Secondary Students' Dynamic Modeling Processes: Analyzing,Reasoning About,Synthesizing, and Testing Models of Stream Ecosystems

In this paper, we explore dynamic modeling as an opportunity for students to think about the science content they are learning. We examined the Cognitive Strategies for Modeling (CSMs) in which students engaged as they created dynamic models. We audio- and videotape-recorded eight pairs of ninth grade science students and analyzed their conversations and actions. In analyzing appropriate objects and factors for their model, some students merely enumerated potential factors whereas others engaged in rich, substantial, mindful analysis. In reasoning about their models, students discussed relationships in depth, concentrated only on the most important key relationships, or encountered difficulty distinguishing between causal and correlational relationships. In synthesizing working models, students mapped their model to aid visualization, focused on their goal, or talked about their model's appearance or form. Students attempted to articulate explanations for their relationships, but sometimes their explanations were shallow. In testing their models, some students tested thoroughly but only a few persisted in debugging their model's behavior so that it matched their expectations. In our conclusion we suggest that creating dynamic models has great potential for use in classrooms to engage students in thought about science content, particularly in those thinking strategies best fostered by dynamic modeling: analysis, relational reasoning, synthesis, testing and debugging, and making explanations.     

计算机模型建构与学习者为中心的科学学习的研究进展及启示

国外计算机模型建构支持下的学习者为中心的科学学习研究启示中国的科学教育工作者引进与开发模型建构工具;尝试科学课程与模型建构的整合;关注引入模型方法教学的教师培训与支持;引入多种手段来评价学生的学习成果。