Desirable Difficulties in Science Learning Taking What We
Desirable Difficulties in Science Learning: Taking What We Learn in the College Classroom into the Middle School Classroom CASL PI Meeting Washington DC May 17 -18, 2005 Marcia C. Linn and Britte H. Cheng, University of California, Berkeley Lindsey E. Richland, Robert A. Bjork, and Jason Finley University of California, Los Angeles
IDDEAS Introducing Desirable Difficulties for Educational Applications in Science (IDDEAS) http: //iddeas. psych. ucla. edu n Extend results from laboratory studies to complex science materials n Test promising findings from laboratory studies in science classrooms using a Technology-Enhanced Learning Environment
WISE Environment Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) http: //wise. berkeley. edu Delivers instruction in multiple formats n Frees teacher to tutor individuals n Gathers embedded assessments of student progress n
Desirable Difficulties n Conditions that introduce difficulties for the learner can enhance long-term retention and transfer n Conditions that appear optimal during instruction can fail to support long-term retention n Desirable difficulties (Bjork, 1994, 1999) include: – Today: generating rather than reading responses
Role of Generation When students respond by answering questions, explaining material, making predictions or reflecting they engage in generation n Much of learning consists of listening to lectures, reading texts, or watching demonstrations n Many theories call for active, hands-on, or interactive learning consistent with generation n Generation research can clarify the nature of active learning and extend understanding of desirable difficulties n
Web-based Inquiry Learning Environment An Awful Waste of Space – Enables learners to explore the variables that determine whether or not a planet in another solar system might be habitable n Generation features – – Notes Journal Prediction Argument construction Middle School WISE Project
Generic and directed prompts Generic prompts require more generation than directed prompts; result in more integrated ideas. (Davis, E. A. (1998). Scaffolding students' reflection for science learning. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of California at Berkeley, CA. ) Integrated ideas 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Directed Prompt Condition Generic Prompt Condition
Laboratories and classrooms n Classroom learning – Students work in pairs – Students interact with the teacher – Students motivated by personally relevant tasks The booming, buzzing classroom offers many distractions n Watch the video n
Undergraduate & Classroom Studies n Extend chain of evidence for generation from studies of phrases to concepts n Compare read to generate with science concepts n Compare single concept generation to concept integration about habitability n Laboratory studies: 1 hour of instruction on concepts, 48 hour retention interval n Classroom studies: 5 class periods, one week delayed posttest
Undergraduate Laboratory Studies: Experimental Conditions n Experiment 1: Sentence Completion – – n Read: Jovian-type planets are mostly made up of gases. Generate: ____-type planets are mostly made up of gases. Experiment 2: Sentence level generation, more educationally important – Single: [Mass] Describe in a sentence how the size of one planet's mass can affect another planet. – Concept Integration: [Mass + Distance]
Undergraduate Laboratory Study: Read vs. Generate
Undergraduate Laboratory Study: Single vs. Integrated
Undergraduate Laboratory Study Illustrative Responses Single idea Generation Single concept generation Concept integration generation Prompt: The range of distances from the sun where the temperature allows water to be liquid are called the _____. Student: “habitable zone” Prompt: Scientists often use a single measurement to talk about a planet's distance from its sun, but why is this practice misleading? Use a distance listed in the table you saw to explain. Student: “The distance for Mars would be misleading because Mars travels in an elliptical orbit and is different distances from the sun at different times. ” Prompt: Using Jupiter's distance from the sun as an example, explain how the measure of an object's weight can shift when it is in different locations, even if that object is a planet. Student: “An object's weight can shift when its in different locations because it's weight depends upon the strongest pull of gravity. People weigh more on Jupiter than they do on Earth because Jupiter's gravitational pull is stronger. If the object is a planet, then changing the distance it is from the sun will change it's weight because it will either feel a strong gravitational pull (if close to the sun) or a weak gravitational pull (if further away from the sun). ”
Undergraduate Laboratory Studies Implications n Chain of evidence–can generalize paradigm from typical recall studies to investigations using typical science concepts n Counterintuitive “desirable difficulty” can be used successfully to enhance instruction n Opportunities–how does generation work in typical middle school classroom settings?
