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Exploring the Process of Theory Building and Conceptual Change in a Dynamic Modelling Environment
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Transcript of Exploring the Process of Theory Building and Conceptual Change in a Dynamic Modelling Environment
Exploring the Process of Theory Building Exploring the Process of Theory Building and Conceptual Change in a Dynamic and Conceptual Change in a Dynamic
Modelling EnvironmentModelling EnvironmentBy
SC LiSC Li
Department of Education Studies, HKBU
1.1. Background: Research in Science Background: Research in Science Education Education
2.2. Modelling in Science EducationModelling in Science Education3.3. Brief highlight WorldMaker 2000Brief highlight WorldMaker 20004.4. Preliminary StudyPreliminary Study5.5. Findings & DiscussionFindings & Discussion
Outline:Outline:
Research in science educationResearch in science education
• Dominated by the Conceptual Change Model (CCM) in the past two decade (Posner, Strike and Hewson 1982)
• Learning involve changing a person’s conceptions rather than simply adding new knowledge to what is already there.
• 2 types of changes: assimilation and accommodation analogous to the pattern of theory change in science
Conceptual Change ModelConceptual Change Model
• For a person to undergo conceptual change, s/he has to– Become dissatisfied with existing
conception– Find new conception intelligible,
plausible and fruitful
Conceptual Change ModelConceptual Change Model
• For Instructional strategies to bring about conceptual change (POE)– Exposing alternative conceptions– Creating conceptual conflict– Encouraging cognitive accommodation
Conceptual Change ModelConceptual Change Model
• Conceptual conflict strategies yielded mixed results
• Students react to conceptual conflicts in several different ways that did not lead to conceptual change:– fail to recognize the conflict – recognize but avoid– resolve conflict partially– resolve conflict using alternative conceptions
CCMCCMCriticismCriticism• Competing conceptions can coexist in the learner
without necessarily replace one another• Conceptual change is rarely abrupt, but
incrementally revised• Learning is a process of that can take student
from preconceptions to target models . This may occur via one or more intermediate models that serve as partial models on the way to developing the target model.
Computer Modelling for Computer Modelling for Conceptual ChangeConceptual Change
Scientific conception
alternative conception
Modelling
Simulations vs. ModellingSimulations vs. Modelling
Lego blocks vs. Toy cars
Simulations vs. Modelling• to explore, or
• to express
They help students• externalize thoughts;• theorize and formulate explanations;• rectify alternative conceptions, and• advance in shifting across
intermediate conceptions.
Modelling
Computer Modelling for Computer Modelling for Conceptual ChangeConceptual Change
Scientific conception
alternative conception
Modelling
A world confined in a Discretized Space and TimeWhat is WorldMaker?
What is WorldMaker? An iconic collaborative modelling environment
with modelling techniques derived from the notion of cellular automata
Investigating the use of WorldMaker in Teaching and
Learning
Some preliminary studies
Research QuestionsResearch Questions• How effective is computer modelling in
understanding students’ alternative conceptions?
• How effective is computer modelling in fostering conceptual change?
• What teaching strategies can promote these processes?
Preliminary StudyPreliminary Study
Preliminary StudyPreliminary StudyDomain of StudyDomain of Study• Evaporation and diffusionParticipantsParticipants• 40 F1 students from a local (Band 1) girl
schoolSettingSetting• Normal classroom setting• The class is divided into 10 groups, each
group comprises 4 to 5 members
InstructionInstruction• Students were asked to predict and explain what
would happen to the vase of perfume as shown.• A simple demonstration followed by students’
group activities
perfume
Room A
Preliminary StudyPreliminary Study
Group activitiesGroup activities
Predict and explain– “What will happen to the perfume inside
the beaker after a certain period of time?”
– “Illustrate your ‘theory’ or explanation for the above phenomenon through simple drawing.”
Preliminary StudyPreliminary Study
Model co-construction• Each group is required to construct their
models and present to the teacher whenever they feel satisfied with their model or encounter any difficulties.
• Each group is encouraged to rectify their models after each discussion session. Students are encouraged to plan their own experiment to verify their claims if necessary.
Preliminary StudyPreliminary Study
Teacher’s role– as unobtrusive as possible– constantly challenged and encouraged
students to articulate their explanations and to externalize their thoughts through writing, drawing and model building
– Questions and challenges serves as a kind of cognitive perturbation
Preliminary StudyPreliminary Study
Major Alternative ConceptionsMajor Alternative Conceptions• No empty space exists between air particles• Air serves as an agent that drives the perfume
particles to move• The particles can only undergo vertical motion in
a way analogous to the motion of a convection current
• No phase transition between liquid and gaseous states
• Non-conservation of matter
FindingsFindings
FindingsFindings
FindingsFindings
FindingsFindings
Seven Levels of understanding1. perfume disappears and is absorbed or
annihilated by an external agent: e.g. air; heat generated by lamps and the sun)
2. perfume ‘evaporates’ as a result of being transferred from one location to another by an external agent (e.g. air movement; ‘sucking force’ from the sun)
3. phase transition 1: at the liquid surface, perfume breaks into small droplets and is drifted away by air
FindingsFindings
Seven Levels of understanding
4. phase transition 2: perfume emits ‘smell’ which adheres to air particles
5. phase transition 3: at the liquid surface, perfume changes into gaseous (particulate) form and can move on its own
6. 5 + perfume gas moves in a random manner
7. 6 + conservation of matter
FindingsFindings
FindingsFindings
FindingsFindings
FindingsFindings
FindingsFindings
FindingsFindings
ConclusionConclusion• According the the preliminary study,
there are evidences to convince us that the dynamical nature of the modelling tool does– help students to externalize and visualize
their thoughts as well as their alternative conceptions in a dynamical way
– provide a better context to confront students with conceptual conflicts and facilitates the progressive refinement of students’ conceptions through the process of theory building.
Nature of Scientific Investigations
Observation
Theorization
Prediction
Conjecture Refutation
Nature of Scientific Investigations
Observation
Theorization
Prediction
Weak in science
education
Overemphasized in science education
Nature of Scientific Investigation
Theory (model) building
Observation (experimentation)
theory exploration
theory building
refutation
conjecture
Thank you!