Bringing advanced science inquiry tools in for a

Bringing advanced science inquiry tools in for a soft landing: report of a five year study Oregon Association of Teacher Education Conference Portland, Oregon August 2007 Mike Charles & Bob Kolvoord (Pacific University) & (James Madison University) Research supported by the National Science Foundation And the Tommy Thompson Award Presentation available at http: //fg. ed. pacificu. edu/charlesm/presentations. html

The promise Scientific visualization tools provide. . . Rich use of the computers available in schools Connections to science/math for visual learners Vehicle for inquiry-based science n Use tools which were originally designed to help scientists understand explore data Goal: To draw today’s increasingly visual learners into in-depth study of science/math topics

The opportunity How to get more teachers involved in using visualization tools in their classrooms? n Promising tools that require advanced skills Extended training in the tools is often too much, too soon. . .

Project VISM Three week summer institutes sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Science and Technology program at James Madison University Cross-training in different visualization techniques, including image processing, GIS, molecular modeling and simulation Middle and High School science and mathematics teachers with some higher education participants n Teacher educators who work with prospective science and mathematics teachers Summers of 2000, 2001, and 2002 --118 participants total 3 day follow on workshops-about 20 participants each time held at James Madison (Summer 2003) and Pacific Summer 2004)

Tools taught in Project VISM Image processing NIH Image/Scion Image/Image J Geospatial Analysis Arc. View GIS Molecular Visualization Ras. Mol/Chemscape Chime Systems modeling STELLA

Image. J (NIH Image/Scion Image) Public domain image processing software Software and free classroom activities available at http: //www. evisual. org/ Animal hands: identifying x-rays of animal hands by describing the hand identifying its function

IP--a powerful tool for sci inquiry because… Ability to set scales and measure distances n Measure angles as well n Measure distances other than straight line n Select pixels of a given value and measure n Measure area n Compare circumference to diameter to approximate Pi Ability to see multiple exposures of the same images

Arc. View GIS Available for educators-See the ESRI homepage http: //www. esri. com/ Classroom activities available at http: //gis 2. esri. com/indu stries/education/arclesso ns/arclessons. cfm Plate Tectonics visualized

GIS--a powerful tool for sci inquiry because… Ability to see information geospatially Make a map…with multiple layers n E. g. where’s the most recent earthquake? n What patterns do you see in earthquake distribution? n Environmental trends n Using historical maps to answer questions n Mapping where elements come from and researching how they get into everyday objects. http: //www. csc. noaa. gov/mpa ss/tools_gis. html

RASMOL/Chemscape Chime Public domain software for mol viz Presented as “molecular storytelling” Resource page: http: //sharepoint. cisat. jmu. edu/isat/klevicca/ Web/VISM. htm "Come See the Molecules—Using 3 -D Modeling Programs to Learn Chemistry" in ISTE's Learning & Leading with Technology http: //www. iste. org/L&L/archive/vol 29/no 4/index. html (Note: Must be a subscriber to the periodical in order to access Acrobat files of the articles)

Molecular visualization--a powerful tool for sci inquiry because… Allows the learner to “see” what is happening at the molecular level E. g. Observing the effects that has a solute has on the boiling point of liquid http: //sharepoint. cisat. jmu. edu/isat/klevicca/Web/VISM. htm#example

STELLA Commercial systems simulation software Strong educator user base More info at http: //www. hps-inc. com/ Pictured here: simulation model for a cup of coffee cooling using stocks and flows

System simulation--a powerful tool for sci inquiry because… Asks students to model mathematically a real event in the world E. g. Research your own endangered species. Determine reasonable rates for reproduction and attrition. Create a STELLA population model that shows this. n Grizzly bear http: //www. nps. gov/akso/Park. Wise/Students/Photo. Gallery/DENA/ wildlife/photoindex. htm

The ACOT model of stages of teacher development in using technological tools Entry level-competent using the tool at the workshop n Learned the Animal Hands activity at a workshop Adopt the tool into their teaching practice n Successfully used the Animal Hands activity with my students Adapt the tool into their teaching practice n Made significant modifications to the Animal Hands activity to make it work better with my students Innovate with the tool in their teaching practice n Brought in new images from a local zoo of animal hands to add to the activity

The VISM matrix: The ACOT model described for each of the four tools Created based on conversations with the instructors over the duration of the project Updated in successive years of teaching as instructors gained experience with practicing teachers Posed as a hypothetical path that teachers might follow We did NOT expect teachers to reach the innovate level with all four tools, but instead to make professional choices among their visualization options n VISM Matrix

