Learning to be scientific

1. Learning to be scientific Reinventing science education through virtual worlds Diane Jass Ketelhut Temple University

2. Bruce M. Alberts (1995) “We’ve managed to turn people off of science by making it some kind of rote learning exercise” Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

3. Science education issues • Career Interest • 1/3 high school students take one year of science • Of all doctorate-holding scientists: • 5% are either African-American or Hispanic • 25% are women Rising above the gathering storm; Nation’s report card 2005

4. Science education issues • Conceptual Understanding • 31% say humans evolved through natural selection • 46% do not know that an electron is smaller than an atom AAAS and Pew Survey

5. World of warcraft www.worldofwarcraft.com What turns students on? Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

6. 97% of teens play videogames • 45 Million homes own a videogame console 92% of all 2-17 year olds play video and computer games National institute on media and the family 2001; Pew Foundation , 2008

7. “When individuals play modern video and computer games, they experience environments in which they often must master the kinds of higher-order thinking and decision-making skills employers seek today.” “…games that incorporate simulations provide …a way to translate what is learned in training to application in the workplace.” fas summit on videogames, 2006

8. Role for sims and games • Scientific inquiry: • Provide access for all • Model integration with content • Immersion: • Identify formation • Engagement • Situated learning • Learning in contexts close to where knowledge will be used • Contextualized assessment Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

9. Two example projects • River city • http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/rivercityproject/ • collaborative scientific inquiry-based learning • Epidemiology content • SAVE science • Series of assessment quests for 12-14 year old • Assess local school curriculum • Problem-based Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

10. River City • Middle school curriculum • Modeled scientific inquiry for teachers • Integrated content with inquiry • A non-linear approach to learning • Immersive • Situated learning experiences without leaving the classroom! • Ability to explore identity as a scientist Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

11. Virtual Inquiry Tools Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

12. Controlled virtual experimentation Before Change After drying up the bog Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

13. Outcomes • Better understanding of student processes • Engagement • Learning content and Scientific inquiry • Increase in career interest Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

14. Student comments • ‘we had to figure out things and ask questions and use our brains and think really hard ... because we had to figure out what was wrong’ • ‘It was different by exploring by myself not being told what things to test out.’ • ‘...when I was making the experiment and going around asking everything I kind of felt like a detective’ • ‘more challenging’ Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

15. Not all games are created equal! http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/rivercityproject/ http://www.wonderville.ca/ Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

16. Situated assessment in VEs for science content & inquiry • Motivation: • Text based high stakes test • Separation of inquiry and content • “Students do not come to understand inquiry simply by learning words such as ‘hypothesis’ and ‘inference’ or by memorizing procedures such as "the steps of the scientific method” (NRC) • Series of modules to assess local curriculum • 7th and 8th grades • Integrate scientific inquiry with content • Students demonstrate understanding of inquiry and content by engaging in context-based quests Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

17. Initial learning • Contextualizing the problem helps • Inferences about scientific inquiry • Illuminated misconceptions • Engaging! Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

18. Teachers • Good games require a teacher to embed in classroom culture and curriculum • Requires rethinking pre-service and in-service education Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

19. Pre-service educators • Something like this should be used in classroom • “We are currently living in an age where video games, ipods, laptops and cell phones rule.  In order to compete schools must find ways to engage and maintain our students' attention.  We have to incorporate more computer based research and activities into our lessons.” Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

20. But beyond the value… • “I am a teacher who has two computers at home, I occasionally use my daughter's ipod, I play video games with my son and who doesn't have a cell phone.  I have all of these devices at the tip of my hand and yet I rarely use technology in my classroom.” Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

21. How do we help teachers? • Create models in K-12 and higher ed • Time on task* • Technical and social support* • Previous Experiences • One on one works best but unsustainable • Fully online sustainable but ineffective • Success with hybrid, teacher videos, stories, collaboration *Schifter, 2008

22. In summary… • “It is simply my unwillingness to think out of the box when it comes to technology.  I'll try the latest teaching strategy or do something out of the norm that my colleagues won't do and yet I refuse to give technology a try.  Here I go with the excuses: lack of working computers, time, the curriculum, standardized testing, students' behavior, school walkthroughs, etc, etc, etc.  In spite of these I know I have to do better by my students.  Hopefully, this summer I'll be able to create some lessons and reformat activities that will incorporate more interactive technology.  Sadly, this statement sounds familiar.  Oh yeah, I think I said it last spring......” Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University

23. Thanks • For more information, contact: Diane Jass Ketelhut djk@temple.edu • The instructional practices and assessments discussed or shown in this presentation are not intended as an endorsement by the U. S. Department of Education. • This material is based upon work supported under Grant No. 0310188 and 0822308. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University