Collaborative Research: Engaging students in discourse about criteria for judging scientific models

这个项目的目标是研究中学生如何更好地理解自然科学的基本逻辑--新思想的构建和对它们的批判之间的关系。传统上，科学教育主要关注学生如何构建自然现象的模型。然而，批判性对于模型的迭代改进是至关重要的，因为在专业科学中，对解释性模型的同行批判性激励和引导朝着更好的理解前进。这个项目让学生参与到这一过程中，并帮助他们理解批评与更好的解释之间的关系，通过让学生关注通过课堂讨论批评和理解共同发展的标准。该团队正在开发一套教学工具，扩展了之前开发的开源软件建模和证据绘制环境，该环境构建了学生如何将证据直接与他们构建的模型联系起来的结构。这个项目的产品，包括增强的软件、课程和评估，旨在提高年轻学习者参与雄心勃勃的符合下一代科学标准的科学教育体验的能力。该项目重点关注三个相互关联的实践，这些实践对于成功地用关于科学中的科学模型的证据进行推理至关重要：参与对模型的同行批评，描述并证明关键的认识性考虑以指导模型批评，以及通过关注同行批评反复修改模型以达到更高的准确性。这个项目通过增加一个脚手架套件来支持学生参与和评估社区批评的认知元水平，从而提高模型的准确性和实用性，从而改进了现有的模型和证据绘制环境软件。一组设计实验提供了关于教师对活动和软件功能的有效支撑的见解，并为教学材料的迭代设计提供了信息。整个乐团在印第安纳州和新泽西州的小规模和较大规模的不同课堂环境中进行了测试。衡量的结果包括基于访谈和书面学生人工制品的学生学习，以及对课堂协作话语的考试。该项目正在产生关于学习者在理解科学的这些方面的成长的批判性理论见解，以及支持它的实用材料和专业发展。该项目得到了NSF的EDU核心研究(ECR)计划的支持。ECR计划强调基础STEM教育研究，以产生该领域的基础知识。在基本、广泛和持久的关键领域进行投资：STEM学习和STEM学习环境，扩大STEM的参与，以及STEM劳动力发展。该项目还得到了发现研究预科-12项目(DRK-12)的支持，该项目旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具，显著提高预科-12学生和教师在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)方面的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发工作的基础上，为拟议的项目提供了理论和经验上的证明。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The goal of this project is to study how secondary students come to understand better an underlying logic of natural sciences--the relation between construction of new ideas and critique of them. Science education has traditionally focused mostly on how students construct models of natural phenomena. However, critique is crucial for iterative refinement of models because in professional science, peer critique of explanatory models motivates and guides progress toward better understanding. This project engages students in this process and helps them understand the relation of critique to better explanations, by focusing students on the criteria by which critique and understanding develop together through classroom discussions. The team is developing a suite of teaching tools expanding upon the previously developed open source software, Modeling and Evidence Mapping Environment, which structures how students connect evidence directly to models they construct. The products of this project, which include enhanced software, curriculum, and assessments, are intended to increase capacity to engage young learners in ambitious science educational experiences that are consistent with the Next Generation Science Standards.The project focuses on three interlinked practices critical for successful reasoning with evidence about scientific models in science: engaging in peer critique of models, describing and justifying key epistemic considerations to guide model critique, and iteratively revising models towards greater accuracy by attending to peer critique. This project advances the existing Model and Evidence Mapping Environment software by adding a scaffolding suite to support student engagement in, and valuing of, this epistemic meta-level of community critique for improving the veracity and utility of models. A set of design experiments provide insights regarding teachers' effective scaffolding of activities and software features, and inform iterative design of instructional materials. The entire ensemble is tested in small and larger scale heterogeneous classroom settings in Indiana and New Jersey. Measured outcomes include student learning, based on interviews and written student artifacts, as well as examinations of classroom collaborative discourse. The project is yielding critical theoretical insights about learners' growth along these dimensions of understanding science, and practical materials and professional development to support it. This project is supported by NSF's EDU Core Research (ECR) program. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring: STEM learning and STEM learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development. The project is also supported by the Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12), which seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.