Middle School Classroom Study Read vs. Generate Posttest Performance n Generation led to greater recall of material (F (1, 115) = 18. 769 , p =. 000)
Middle School Classroom Study Single vs. Integrated Posttest Performance n Integrated generation led to more sophisticated understanding (F (1, 172) = 3. 946 , p = <. 05)
Middle School Classroom Study Illustrative Responses Single idea Generation Single concept generation Concept integration generation Prompt: The range of distances from the sun where the temperature allows water to be liquid are called the _____. Student: “habitable zone” Prompt: Are planets always the same distance from their sun? Student: “Because planets' orbits are elliptical, scientists calculate the average number of AUs to describe how far a planet it from its sun. ” Prompt: On Jupiter, would your weight, your mass, or both your weight and your mass be more than it is on Earth? Why? Student: “If I were ever on Jupiter, my weight would change because Jupiter is such a large planet. Since it is a large planet it has a gigantic mass, it has a strong gravity pull. Weight is determined by amount of gravity pull on you, so you would weigh more on Jupiter because there has a greater gravity pull. Although, if I were on Jupiter, my mass would stay the same because mass is the amount of matter in an object and that doesn't change if you go to another planet. ”
Laboratory and Classroom Findings n Generation learning instructions generally improve – During learning, generation results in more errors – On posttest, generation yields better understanding n Generation across topics intensifies effects – Single concept generation easier during learning but less effective that integrated concept generation on posttest
Current Middle School Study–What forms of generation improve learning? Four groups, either within or across classrooms Scope of Ideas/Number of possible connections Complexity of Context/Problem Difficulty Simple Complex Narrow Broad Narrow Simple Narrow Complex Broad Simple Broad Complex
Prompts Illustrating Simple, Complex, Narrow, & Broad Generation SIMPLE (Identify Planets in Habitable Zone) COMPLEX (Distinguish Planets in Habitable Zone from Other Planets) NARROW (Focus on the Habitable Zone) In the animation below of the inner four planets of our solar system, at which points is Mars in the Habitable Zone? Explain your answer. In the animation below of the inner four planets of our solar system, which planets are in the habitable zone? Explain why you think the planets you chose are habitable and others are not. BROAD (Connect to factors beyond the habitable zone: atmosphere, water, temp, etc) Based on what you see here, What is the main reason Mars is not habitable while Earth is? Based on what you know of the inner four planets of our solar system (represented below), what kinds of planets should scientists search for if they are looking for life in the universe?
Scoring Rubric: Emphasis on making connections Invalid, Non Normative Valid, Non Normative Connections § 0: Response is irrelevant § 1: Response is incorrect § 2: Response is correct but connections not directly relevant (nontarget connections; not a broad response) § 3: Response links correct and incorrect ideas Normative Connections § 4: Simplified or partial answer with no explanation/example § 5: Correct with one step reasoning, partial answer with explanation, or full answer with no explanation § 6: Ideal; includes using correct terminology, multi-step reasoning; full answer with explanation/s Multiple Connections § § § 7: Ideal response with elaborated explanation 8: Ideal response with additional connections 9: Ideal response with elaborations and additional connections
Ideal Responses for Each Condition SIMPLE (Identify Planets in Habitable Zone) NARROW In the animation of the inner four planets of our solar system, at which points is Mars in the Habitable Zone? Explain your answer. (Focus on the Habitable Mars is habitable when it is in the Zone) COMPLEX (Generalization to other planets) In the animation below of the inner four planets of our solar system, which planets are in the habitable zone? Explain why these planets are habitable and others are not. The planet that is 1/2 of an AU and the northern most point of its orbit, next one that is about 1 AU. We chose because the distance from Mars to these because they are the best distance sun gets larger as it orbits away from the sun. The other planets are the northern most point making it too either too close or to far from the sun to cold for life to survive. be in the habitable zone. BROAD (Connect to factors beyond the Habitable zone: atmosphere, water, temp, etc) Based on the animation of the inner four planets, what is the main reason Mars is not habitable while Earth is? Based on what you know of the inner four planets, what kinds of planets should scientists search for to find life in the universe? Mars is too far away from the Sun during certain points of its orbit so it is only habitable at certain points in time. {Earth, however is in the habitable zone all year long. } They should look for a planet within the habitable zone and with a climate that won't either turn all the water into gas because of so much heat or turn it all into ice because it's so cold.
Middle School Classroom Study Embedded Notes Performance on Note about Mass Preliminary analyses, more responses still need scoring n During learning, simple generation is easier n Will simple generation be sufficient for learning? n
Middle School Classroom Study Embedded Notes Performance on Note about Mutual Gravitation Preliminary analyses, more responses still need scoring n During learning, simple generation is easier n Will simple generation be sufficient for learning? n
Middle School Classroom Study Embedded Notes Performance on Note about Atmosphere Preliminary analyses, more responses still need scoring n During learning, simple generation is easier n Will simple generation be sufficient for learning? n
Generation and science learning n Active, interactive, hands-on, & autonomous learning all emphasize generation n Related studies consistent with generation – Chi, Slotta–Generation and self-explanation – Kintsch, Mc. Namara, Songer–Organized vs. complex text – Davis–Autonomous learning: Generic and Directed prompts
Conclusions n Research on generation in undergraduate laboratory studies generalizes to complex science concepts-chain of evidence n Laboratory findings can generalize to buzzing, booming classroom context – Classroom research can respect teacher goals, contribute to student learning n Research on generation helps clarify calls for active, hands-on learning opportunities
Make Thinking Visible – Chemical Reactions Jennie Chiu http: //wise. berkeley. edu http: //TELSCenter. org
Implications n For designers, design principles – Encourage generation across topics to promote lifelong learning – Select focus on generation based on goals n For learners – Test your ideas in multiple contexts n For classroom teachers – Reward generation, use cumulative tests n For researchers – Conduct research in complex settings
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