Understanding and Fostering Model Based Learning In Science

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This project will study learning and teaching processes in several exemplary sciencecurricula in different subject areas. All of them use new approaches to teaching that areunique in the way that they foster active learning of conceptual models on the part of thestudent. At present many of the general principles underlying the learning that occurs inthese lessons are poorly understood. However, advances in cognitive science haveproduced a very promising new theory of model-based learning which can help toanalyze and describe these teaching techniques. The investigators will use acombination of qualitative and quantitative methods to study these innovative units andanalyze them using these new cognitive science concepts. The overall goal is to findprinciples of instruction for developing students' visualizable models in science. Centralto the project will be case studies of skilled teachers who are adept at fostering modelconstruction by students. The problem is to identify the strategies by which teachers areable to do this. The project will analyze teaching strategies and resulting student learningprocesses in detail using protocol analysis techniques. Follow up studies will makequantitative comparisons between groups that complement the qualitative case studies,and pre and post testing will measure the size of learning gains in different areas. In a second part of the project, key elements of model-based learning theory will be elaborated via the analysis of expert learning protocols. Similarities and differences between expert and student processes will be examined that highlight new ways of understanding student learning processes that suggest new teaching strategies.