Assessing Science Learning in 3 Part Harmony

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Assessing Science Learning in 3 Part Harmony

• Richard Duschl
• GSE-Rutgers University
• rduschl_at_rci.rutgers.edu

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Performances - Practices

• Piano
• Finger/hand strength and flexibility
• Read muscial notation
• Musical phrasing, playing with feeling
• Creative musicality

• Science
• Building conceptual claims, meanings
• Evaluating conceptual claims, meaning
• Seeking evidence
• Seeking explanations
• Communicating

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NAEP 2009 Science Framework

• Identifying scientific principles (30)
• Using scientific principles (35)
• Using scientific inquiry (25)
• Using technological design (10)
• portion of test

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3 Ps
Psychology - Learning Cognitive Science,
Information-processing, Social psychology,
Activity theory Philosophy - Knowledge Epistemolog
y Science Studies Models, Argumentation
(ETHICS) Pedagogy - Teaching Inquiry Learning
Problem-based Learning Community of Learners
Model-based Learning Design Principles,
Preparation for Future Learning
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Nature of Science

• Science is about testing hypotheses and reasoning
  deductively from experiments
• Hypothetico/Deductive Science
• Science is Theory building and revision
• Contexts of Generation and Justification
• Science is Model building and revision
• Models stand between Experiment and Theory

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History of Thinking about Human Mind

• Differential Perspective
• Individual, Mental Tests separate from academic
  learning - selecting and sorting
• Behavioral Perspective
• Stimulus/Response Associations - rewarding and
  punishing
• Cognitive Perspective
• Prior Knowledge, expert/novice, metacognition
  (thinking about thinking and knowning)
• Situative Perspective
• Sociocultural, language, tools, discourse

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Psychology Education
Structured Knowledge Prior Knowledge
Metacognition Procedural Knowledge in
Meaningful Contexts Social participation and
cognition Holistic Situation for Learning Make
Thinking Overt (Glaser, 1994)
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Types of Knowledge

• Declarative (what)
• Procedural (how)
• Schematic (why)
• Strategic (where, when)
• Conceptual, Epistemic, Communicative or Social
• Blooms Taxonomy
• Knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis,
  synthesis, evaluation

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National Science Education Standards Content
Domains

• Big Cs
• Life Science
• Physical Science
• Earth/Space Science
• Inquiry

• Little Cs
• Unifying Principles Themes
• Science Technology
• Science in Personal Social Contexts
• Nature of Science

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Standards Benchmarks

• Too Much Stuff

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Learning How to Learn

• Joe Novak
• Concept Mapping Gowins Vee
• Lauren Resnick
• Prior Knowledge
• Capacity to Learn is Limited
• Expertise - use of heuristics

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Creating Epistemic Communities in Classrooms
Project SEPIA (Science Education through
Portfolio Instruction and Assessment) Pittsburgh-
Drew Gitomer, Leona Schauble Schools for Thought
(SFT) Knowledge Forum/CSILE (Computer Supported
Intensive Learning Environment) Vanderbilt -
Susan Goldman, John Bransford, Jim Pelligrino,
Susan Williams, Kirsten Ellenbogen Argumentation
Dialogic Discourse Kings College London -
Jonathan Osborne, Sibel Erduran, Kirsten
Ellenbogen Rutgers - Clark Chinn, Cindy
Hmelo-Silver, Rochel Gelman.
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Project SEPIA - Portfolio Assessment Culture -
NSF
Designing Lesson Sequences and Learning
Environments that support conversations among
learners and, in turn, create opportunities
for 1) Making Students Thinking Visible 2)
Evidence/Explanation Continuum 3) Mediation and
Formative Assessments in 3 Domains
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3 Part Harmony

• Conceptual what we need to know
• Epistemic rules for deciding what counts
• Social communicating representing ideas,
  evidence and explanations

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Project SEPIA - Portfolio Assessment Culture
Designing Lesson Sequences and Learning
Environments that support conversations among
learners and, in turn, create opportunities
for 1) Making Students Thinking Visible 2)
Evidence/Explanation Continuum 3) Mediation and
Formative Assessments in 3 Domains conceptual
what we need to know epistemic rules for
deciding what counts social communicating and
representing ideas, evidence and explanations
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Learning ProgressionsLearning Performances

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NRC (2006) Systems for State Science Assessments

• In response to the No Child Left Behind Act of
  2001 (NCLB), Systems for State Science Assessment
  explores the ideas and tools that are needed to
  assess science learning at the state level. This
  book provides a detailed examination of K-12
  science assessment looking specifically at what
  should be measured and how to measure it.

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NAEP 2009 Science Framework

• http//www.nagb.org/
• A learning progression is a sequence of
  successively more complex ways of reasoning about
  a set of ideas.

