Transforming Writing and Literacy Practices in the Inquiry Classroom

当谈到本科课堂上的科学写作时，人们首先想到的通常是正式的实验报告。然而，对于非专业的人来说，掌握这种类型并没有什么好处，因为他们不太可能在科学课程的范围之外遇到、阅读或撰写科学研究报告。此外，大多数本科生完全没有意识到，科学家的研究报告是一系列非正式写作的产物，这些写作发生在研究过程中（笔记本上的涂鸦，论文空白处的笔记，实验室会议和会议上的报告，给同事的电子邮件等）。因此，本项目提出了一个问题：科学教师如何让本科生参与到真实的写作和读写实践中来，从而提供可以在科学课堂之外的环境中使用的技能？学生最终能否在不依赖实验报告作为唯一模式的情况下，发展出专业科学研究和科学写作社区中常见的学术语言、准确性、题词和论证模式？很少接受写作指导训练的科学教师如何才能更好地准备好教学生写好科学文章呢？在CCLI第1类资助（国家科学基金会奖号0837058，“学生生成的科学探究”）的基础上，该项目通过与科学和英语教师合作来解决上述问题和挑战，以改善未来K-8教师的探究课程教学，并开发一份教师指南，“在探究课堂中写作：一个促进者的科学写作指南”，供科学教师使用。教师指南将提供具体的教学策略，以便在学生从事科学探究的任何本科课程的背景下，在写作教学中实施最佳实践。此外，该项目正在分析学生话语模式的真实性，并将其与科学家专业群体中的话语模式进行比较。例如，学生是否像科学家一样使用笔记本和图表？他们在使用语言时是否发展出了精确性？他们是否将写作作为一种学习工具，而不仅仅是对所学知识的展示？调查人员采用混合方法进行评估，数据来源包括课堂录像、学生书面作业副本、教案、教学日志、学生在线讨论、调查和学生访谈。

When one considers science writing in undergraduate classrooms, the formal lab report is generally the first thing that comes to mind. However, mastering this genre is of little benefit to non-majors, who are unlikely ever to encounter, read, or write a scientific research report beyond the confines of a science course. In addition, most undergraduates are completely unaware that a scientist's research report is the product of a range of informal writing that happened along the way (scribbles in a notebook, notes in the margins of papers, presentations at lab meetings and conferences, e-mails to colleagues, etc.). Therefore, this project asks: How can science instructors engage undergraduates in authentic writing and literacy practices that offer skills that can be leveraged in settings beyond the science classroom? Can students eventually develop the academic language, precision, inscriptions, and argumentation patterns common to communication in professional scientific research and science writing communities without relying on the lab report as the only model? How can science instructors, who rarely receive any training in writing instruction, be better prepared to teach students to write well in science?Building on prior work done under a CCLI Type 1 grant (NSF Award No. 0837058, "Student-Generated Scientific Inquiry"), this project is addressing the above-mentioned questions and challenges by partnering science and English faculty to improve instruction in an inquiry course for future K-8 teachers and to develop an instructor's guide, "Writing in the Inquiry Classroom: A Facilitator's Guide to Scientific Writing," for use by science faculty. The instructor's guide will provide concrete pedagogical strategies for implementing best practices in writing instruction within the context of any undergraduate course where students engage in scientific inquiry.In addition, the project is analyzing the authenticity of students' discourse patterns compared with those found in professional communities of scientists. For example, do students use notebooks and diagrams like scientists do? Do they develop precision in their use of language? Do they use writing as a tool for learning, not just as a demonstration of what was learned?The investigators are employing a mixed-methods evaluation, drawing from data sources including videotapes of class sessions, copies of students' written work, lesson plans, teaching logs, students' online discussions, surveys, and student interviews.