{"id":5789,"date":"2018-03-23T12:38:55","date_gmt":"2018-03-23T19:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/?p=5789"},"modified":"2018-03-23T12:38:55","modified_gmt":"2018-03-23T19:38:55","slug":"constructing-knowledge-vft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/2018\/03\/23\/constructing-knowledge-vft\/","title":{"rendered":"Constructing Knowledge & VFT"},"content":{"rendered":"

How is knowledge relevant to math or science constructed? How is it possibly generated in these networked communities? Provide examples to illustrate your points.<\/p>\n

Learning science involves young people entering into a different way of thinking about and explaining the natural world; becoming socialized to a greater or lesser extent into a practice of the scientific community with its particular purposes, ways of seeing, and ways of supporting its knowledge claims (Driver, et al, 1994, p. 8)<\/em><\/p>\n

Throughout our readings this term, we have been exposed to the constructivist position of knowledge acquisition.\u00a0 Driver, et al. (1994) once again explain that \u201cthe core commitment of a constructivist position [is] that knowledge is not transmitted directly from one knower to another, but is actively build up by the learner\u201d (p. 5).\u00a0 They argue that there are three essential factors of this approach in learning science in the classroom: personal experiences, language\/symbolism, and socialization.<\/p>\n

Referencing both Vygotsky and Piaget, there is an emphasis on the social nature of learning in the classroom.\u00a0 Students require the conversations with peers and adults as they develop a common language to represent scientific symbols, and common sense knowledge.\u00a0 As students participate in active, physical experiences, and are exposed to everyday language and are able to evolve their understanding to make sense of the natural world. For example, students have a commonly help conception that a constant force is necessary to maintain an object in constant motion.\u00a0 Experiences such as pushing a heavy object or pedaling a bicycle allow students to develop these informal, common sense ideas.<\/p>\n

Following the ideas of the Jasper project, LfU, T-GEM, science educators are seen as facilitators who make the cultural tools of science available to learners and supports their construction of ideas through discourse about shared physical events. \u00a0As students work with hands-on experiments, educators pose questions, participate in shared discourse, introduce new ideas, and support and guide as the class participates in shared knowledge.<\/p>\n

Another form of exposure to knowledge comes in the form of field trips.\u00a0 With the development of multimedia projects, researchers investigate the use of virtual field trips as a replacement for traditional field trips (Spicer & Stratford, 2001).\u00a0 Using a problem-based approach, researchers developed a hypermedia package, Tidepools\u2019.\u00a0 <\/em>In one sitting, students spend 2-3 hours individually exploring how animals might respond to low oxygen during low tide periods.\u00a0 When completed, students reported a positive reaction; stating that is was an enjoyable way to learn.\u00a0 They were however, unanimous in their view that it was not a substitute for a real field experience.\u00a0 They felt that it lacked the complexity of a real <\/em>experience and the collaboration with peers.<\/p>\n

Below are a few ways that VFT could be utilized in education:<\/p>\n