Critical attributes of advanced tools Competency with the software tool (ACOT model) Competency with the scientific data that the tool uses Competency with the pedagogical content knowledge needed to teach curricular content using the tool n Pedagogical content knowledge identifies the distinctive bodies of knowledge for teaching. It represents the blending of content and pedagogy into an understanding of how particular topics, problems or issues are organized, represented, and adapted to the diverse interests and abilities of learners, and presented for instruction. Pedagogical content knowledge is the category most likely to distinguish the understanding of the content specialist from that of the pedagogue. (Shulman, 1987)

Data Follow-up questionnaires filled out online Follow-up classroom visit/observations and interviews

Questionnaires 35 questionnaires from Summer 2003 and 2004 “reunion” workshop participants 36 respondents in spring 2006 --some duplicates A little less than half of the participants have responded to at least one follow-on survey

Follow-on interviews 19 interviews, 14 with classroom visits n From Hawaii to New Jersey Starter questions for open-ended interviews Briefly describe 1 or 2 projects you carried out last year with your students using one or more of these visualization tools. What were your greatest obstacles in using these tools with your students during the year? Briefly describe what you think you accomplished this year based on your participation in the VISM workshop, and one thing you had hoped to accomplish but perhaps did not.

Classroom visits Let me see you using one of the VISM tools in your teaching. Let me see any examples of VISM projects your students have done Let’s talk about any other inquiry based projects you’ve done with your students Revisit rationale, obstacles, and professional development options, plus see projects (both tech and non tech)

VISM tools--levels of use summary 29 of 36 responded 2 kinds of adopt: n n 1 activity Several activities

VISM tools-implementation summary 2/3 rd’s of the responses were GIS or IP Significant prior IP use in this group

Increased abilities with the tools Teachers developed further skills in 2 of the tools…without formal follow-up Classroom ready materials using the tools, follow-up courses, reviewing notes from the workshop… Twice as many responses for more competent or same as there were for less competent

How did they get better? Purchase curriculum support materials A second workshop, often focused around that tool Revisit workshop notes

Obstacles Greatest obstacle for your use of these tools? (1 --not an obstacle… 5 --serious obstacle)-32 respondents Average Lack of space in a crowded curriculum to do projects that use these tools 3. 6 Lack of adequate teacher preparation time to prepare activities 3. 6 Lack of teacher knowledge of these software tools 3. 0 Lack of well-designed curriculum-based materials using these tools 2. 6 Student difficulty learning the tools 2. 5 Lack of adequate hardware/software 2. 4 Relating the use of these tools to increasing student achievement scores 2. 2 Incompatibility of these tools with the district’s stated educational objectives 2. 2

Obstacles Time--to develop classroom ready activities Space in the curriculum Higher demands of NCLB and high stakes testing Changes in teaching assignment and personal life Hardware/software access as it changes-…negotiating adequate computer time for students to do their work is nonetheless a major challenge for these teachers.

Indirect effects 96. 8%-Better equipped to learn and use other technology tools or resources (other than the VISM tools) in your teaching 71%-Raised your status in your school and/or district as a technology leader

Case study examples In-depth interviews with 19 teachers 1 day classroom visit with 14 of the 19 VISM tools in action n Other VISM student projects n Other engaging science projects n Hope to get to 25 classrooms total at the end of this year (6 more in the midwest)

Exemplary uses of all four tools by experienced scientific visualization tool users Teacher One Image processing Innovate Physics Image project—photographing and dropping a ball and determining acceleration rate of gravity. Adapted from discussions with a VISM participant. -90 minutes period to do -90 minute period to analyze Geospatial Analysis Innovate Would “watering holes” in the desert reduce mortality rates for illegal aliens? Plotted paths on an image of the southwest -2 week activity Built an online e. Atlas database of economic indicators for 6 border crossings between AZ and Sonora -8 week project Molecular Visualization Adapt What is the polarity of a given inorganic solid structure? RASMOL model of a number of different inorganic solid structures which they observed the shape of and predicted the polarity -90 minute lab activity Systems modeling Adapt Teacher created STELLA model of immigration rates with or without “watering holes” -90 minute lab activity Comments Already at the innovate level with NIH Image and Arc. View prior to VISM

