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Monday 2:00 -- Teaching Complex Systems with Models
Developing Student Understanding of Complex Systems in the Geosciences, Carleton College, 18-20 April 2010
Teaching AS a Complex SystemModeling
& Learning
Bruce W. GrantWidener University
Miller et al. 2006. Public Acceptance of Evolution. Science 313: 765–766.
US
Public acceptance of evolution in 34 countries.
US
accepts
rejects
TIEE ESA Memphis
Ecology Topic
Introducing Ecology Scientific Thinking Quantitative Thinking Systems Thinking Ecological Thinking
(* note: this group is common to all rows below, as well *)
Individual Ecology Physiological Ecology Behavioral Ecology
Population Ecology Population Genetics Population Regulation Mathematical Modeling Metapopulations
(Mis)conception Cluster
Scientific Epistemology Evidence-based Empirical Reasoning Observation – Hypothesis – Prediction Correlation – Causation Inductive – Deductive Reasoning, “Prove”
Empirical Inference Graphing, Data Visualization, Modeling, Statistical Inference
Ecological Scale Space, Time, Taxonomic
Systems Conceptualization and ModelingDirect and Indirect Effects “Balance” and “Order” in Nature
Adaptation & Natural Selection Variation, Fitness
Sexual, Kin, Group SelectionNature vs. Nurture Cooperation and Altruism Metabolism Energy, Heat, Mass Balance Energy and Materials Processing Regulation and Homeostasis
Evolution Qualitative Genetics Quantitative Genetics Variation, Modeling Random Processes
Density Dependence/Independence Linear/ Non-linear Feedback Determinism vs. Stochasticity, Chaos
Exotic “Alien” SpeciesMigration
Ecology Topic
Community Ecology Competition Predation/ParasitismMutualisms Biodiversity
Ecosystems Ecology Energy Flow Biogeochemical Cycles Ecosystem Change
Conservation Ecology Resource Management Ecological Sustainability
(Mis)conception Cluster
Modeling Interactions (see above)Community Stability and Resiliency Prudent Predation/ParasitismSymbiosis and CoevolutionSpatial*Temporal @#$% in
Biogeography, Extinction and Speciation
Energy, Heat, Mass BalanceCarbon Cycle (any cycle…)Sequences of Events vs. Transformation ProcessesDisturbances in Space and Time
Environmental Ethics Utilitarianism, Deontology, Aesthetics Valuation of Nature
Ecosystems Services Strong – Weak SustainabilityAdvocacy and Citizen Scientists
Fall 2000 – Bio161Section A, 24 students
0
2
4
6
8
10
pre-test Sept05 Quiz3, Sept05 Exam1, Oct05 Final, Dec05pre-test
mid Sept05Quiz3
end Sept05Exam 1Oct05
FinalDec05
Individual variation in student scores on the “Evolution” question during the Fall 2005 semester (red line is the average).
sco
re
average
Fall 2000 – Bio161Section A, 24 students
6 went on to graduate in biology
18 did not…
“Teaching requires the recognition that education is ideological.”
- Paulo Freire 1998, Pedagogy of Freedom
Science, 2004. 304: 521-522
Crude Content Analysis of Workshop Participant Essays
Essay contained evidence from student data
(quantitative or “non-anecdotal” qualitative, or cited in ed research journal pub)
21 %
…not so
What does it mean to apply our understanding of
complex systems in our disciplines to improving our teaching and our students’
learning?
What is the Goal of the Activity?
Specific Observation
Hypothesisor General
Theory
Inductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
Anomalies lead to paradigm shifts (Kuhn).
Steps of the Scientific Method
Observation of Something Intriguing or Paradoxical
Curiosity Questions/Hypotheses About Causality
Experimental Design to Test Hypotheses
Obtain Funding to Conduct the Research
Perform the Experiment: Collect and Analyze Data
Accept or Reject Hypothesis (More Experiments?)
Publish Results
Anomalies lead to paradigm shifts (Kuhn).
