Addressing Student Conceptions of Plate Tectonics Using Physical Models

用物理模型阐述学生对板块构造的概念板块构造论是全国几乎所有大学水平的地质学入门课程中教授的指导范式。了解板块构造对学生来说很重要，因为1)它影响非科学专业学生如何看待塑造他们生活的世界的过程；2)为地质学专业的学生继续研究地球奠定了基础。板块构造学的教学一般采用课本上的图形模型，因为其中所体现的过程在很大程度上是抽象的，不能直接观察到它们的整体。然而，建构主义者认为模型应该被建立而不是被描述。本项目解决了板块构造学教学中出现的两个问题：1)学生没有建立或理解模型的经验；2)学生们把天真的先入之见带进教室，干扰了他们的科学学习。在这个项目中，学生们以小组为单位创建物理模型，模拟地球结构、海底扩张、板块边界相互作用、地震和岩浆粘度的各个方面，系统地解决了与地球有关的学生先入为主的观念。学生们在比较、对比和修改他们的简单物理模型的同时，也在学习如何建立有关板块构造过程的高级心理模型。这种方法已经被用来解决阻碍化学、物理和生物学习的科学先入之见。这里正在进行研究，看看物理模型的建立是否有助于学习板块构造的内容、关系和过程。该项目还确定了物理模型构建在多大程度上克服了先入为主的观念，并促进了学生适当的高级心理模型的发展。通过概念图开发、对概念问题的回答、访谈以及学生的自我评估和对模型构建活动的反思，对学习过程进行形式化（在模型构建过程中）和总结性（在模型构建之后）的评估。这些评估预计将扩大阻碍板块构造学习的已知先入之见数据库，确定让学生在大型教室环境中构建物理模型的效果，并记录那些促进板块构造学习的建模活动。

Addressing Student Conceptions of Plate Tectonics Using Physical ModelsPlate tectonics is a guiding paradigm taught in nearly every college-level introductory geology course in the nation. It is important for students to understand plate tectonics because 1) it influences how non-science majors view processes that shape the world in which they live; and 2) it lays the foundation for geology majors to continue their study of the Earth. Pictorial models from textbooks are generally used to teach plate tectonics because the processes embodied therein are largely abstract and cannot be directly observed in their entirety. Yet, constructivists argue that models should be built rather than described. This project addresses two issues that arise when teaching plate tectonics: 1) students do not have experience building or understanding models; and 2) students bring naive preconceptions to the classroom that interfere with their science learning. In this project, student preconceptions related to the Earth are systematically addressed as students work in groups to create physical models that simulate various aspects of Earth structure, seafloor spreading, plate-boundary interactions, earthquakes, and magma viscosity. As students compare, contrast, and revise their simple physical models, they are being be taught how to create advanced mental models of the processes involved in plate tectonics. This approach has been used to address science preconceptions that hinder learning of chemistry, physics and biology. It is being studied here to see if physical model building facilitates learning of the content, relationships, and processes of plate tectonics. This project is also determining the extent to which physical model building overcomes preconceptions and promotes development of appropriate advanced mental models in students. The learning process is being evaluated formatively (during model building) and summatively (after model building) using concept map development, responses to conceptual questions, interviews, and through student self-assessment and reflections on their model building activities. These evaluations are expected to expand the database of known preconceptions that hinder learning of plate tectonics, to determine the efficacy of having students construct physical models in large classroom settings, and to document those modeling activities that facilitate learning of plate tectonics.