Kitchen Chemistry Supporting Learners’ Decisions in Science Jason C. Yip, Tamara Clegg, Elizabeth Bonsignore, Helene Gelderblom, Becky Lewittes, Mona Leigh Guha, and Allison Druin
Dec 01, 2014
Kitchen Chemistry Supporting Learners’ Decisions in Science
Jason C. Yip, Tamara Clegg, Elizabeth Bonsignore, Helene Gelderblom, Becky Lewittes, Mona Leigh Guha, and Allison Druin
“Science for all” (AAAS, 1990)
Atwater, 1996Basu & Barton, 2007 Brickhouse & Potter, 2001
Lee & Fradd, 1998
Traditional science learning can be
ALIEN
BORING
DISCONNECTED
4
Life-relevant Learning
Environments
GoalsPersonal meaning
Identify and explore
Kitchen Chemistry
Clegg et al., 2006; 2010; 2011
Kitchen
6
Chemistry
Facilitation
Semi-structure activities
Whole group discussions
Mobile technologies
Story Kit
Bederson et al., 2009
Choice
Day
Semi Structured Activities
Whole DiscussionsGroup
Mobile Technologies
Facilitation
Learners’
design of
scientific
investigations
based on their
own personal
goals is…
NO EASY TASK!
Forget the purpose
End investigations prematurelyFail to recognize importance of scientific situations
Need help pursuing interests and goals
Gleason & Schauble, 1999
Quintana et al., 2004
How
informed
wecan
support
decision making ?
What decisions learners make in the development of their own investigations?
Question #1
How do learners come to make such decisions?
Question #2
What aspects of the learning environment support these choices?
Question #3
Methods
Yin’s (2003) comparative case studies
Context: A one week implementation of KC with learners between the ages of 9 to 13.
Case selection: Three Choice Day groups
Videos of all activities
Interviewedlearners
Field notes StoryKitentries
Initial examinationEmerging patterns
TriangulationChain of evidence
ValidityCross case analysis
Data analysis
Lisa & “ Togo ” Cakes
Denise
& Red Cakes
Lily,
Velvet
, and Meg
Choice Day Synopsis
“Togo” cakes – Pancakes with syrup in the middle
Engineering tasks: Enough fluffiness and how to get the syrup in the middle of the syrup
Q1: What decisions were made?
Decision #1: Chose to use baking powder as a leavener and determined the amount to use with an experiment.
Decision #2: Chose to freeze different syrups to as the way to insert the liquid into the middle
Q2: How were the decisions made?
Decision #1: Looked for heights of the foam generated from specific quantities of baking powder, water, and time in the microwave
Q2: How were the decisions made?
Decision #2: She developed an experiment to test out whether honey, corn syrup or maple syrup would freeze well enough to be inserted into the middle.
Q3: What aspects of KC helped?
FacilitatorsSemi-structured experimentsWhole group discussionsTechnology
Choice Day Synopsis
Red velvet cake – Denise wanted to make this because her aunt made this style of cake.
Denise initially did not think of this as a science investigation; she just wanted to make the cake.
Q1: What decisions were made?
Decision #1: Comparison cake and a regular cake.
Decision #2: The regular cake uses one egg and baking soda + vinegar.
The comparison cake uses two eggs and baking powder.
Q2: How were the decisions made?
Decision #1: The adult facilitators worked with the girls to figure out what their goals were for the cake.
Q2: How were the decisions made?
Decision #2: The girls wanted a “cakey” and “moist” cake.
Q3: What aspects of KC helped?
FacilitatorsSemi-structured experimentsWhole group discussionsTechnology
Learners and Choice
Science is not just about the content knowledge and the
social practices.
Learners may need a sense that making
informed decisions matter.
We attempted to use the four aspects of KC to explore the notion
that learners can make viable decisions.
Takeaway
s
Early
Matters
# 1
Decision Making
Semi Structured Activities
Whole DiscussionsGroup
Choice Day
Mobile Technologies
Facilitation
GuidanceMatters
Organization&
# 2
Alignment Tension in decisions
Reflection
Matters
# 3
Slow Down Reflect
acknowledgementsWe want to thank the CI Fellows program for funding this work.
Ben Bederson & Alex Quinn (StoryKit)
We acknowledge our participants and the local school community that partnered with us for this work.
tlclegg @jasoncyip@
ebonsign@