Student understanding of species diversity in communities .

1. Student understanding of species diversity in communities. 2011 Ecological Society of America Presentation Laurel Hartley1, Brook Wilke2, Cornelia Harris3 and Jonathon Schramm2 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER1, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY2 and CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES3 Culturally relevant ecology, learning progressions and environmental literacy Long Term Ecological Research Math Science Partnership August 2011 Disclaimer: This research is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation: Targeted Partnership: Culturally relevant ecology, learning progressions and environmental literacy (NSF-0832173). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

2. Student understanding of species diversity in communities. Laurel Hartley1, Brook Wilke2, Cornelia Harris3 and Jonathon Schramm2 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER1, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY2 and CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES3

3. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Why do we need biodiversity? • Biodiversity is rapidly declining

4. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Why do we need biodiversity? • Species perform vital ecosystem functions/services.

5. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Why do we need biodiversity? • The more diverse a population or community is, the more resistant it might be to perturbations like disease

6. Why do we need biodiversity literacy? How much do citizens need to know to make sense of the information in popular media and policy? How can a reader decide whether to trust claims, especially when reports are contested in popular press? Should we expect citizens to make or accept changes in policies that affect them on the basis of simplified popular media, leaving “technical details” to the experts?

7. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Goal of our Work • Develop a grades 6-12 learning progression for biodiversity • selection and evolution • inheritance and plasticity • recognition of biodiversity • community structure • community interactions

8. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Our working definition of a learning progression • Learning progressions are descriptions of increasingly sophisticated ways of thinking about a subject. • Conceptual coherence: “make sense”/ tell a reasonable story • Empirical validation: grounded in empirical data about real students • Compatibility with current research: built on findings of the best research about both student learning and scientific thought

9. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Upper Anchor Framework

10. Methods Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Observe patterns in student thinking (literature search and pilot studies) Define ContentArea Construct a model about we how think students progress Revise the model teaching experiments assessments Test the model

11. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Methods Written Assessments (MD, NY, CO, MI, CA)

12. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Methods Clinical Interviews (MD, NY, CO, MI, CA) Written Assessments (MD, NY, CO, MI, CA)

13. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Methods • Created rubrics for each item based on a small set of student answers • Tested rubrics with 30 student answers each, then refined rubrics • Used rubrics to code (i.e. - assign categories to) interview data • Refined rubrics • Eliminated unreliable questions • Coded remaining student written answers with refined rubrics • 10% of answers were coded by multiple coders • Less than 80% reliability led to another round of developmental coding • Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis is on-going

14. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Recognition of Diversity The forests of the northeast United States look a lot like the forests in northern Europe. They have similar-looking trees and similar-looking animals. If you took a bunch of seeds from a European forest and planted them in a northeast United States forest, what do you think would happen? Please explain why. (n=398)

15. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Recognition of Diversity The forests of the northeast United States look a lot like the forests in northern Europe. They have similar-looking trees and similar-looking animals. B. If you took a bunch of seeds from a European forest and planted them in a northeast United States forest, what do you think would happen? Please explain why. (n=398) Proportion of Answers

16. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Function of Diversity A forest typically has several different types of trees. Why are there several types of trees instead of one best-adapted type of tree? (n=71)

17. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Function of Diversity A forest typically has several different types of trees. Why are there several types of trees instead of one best-adapted type of tree? (n=71) Proportion of Answers

18. Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Function of Diversity Beech and maple seedlings grow well in shade. Cottonwood seedlings, on the other hand, grow better with more sunlight. Here is an explanation of how a forest grew on a sand dune over 150 years. Use the information above to help you explain why after 80 years, the tallest trees were cottonwood, but after 150 years, the tallest trees were beech and maples. (n=243) Proportion of Answers

19. Interactions Item Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy • Oysters are filter feeders that live in the ocean and eat plankton (microscopic floating plant-like organisms). • What kinds of things do you think could cause a change in the amount of plankton in the water? • Explain how oysters and plankton interact with each other. Think about how one organism might help or harm the other. • If the number of oysters decreases, how might that impact the plankton population? What else would you need to know to feel confident about your answer? • What kind of information would you need to figure out how a decline in oysters might affect other parts of the ecosystem, besides the plankton?

20. Interactions Rubric Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Abiotic Biotic Biotic Biotic Biotic Biotic Biotic Biotic Biotic Biotic Biotic

21. Interactions Results Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Oyster Interactions N=127 high school students, 161 middle school students, 120 teachers Percent of Answers

22. Teaching Experiment Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Biodiversity: Diversity in a Leaf Pack • Getting kids outside, engaged and exploring diverse taxa (macro and micro) • Grounding experiences in their local place Students will: 1) learn how biotic and abiotic conditions affect the presence/absence of different stream taxa in leaf packs 2) understand that an organisms’ feeding activities influence the abiotic environment, and that the abiotic environment can influence the presence/absence of organisms

23. Biotic-Abiotic-Biotic Question Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Look at the pictures above and decide which one you want to answer questions about. Which one would you pick? a) What does the living thing you picked eat? How does it get its food? b) What abiotic (non-living) factors does it change as it gets its food?   c) What kinds of living things would be affected by the changes you described in Part B?  d) In what way would the living things you listed in Part C be affected?

24. Biotic-Abiotic-Biotic Question Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy N= 181 middle school students, 78 high school students Percent of Answers Middle School High School

25. Summary Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy • Most students identify some basic types of visible organism groups (level 1) or more specific common groups (level 2), but aren’t often able to describe individual species, particularly those that aren’t visible to the naked eye. • Many students recognize that species have different traits or functions, but don’t link these differences to descriptions of species diversity in ecosystems. • Predator-prey (and other biotic) relationships are the most common • Students see the connection between the environment and an organism, but fail to recognize the possibility that organisms may be changing the environment • Students can list multiple abiotic factors, but don’t usually explain how those factors are connected to the food web • Students may need more content to get to a level 4 answer, which may not be possible with a written assessment. Recognition & Function Interactions

26. Thanks to: • Partner teachers & students • Intrepid team of coders & developers • Shawna McMahon • Contact: • laurelhartley@gmail.com • schram25@msu.edu Questions? (NSF-0832173)