Connecting it up: towards a Route Map for STEM education A project managed & researched by Dr Elsa Ekevall.

Connecting it up:towards a Route Map for STEM education

A project managed & researched by

Dr Elsa Ekevall

STEM-ED Scotland

A partnership to champion world class education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics

Individual Partners at “Forum” events represent:

universities, teacher groups, further education,industry, professional bodies, training agencies, science centres, government agencies

Associated with and supported by: The Deans of Science & Engineering in Scotland

website http://www.gla.ac.uk/stem

Workshop Plan

1. a brief overview of the funded “Connecting it up” project

2. review general conclusions and ideas for the way ahead

3. the “learning pathway” in “Measurement, Units & Scale”

4. discussion – views on its usefulness, and any deficiencies

5. discussion - a starting point for local curriculum planning ?

6. other learning pathways that might be explored?

Project aim: to identify and promote coherent and progressive pathways to develop key concepts and skills across STEM in education up to age 15

• funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation • collaborative project with

• Association of Science Education• Scottish Mathematical Council • Scottish Technology Teachers Association

• supplementary funding support from the Scottish Government to develop two additional pathways key to science

• has involved over 100 education professionals participating directly or through consultation events

STEM Pathways

The project has analysed five different Learning Pathways which have a range of different specific characteristics

i. Models in STEM

ii. Genetics & Inheritance

iii. Measurement, Units and Scale

iv. Mechanical Systems

v. Energy

Conclusions from “End Event”

learning pathways can usefully help to guide teaching strategies at successive stages, building better overall understanding

the documentation for each pathway– maps the contributing and interacting strands in concept

development– identifies rich links to the Experiences & Outcomes curriculum

guidance– draws attention to common misconceptions– provides useful glossaries of terms

BUT it needs to be used as a starting tool for local adaptation via inter-professional discussions

Measurement, Units & Scale

slides derived from a presentation by Deirdre Murray

Background - People Maths Teachers Primary Teachers Science Teachers Technology Teachers Lecturers

Key themes

Measurement

Comparing and Estimating

Measuring Shapes and Objects

Measuring Time

Measuring Temperature

Scale

Each CfE Level has:

a “Big Idea”

information around each key theme

information on common misconceptions

links to CfE Es and Os from different subject areas

cross – curricular links

Measurement, Units and Scale

Numeracy and Mathematics

Sciences

Technologies

Health and Wellbeing

Social Studies

CfE Experience and Outcomes

Measurement: MjWords and numbers can be used to Mjdescribe objects. Different properties Mjcan be measured, such as size and Mjweight e.g. measuring length with Mj

hand spans, children's feet. Mj

MNU 0-01a MNU 0-02a MNU 0-11a MjSCN 0-20a Soc 0-04a Mj

Measurement: MjNon-standard units, such as everyday Mj

objects and shapes can be used to Mjmeasure, e.g. measuring size and Mjweight with pencils, marbles, etc. Mj

MNU 1-01a MNU 1-11a Mj

Measurement: MjStandard units of measurement Mj

make it easier for people to check Mjand compare their measurements, Mj

e.g. measuring size and weight Mjusing metres, kilograms and litres, Mj

MNU 1-01a TCH 1-13a MjHWB 1-30b Mj

Measurement: MjSometimes when measuring there is Mj

a need to use numbers between Mjwhole numbers, e.g. 1/2 and 1/4 of a Mj

metre, litre and kilogram Mj

MNU 1-07a TCH 1-13a MjMTH 1-07c Mj MjHWB 1-30b Mj

Measurement: MjInstruments have been invented to Mjstandardise and aid measuring e.g. Mjcalendars, scales, thermometers. It Mjis important to select an appropriate Mj

unit and tool for the characteristic Mjthat is being measured. Mj

TCH 1-01a TCH 1-13a MNU 1-11a MjMTH 1-12a HWB 1-30b Mj

Measurement: MjMeasurements are approximations and even if the Mjobject being measured stays the same they can Mj

give slightly different numbers. Sometimes there is Mja need to be more precise and extend the range of Mj

units e.g. centimetres, millimetres, grams and Mjmillilitres. The smaller the unit the more precise the Mj

measurement. If smaller units are used more Mjiterations are required to measure a given property. Mj

MNU 2-02a MNU 2-10b MNU 2-11b Mj

Measurement: MjMeasurements can be converted Mjbetween related units and the unit Mj

must always be specified. Changing Mjthe size of the unit gives a different Mjmeasurement for the same object. Mj

MNU 2-11b MTH 2-17d Mj

Measurement: MjNatural phenomena can have very Mj

different sizes, durations, and speeds Mjranging from extremely small to extremely Mjlarge. Measuring them requires different Mj

instruments, devices, techniques and Mjunits. Generally bigger units are used as Mjthe size, duration and speed increases. Mj

MNU 2-11b SCN 2-06a TCH 2-13a Mj

Measurement: MjThe metric system is an international Mj

standard set of inter-related base units Mjthat are used to derive larger and Mjsmaller units e.g. the millimetre, Mj

centimetre and kilometre are derived Mjfrom the base unit metre. Mj

MNU 2-11b TCH 2-13a Mj

Misconceptions

A B C

A B C

Area of rectangle ≠ area of triangle:If you dissect a shape and rearrange the pieces, you change the area.

‘Improving Learning in Mathematics Resource’

Julia: Perimeter and area

‘Improving Learning in Mathematics Resource’

Julia: Perimeter and area

‘Improving Learning in Mathematics Resource’

Julia: Perimeter and area

Believes that perimeter is conserved when a shape is cut up and reassembled.

Believes that there is a relationship between the area and perimeter of a shape.

‘Improving Learning in Mathematics Resource’

What do we do with mistakes and misconceptions?

Avoid them whenever possible? "If I warn learners about the misconceptions as I teach, they

are less likely to happen. Prevention is better than cure.”

Use them as learning opportunities?"I actively encourage learners to make mistakes and to learn from them.”

‘Improving Learning in Mathematics Resource’

Let’s discuss the Measurement Pathway

Issues with the Measurement pathway?

simplifying description of understanding sought at each level more explicit link with development of number skills?

– fractions, decimals, percentages– ratio, proportion and similarity – but: measurements are compound quantities – number & UNIT

Integration of temperature and time in “measurement” theme? extremes of scale: order of magnitude? continue to Level 4? eg scientific notation? logarithmic scales? possibilities of realignment of E&Os, or wider curriculum

enhancement? science and units – compound units and “units algebra”?

There is scope for ambition!

“The curriculum has to become increasingly ambitious”Higher Order Skills Excellence Group 2011

“Children Are Born Investigators”“The capacity of young children—from all backgrounds

and socioeconomic levels—to reason in sophisticated ways is much greater than has long been assumed.”

A Framework for K-12 Science EducationUSA: NRC Report 2011

A framework for “professional conversations” and teacher CPD

It was persuasively argued that the learning pathways could be made the basis for a key advance, which would encourage within-school “professional conversations” among staff across the different STEM disciplines.

Such a group would act as a “Teaching & Learning Community” and be led by a volunteer coordinator.

A first objective would be to arrange to “train these trainers.”

It would be vital to recruit active support for such initiatives at Head Teacher and Local Authority levels.

Other pathways to develop?

Generalising: acronyms, algorithms, symbols and algebra? Graphs? Scale diagrams, maps, coordinates, vectors? . . . . ??

(structure of matter) (waves)