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Inquiry, Teaching & Technology

S. Raj Chaudhury

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia, USA

[email protected]

Valladolid, March 2007

Outline

Parable – “Fish is Fish” Convergence of idea frameworks Design of Learning Environments

Network technologies for assessment Supporting Multiple Representations

Knowledge Integration Framework GroupScribbles - an evolution


“Fish is Fish”

by Leo Lionni

A parable for how people learn


Fish & tadpole (who looks like fish) are friends


Tadpole Frog

Cause for concern


“Frog is Frog” and “Fish is Fish” and that is that!


the frog leaves the pond and is gone for a while…


Frog returns : “I have seen wonderful things!”


“Birds – they have feathers, wings, they fly…”


“Cows – black/white, chew cud, have horns…”


“People – walk on 2 legs, wear clothes…”


Fish took a test

1. Which of the following best describes a cow?

a) A creature that has wings, covered with feathers and can fly

b) A creature that walks upright on 2 feet and wears clothes

c) A creature that has black and white markings, has horns and chews cud


View inside students’ mind

Do you know what picture they are building from your teaching?

Formative assessment is necessary Innovative ways of representation Technology can help…


Finally…

One day, the fish was curious about life on the land

He jumped to the shore but then he could not breathe…

Luckily, his friend the frog came by and put him back in the water

Frog: “What are you doing? You will die on land - fish is fish and you must stay in the water!”


Lesson to be learned

Sometimes we want ‘hands-on’/direct experience but it is simply not possible

Technology can play a big part in providing an experience where reality can not


Convergence…

“How People Learn” (Bransford et. al., NRC) Framework : Learner, Knowledge, Assessment &

Community centered

Principle of Constructivism Students build their knowledge by processing the

information they receive – making connections between what they know and what they are learning

Technology Design of Learning Environment, Assessment…


Learner-centered approach

Si

Sf Student

Initial State

StudentFinal State

Student’s model of the physical world

Scientist’s model of the physical world

HOW?

Adapted from Fred Reif, Physics Today, 1986


What are the best teaching & learning practices? Research-based pedagogy + Learning Technologies

Assessment-centered approach

Si

Sf

• What does the student know?

• How does the student think?

• What must the student know?

• How must the student think?

Peer InstructionThe technique of Peer Instruction promotes interaction amongst students as an instructional supplement. As enacted through the use of technology tools the steps are as follows:

• Instructor presents a multiple-choice question (moderate difficulty – anticipating 50% of class might get it wrong)

• Each student individually answers the question. Instructor surveys class using Classroom Response System or other method

• Class views histogram showing distribution of answers

• Instructor gives students 60-90 seconds to convince neighbor to change his/her mind

• Question is presented again – whole class responds again.

• Depending on histogram results, instructor revisits the topic or moves on

Classroom Comm. Systems

• Each student individually answers a question. Instructor surveys class using Personal Response System or other method

• Student transmitter

• IR Receiver + Cables

• Software

Q1. People think of lots of different ways of losing weight. Which of the following would make you weigh half as much as you do right now?

1. Take away half of the Earth’s atmosphere.2. Double the distance between the Sun and the Earth.3. Make the Earth spin half as fast.4. Take away half of the Earth’s mass.5. More than one of the above

PRS Histogram• Class views histogram showing distribution

of answersC

hoic

es

Peer Discussion Step• Instructor gives students 60-90 seconds to

convince neighboring student to change his/her mind

• Question is presented again – whole class responds again. Depending on histogram results, instructor revisits the topic or moves on

AAPT Winter 2006

Whole class shared display

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.TopologyN students : 1 instructor


Verbal

Diagrammatic Visualizations

MathematicalNumerical

Mathematical Symbolic

Students movebetweenMultiple

Representationsin Science

Decode -> Deconstruct -> Reconstruct -> Generate

Concept

Mathematical Graphical


Words

As the car rolls downthe hill...

Equations

v=gsin(θ)t

Numbers t x v

0.1 0.05 0.1

Graphs

CartoonRepresentation

Real WorldPhenomenon

Multiple Representations - Physics

Adapted from Teaching Physics, Joe Redish


Mu

ltip

le R

epre

sen

tati

on

s -

AS

WordsThe Earth's receives shortwaveradiation from the Sun, which

is partly scattered, partly...

Equations

Stefan-Boltzmann Law

NumbersNASA EOS-DAAC

netCDF

Graphs

CartoonRepresentation

Real WorldPhenomenon"Sunny Day"

AAPT Winter 2006

Technology mediated Virtual Learning Spaces in the Classroom

Representation rich >>

Soc

ially

ric

h >

>

Clickers

GraphingCalculators

Multimedia Clickers

Pedagogical Research

Immersive VR.


So what ELSE does a learning environment look like?

GroupScribblesTELS Projects


TELS for Inquiry + Science

TELS = Technology Enhanced Learning of Science

Research Center ($10,000,000 for 5 years) University of California + Concord Consortium 5 other University Partners + Secondary Schools

Science for grades 6-12 Topics in Physics, Chemistry, Biology

Uses the Web-based Inquiry in Science Environment (WISE)


Inquiry Cycle in TELS

Engagement

Prediction

Exploration

Reflection

modify

Application

modify

Knowledge Integration


Inquiry Cycle in TELS for teacher training

Engagement

Prediction

Exploration

Reflection

modify

Application

modify

Knowledge Integration


Thermodynamics

“Probing your surroundings” Look briefly at the structure and the use of

computational models (simulations)


What if ‘clickers’ are not enough?

GroupScribbles Electronic Post-It notes Shareable via Virtual Whiteboard Private/Public areas Exchange of ideas, sorting of ideas Supports Multiple Representations So…what does it look like?

presntacionRaj

Education

parable fish

fish tadpole

land fish

assessmentcentered approach

fish byleo lionni

water frog

teaching technology

frog returns