Making Keen Observations
ReflectionCrafting Testable
QuestionsAvoiding “Deficit”
ExplanationsBasing Hyp’s on
Learning Theory
Challenges to Scientific Teaching
Multiple Causality and Underlying Latent Variables
“Control” Over Variables, and Other Limits to Positivist Reductionism
Qualitative and Ethnographic Methods
“Quasi-Experimental Mixed Method Designs”
METACOGNITION – How do we know
when we know?
Ed. Research Journal DomainsCollaborations w/ Ed. Faculty
REWARDS SYSTEM
Steps of the Scientific Method Observation of Something Intriguing or ParadoxicalCuriosity Questions/Hypotheses About Causality
Experimental Design to Test Hypotheses
Obtain Funding to Conduct the Research
Perform the Experiment: Collect and Analyze Data
Accept or Reject Hypothesis (More Experiments?)
Publish Results
What is the Goal of the Activity?
Specific Observation
from Practice
Personal Theory of Practice
Pure/Applied Science
ReflectResolve
ReviseRepeat
Research Cycle of Practice (≡ PRAXIS !!)
Informed by…
Thus, the goal is not generalizable theory, but rather the construction of contextualized knowledge that improves the action of one’s practice because the outcomes produce good ends.
Practitioner research is value driven, goal-oriented, and transformative advocacy for both teacher and student, because that is the right thing to do.
Education is liberating, the capacity to teach and learn is emancipatory, our students deserve it, our culture demands it, and these outcomes not only constitute a core western ideological position (Freire 1998)…
…it is a
“way of knowing”
Aristotle of Stageira(384 – 322 BC)
theoriapoiēsispraxis
Theoria
Poiēsis
Praxis
http://www.geocities.com/krinklyman2/toyaristotle.jpg
pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, contemplative inquiry using a priori reasoning to achieve knowledge of eternal truths of no relevance to the conduct of everyday practical activities.
activities guided by reasoning called techné that form the basis of productive life and require knowledge, methods and skills that constitute technical expertise (e.g., craftsmen, poets, farmers, economists, and scientists). Productive Philosophy
action to progressively realize the good or virtuous conduct of a morally worthwhile life. Praxis is putting theoretical knowledge into practice, and it emphasizes the need for a constant cycle of conceptualizing the meanings of what can be learned from experience in order to reframe action. Practical Philosophy
Carr 2006. Philosophy, Methodology and Action Research. Journal of the Philosophy of Education 40 (4): 421-435.
Theoria
Poiēsis
Praxis
Practical Philosophy
Carr 2006. Philosophy, Methodology and Action Research. Journal of the Philosophy of Education 40 (4): 421-435.
pure science
applied science
action/ practitioner
research
Productive Philosophy
http://www.geocities.com/krinklyman2/toyaristotle.jpg
The Place of Praxis in “Scientific Teaching”
Specific Observation
Hypothesisor General
Theory
Inductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
One’s “Personal Theory of Practice” becomes an extension of the concept of a “Specific Observation” in the western scientific hypothetico-deductive process.
Why do some things work but not others?
Anomalies lead to paradigm shifts (Kuhn).
New to Fall 2006:
major content reduction,
many classes began with a survey of essay or short answer questions (5-10 mins) to elicit (mis)conceptions on the next topic,
results of these surveys, i.e. the frequencies of students’ (mis)conceptions, became the “lecture outline” for the next topic – course content was permuted to address observed (mis)conceptions.
frequency of responses
Frequencies of Bio161 students’ misconceptions on the “Evolution” question on the pre-test in Sept 2006 (n=54)
Final Exam DINO NECK Scores
+10
+8
+7
+6
+5
+4
+3
+2
+1
+0
+9
great answer !
mentioned genetics, but…
nothingoutrageous
Lamarckian or teleological need drives the variation
way off track
0 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
TIEE V6 – Grant, Figure 7
2000-2005 2006-2007
0 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
0 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 0 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
FINAL EXAM Dino Neck score averages among years (max of 10 pts) for students who completed both pre- & post-tests (Sept & Dec)
sample sizes: 45, 42, 49, 36, 40, 44, 49, 66
Post-
Pre-
P<0.001P<0.05
pairwise t-tests *
Comparison of final exam “Dino Neck” vs. “≡ Evolution” scores for all students in 2000-2005 (left, n = 247) and 2006-2007 (right, n = 118).
