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教育的重要组成部分。科学论证被纳入了美国国家研究委员会（National Research Council）制定的科学素养定义，该定义将“从证据出发进行论证”定义为一种将纳入STEM课堂的实践。该项目的目标是将科学论证技能的发展与在线学习相结合，以研究如何利用在线讨论板最好地吸引学生参与科学论证。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。该项目将研究辩论问题的框架，并将询问与学生的生活和兴趣更密切相关的问题是否能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中与学生身份相关的因素（如性别、群体动态和群体包容性），以及参与在线辩论是否会影响学生的概念和/或认知发展。该项目的研究结果将有助于对在线STEM教育的好处（或缺点）进行持续分析。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。该项目的目标是在知识界研究科学论证和在线学习之间架起一座桥梁，以便更好地了解如何利用异步讨论板让学生参与科学论证。这个项目将回答三个研究问题：(1)在多大程度上，介绍性问题驱动的讨论会影响学生将富有成效的科学论证作为科学课堂行为的能力？(2)群体特征（如性别）在多大程度上调节了群体成员在网络和面对面讨论中的科学论证行为？(3)在网络和面对面的语境中，当学生参与认知话语和关系话语时，概念发展发生了多少？检查这些问题将产生潜在的解决方案，以吸引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.