STEM Literacy: How does the incorporation of engineering concepts into science classrooms affect students' achievement?
"The results of this study suggest that a systems design approach for teaching science concepts has superior performance in terms of knowledge gain achievements, engagement, and retention when compared with a guided inquiry approach." (80) This statement furthers the idea that a hands-on, engineering, inquiry-based approach to teaching is beneficial for students in science classrooms. It is easy to say that an inquiry-based approach is good for students' learning. However, the study says that the type of inquiry-based approach matters, too. Students taking full responsibility for science and engineering concepts is the goal.
As teachers start to implement engineering concepts into the classroom, it can be difficult to find the correct balance between teacher-centered and student-centered teaching. While studies show that the student-centered approach is beneficial, it can be intimidating for the teacher who likes to have the feeling of control over the classroom. And, it can tough to redesign lessons to put the responsibility on students. So, what ends up happening is, there is a kind of pseudo-inquiry teaching that takes place. While this can be an improvement to the traditional classroom, the authors of the study say that taking it even further can benefit students even more.
When students were given more choice, responsibility, and independence in the design and implementation of the entire process, learning increased greatly as compared to a situation where teachers have more control over the inquiry process. Students own the problem more, have more purpose for learning, and grasp the concepts better in the end. They analyze a problem, make decisions about how to solve the problem, design the process and the solution, test it, analyze it, and draw conclusions. This gives students the full spectrum of science and engineering literacy.
Additionally, the benefits for African America students is even greater. It causes one to speculate that a more traditional classroom is only designed for certain students to succeed, where a classroom using the "systems design" approach may benefit all students more uniformly.
Mehalik, M. M., Doppelt, Y., Schunn, C. D. (2008). Middle-school science through design-based learning
versus scripted inquiry: Better overall science concept learning and equity gap reduction. Journal of
Engineering Education, 97(1), 71-85.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Essential Question and Answer
STEM Literacy: How does the incorporation of engineering concepts into science classrooms affect students' achievement?
It is found that, as children learn and grow, they have a natural inclination to curious and have the desire to explore. Typically, these children gain knowledge through their exploration experiences. However, in traditional classrooms, much of the exploration is removed and replaced with the feeding of direct information, whereby the students must memorize it and try to apply it on their own. By introducing engineering concepts into the traditional classroom, students are again allowed to explore and apply ideas on their own, which should increase learning.
Another questions is then raised, however. What does the introduction of engineering concepts in a classroom look like? One group of researchers defined it as children engaging in, and representing the ability to, participate in conceptual planning of designs, carry out the building and testing of details of the design, and communicating the solution to the problem. All of this involves writing, drawing, designing, producing, and speaking. And, as a whole, students are required to learn, understand, and apply the necessary scientific concepts. So, no longer are students merely required to memorize scientific knowledge, but, rather, they are required to truly apply it, which allows it to be synthesized and evaluated in the mind.
Through the study of a variety of classrooms, this group determined that there is an increase in student achievement when the students participate in a classroom where "engineer-design-based activity" is taking place. Compared to a control group, students in the engineer-design-based classroom had a greater increase in scores in the units of sound, material properties, and simple machines. However, the same did not apply to a unit involving animal adaptations. It is speculated that the animal adaptations unit did not lend itself to engineering concepts in the same manner that the more physics-based topics did. However, where engineering can be applied, and students are able to plan, design, build, test, and conclude about scientific concepts, students had a stronger grasp of the science content.
It really should be of little surprise that, if done correctly, an engineer-design-based activity produces greater learning. The times that we, as humans, learn the most are the times where we get hands-on experience. Internships, student teaching experiences, and apprenticeships are used for this very reason. While the direct teaching of information can give knowledge, experience tends to solidify it in the mind.
Wendell, Kristen, Kathleen Connolly, Christopher Wright, Linda Jarvin, Chris Rogers, Mike Barnett, and Ismail Marulcu. "AC 2010-863: POSTER, INCORPORATING ENGINEERING DESIGN INTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE CURRICULA." American Society for Engineering Education (2010). Web. <soa.asee.org/paper/conference/paper-view.cfm?id=23412>.
It is found that, as children learn and grow, they have a natural inclination to curious and have the desire to explore. Typically, these children gain knowledge through their exploration experiences. However, in traditional classrooms, much of the exploration is removed and replaced with the feeding of direct information, whereby the students must memorize it and try to apply it on their own. By introducing engineering concepts into the traditional classroom, students are again allowed to explore and apply ideas on their own, which should increase learning.
Another questions is then raised, however. What does the introduction of engineering concepts in a classroom look like? One group of researchers defined it as children engaging in, and representing the ability to, participate in conceptual planning of designs, carry out the building and testing of details of the design, and communicating the solution to the problem. All of this involves writing, drawing, designing, producing, and speaking. And, as a whole, students are required to learn, understand, and apply the necessary scientific concepts. So, no longer are students merely required to memorize scientific knowledge, but, rather, they are required to truly apply it, which allows it to be synthesized and evaluated in the mind.