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National Science Education Standards Content
Domains

• Big Cs
• Life Science
• Physical Science
• Earth/Space Science
• Inquiry

• Little Cs
• Unifying Principles Themes
• Science Technology
• Science in Personal Social Contexts
• Nature of Science

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Assessment Triangle3 Part Harmony

• Observation
  Interpretation
• Cognition
• C theory of how Ss learn the topic
• O tasks that elicit relevant Ss
  knowledge/skills
• I Classroom assessment - less formal
  interpretation by the teacher

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Learning Goals

• What we know
• How we have come to know it
• Why we believe it over alternatives

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Creating Epistemic Knowledge Building
Communities in Classrooms
Project SEPIA (Science Education through
Portfolio Instruction and Assessment) Pittsburgh-
Drew Gitomer, Leona Schauble Schools for Thought
(SFT) Knowledge Forum/CSILE (Computer Supported
Intensive Learning Environment) Vanderbilt -
Susan Goldman, John Bransford, Jim Pelligrino,
Susan Williams, Kirsten Ellenbogen Argumentation
Dialogic Discourse Kings College London -
Jonathan Osborne, Sibel Erduran, Kirsten
Ellenbogen Rutgers - Clark Chinn, Cindy
Hmelo-Silver, Rochel Gelman.
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Why Things Sink Float

• Density LP - Floating Straws
• Relative Density
• Density
• Mass
• Volume

• Forces LP - Floating Vessels
• Flotation
• Buoyancy
• Pressure
• Mass
• Surface Area
• Volume
• Displacement

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Conceptual vs. Epistemic Goals

• Misconception
• Structured Problem
• Control of Variables
• Productive Misconceptions
• Unconventional Feature
• Off Target

• Causal Explanation
• Ill structured problem
• Design Application
• Modeling
• Forecast Items

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Affordances for Future Learning

• Knowledge in Use
• Density - continental drift, ocean currents
• Forces - carrying capacity/displacement
• Inquiry
• Density - separation of liquids
• Forces - water pressure and neutral buoyancy
• Design
• Density - test of Crown Jewels - Eureka!
• Forces - retrieval of sunken ships

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Nature of ExplanationsLanguage of Science

• Principled
• Relational
• Unclear Relational
• Experiential
• Inadequate Explanation
• Off Target

• Evidence-Explanation
• Patterns in Evidence
• Explanatory Theory
• Balance of Forces
• Stronger Hands
• More Hands

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Affordances

• Making Thinking visible
• Teacher Assessments of Conceptual, Epistemic,
  Social Goals
• Identification of Productive Misconceptions
• Dialogic Discourse
• Measures/Observations-Data-Evidence-Models-Theory
• Data-Warrant-Backing-Rebuttal-Qualifier-Conclusion
  
• Images for Nature of Science
• Science as Experiments as Theory-building as
  Model-building
• Preparation for Future Learning

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Probing Understandings (White Gunstone, 1990)

• Concept Maps
• Interviews about Instances
• Interviews about Concepts
• Fortune Lines
• Drawings
• Storyboards

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Scaffolding and Assessing Argumentation Processes
in Science
Kings College London/American School in
London Collaborator Kirsten Ellenbogen NSF via a
seed grant from CILT (Center for Innovations in
Learning Technology).
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EHH Activity Sequence
Intro Unit and Lab 1 Conduct prelab including
demonstration of STEP test and taking a pulse.
Students collect data Lab 1 2. Data Collection
for Labs 2 and 3 Lab 2 - Activity Level and Heart
Rate Lab 3 - Weight and Heart Rate 3. Data
Analysis for Labs 2 and 3 Knowledge Forum
Activity What Matters in Getting Good
Data Determining Trends and Patterns of
Data Developing and Evaluating Explanations for
the Patterns of Data 4. Evaluating Exercise
Programs
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Exercise for a Healthy Heart
Agree/Disagree with the following statements and
provide a reason It matters where you take a
pulse Wrist, neck, thigh It matters how long you
take a resting pulse (6-10-15-60 seconds) It
matters how long you take an exercising pulse
(6-10-15-60 seconds) It matters who takes a
pulse
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Group Decision Rules
1 - Frequency 2 - Majority 3 - Average 4 -
Endpoints 5 - Calculation
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Balancing Learning Outcomes

• TOO MUCH STUFF

• BIG IDEAS

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Pathways - Historical Steps

• Rochel Gelman Kim Brennenman - Pathsways for
  Learning -PreK
• Observe
• Measure
• Write

• Lehrer Schauble 5th-8th grades
• Variation
• Distribution
• Growth Mechanisms
• Adaptive Selection
• Evolution

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Implications of Research on Childrens Learning
for Standards and Assessment A Proposed Learning
Progression for Matter and the Atomic Molecular
Theory

• Carol Smith, Marianne Weiser, Charles Anderson
  Joe Krajcik (2006)

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Matter and material kinds.

