COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Asynchronous Discussions to Engage Students in Scientific Argumentation

科学过程的一个关键部分是与其他科学家讨论想法，以阐明概念，理解信息，解释发现和解释。学习如何参与这种被称为科学论证的讨论，是STEM教育的一个重要组成部分。科学论证包括在国家研究理事会制定的科学素养的定义中，该定义将“从证据中进行辩论”定义为将纳入STEM课堂的一种做法。这个项目的目标是将一项关于科学论证技能发展的研究与在线学习相结合，以研究如何利用在线讨论板最好地让学生参与科学辩论。许多本科院校提供在线课程；然而，目前尚不清楚如何优化这些虚拟教室，以提高有效的辩论技能。这个项目将审查辩论问题的框架，并将询问与学生的生活和兴趣更紧密相关的问题是否会促进更富有成效的在线辩论。该项目还将研究参与在线辩论的与学生身份相关的因素(例如性别、群体动态和群体包容性)，以及参与在线辩论是否影响学生的概念和/或认知发展。该项目的发现有望有助于正在进行的对在线STEM教育的好处(或缺点)的分析。在线讨论板被广泛使用，是潜在的有价值的教学工具，但人们对通过这些讨论板进行的科学学习知之甚少。这个项目的目标是在考察科学论证和在线学习的知识界之间架起一座桥梁，以便更好地理解如何使用异步讨论板让学生参与科学论证。本项目将回答三个研究问题：(1)引导性问题驱动的讨论在多大程度上影响学生将富有成效的科学论证构建为适合科学课堂的行为的能力？(2)群体特征(例如性别)在多大程度上中介了群体成员在在线和面对面讨论中参与的科学论证行为？(3)当学生参与在线和面对面的认知性和关系性话语时，概念发展在多大程度上发生了？研究这些问题将产生潜在的解决方案，解决让学生参与科学论证的挑战。

A critical part of the scientific process is discussing ideas with other scientists to articulate concepts, to make sense of information, and to explain findings and interpretation. Learning how to participate in this type of discussion, called scientific argumentation, is an important component of STEM education. Scientific argumentation is included in the definition of scientific literacy established by the National Research Council, which defines "engaging in argument from evidence" as a practice to be incorporated in STEM classrooms. The goal of this project is to integrate a study of developing skills in scientific argumentation and online learning to examine how to best engage students in scientific argumentation using online discussion boards. Many undergraduate institutions provide classes online; however, it is unclear how to optimize these virtual classrooms to promote effective argumentation skills. This project will examine the framing of questions for argumentation and will ask whether questions that more closely align with students' lives and interests promote more fruitful online argumentation. The project will also examine factors related to student identity (e.g. gender, group dynamics and group inclusivity) in participation in online argumentation, as well as whether participation in online argumentation affects conceptual and/or cognitive development in students. Findings from the project are expected to contribute to the ongoing analysis of the benefits (or drawbacks) of online STEM education.Online discussion boards are used widely and are potentially valuable instructional tools, but little is known about the science learning that occurs via these discussion boards. This project's goal is to bridge intellectual circles examining scientific argumentation and online learning to provide a greater understanding of how to engage students in scientific argumentation using the asynchronous discussion board. This project will answer three research questions: (1) to what extent does introductory question-driven discussion affect students' abilities to frame productive scientific argumentation as behavior appropriate to a science classroom? (2) To what extent do group characteristics (e.g. gender) mediate the scientific argumentation behaviors that group members engage in during online and fact-to-face discussions? (3) How much conceptual development occurs when student engage in epistemic versus relational discourse, both in online and face-to-face contexts? Examining these questions will yield potential solutions to challenges to engaging students in scientific argumentation.