CAREER: Supporting Middle School Students' Construction of Evidence-based Arguments

做科学要求学生学会建立基于证据的论点（EBAs），定义为通过前提与支持证据相关联的主张。犹他州立大学的一位新研究员选择的研究问题是：如何提高中学生的论证能力？这项研究涉及来自犹他州和爱达荷州3个学区的12个班级的325名中学生。首先，将向中学科学课堂的学生介绍基于问题的学习（PBL）单元，使他们能够调查结构不良的科学问题。这些活动为学生们提供了一些可以辩论的东西：一些他们亲自探索过的东西，以及他们努力解决的东西。接下来，他们将使用PI开发的一种强大的计算机技术“连接日志”来构建论点。连接日志为建立论点提供了一个框架，允许每个学生写下他/她的推理，并将其与同龄人的论点进行比较。该研究调查了连接日志如何提高学生的论点质量。它还探讨了学生是否能够将他们所学到的知识转移到需要论证的新情况中。本研究在六年级和七年级的科学教室中进行，学生来自不同的社会经济地位、种族和成就水平。连接日志软件在电脑屏幕上为中学生提供书面提示，引导学生完成论点的构建。该系统允许学生与PBL小组的其他成员分享他们的论点。第一代版本的连接日志要求学生：1。定义问题，或者用他们自己的话来陈述问题。确定需要的信息，或者决定他们需要找到的证据来解决问题。找到需要的信息并记录下来。组织信息，使其对发展他们的主张有用。提出一个主张，或提出一个主张，说明一个可能的问题解决方案。该模型将通过基于设计的研究过程进行优化。该研究采用混合方法研究设计，采用论证评估测试、视频、访谈、数据库信息、辩论评级和心理模型测量来评估学生的进步。这项研究很重要，因为研究表明，学生不会自动来到学校准备提出基于证据的论点。中学生在议论文中面临三大挑战：充分代表本单元的中心问题；确定并取得最相关的证据；综合收集到的信息来构建一个合理的论点。论证能力对STEM的表现和获得STEM职业至关重要。如果没有能力根据证据提出论点，中学生很可能会被排除在STEM管道之外，避免从事STEM职业，并且作为公民批判性地评估和理解科学发现的能力较差。通过测试和改进连接日志，该项目有可能在美国各地的科学教室（以及其他地方）推广使用。

Doing science requires that students learn to create evidence-based arguments (EBAs), defined as claims connected to supporting evidence via premises. The question chosen for study by a new researcher at Utah State University is: How can argumentation ability be enhanced among middle school students? This study involves 325 middle school students in 12 class sections from 3 school districts in Utah and Idaho. First, students in middle school science classrooms will be introduced to problem-based learning (PBL) units that allow them to investigate ill-structured science problems. These activities provide students with something about which to argue: something that they have explored personally and with which they have grappled. Next, they will construct arguments using a powerful computer technology, the Connection Log, developed by the PI. The Connection Log provides a scaffold for building arguments, allowing each student to write about his/her reasoning and compare it to arguments built by peers. The study investigates how the Connection Log improves the quality of students' arguments. It also explores whether students are able to transfer what they have learned to new situations that call for argumentation.This study is set in 6th and 7th grade science classrooms with students of diverse SES, ethnicity, and achievement levels. The Connection Log software supports middle school students with written prompts on a computer screen that take students through the construction of an argument. The system allows students to share their arguments with other members of their PBL group. The first generation version of the Connection Log asks students to: 1. define the problem, or state the problem in their own words 2. determine needed information, or decide on evidence they need to find to solve the problem3. find needed information and record it 4. organize information to make it useful for developing their claims 5. develop a claim, or make an assertion stating a possible problem solution 6. link evidence to claim, linking specific, relevant data to assertions The model will be optimized through a process of design-based research. The study uses a mixed methods research design employing argument evaluation tests, video, interviews, database information, debate ratings, and a mental models measure, to evaluate student progress. This study is important because research has shown that students do not automatically come to school prepared to create evidence-based arguments. Middle school students face three major challenges in argumentation: adequately representing the central problem of the unit; determining and obtaining the most relevant evidence; and synthesizing gathered information to construct a sound argument. Argumentation ability is crucial to STEM performance and to access to STEM careers. Without the ability to formulate arguments based upon evidence, middle school students are likely to be left out of the STEM pipeline, avoid STEM careers, and have less ability to critically evaluate and understand scientific findings as citizens. By testing and refining the Connection Log, the project has the potential for scaling up for use in science classrooms (and beyond) throughout the United States.