• Existence and diversity of material kinds
  Objects are made of specific materials. There are
  different kinds of materials. The same kind of
  object can be made of different materials.
• Object properties Objects have certain
  propertiesweight, length, area, and volume--that
  can be described, compared and measured.
• Properties of materials The properties of
  materials can be described and classified.

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Conservation and transformation of matter and
material kinds.

• Conservation of matter There are some
  transformations (e.g., reshaping, breaking into
  pieces) where the amount of stuff and weight are
  conserved despite changes in perceptual
  appearance.
• Conservation and transformation of materials
  Material kind stays the same when objects are
  reshaped or broken into small pieces. Freezing
  and melting change some properties of materials
  but not others.

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Epistemology

• Measurement Measurement involves comparison.
  Good measures use iterations of a fixed unit
  (including fractional parts of that unit) to
  cover the measured space completely (i.e., no
  gaps). They are more reliable than common sense
  impressions.
• Models Some properties of objects can be
  analyzed as the sum of component units. (Students
  are involved with the implicit modeling of
  extensive quantities through the creation of
  measures.)
• Argument Ideas can be evaluated through
  observation and measurement.

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Complementary Big Ideas

• 3. Epistemology We can learn about the world
  through measurement, modeling, and argument.
• 3AM. Epistemology of the atomic-molecular theory
  Atoms are too small to see directly with tools
  available in classrooms. The properties of and
  changes in atoms and molecules have to be
  distinguished from the macroscopic properties and
  phenomena for which they account. We learn about
  the properties of atoms and molecules indirectly,
  using hypothetico-deductive reasoning.

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Observation-Evidence

• There exists a continuum of what counts as
  scientific data, and subsequently what counts as
  scientific evidence. From initial sense-based
  descriptive observations, to tool assisted
  measurement observations, and to theory-driven
  instrument based observations. The latter most
  sophisticated level underscores the
  revision-based and theory-laden nature of
  science.

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Evidence-based Argumentation

• There exists a continuum regarding the use of
  evidence to support and refute scientific claims,
  and the structure and practice of argumentation
  (language of argumentation and role of
  consensus). Initial arguments feature a simple
  single claim-evidence structure, with learning
  arguments develop to include counter claims and
  counterevidence with attention to resolving
  alternative explanation and informing theory.

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Theory-building

• There exists a continuum of sophistication
  regarding the use of evidence and explanations to
  develop, refine and modify scientific theories.
  Initially students may not discriminate between
  evidence and theory. With engagement and learning
  opportunities students can refine and deepen
  their understanding and practices of the
  relationships between evidence and explanations.
  Sophisticated images of the nature of science
  conceptualize theories as robust explanatory
  schemes comprised of multiple models, models that
  stand between evidence and explanation.

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Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry
Learners are engaged by scientific
questions Learners give priority to evidence, to
develop evaluate explanation to address the
questions Learners formulate explanations Learners
evaluate explanations against alternative
explanations Learners communicate and justify
explanations. (National Research Council, 2000)
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Inquiry Based Learning

• Deciding the Content
• Aims Goals
• Conceptual
• Facts, Principles, Laws Theories
• Epistemic
• Explanations, Models, Arguments
• Social
• Representations, Communications

• Deciding the Context
• School Science
• Real World Science
• Environment
• Social Issues
• Museum/Science Centre Science

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Learning as InquiryConnelly, et al (1977)
Scientific enquiry and the teaching of science.
OISE Press.

• To develop an understanding of the most important
  content
• To develop an understanding of the parts of a
  pattern of inquiry
• To develop the reading skills and habits of mind
  to identify and understand knowledge claims
• To develop the evaluative skills and habits of
  mind to assess the status of knowledge claims

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Teaching as Inquiry

• Identify the degree of legitimate doubt attached
  to science knowledge
• Assist in providing opportunities to deduce
  patterns and to develop intellectual capacity to
  inform oneself
• Employ a strategy of teaching that allows for
  discovery, focuses on the central role of
  discussion, and promotes effective argumentation.

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Additional Features of Classroom Inquiry

• Learners respond to criticisms from others
• Learners formulate appropriate criticism of
  others
• Learners engage in criticism of their own
  explanations
• Learners reflect on alternative explanations and
  not on having a unique resolution (Duschl
  Grandy, in press)

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3 Part Harmony

• Conceptual Goals
• Epistemic Goals
• Social Goals

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Thank You

• and
• Welcome to the Assessment Staircase