Summary of Findings to Date:
(a) students explained evolution more accurately
(b) specific types of misconceptions decreased significantly
1 - more students recognized the importance and nature of phenotypic variation as occurring among co-existing individuals,
2 - more students understood the role of random mutation as the origin of these within population variants,
3 - more students appreciated the action of natural selection as selecting among these coexisting variants, and
4 - more students had jettisoned teleological/ Lamarckian explanations for evolutionary change based on need
(c) more students demonstrated improved cognitive capacity at applying factual knowledge across cognitive domains to synthesize information
Why scores improved.
Direct confrontation with students’ misconceptions,
Concept reinforcement within a repetitive template (scaffolding) – complex ideas were more manageable,
Surveys got students to class on time, and writing woke them up,
But… more importantly,
Why scores improved (con.).
I talked to them about themselves!
I acknowledged and validated their struggles with learning the concepts,
What they knew and didn’t know mattered and affected what we “covered,”
Learning was more personal, relevant, and accessible to them – their struggle with learning this material was really about their struggle with learning about themselves.
Why I enjoyed it.A stack of essay quizzes (50+) was like a
field notebook containing REAL DATA. It was actually interesting to labor to extract evidence,
I enjoyed seeing into their thinking, and for many, witnessing their growth in understanding,
Teaching IS research, and for me, research is fun.
Anomalies lead to paradigm shifts (Kuhn).
Scientific Teaching is needed because…
Practitioner Research (e.g. Jarvis 1998, Stenhouse 1985)
Action Research (e.g. Hollingsworth 1997)
Exploratory Research (e.g. Allwright 1984…2005)
teacher professional development needs to change teachers from “consumers of knowledge about teaching” to “producers of knowledge about teaching”
National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996)
“scientifically based [education] research” must drive the use of federal education funds at the state and local levels “No Child Left Behind” Act (2001)
Design-Implementation-Outcomes (DIO) Cycle of Evidence Evidence: An Essential Tool (NSF 2005)
Reflective Practitioner (e.g. Schon 1983, Bassey 1992)
Praxis is…
“a form of action directed towards the achievement of some end… [and] the ‘end’ of praxis is not to make or produce some object or artifact, but progressively to realize the idea of the ‘good’ constitutive of a morally worthwhile form of human life.
But praxis is not ethically neutral action by means of which the good life can be achieved. …praxis is a form of ‘doing’ action precisely because its ‘end’ — to promote the good life — only exists, and can only be realized, in and through praxis itself. …
Praxis is thus nothing other than a practical manifestation of how the idea of the good is being understood…”
Carr 2006. Philosophy, Methodology, and Action Research. Journal of the Philosophy of Education 40 (4): 421-435.
According to Carr 2006 (and ref’s therein…),
Practical philosophy was deliberately marginalized in modern times…
“because the indeterminate and imprecise nature of praxis unavoidably entails that practical philosophy is an ‘inexact’ science which yields a form of knowledge that cannot be applied universally and unconditionally.”
Thus, “practical philosophy.. is nothing other than a pre-modern version of twentieth century action research. Like action research, it takes ethically informed human practice as its unique object domain.
Like action research, it can be defined as ‘a form of reflective enquiry undertaken by practitioners in order to improve their own practices, their understanding of these practices and the situation in which these practices are carried out’ … And, like action research, it accepts that the knowledge that informs and guides practice is ‘contextualised knowledge that cannot be separated from the practical context in which it is embedded’….”
“contemporary rehabilitation of practical philosophy”
