and processes) as end product

Students collect/analyze data and develop explanatory models that are:• empirically consistent (account for all data)• conceptually consistent (realistic) • have predictive power

Students revise their models as new data becomes available

Students work as a community of scientists

Does Modeling-based Inquiry (MBI) Work?

Research affirms:MBI has shown to foster students ’deep

understanding of scientific knowledge and practices (Cartier, 1999; Cartier et al., 2005; Harrison & Treagust, 1998; Hestenes, 1987; Stewart et al., 2005; White & Frederiksen, 1998)

…even with respect to phenomena for which students typically hold deep-seated misconceptions (Bishop & Anderson, 1990; Demastes et al., 1996; Jensen & Finley, 1995, 1996; Rudolph & Stewart, 1998)

Modeling-based Inquiry In The Science Classroom

Overall, students are asked to interact with scientific phenomena and each other as student-scientists to:

• analyze data• construct explanatory models • assess strength of competing models • revise models as new data are available• communicate their models

Acheta domesticus: A “model” organism for model-based inquiry

Modeling-based Inquiry In A Unit On Evolution

A sexual selection phenomenon that can be easily studied in a lab, or witnessed in a series of videos, is cricket aggression

Start by having students construct of ethogram (record of an organism’s general behavior) of solitary crickets

• Question: How to scientifically record animal behavior? (think, pair, share)

• Roughly 30 minutes to record data (could also give students data)

• See mostly grooming, feeding, walking behaviors

Students Make Observations/Collect Data Concerning Phenomena

Students then observe for 30 minutes, 5 previously isolated male crickets together in a 10-gallon aquarium (can be video but much more exciting to witness in person!)

each cricket is marked and assigned to a student

Students add to ethograms any new behaviors

this is what the see…

Student Data Collection: Male Crickets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE__uuFyPnU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUJgLJr8Bz8&feature=fvw

from 5:10-6:15 min is fighting but entire 7 minute episode details the natural aggression in males credits capitalized on in competitive cricket fighting

Cricket Behavior

Using Technology: Wikis and Blogs to Share Data and Model Development

For the construction of ethograms:

Wiki or Blog to serve as a class space for sharing data

Students can create their own space and invite others to view their data and ongoing model instruction

Example and all materials for this presentation at

http://modelingatnsta.wikispaces.com/

Students Develop Explanation

Think like a behavioral ecologist and propose an explanatory model to account for the observed data/phenomena

“What is the adaptive value of aggression in crickets?”

Can use statistical analysis for more advanced students, free online

http://www.graphpad.com/welcome.htm

Think, pair, share (Enter into group wiki/blog)

Students Develop Explanation

Many students first hypothesize aggression related to survival; thought crickets were fighting to gain access to food resources=natural selection hypothesis

This is a legitimate offering…is realistic and empirically consistent with the data they have IF they proposed aggression was something that only seen in males

Students Design Tests and Analyze Additional Data

Within group wiki/blog, students may design experiments to test hypotheses; group decides on hypotheses they want to test and propose group experiment on wiki/blog

Whether class can take time to actively run all of these tests is up to the instructor

Regardless, students need to be provided additional data to force student model revision to what is known to be the more accurate model. For instance…

Students Analyze Additional Data and Revise Model to Again Account for ALL

Data

Students (for 30 minutes), in class or via video, observe 5 previously isolated female crickets together in a 10-gallon aquarium each cricket is again marked and assigned to

a student

Students add any new behaviors to ethograms crickets continue to groom, feed, walk,

mostly ignore one another

Conclusions so far?

Additional Data Confirming or Forcing Revision of Model

Matings of male winners and losers when placed in separate containers with one

female

Nelson and Nolen, 1997

Additional Data Confirming or Forcing Revision of Model

Matings of male winners and losers when placed together in container with one

female

Nelson and Nolen, 1997

Students Summarize Model Thus Far

Students, at this point, have data that lead them to revise their larger model of selection to account for sexual selection

Student conclusions:

• aggression increases mating success by allowing more aggressive males to monopolize access to females

• survival to reproductive age (natural selection) is not the only issue for organisms; there is also the need to secure mates to actually reproduce

• But not the whole story regarding interplay of natural and sexual selection

Students Analyze Additional Data and Revise Model to Again Account for ALL Data

The case of the Texas field cricket— An amazing amount of diversity in chirping rates (pulses per trill), much more than seen in other cricket species Species’ signals that are used in finding a mate are not typically variable in the animal kingdom, since the signal must be specific enough so as not to be confused with those of other species. Why the great variation in the case of the Texas field cricket?

Provide students with additional data Think, pair, share on the following data

Students Analyze Additional Data and Revise Model to Again Account for ALL Data

Pulses per trill of “male” cricket calls

Gray & Cade, 1999

Students Analyze Additional Data and Revise Model to Again Account for ALL Data

Pulses per trill of “male” cricket calls

Gray & Cade, 1999

Students Analyze Additional Data and Revise Model to Again Account for ALL Data

Sexual selection pressure on one calling rate, but natural selection via parasitoid fly selects against this very rate. End result if lots of variation in population with respect to courtship song

Students have firmly developed idea that natural selection can select against a trait selected for by sexual selection

Students conclude (correctly) that the relationship between natural and sexual selection is sometimes complicated

Post- (and pre-) Assessment

Students can post arguments to their wikis or blogs and these arguments can be assessed by fellow students and the instructor alike

For more advanced assessment and to teach scientific writing, try Calibrated Peer Review http://cpr.molsci.ucla.edu/

For a more traditional assessment, try SurveyMonkey to gather both formative and summative assessment:http://www.surveymonkey.com/

P20 STEM Innovation Lab Goals

Objective 1: To develop new contexts, connections, and experiences for thinking about teaching, learning, and researching STEM subject matter and pedagogies in P20 environments.

Objective 2: To encourage the co-participation of diverse researchers, educators, and P20 students in envisioning improved STEM education, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Sample Lab Activities

Research Numerous UK, state, and NSF funded research projects UK STEM Education Symposium research conference

February 3, 2012

Curriculum creation/implementation/research: Costa Rica ecology modeling course for teachers Building SPEED: The Mathematics and Science of NASCAR Save the Animals Realistic Explorations in Astronomical Learning

Other Outreach “See Blue” Math Clinic for struggling secondary students Family Science/Math Nights at local schools Elementary and Secondary Preservice Teacher Preparation

Research/Advisory Groups

Collaborative Partners

STEM departments at UK: Biology, Math, Engineering, Physics

Other Departments in the UK College of Education

PIMSER Association of Public and

Land Grant Universities Tracy Farmer Institute for

Sustainability and the Environment

Central Kentucky Education Cooperative

University of West Virginia Morehead State University

• Northern, Eastern, and Western Kentucky Universities

• Rice University• University of Minnesota• Virginia Tech• UW-Madison• UC-Santa Barbara• UC-Boulder• Kentucky Center for

Mathematics• Fayette County Schools• Woodford County Schools• Jessamine County Schools• Turkey Foot Middle School

Questions or Comments?

Please Contact:

Jana (Jana.Bouwma-Gearhart@uky.edu)

Andy (AndrewBG@uky.edu)

Molly (mfi223@uky.edu)