SCOM 5056 Design Theory in Science Communication week 2: the science content

1. SCOM 5056Design TheoryinScience Communicationweek 2: the science content Dave Goforth FA377 (Fraser) 705-675-1151 ext 2316 dgoforth@cs. laurentian.ca

2. Science CommunicationDesign Process • Goals, objectives, constraints • Audience, context • Knowledge • Experience • Artifact e.g., Museum of Science, Boston: http://www.mos.org/exhibitdevelopment/index.html SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

3. Purpose: Gregory and Miller • Appreciate science • Understand science • Understand how science works What is science communication for each? SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

4. Science CommunicationDesign Process • Goals, objectives, constraints • Audience, context • Knowledge • Experience • Artifact SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

5. Models of scientific knowledge • Toulmin – formal argument • Kuhn • Giere • Reigeluth SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

6. Formal Science “Understanding of nature (…) open to public criticism” – Toulmin Aim of argumentation is consensus • Issues are “at the edge” • Phenomena need explaining, anomalies • Apply, extend, constrain, revise, replace existing ideas Basic Standard (Applied) Research(Issues) SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

7. Communicating science • Education model: • Science communication model elementary secondary undergraduate graduate SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

8. Real Science Thomas Kuhn, 1962 “Structure of Scientific Revolutions” • normal science • scientific revolutions and paradigm shift How science really works – personalities, money, serendipity, trial and error and human intuition SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

9. The Cognitive Structure of Scientific Theories • Models in cognitive science attempt to match mental structures  good models for learning? SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

10. Giere – “model-theoretic” view Vertical hierarchy of concepts by abstraction Horizontal distribution as central/peripheral superordinate basic subordinate peripheral central peripheral SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

11. Concept analysis Examples from Giere • Colours • Birds • Mother • Shapes • Weapons • Vehicles • Pendulums SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

12. Giere – “model-theoretic” view Claim: Central and basic concepts are historical starting points for scientific exploration Science communication: Are these also good starting points for learning, i.e., closest to current understanding of audience? SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

13. Science for Learning - Reigeluth This is instructional design • How does it match or mismatch with design for free choice science communication in terms of • Audience, • Context, and • Goals? SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

14. Elaboration theory Scope and sequence • Deciding scope (content) in a free choice science communication context: • Like training? • Like education? • Distinct how? SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

15. Elaboration theory Scope and sequence • Sequence is dependent on knowledge structure • Many sequences (and other presentation formats) are possible from any structure Comment: Scope and structure are knowledge design; sequence is part of artifact design. So, focus on structures of elaboration theory SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

16. Elaboration theory Knowledge structures: Conceptual structure – “inclusivity relationships” like Giere’s (Fig. 18.3) - also applies to principles Causal model – how principles relate to each other in systems to describe phenomena (Fig. 18.2) Feel free to explore, create your own structures SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

17. Elaboration theory “Simplifying Conditions Method” (SCM) is one approach to design of presentation based on the knowledge structure. Epitome plus elaboration “How to design an SCM sequence” contains useful ideas for all presentation/experience design SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

18. An example: Rubik’s cube • Can you design communication in a domain where you are not an expert? • “Model-theoretic” structure of the knowledge Rubik’s cube presentation SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

19. Organizing Structure of knowledge Some possible organizing forms • Procedural • Systemic (part-of, type-of, instance-of) • Theoretical (principles, laws, theories) • Tabular, taxonomic • Historic  model-theoretic SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

20. Designing scientific knowledge What to include: Toulmin, p 231 • Kinds of things • Composition, behaviour of things • “Come to be” – causality, process • Function of things SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

21. Example What to include:Toulmin, p 231 • Kinds of things • Composition, behaviour of things • “Come to be” – causality, process • Function of things How a fish extracts oxygen from its environment Audience / Context What to include Kind of organizing structure Model-theoretic categories Structure: Reigeluth Conceptual structure Causal model Organizing forms Procedural Systemic (part-of, type-of, instance-of) Theoretical (principles, laws, theories) Tabular, taxonomic Historic  model-theoretic Hierarchical Central-peripheral SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth