In-Class: Constructivism and constructivist methods

This is a face-to-face class


Direct Instruction

Go over the big ideas of Constructivism.

Scaffolding

Chunking information, concepts, and skills into levels or more manageable blocks can help students focus on one thing at a time. This will facilitate competency and help you identify challenges students are facing.

Zone of Proximal Development

The Goldilocks spot of learning. Ideally, students should be working on a task that is not-too-easy and not-too-hard. This task is challenging, but doable. Students may receive support from peers and scaffolding from a teacher.

Social Learning

Students learn by constructing their own meaning. If we do not give them an opportunity to discuss their thoughts, we are allowing them to create their own theories based on prior knowledge and past experiences.

Give instructions for the station rotation.

 

Station Rotation Overview

The purpose of the station rotation is to allow you to examine different evidence-based constructivist strategies to identify and eliminate misconceptions (Uce & Ceyhan, 2019).  The focus of the activities is for you to experience the learning like a student, construct your own understanding,  and determine how you would apply similar techniques in your classroom.

In the station rotation, you can freely move to each station. You will engage in the activities as if you were students and then complete a task and reflective discussion. You are encouraged to return to the stations throughout the class to follow up on the on-going discussions.

The instructor will float through each of the stations to observe your progress. The instructor will provide:

  • Feedback
  • Prompts
  • Guiding questions
  • Encouragement

Each station will have a collaborative activity, task, and reflective discussion.

There will be four stations:

  1. Concept cartoons and narratives
  2. Analogies
  3. Animations and models
  4. Predict Explain Observe Explain

Concept cartoons and narratives

At this station, you will examine concept cartoons and narratives as tools to elicit misconceptions and promote discussions.

Activity

Concept Cartoons

A concept cartoon is a graphical representation that presents a scientific question and possible responses. There aren't necessarily correct or incorrect answers for some concept cartoons.

You will be allowed to look at a variety of concept cartoons and participate in the one(s) that are most interesting to them. You will be asked to annotate each of the options suggested in the concept cartoons, add more possible answers if needed, debate each of the possible options, determine which options are the most sound, and discuss why some students might come up with each of the options.

Required Material and Resources

Technology
Ideally, this activity would be held in an Active Learning Classroom. The concept cartoons would be projected onto the walls and students would be able to annotate them.

Narratives

You will examine elements from graphic novels, science magazines, and social media to reflect upon science literacy, everyday life, and science communication. The goal of this activity is for learners to see how science can be used to engage with students on different levels.

You will be given the opportunity to view different narratives.

Required Material and Resources

  • Graphic novels
  • Copy of journal article: Kumasaki, M.; Shoji, T.; Wu, T.; Soontarapa, K.; Arai, M.; Mizutani, T.; Okada, K.; Shimizu, Y.; Sugano, Y. (2018). Presenting safety topics using a graphic novel, manga, to effectively teach chemical safety to students in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. Journal of Chemical Education, 95(4), 584-592. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00451

Guiding Questions: How do these media engage students in science? How would you leverage these media in your classroom to engage and assess students?

Technology
Students will need a device (e.g., phone, tablet, or computer) to engage in some of the tasks. They will be encouraged to examine how social media engages in science communication.

Task

After engaging in each of the activities, you will choose one of the following tasks to complete:

  • Create a concept cartoon with teacher instructions
  • Create a sequential or exploded diagram to show a scientific process and provide a summary of when you might teach design and composition skills to students
  • Create a tweet or instagram post to communicate a scientific concept, phenomenon, or process

Reflective Discussion

Posted on the walls (or using the walls in an Active Learning Classroom), each of the discussion questions will be posted so that you can answer by creating an annotated mind map. If an Active Learning Classroom is not available, sticky notes and paper will be used to complete this task.

Based on this station,

  • How and when would you use concept cartoons and/or narratives in your classroom?
  • What challenges do you anticipate with these methods?
  • What additional resources would you need to support your implementation?

Additional Readings:

Science Communication Online: Engaging Experts and Publics on the Internet Links to an external site.

BICS vs. CALP Links to an external site.

BICS and CALPS - Cummins Links to an external site.

