Ewa Kedzierska CMA, The Netherlands

Can technology help in teaching and learning science at primary school?

Modern Educational Methodology Inquiry-Based Approach to Science Education (IBSE)–Students - the centre of the learning process:

• Work as scientists, design and conduct own investigations• Work in cooperative groups • Communicate their findings

–Teacher (crucial!) acts as facilitator–Students skills:

• Asking and answering questions, • Doing simple investigations, • Predicting outcomes, • Testing hypothesis,• Reading and interpreting graphs, • Analysing data, • Communicating investigations

and explanation.

Technology

Data-logging The process of collecting data from sensors and monitor results on computer.

Data logging – educational benefits

– ‘Real-time’ display – the “measured data” immediately appear on the screen. It gives possibilities to make direct links between the phenomenon and the graph.

– Immediate feedback encourages critical thinking skills; students have time to spend on observing and interpreting, discussing and analysing data.

– Students can quickly repeat the experiments, change experimental conditions and explore the results of the changes. This facilitates an interactive approach to the experiment. “Let’s see what happens if … “.

Educational research – TEEMSS II

– Technology Enhanced Elementary and Middle School Science II project at the Concord Consortium.

– TEEMSS created, disseminated, and conducted research on fifteen technology-based science units for students in grades 3 to 8 (described at http://teemss.concord.org/curriculum/).

– TEEMSS also developed teacher supports, evaluated the effectiveness of the units, and disseminated them widely (nearly 70 teachers located in 18 school districts in three states, worked with the project 2004 – 2007).

Educational research – TEEMSS II

TEEMSS units making use of probeware and computers result in significant student achievement gains, and the teachers and students reported that they liked using the units and the technology.

Educational research - POLLEN

– Enhancing inquiry science and technology education in primary schools

– AMSTEL’s new sensor/interface set EuroSense and the software Coach Lite especially designed for primary education became available in January 2007

– In November and December 2007 activities for EuroSense and the digital microscope were tested at two inner-city schools in six classes with 8 teachers and 142 children (grade 4-6) involved, i.e. about 50 hours of teaching in groups of 20 children.

Implementation: sometimes classical

Often: Learning Corner

Learning Corner • Children conduct measurements working with a

computer in a corner of the classroom.

• One pair of children is taught how to conduct measurements and produce graphs.

• Then each child would be paired with another child and usually within 20 minutes the new children learn from their peers and would be able to conduct measurements and produce graphs by themselves.

• They would then teach others, and so forth. The children rotate through the learning corner until eventually the whole class had carried out the activities.

First experiences

• €Sense activities tried out in 4 schools with 280 kinderen (grade 6 – 8)

• Not difficult for kids • After interviews: surprising understanding

and interpretation of graphs,

Research (van de Berg)

• Children : 27 grade 7, 13 grade 8

• Activities: – Motion detector (20 min)– Temperature sensor (20 min)

• Data: – Video/audio recording of learning process– Pre-post test graphs (N=40)– Individual interviews (N=20)

Research questions

Can children of 10 – 12 years old

1. Read and interpret graphs (tell stories with graphs)

2. Use sensors and graohs and new situations?

Test question

Afstand - Tijd diagram

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Tijd (seconde)

Afs

tan

d (

mete

r)

Gr 5

11 y.

Gr 6

12 y.

Dir. 41% 81%

No move

75 100

Time 55 90

Speed 41 77

Describe the movement: direction, time, speed

Interview after 5 weeks

All interviews (N=20):Direction and no movement :89% correctSpeed: 67% correct

Example: Rita, grade 6 with math skills at grade 5 level

Describe the movement of the interviewer

Example: Clap in your hands

During a party there is a fast hand clapping competition. The winner is the person who can clap fastest (not loudest). The question: how can you use the sound sensor and the graphs to determine who of the contestants can clap fastest?

1.What are you going to measure and how?

2.What will you have to do with the graph of each participant in order to decide who can clap fastest?

Results• 60% of grade 5 and 6

children had acceptable solutions

• Grade 5: mainly distance between peaks (small distance…fast clapping)

• Grade 6 frequency…peaks per time interval

Romeo and Lotte

Investigation: salt and freezing of water

Educational research

– Positive experience of pilot projects– Students:

• very quickly learn to use the sensors and simple software

• can handle data-logging equipment and work productively

• are able to read graphs

• better understand the link between graphs and events events (such as light and dark, loud and soft sounds)

• are able interpret graphs (they are able to duplicate a graph with a sensor).

– Difficulties for some students:• controlling variables (fair test)

• reading time intervals.

Challenges

– Elementary teachers has limited Science and Technology background knowledge

– They have a high threshold for working with S&T and even more for S&T with computers

– They do not expect that children can do this – Lack of equipment – Class organization, needs for assistance– Lack of time

Primary Science Set

CMA product developed based on our experience with the use of ICT.

– A series of technology-enhanced inquiry based science activities.

– Integrates traditional science hands-on activities and activities with sensors.

– should help teachers, with little experience in science education, to introduce IBSE and use of sensors into their science lessons.

Consist of:1. €Sense interface package

2. Primary Science Kit (optional)

3. Coach 6 Lite Software

4. Student Activities (with worksheets on paper)

5. Teacher Guides

6. Video tutorial

Primary Science Set

1. €Sense data-logger

• Three built-in sensors:

a. Sound sensor

b. Light sensor

c. Temperature sensor• External Temperature

sensor (d.sensor, e.input)• Two built in actuators:

f. LED

g. Buzzer

c

 

d

e

fg

b

a

Very easy to use USB measuring interface with:

2. Primary Science KitStudents’ kit which includes additional materials for performing experiments.

3. Coach Lite Software• Coach Lite includes software activities for €Sense

and allows to:- Monitor data collected via €Sense sensors- Display data in graphs, tables, analog and digital meters- Set the measurement time- Make prediction graphs - Analyse the data - Write student notes- Save and print the student results

• Free, latest version can be downloaded via CMA website or installed via included CD.

4. Student Activities

Student investigate phenomena around light, sound, heat and temperature.

Activities: –have inquiry-based character –are structured according to the Learning Cycle model–are supported by student worksheets which can be adopted by teachers

Worksheets

Worksheets, for use by students. These worksheets give space for students’ observations, predictions, data, conclusions, etc.

They can be printed for use in the classroom (and modified if needed).

5. Teacher GuidesGet Started (book and video tutorials)– How to work with €Sense and Coach 6 Lite software

Teacher Guide (book)– science background information – advice on teaching

approaches – potential learning benefits – possible student difficulties – outlines of the activities – exemplary data– Possible student asnwers

Conclusions

Better use of technology is needed not just to give students exposure to the

technology or to satisfy parents, but because technology can be used

to greatly improve learning not only Science and Technology but,

also Mathematics and Language.

Can technology help in teaching and learning Primary Science?

Yes, it can!

www.cma-science.nl

Dedicated website: www.cma-science.nl/primaryscience

Centre for Microcomputer Applications

Thank you!