More typical implementations Teacher two Teacher three Teacher four Image processing Adopt Completed Travel USA activity with 9 th grade computer apps course as part of a population sampling activity 1 period activity Adopt Demonstrated one NIH Image activity to students. No student activities or projects 1 period activity Adapt Maintained her use of this tool. Demos several activities-- students may investigate “hands on” outside of class. Offered summer institutes for 20 teachers in NIH Image. Geospatial Analysis Innovate 11 th/12 th grade elective GIS course with 22 students in each of 2 semesters. • Students complete GIS projects-ESRI text • Multi-week mapping projects Adopt Demonstrated one GIS activity re the distribution of volcanoes. No student activities or projects 1 period activity Innovate Taught a GIS applications course to a broad range of professionals in the region Applying for an NSF grant to design a GIS program on campus Scholarship to GIS in Ed. conference Molecular Visualization Not yet Adopt Demonstrated 3 D capabilities of software No student activities or projects 1 period activity Not yet RASMOL Saturday workshop and materials given to a colleague in chemistry Systems modeling Not yet Considering using as part of a BLM prairie dog town research project Comments Pursuing further instruction in Arc. View Intends to do student projects in advanced courses next year. Greatest need: more GIS training

VISM tools not yet “landed” in teaching practice Teacher five Teacher six Teacher seven Teacher eight Image processing Not yet Conducted workshops with teachers--minimal results in classrooms Geospatial Analysis Not yet Conducted summer workshops using Mapping Our World Molecular Visualization Not yet Adopt Authored a webpage tutorial re polar and nonpolar molecules Used once with Not yet students with limited effectiveness Systems modeling Not yet • Not yet • Greatest interest for use with calculus class Not yet Comments • Adopted • New math/science • Workshop marked him as a • Restimulated interest in a new probeware/astronomy software based on VISM tech expertise center -- upcoming sabbatical to develop curriculum specific activities • Hardware access obstacles possible tech leader in his school. • Hardware access obstacles set of software visualization tools and motivated her to try more training in these areass • Crowded curriculum & NCLB

Key predictor--science inquiry projects (without technology)? Hurricane houses Richard’s cardboard boats Argues against the idea that visualization tools support science inquiry?

Discussion Current professional development literature argues for professional development efforts that are: n n n site-based curriculum-specific with significant on-site follow-up Project VISM was an effective professional development effort that was: n n n university-based with materials that had only general curriculum connections no significant on-site follow -up component.

Fundamentally constructivist nature of teacher learning Professional Development Staff training Intrinsic motivation Extrinsic motivation Constructing their own program Program determined by organizational mission and goals Personally constructed Mandated by the organization

An interesting case… Teaching at a K-3 school on the Navajo Reservation

Not using any of the VISM tools “I believe these [VISM tools] are valuable tools for learning. However, my school has prioritized the curriculum to cover reading and arithmetic. Therefore I target those two areas when students come to the computer lab. ”

What effect did VISM have on your professional development? Raised comfort level with computers Greater awareness of the possibilities-go beyond. . Creativity--“I always remember that phrase —the aha moments—and I try to create that among my students” “Using the computer as a learning tool. ”

Summarizing student experiences using multimedia and publishing to the web Presentation for Vivian Banks Charter School in California, where students shared with their pen pals Presentation (to be published to the web) in which students write about that experience Kayla’s photo and article Why publish to the web?

Curriculum collision?

AIMS and VISM AIMS--a computer assisted instructional program keyed to the Arizona testing program What value does Norm see in the AIMS program?

How these come together…technology as a tool for humanizing an increasingly technical learning environment…is less a collision and more of a negotiation that he balances his own sense of what is best for his students and what he can accomplish within a constrained system.

Rigor of the study Member checks Triangulation of findings auditable data (questionnaires, interview transcripts, interview sound files)

Study limitations No random sample group design in this type of study Reliance on teacher self report data Observations are brief (one day) Possible investigator bias (as a person who has implemented these tools and an advocate for their use) How clear is the tie to the overall goal? --draw today’s increasingly visual learners into in-depth study of science/math topics n Lacking a measure of “in-depth study” and better at simply rating tool implementation

Roger’s diffusion of innovation theory. A predictable chronology of adoption Innovators (2 -3% of social system) Early adopters (13 -14%) Early majority (33 -44 %) Late majority (33 -44%) Concerned…(15 -16%) n n Distinguished by differences in their tolerance for and the time they will dedicate to addressing the uncertainties that come with the innovation Require different kinds of support

Support recommendation… Innovators Stay out of their way! Early adopters Publicize their success Early majority Focus support here and make it collaborative Develop reliable applications of the innovation Don’t force the innovation Late majority Concerned Concern: is the VISM approach only workable for early adopters?

Formal & informal learning A look at teacher professional development that better accounts for the interaction between formal & informal learning? http: //life-slc. org/

Hope & vision… Vision--a larger view of teacher professional development? Hope--that inquiry-based learning not be lost in the current push toward “measurable learning gains” as the only valid way to assess student learning

For more info Mike Charles at Pacific University n charlesm@pacificu. edu Bob Kolvoord, Project Director, at JMU n kolvoora@jmu. edu Project VISM home page http: //www. isat. jmu. edu/common/projects/VISM/