 

Back to Station Overview

Analogies

Activity

Examine the analogies for different chemistry concepts, processes, and phenomena. With your peers, discuss the limitations of these analogies. Suggest how you could improve the analogies and share your analogies.

Task

A classic analogy that is often used is relating stability to happiness (e.g., the molecule is happy this way). What is problematic and/or missing from this conversation?

Using the stable/happy analogy, contribute to the station mind map:

  • What do students mean when they say "stable"? How could you confirm this?
  • Stable is often the reason given to explain how the main group elements lose or gain electrons to form octets and/or full shells. What are some misconceptions that arise from this?
  • Many students think that sodium chloride readily forms, Na+ is more stable and favourable than Na, and that main group elements will try to form ions whenever they can. What's missing from this conversation? Design an activity/discussion that will help students recognize that these ideas are incorrect and what is happening in reality.

Reflective Discussion

Posted on the walls (or using the walls in an Active Learning Classroom), each of the discussion questions will be posted so that learners can answer by creating an annotated mind map. If an Active Learning Classroom is not available, sticky notes and paper will be used to complete this task.

Based on this station,

  • How and when would you use analogies in your classroom?
  • What challenges do you anticipate with these methods?
  • What additional resources would you need to support your implementation?

Additional Readings:

BICS vs. CALP Links to an external site.

BICS and CALPS - Cummins Links to an external site.

 

Back to Station Overview

Animations and models

Activity

You will examine different computer animations and models. You are encouraged to explore:

Compare similar animations that are present. What are some challenges and misconceptions with animations/models?

Compare molecular models and discuss their limitations:

Task

Based on the animations and models, how would you introduce ionic compounds and bonding? Compare the different representations of sodium chloride and how this might impact student understanding. Share your thoughts on the station mind map.

Reflective Discussion

Posted on the walls (or using the walls in an Active Learning Classroom), each of the discussion questions will be posted so that learners can answer by creating an annotated mind map. If an Active Learning Classroom is not available, sticky notes and paper will be used to complete this task.

Based on this station,

  • How and when would you use analogies in your classroom?
  • What challenges do you anticipate with these methods?
  • What additional resources would you need to support your implementation?

Additional Reading:

Mayer, R.E. (2017) Using multimedia for e-learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(5), 403-423.

 

Back to Station Overview

Predict Explain Observe Explain

Activity

You have a choice to engage in at least one of the following Predict Explain Observe Explain (PEOE) activities.

Inverted Balloon
Predict and explain how this (a balloon is "filled" inside an Erlenmeyer flask) happened. Use the given equipment at this station to recreate the model. Explain the science behind the phenomenon. Support your answer using particle diagrams.

Egg in a Bottle
Predict and explain how the peeled boiled egg got put in the bottle. Use the given equipment at this station to free the egg. You cannot break the egg or the bottle. Explain the science behind your method. Support your answer using particle diagrams.

Cold water
Predict and explain what you think will happen to cold water if it stands until it reaches room temperature. After this, learners will be shown a picture of what happens (there will be bubbles inside the water) and will need to explain what happened. Support your answer using particle diagrams.

Required materials and resources

  • Safety googles and glasses
  • Lab aprons and coats
  • Balloons
  • Erlenmeyer flasks
  • Hot plates
  • Sink
  • 600 mL beaker
  • Water

Task

Compare the results of your PEOE with a peer. What opportunities and challenges do you think students may have with this activity? What are some topics and skills that would need to be taught before these activities?

Reflective Discussion

Posted on the walls (or using the walls in an Active Learning Classroom), each of the discussion questions will be posted so that learners can answer by creating an annotated mind map. If an Active Learning Classroom is not available, sticky notes and paper will be used to complete this task.

Based on this station,

  • How and when would you use PEOE in your classroom?
  • What challenges do you anticipate with these methods?
  • What additional resources would you need to support your implementation?

 

Back to Station Overview

 

Reference

Uce, M. & Ceyhan, I. (2019). Misconceptions in chemistry education and practices to eliminate them: Literature analysis. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 7(3), 202-208. doi:10.11114/jets.v7i3.3990