Emerging – ETEC 533 E-folio

Weeks Twelve and Thirteen: Information Visualization, Course Analysis and Course Sign-Off

Information Visualization

Information visualization helps students understand processes and the meaning of data through animations, simulations and modeling. There are many existing and easily accessible science and math based visualization tools available including: Model-It, NetLogo, Geometer’s Sketchpad, WiseWeb, Illuminations applets and PHET.

Running a simulation is akin to messing about as described by researchers in education such as Finkelstein et al (2005). These authors describe messing about as “This idea of scientific play is the methodical investigation of the constraints and opportunities of a system” p5. They also state that messing about can help students organize their knowledge and align it with scientific models through this play.

Teachers and instructors could use one of the instructional frameworks discussed in this course (Anchored Instruction (AI), Scaffolded Knowledge Integration (SKI), Learning for Use (LFU) or Technology – Generation, Evaluation, Modification (T-GEM)) in combination with an information visualization tool to develop powerful lesson plans to help students conquer a challenging concept or deal with misconceptions. Even a basic tool such as Lemonade Stand teaches students that a simple business has many inputs to consider and apply to be successful.

Course Analysis

The pace of the course was fast; the instructor put the “pedal to the metal” on January 2, 2013 and did not let up throughout the course. Now it is early April and time to reflect on what I have learned and how I can apply it to my current role as the Curriculum Coordinator for the School of Business at SAIT Polytechnic.

Overall this was a tough course for me as it had me outside of my comfort zone many times, primarily as I am not a science or mathematics teacher or instructor. “Outside of my comfort zone” is a way of saying that I spent a lot of time in my “Zone of Proximal Development”; this in turn resulted in a lot of hard work and some great learning for me.

Here are some of the themes that I take away from the course

Deal with misconceptions
Encourage engagement with technology
Refer to theoretical frameworks for guidance when using technology
Embrace emerging genres of teaching, learning and technologies
Use technology where appropriate

My complete course analysis is posted in the Analysis section of this blog.

Course and Program Sign Off

This concludes my participation in this course; all postings and assignments are complete. This e-folio captures my learning throughout the course as the final Legacy in Learning assignment for this course.

It also marks my completion of the MET program; course 10 of 10 completed over the last 43 months. I can now return my life to normal, whatever normal is now. I feel that I have achieved the broad objectives that I set out to accomplish that I established over four years ago:

There is now a need for me to crystallize my experience in curriculum development and my role as a Curriculum Coordinator with a formal education in learning technologies to enhance my role and to provide learning and technology leadership to faculty and staff in my school and across SAIT.
The proposed Master’s degree will provide me with knowledge and skills, based on current best practices, and emerging trends in learning and technology that will give me the confidence to provide guidance to faculty and Academic Chairs and leadership to the School of Business in the development of proposed new programs and the redevelopment of existing programs.

My program epilogue “To here, and from here” describing my overall MET learning is posted at the end of my learning analysis component for this course.

References:

Finkelstein, N.D., Perkins, K.K., Adams, W., Kohl, P., & Podolefsky, N. (2005). When learning about the real world is better done virtually: A study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment. Physics Education Research,1(1), 1-8. Retrieved April 02, 2012, from:http://phet.colorado.edu/web-pages/research.html

Weeks Ten and Eleven: Embodied Learning and Knowledge Diffusion

One may ask what these two diverse topics: embodied learning and knowledge diffusion, have in common. Through the lens of this course on Technology in the Math and Science Classroom, the commonality is they are two emerging (or re-emerging) genres of teaching, learning and digital technologies.

Embodied Learning

Embodied learning is all about learning through movement and touch. Winn (2002) believes that cognition is embodied, thus people learn through movement and touch. Further, Winn believes that our external behaviour can be used to externalize our thinking and to extend cognition beyond our brain. A couple of examples are using our fingers to count or using hand and arm gestures to help describe something. When I was growing up we called this “talking with our hands”, so perhaps embodied learning is re-emerging.

For me, physical movement gets my brain going. I find that I can explain something better when I am moving around and I find I am most creative and do the best problem solving when I am off on a long hike, cycle or cross country ski. When I think back of my time in this MET program over the last 43 months and the 10 courses (including this one), I was better able to process and digest the heavy duty academic readings if I was active after completing the readings. I was also the most creative in designing and carrying out the projects, papers and posts that I wrote while in this program after thinking about them while I was active. There is nothing better than a 5 hour road ride or cross country ski covering anywhere from 30 to 100 kilometres to develop an idea from concept to a draft in my mind.

Dr. Susan Gerofsky (2010) describes how the use of gesture, vocal sound and movement can be used to help teach mathematical concepts related to polynomial graphing functions. She concludes with “Embodied work with gesture, movement and sound shows great promise in terms of promoting mathematical engagement and understanding in young secondary school students” (p. 337). We were fortunate to have Dr. Gerofsky as a guest speaker in this class as she answered questions posted by different student groups. One of the questions asked was, what are some specific areas in STEM where you have seen embodied learning/gestures used as a successful teaching tool. Her examples were related to graphing included using the old standby, the Etch-A-Sketch to show x and y relationships and using a rolling chair where one student pushes in the x direction and a second pushes in the y direction with different amounts of force to demonstrate graph slope.

Knowledge Diffusion

Knowledge diffusion is where concepts and practices are shared, appropriated and changed by others (Roth 1996). The Internet has thus created a structure and opportunity for educators, students and scientists to collaborate to generate and share information, data, concepts and practices. This can be done through networked environments and applications such as virtual field trips, web-based expeditions, virtual worlds, Exploratorium and GLOBE. Below is a very brief description of GLOBE and virtual field trips describing how they contribute to knowledge diffusion.

The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program is a fine example of a networked community where students can be part of scientific teams gathering, sharing, using and analyzing data. Students also have opportunities to communicate with scientists while involved with a science project which in turn gives them “a new perspective on what it is to do science and to be part of a scientific investigation” Butler and MacGregor (2003), p 17.

Virtual field trips can be used to augment actual field trips by providing a resource before and after the actual field trip. They can also be used in situations where it is not practical to go on an actual field trip because of limited resources such as logistics, time, financial or admin support (Adedokun et al; 2012). However, Adedokun et al (2012) reports that virtual field trips are not substitutions for actual filed trips and Spicer and Stratford (2001) report survey results from undergraduate students who made it very clear that virtual field trips should never be used to replace actual field trips.

Learn more about knowledge generation in networked communities on the Emerging Page.

References

Adedokun, O. A., Hetzel, K., Parker, L. C., Loizzo, J., Burgess, W. D., & Paul Robinson, J. (2012). Using Virtual Field Trips to Connect Students with University Scientists: Core Elements and Evaluation of zipTrips™. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 21(5), 1-12.

Butler, D.M., & MacGregor, I.D. (2003). GLOBE: Science and education. Journal of Geoscience Education, 51(1), 9-20. OR can access via this link: http://www.nagt.org/nagt/jge/abstracts/jan03.html#v51p5

Gerofsky,S. (2010). Mathematical learning and gesture. Gesture, 2-3, Gerofsky Gesture article 2011 CVPT OVPT point of view-1.pdf

Spicer, J., & Stratford, J. (2001). Student perceptions of a virtual field trip to replace a real field trip. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 17, 345-354.

Winn, W. (2003). Learning in artificial environments: Embodiment, embeddedness, and dynamic adaptation. Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning, 1(1), 87-114. Full-text document retrieved from: http://www.hitl.washington.edu/people/tfurness/courses/inde543/READINGS-03/WINN/winnpaper2.pdf