A PPT presentation on Articulating the Components of Inclusive STEM High Schools. Presented at STEMx Conference.
A PPT presentation on Articulating the Components of Inclusive STEM High Schools. Presented at STEMx Conference.
This list contains STEM education-related publications that may be of interest to DRK-12 grantees for the purposes of (1) disseminating knowledge and products and (2) developing partnerships with stakeholders and end-users. These publications were chosen because they provide researchers and developers with an opportunity to present their work to individuals that could use, promote, or improve the work.
STEM education-related publications that may be of interest to DRK-12 grantees.
To learn more, visit https://sites.google.com/site/senoyce/.
DR K-12 Presenter:
Inquiry-based learning is a part of modern science education at all levels. The new science education standards framework has both emphasized the central role of inquiry and further defined the core competencies, such as making a claim and supporting it with evidence (NRC, 2011). This emphasis on argumentation arises not only out of its importance in science practice but also because students tend tostruggle with mastering it (McNeill, 2011), especially at the elementary level.
Though many national and international science organizations stress the importance of integrating scientific inquiry into classroom instruction, this is often difficult for teachers. Moreover, assessing and scaffolding inquiry skills for students can be even more of a challenge. This paper investigated the student performances in an inquiry-based, situated virtual environment assessment and their descriptions of the experience in a strategically scaffolded conversation that followed it.
Though many national and international science organizations stress the importance of integrating scientific inquiry into classroom instruction, this is often difficult for teachers. Moreover, assessing and scaffolding inquiry skills for students can be even more of a challenge. This paper investigated the student performances in an inquiry-based, situated virtual environment assessment and their descriptions of the experience in a strategically scaffolded conversation that followed it. In the strategic scaffold, or “wraparound,” teachers elicited student’s inquiry pathways and problem solving abilities through a series of scripted and improvised questions. These wraparounds were transcribed and coded to determine students’ inquiry vocabulary usage. Students most frequently discussed using tools to gather data within the world. When coded results from wraparounds were compared with scores, paradoxically the only significant relationship was a negative one between the number of times students talked about using tools and the overall class performance on multiple-choice questions. Student vocabulary usage and the cause of the negative correlation are explored within this paper.
Current science assessments typically present a series of isolated fact-based questions, poorly representing the complexity of how real-world science is constructed. The National Research Council asserts that this needs to change to reflect a more authentic model of science practice. We strongly concur and suggest that good science assessments need to consist of several key factors: integration of science content with scientific inquiry, contextualization of questions, efficiency of grading and statistical validity and reliability.
Current science assessments typically present a series of isolated fact-based questions, poorly representing the complexity of how real-world science is constructed. The National Research Council asserts that this needs to change to reflect a more authentic model of science practice. We strongly concur and suggest that good science assessments need to consist of several key factors: integration of science content with scientific inquiry, contextualization of questions, efficiency of grading and statistical validity and reliability.
Create an immersive virtual environment to engage students in problem solving.
This article describes how the NSF funded High-Adventure Science: Earth’s Systems and Sustainability (HAS:ESS) project is developing online curriculum modules for middle school and high school classroom use. The curricula engage students with interactive computational models and analysis of real-world data as they build scientific reasoning and argumentation skills, focused around core ideas in Earth Science with particular emphasis on how humans affect Earth’s systems. Currently available modules focus on climate change and on fresh water availability.
