TRANSFER OF SCIENTIFIC ABILITIES: BUILDING THE HABITS OF MIND

TRANSFER OF SCIENTIFIC ABILITIES: BUILDING THE HABITS OF MIND Eugenia Etkina, Anna Karelina, Maria Ruibal-Villasenor, David Rosengrant, Rebecca Jordan, Cindy Hmelo-Silver and Alan Van Heuvelen RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERISTY OF NEW JERSEY AERA, NY, NY, 2008 etkina@rci.rutgers.edu

Research Focus What are the effects of student engagement in design on Their activities in introductory physics labs Their approaches toward experimental inquiry Their development of scientific procedures, processes and methods Their acquisition of science concepts Their ability to construct generative knowledge and transfer it to new situations

My observations (data) pattern more Multiple explanations, mechanisms or relations between physical quantities different Revision check no prediction Testing experiments:Does outcome match prediction based on explanation/relation? + Assumptions yes More + Applications Curriculum: Investigative Science Learning EnvironmentEtkina and Van Heuvelen (2001; 2007)

Theoretical foundation for the ISLE curriculum Preparation for Future Learning Bransford & Schwartz (1999) Schwartz &Martin (2004) Cognitive Apprenticeship Collins, Brown, & Newman (1989) Formative Assessment Black & Wiliam (1998)

Theoretical foundation for the ISLE curriculum Preparation for Future Learning Time for telling Self-assessment Revisions of labs Finding similar experiences in future work Innovation Design Generating hypotheses and evidence Metacognitive reflection Time for telling Self-assessment Revisions of labs Finding similar experiences in future work Innovation Design Generating hypotheses and evidence Metacognitive reflection ISLE Coaching Rubrics Instructor feedback Historical readings Cognitive Apprenticeship Coaching Rubrics Instructor feedback Historical readings Formative Assessment

Goal: Scientific abilities as habits of mindpreparation for future learning • To represent physical processes in multiple ways • To design an experimental investigation • To collect and analyze data • To devise and test an explanation or a relation • To modify the explanation or the relation in light of new data • To evaluate experimental outcomes and conceptual claims • To communicate

Making thinking visible - breaking down the abilitiescognitive apprenticeship • To be able to choose a productive mathematical procedure to solve the problem • To identify the assumptions made in using the procedure • To evaluate specifically the way in which the assumptions might affect the results • The ability to design an experiment • to solve a problem

Scaffolding through self assessment rubricsformative assessment Missing (0) Not adequate (1) Adequate (3) LEVEL ABILITY Needs improvement (2) No attempt to determine the effects of relevant assumptions. To evaluate specifically the ways in which the assumptions might affect the result An attempt is made but effects are described vaguely. The effects of relevant assumptions are determined correctly but assumptions are not validated. The effects of relevant assumptions are determined and assumptions are validated.

Experimental and control group in introductory ISLE-based physics course, 180 students Same large group meetings and recitations Control for student population and TAs Experimental group Control group PER based labs non-design Week 1-10 Design labs+Rubrics Transfer project Comparison Designing a physics experiment in an unknown area of physics (fluid drag force) Week 12 Designing a biology experiment (transpiration) Week 13 Solving scientific-abilities related exam problems Week 5, 11, 15 Solving lab and regular exam problems

Lab experiments You need to determine the elastic potential energy stored in the HotWheels launcher in each position. DESIGN NON-DESIGN Start by making a rough plan. Make sure that you usetwo methods. Write an outlineof your procedure with a labeledsketch. Identify the quantitiesyou will measure and how you will measure them. Devise the mathematical procedure.Decide what your assumptions are and how they mightaffect the outcome. Perform the experiment andrecordthe data…Estimate the rangewithin which you know the value of each energy. Reflection question: In which case can you claim that your assumptions are valid? Procedure:Measurethe mass of the car.Launch the car vertically starting at one of the launching positions.Measure the maximum heightthe car reaches to find the elastic energy in the launcher… Repeatheight measurement four times.Take the averageof the four vertical distance measurements and calculate thestandard deviation. Analysis:Construct a work-energy bar chartfor the process starting with the car resting on the stretched launcher and ending when the car is at its maximum elevation. Apply the generalized work-energy equation …

Acquisition of normative physics knowledge

Design Non-Design Time spent on sense making

Design, Physics Lab Non-Design, Physics Lab Design, Bio Lab Non-Design, Bio Lab Time spent on different activities in transfer labs Sense-making Off-task Writing Procedure Reading TA’s help

missing and inadequate needs some improvement and adequate Development of scientific abilities Design group Beginning of the semester End of the semester uncertainty evaluate uncertainty assumptions effect of assumptions independent method

missing and inadequate needs some improvement and adequate Development and transfer: ability to consider assumptions Design group Lab 3 Lab 4 Lab 5 Lab 7 Lab 8 Lab 9 Physics Transfer Lab Bio Transfer Lab

Physics Lab DESIGN GROUP Bio Lab Physics Lab NON-DESIGN GROUP Bio Lab missing and inadequate needs some improvement and adequate Transfer Labs:Ability to consider assumptions

Physics Lab DESIGN GROUP Bio Lab Physics Lab NON-DESIGN GROUP Bio Lab missing and inadequate needs some improvement and adequate Transfer Labs: Ability to evaluate uncertainties

Physics Lab DESIGN GROUP Bio Lab Physics Lab NON-DESIGN GROUP Bio Lab missing and inadequate needs some improvement and adequate Transfer Lab: Ability to evaluate the result using an independent method

Physics Lab DESIGN GROUP Bio Lab Physics Lab NON-DESIGN GROUP Bio Lab missing and inadequate needs some improvement and adequate Transfer Labs: Ability to communicate ideas

Summary of findings The effects of student engagement in design: Spend significantly more time sense-making in the labs Develop such scientific abilities as experimental design, data collection, analysis and communication Transfer these scientific abilities to new content Acquire normative physics concepts as well or better than those who do not engage in design

Thank you! For a copy of the paper please e-mail me at Etkina@rci.rutgers.edu

TRANSFER OF SCIENTIFIC ABILITIES: BUILDING THE HABITS OF MIND