CAREER: Classroom Instruction to Promote Authentic Experimentation

这个项目是建立在一个理论框架，具体说明科学实验的关键认识论特征。 在此架构的基础上，本计画将发展一个以电脑为基础的环境，让七年级学生可以在其中进行细胞生物学领域的模拟实验。 模拟实验将被设计成捕捉真实科学实验的许多关键认识论特征。 基于计算机的实验环境将被用于一系列研究，以调查学生如何学习复杂形式的科学推理。 研究的一个主要重点将是调查社会认知过程，计算机模拟促进课堂教学中的复杂学习。 计划中的研究包括两个大型的课堂实验，这将提供一个丰富的，详细的图片如何七年级学生的推理和知识的细胞变化，每时每刻，在课堂教学。 课堂教学，使用一种叫做协作推理的教学方法，将交错全班讨论与小组工作，学生进行和讨论模拟实验。 这些研究将提供一个细致的分析，如何全班讨论和小组互动调解学生的学习。 总之，本研究计划的目的是（a）提供新的见解，如何教学生的原因认识论真实的实验和（B）生产测试的教学软件，材料和方法，教师扫描容易访问和使用在他们的教室。

This project is grounded in a theoretical framework that specifieskey epistemological features of scientific experimentation. On the basisof this framework, the project will develop a computer-based environment in whichseventh graders can conduct simulated experiments in the domain of cellbiology. The simulated experiments will be designed to capture many ofthe crucial epistemological features of authentic scientificexperimentation. The computer-based experimentation environment will thenbe used in a series of studies to investigate how students learn complexforms of scientific reasoning. A main focus of the studies will be toinvestigate the sociocognitive processes by which computer simulationspromote complex learning during classroom instruction. The planned studiesinclude two large classroom experiments that will provide a rich, detailedpicture of how seventh graders' reasoning and knowledge of cells change,moment to moment, during classroom instruction. The classroom instruction,using an instructional method called Collaborative Reasoning aboutEvidence, will interleave whole-class discussions with small-group work inwhich students conduct and discuss simulated experiments. The studies willaim to provide a fine-grained analysis of how whole-class discussions andgroup interactions mediate students' learning. In sum, this program ofresearch is intended (a) to provide new insights into how to teach studentsto reason about epistemologically authentic experimentation and (b) toproduce tested instructional software, materials, and methods that teacherscan readily access and use in their classrooms.