Translational Science of Cognitive Science in

Middle School Science

CurriculaChristian SchunnChristian Schunn

LRDC@PittLRDC@PittJoe MerlinoJoe Merlino21 PSTEM21 PSTEM

Jennifer Jennifer CromleyCromley

SoE@TempleSoE@Temple

Christine Christine MasseyMassey

IRCS@PennIRCS@PennNora NewcombeNora Newcombe

Psy@TemplePsy@Temple

Tim NokesTim NokesLRDC@PittLRDC@Pitt

STEMEducationCoalition

The Research to Practice Bathtub

ResearchApplication to practice

XSTEM

EducationCoalition

Cognitive Science on TrialSystematicallySystematically applying cognitive science applying cognitive science

principles to principles to improve existingimprove existing middle school middle school science curriculascience curricula

XSTEM

EducationCoalition

Cognitive Science on TrialSystematicallySystematically applying cognitive science applying cognitive science

principles to principles to improve existingimprove existing middle school middle school science curriculascience curricula

XSTEM

EducationCoalition

Cognitive Science on TrialSystematicallySystematically applying cognitive science applying cognitive science

principles to principles to improve existingimprove existing middle school middle school science curriculascience curricula

STEMEducationCoalition

Modify 3 units / Curriculum(~1/2 of 2 yrs of instruction)

CurriculumBiologicalSciences

EarthSciences

PhysicalSciences

Holt =Textbook

Cells, Heredity, & Classification(self-evident)

Inside the Restless Earth

(geology)

Introduction to Matter

(basic chemistry & physics)

FOSS=Hands-on

Diversity of Life(same as above)

Earth History(geology)

Weather & Water

(causes of weather + climate)

–

STEMEducationCoalition

1. Contrasting cases setup instruction

STEMEducationCoalition

1. Contrasting cases setup instruction

STEMEducationCoalition

T. rex

• found in marine environments• moves by swimming• eats plankton

• found in African rainforests• also walks on all fours• eats fruits, leaves, and small animalsBonoboBarnacle

• lived 65 to 68 million yrs ago• ate other animals

• found on land• move by walking upright

• made up of many different kinds of cells• each cell has nucleus• move• ingest food found in environment• reproduce sexually

STEMEducationCoalition

Followed by: reading/ lecture

(in FOSS, followed by: experiment)

STEMEducationCoalition

2. Visualization conventions and challengesE.g., Help with zoom E.g., Help with zoom

outsouts

The circle located above and to the right of the microscope illustrates what it would look like if one was looking into the microscope.This image also uses a “zoom-out” convention in that part of the image is at a much higher level of magnification than the rest.

STEMEducationCoalition

3. Instruction must build upon and address student prior knowledge

E.g., Children confuse genotype & E.g., Children confuse genotype & phenotypephenotype

How come two black labs could have a puppy with a yellow phenotype but two yellow labs could not have a puppy with a black phenotype?

Can a puppy with a black phenotype have a yellow allele as part of its genotype?Why or why not?

STEMEducationCoalition

4. Spaced testing improves retention

Daily warmup activities retrieve prior Daily warmup activities retrieve prior days/weeks of contentdays/weeks of content

Weekly quizzes include questions from Weekly quizzes include questions from prior weeks of instructionprior weeks of instruction

STEMEducationCoalition

4. Spaced testing improves retention

Daily warmup activities retrieve prior Daily warmup activities retrieve prior days/weeks of contentdays/weeks of content

Weekly quizzes include questions from Weekly quizzes include questions from prior units of instructionprior units of instruction

STEMEducationCoalition

Effectiveness ExperimentCondition Curriculum Professional

Development

Cognitive Science

Modified curriculum

PD on modifications / cogsci principles (some content)

Content PD Existing curriculum

Matched # hours of PD focused on underlying science content

Control Existing curriculum

None

STEMEducationCoalition

Development processAnalyze unitAnalyze unit

Revise unitRevise unit

Pilot testPilot test

Revise unitRevise unit

Cohort 1Cohort 1

(Revise unit)(Revise unit)

Cohort 2Cohort 2

Yr 1Yr 1Yr 1Yr 1

Yr 2Yr 2Yr 2Yr 2

Yr 3Yr 3Yr 3Yr 3

Yr 4Yr 4Yr 4Yr 4

Analyze unitAnalyze unitRevise unitRevise unitPilot testPilot testRevise unitRevise unit

Cohort 1Cohort 1

(Revise unit)(Revise unit)Cohort 2Cohort 2

Units 1+2 Units 3,4,5, 6

STEMEducationCoalition

Many Issues in Translation

1.1.Principles for problems Principles for problems (e.g., misconceptions (e.g., misconceptions

research)research) vs. principles for solutions vs. principles for solutions

2.2.Incomplete principles Incomplete principles (many decisions remain)(many decisions remain)

3.3.No free time: What gets deleted?No free time: What gets deleted?