Using Computation to Support Student Creativity and Agency ...
Transcript of Using Computation to Support Student Creativity and Agency ...
Using Computation to Support Student Creativity and Agency in Science
TorOleOdden,DevinSilvia,AndersMalthe-SørenssenCCSEChristmasSeminar2020December16,2020
Centre forExcellence inEducation
Narrativetext LiveCodeInput&Output
TitleandIntroduction
TextandEquations
PicturesandDiagrams
Importingpackages
Modelparameters
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Computational Essays
Computational Essay Design
Challenge: “Useacomputationalsimulationtoinvestigateaproblemthatyoufindinteresting.Then,writeacomputationalessayaboutwhatyou’velearned”
EssayTopics:• Usingarailgunto…
– Sendasatelliteintoorbitaroundthesun– Accelerateaircrafttohighvelocities– Poweratrainline– Getastudenttoclassontime
• Automatedcarlanecontrolusingmagneticfields• Simulatingthenorthernlights
Essaysavailableat:…andmanymore!
Creativity and Authenticity
Studentsreportthatworkingwithcomputationfeelsmorecreative andauthentic:
Itakethesesubjectsbecausetheydon’trequireanythingfromme,inaway,Icanjustsolvetheproblemsandbedonewithit,andthat’s
comfortable.Butthefactthatitrequiressomecreativityis—itmaybebecomesclosertothewayitistoactuallydo physics.AndIfeellikethisassignmenthere—thatis,itrecreatesthesituationwhereonehasto inventsomething,onehasto findsomethingtofigureout,inaway.It’snotoftenthatweencounterthatinourSTEMcourseshere.So,it’salittlebitofabreathoffreshair,creativelyspeaking.(translated)
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Creativity and Authenticity
Studentsreportthatworkingwithcomputationfeelsmorecreative andauthentic:
Itakethesesubjectsbecausetheydon’trequireanythingfromme,inaway,Icanjustsolvetheproblemsandbedonewithit,andthat’s
comfortable.Butthefactthatitrequiressomecreativityis—itmaybebecomesclosertothewayitistoactuallydo physics.AndIfeellikethisassignmenthere—thatis,itrecreatesthesituationwhereonehasto inventsomething,onehasto findsomethingtofigureout,inaway.It’snotoftenthatweencounterthatinourSTEMcourseshere.So,it’salittlebitofabreathoffreshair,creativelyspeaking.(translated)
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Educational Goals
Goals:1. Redesigncoursestosupportstudents’scientificcreativity
2. Compare our design choiceswithothersimilarcourses
Problem:creativity iswaytoobroad!Solution:focusonepistemicagency
Epistemic agency
EpistemicAgency:thewaysinwhichstudentstakecontrolandownershipoftheirownscientifically-authenticprocesses
oflearningandinquiry.
Epistemicagents:"individualsorgroupswhotake,oraregranted,responsibilityforshapingtheknowledgeand
practiceofacommunity”[1].
Computation and Epistemic Agency
Computation
Realisticmodeling
CommunicableResults
Authenticinquiry
Multiplewaystocode
Educational Goals
Goals:1. Redesigncoursestosupportstudents’scientificcreativity
2. Compare our design choiceswithothersimilarcourses
Educational Goals
Goals:1. Redesigncoursestosupportstudents’scientificcreativityepistemicagencythroughtheuseof computation
2. Compareourdesignchoiceswithothersimilarcourses
Fys1120 Redesign: Lessons Learned
Keyword: Lagom(not too little, not too much)
• Best:mixofopen-endedandtraditionalassignments• Completelyopen-ended vs. “Choose-your-own-adventure”• Take-home exams are hard
Comparative Study: Initial Results
Emphasison:• Codeefficiency• Assumptionandlimitations• Communication
Emphasison:• Codeorganizationandself-description
• Novelresearchquestions• Modeldevelopment/dataexploration
• Externalsources
Impact of Educational Design?Traininginobject-
orientedprogramming
Codeefficiency
Modeling-FocusedProjects
Assumptionsandlimitations
Exampleessaysinshowroom
Communication
Trainingincodereadability,notebooks
Organized,documentedcode
Dataanalysisprojects
Externalresources,multi-stepinvestigations
Completelyopen-endedproject
Novelinvestigationquestions,externalsources
Conclusions (so far…)
Computationcan supportstudentepistemicagencyinmultipleways
Computer=“objecttothinkwith”(Papert [2])
Educational design, scaffolding, and goals play a major role