An Introduction to the Cycles of Modeling Mark Schober John Burroughs School, St. Louis, Mo. Hilary...

An Introduction to the Cycles of Modeling

Mark Schober John Burroughs School, St. Louis, Mo.

Hilary Haugen California High School, San Ramon

Matt GreenwolfeCary Academy, Cary, N.C.

Despite the findings of science education research, science education remains highly transmissionist.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Meet Malcolm Wells: master practitioner of constructivist methods by the late ‘80’s.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

In the mid 80’s Malcolm Wells learned about the precursor to the Force Concept Inventory and used it to gauge the effectiveness of his instruction.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Wells’ students did not do well on the precursor to the FCI, inspiring him to engage in graduate studies to determine what was missing from constructivist instruction.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Malcolm Wells worked with Dr. David Hestenes which began the modeling instruction program.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

A scientific model is a conception of how the world works, consistent with observation.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

A small set of basic models forms the content core for the sciences.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Models are conveyed though pictorial, graphical, mathematical, and verbal representations.

What is Science? . . . What is Reality?

How is Science related to Reality?

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Example representations from the constant velocity particle model.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Models are connected to one another with a storyline.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

What is Light?

A modeling approach to chemistry begins with a simple particle model that increases in complexity as needed to account for observations.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Energy bar graph representations convey the story of chemical reactions.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Endothermic reaction

Model development and model deployment is the procedural core for acquiring scientific knowledge.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Model development begins with a paradigm lab that provides direct experience with the phenomena to be modeled.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Analysis involves preparing multiple representations of the observed patterns for presentation to the class.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Student presentations provide a rich environment for extracting meaning from activities.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Model deployment fleshes out the model’s details through deployment labs, worksheets, and lab practica.

Modeling instruction is a curriculum design able to incorporate the best teaching resources available.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Modeling makes students’ classroom experience closer to the scientific practice of research scientists

Ideal Gas Law

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Modeling makes the coherence of scientific knowledge more evident to students by explicitly referring to models.

Photoelectric Effect

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Modeling works because we come to understand the structure and behavior of real objects only by constructing models.

20

40

60

80

26

4252

29

69

Traditional NoviceModelers

FCI meanscore (%)

Post-test

Pre-test

FCI mean scores under different instruction types

InstructiontypeExpert

Modelers

26

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Modeling Instruction is the only high school science program to receive an EXEMPLARY citation from the United States Department of Education.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Since 1990, over three thousand teachers have been trained during multi-week summer modeling workshops.

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources

Learn more about the Modeling Instruction Program:

• Arizona State University Modeling website

• http://modeling.asu.edu/• American Modeling Teachers Association

• http://www.modelingteachers.org

• mschober@jburroughs.org http://www.modelingphysics.org• hilaryhaugen@hotmail.com• matt_greenwolfe@caryacademy.org

Origins -- Models -- Modeling Cycle -- Modeling Instruction -- Resources