Abstract
Scientists rely on graphs to make predictions, interpret data, and articulate arguments about the phenomena they investigate. Yet, students' initial formal experiences with graphs are limited, and often restricted to their mathematics classes. We describe how we integrated graphs into a middle school science inquiry unit on cell biology. We report on findings from a classroom implementation with 30 middle school students. We describe students' learning gains and characterize the kinds of graphs they generate in terms of the graphical and scientific understanding demonstrated. This study contributes an example of how curriculum can be designed to simultaneously support students' science and graph understanding. It also demonstrates how graphs can be used as expressive tools that both limit and enable students' explanations of complex scientific processes.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | 12th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2016 |
| Subtitle of host publication | Transforming Learning, Empowering Learners, Proceedings |
| Editors | Chee-Kit Looi, Joseph L. Polman, Peter Reimann, Ulrike Cress |
| Publisher | International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) |
| Pages | 721-728 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Volume | 2 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780990355083 |
| State | Published - 2016 |
| Event | 12th International Conference of the Learning Sciences: Transforming Learning, Empowering Learners, ICLS 2016 - Singapore, Singapore Duration: Jun 20 2016 → Jun 24 2016 |
Other
| Other | 12th International Conference of the Learning Sciences: Transforming Learning, Empowering Learners, ICLS 2016 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Singapore |
| City | Singapore |
| Period | 6/20/16 → 6/24/16 |
Keywords
- Cell biology
- Design
- Graphs
- Middle school
- Student learning
- Technology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Computer Science (miscellaneous)
- Education