Through the study of a variety of classrooms, this group determined that there is an increase in student achievement when the students participate in a classroom where "engineer-design-based activity" is taking place. Compared to a control group, students in the engineer-design-based classroom had a greater increase in scores in the units of sound, material properties, and simple machines. However, the same did not apply to a unit involving animal adaptations. It is speculated that the animal adaptations unit did not lend itself to engineering concepts in the same manner that the more physics-based topics did. However, where engineering can be applied, and students are able to plan, design, build, test, and conclude about scientific concepts, students had a stronger grasp of the science content.
It really should be of little surprise that, if done correctly, an engineer-design-based activity produces greater learning. The times that we, as humans, learn the most are the times where we get hands-on experience. Internships, student teaching experiences, and apprenticeships are used for this very reason. While the direct teaching of information can give knowledge, experience tends to solidify it in the mind.
Wendell, Kristen, Kathleen Connolly, Christopher Wright, Linda Jarvin, Chris Rogers, Mike Barnett, and Ismail Marulcu. "AC 2010-863: POSTER, INCORPORATING ENGINEERING DESIGN INTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE CURRICULA." American Society for Engineering Education (2010). Web. <soa.asee.org/paper/conference/paper-view.cfm?id=23412>.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Two More Content Area Websites!
http://www.explorelearning.com/
This website gives students access to, what they call, Gizmos. Gizmos are virtual labs, simulations, and other "hands-on" scientific work zones. Each Gizmo is accompanied by a lab procedure, and explanation of the concepts at work, and assessments. Students are able to complete the labs and take assessments to measure what they learn. Teachers can also setup specific Gizmos for a class and use the assessments for grading opportunities. In either case, students are given the opportunity to learn science in an inquiry-based, exploratory manner.
http://sciencespot.net/Pages/kidzone.html
Science Spot is an all-science website that gives a wide range of scientific information. Specifically, however, students can be sent to the "Kid Zone" portion of the site. There, students will have access to games, interactive links, research tools, and other learning tools for every different science content area. For 8th grade physical science, there are areas for both chemistry and physics. For one particular project involving the Periodic Table, students are sent to the chemistry section of the site, where they have access to interactive Periodic Tables, including deeper learning of individual elements.
This website gives students access to, what they call, Gizmos. Gizmos are virtual labs, simulations, and other "hands-on" scientific work zones. Each Gizmo is accompanied by a lab procedure, and explanation of the concepts at work, and assessments. Students are able to complete the labs and take assessments to measure what they learn. Teachers can also setup specific Gizmos for a class and use the assessments for grading opportunities. In either case, students are given the opportunity to learn science in an inquiry-based, exploratory manner.
http://sciencespot.net/Pages/kidzone.html
Science Spot is an all-science website that gives a wide range of scientific information. Specifically, however, students can be sent to the "Kid Zone" portion of the site. There, students will have access to games, interactive links, research tools, and other learning tools for every different science content area. For 8th grade physical science, there are areas for both chemistry and physics. For one particular project involving the Periodic Table, students are sent to the chemistry section of the site, where they have access to interactive Periodic Tables, including deeper learning of individual elements.
Anotated Bibliography Preview
My content are is Physical Science. I will be teaching a unit on Chemistry to 8th grade students. To supplement and enrich this unit, I will be incorporating the following three trade books:
Gray, T. (2009). The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Element in the Universe. Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers.
http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Visual-Exploration-Every-Universe/dp/1579128149/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329684488&sr=8-1
Sacks, O. (2002). Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood. Vintage.
http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Tungsten-Memories-Chemical-Boyhood/dp/product-description/0375704043/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=book
Boehm Jerome, K. (2006). Science Quest: Atomic Universe: The Quest to Discover Radioactivity. National Geographic Children's Books.
http://www.amazon.com/Science-Quest-Universe-Discover-Radioactivity/dp/0792255437/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329080521&sr=1-1
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Physical Science Websites for Students
PhET - Physical Education Technology by University of Colorado at Boulder.
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/new
I use this website in the classroom as a tool to help students "see" things that are usually unable to be seen. For example, students can see how molecules change both motion and arrangement during a change of state. Students can explore both physics and chemistry concepts through the simulations, allowing them to discover ideas rather than memorize facts. Additionally, I use lessons to connect these ideas to the scientific concepts and vocabulary associated with them.
JASON Project - Education Through Exploration
http://www.jason.org/public/whatis/start.aspx
This site gives students the opportunity to explore the science behind various real-world situations. Students can work through numerous lessons, labs, demonstrations, and explanations in order to deepen their understanding of science, and to apply the scientific concepts they have already acquired to something that is real and tangible in their lives. Here, students can explore, test, read, and write.
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/new
I use this website in the classroom as a tool to help students "see" things that are usually unable to be seen. For example, students can see how molecules change both motion and arrangement during a change of state. Students can explore both physics and chemistry concepts through the simulations, allowing them to discover ideas rather than memorize facts. Additionally, I use lessons to connect these ideas to the scientific concepts and vocabulary associated with them.
JASON Project - Education Through Exploration
http://www.jason.org/public/whatis/start.aspx
This site gives students the opportunity to explore the science behind various real-world situations. Students can work through numerous lessons, labs, demonstrations, and explanations in order to deepen their understanding of science, and to apply the scientific concepts they have already acquired to something that is real and tangible in their lives. Here, students can explore, test, read, and write.
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