EEF Evidence How to improve Secondary Science

The Education Endownment Foundation EEF Improving Secondary Science guidance report offers seven practical evidence-based recommendations that are relevant to all students, but especially to those struggling with science. 

Literacy in science - make connections with Literacy guides

This image is summary poster but full report in on link.

Download now: https://eef.li/science-ks3-ks4 .

SCIENCE WEEK - Science as a Human Endeavour ‘intellectual humility’

SCIENCE WEEK - Science as a Human Endeavour

On Friday August 10th many of South Australia’s scientists attended an awards dinner for excellence in science, by Department for Industry and Skills.

Many of the scientists were very humble in accepting the awards. Through their videos too you could see them show ‘intellectual humility’.

Research has found that people who prove to be intellectually humble are better at evaluating the quality of evidence. They can distinguish good arguments from weak ones much better, and criticise people less if they changed their mind on issue. Intellectually humble people were more likely to think that it was actually good when people change what they thought based on new evidence. (University of Edinburgh School of Philosophy MOOC 2018)

The scientists provide inspiration, open-mindness, integrity and intellectual humility in the short videos: View them on this link

http://industryandskills.sa.gov.au/…/sa-scienc…/2018-winners

#STEM #science #SHE #scienceasahumanendeavour

YOUTUBE.COM

Dr Justin Chalker - Winner STEM Educator of the Year Tertiary Teaching

2018 SA Science Excellence Awards. Dr Justin Chalker, Senior Lecturer, School of Chemical and…

I WONDER - fake meat and slaughter free

I WONDER - how would a meat eater compared to a vegetarian or vegan might respond to these Science BITL questions

Image from Link to article : http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-05-06/vegan-alternative-plant-based-meat-grown-in-lab/9726436

Questions
• How might the advances from this scientific understanding influence 
other areas of science, technology and engineering? 
• Do you think this scientific knowledge of culturing meat from stem cells should be accepted by society? Why?
• How might someone else explain or interpret what cultured meat is?
• Just because we can do this science should we?
• What ethical considerations might we need to consider with this scientific knowledge?
• Is the ethics for this science investigation the same or different in other countries compared to Australia?
• Scientists' values and beliefs are influenced by the larger culture in which they live. How might such personal views influence how they investigate finding new ways to produce meat?
• Was the scientific research focused on an issue with the potential to help meet societal needs or for economic reasons? How might these influence the scientific knowledge being accepted?
• Who decides what is valued to investigate?

SACE Science as a Human Endeavour
Influence 
• Advances in scientific understanding in one field can influence and be influenced by other areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
• The acceptance and use of scientific knowledge can be influenced by social, economic, cultural, and ethical considerations. 

#SACE #science #scienceasahumanendeavour #BITL #STEM #SHE

http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-05-06/vegan-alternative-plant-based-meat-grown-in-lab/9726436

STEM learning animation

What is STEM for?

STEM learning linked to Early Years Framework and Australian Curriculum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=YRUItMn89T0

STEM animation produced by
Learning Improvement Division
South Australian Department for Education

Leading Learning Resource www.acleadersresource.sa.edu.au

SACE SHE task: Just because we can transplant a human head, should we?

SACE Science as a human endeavour folio task – BITL questions

Just because we can transplant a human head, should we?

Investigating this question through the SHE key concept:

Influence 
• Advances in scientific understanding in one field can influence and be influenced by other areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 
• The acceptance and use of scientific knowledge can be influenced by social, economic, cultural, and ethical considerations. 

• How might the advances from scientific understanding in neuroscience influence other areas of science, technology and engineering?

• Just because we can do this science should we?
• What ethical considerations might need to be considered with this scientific investigation? 

• Is the ethics/ ethical laws for this science investigation the same or different in other countries? How might the hypothesis change as a result of the ethical issues if the investigation was carried out in Australia?

• Scientists' values and beliefs are influenced by the larger culture in which they live. How might such personal views influence the questions they choose to pursue and how they investigate those questions?

• Is this scientific research focused on an issue with the potential to help meet societal needs or for economic reasons? How might these influence the scientific knowledge being accepted?

• Who decides what is valued to investigate?

https://au.news.yahoo.com/head-head-mad-scientist-behind-worlds-first-human-head-transplant-133408179.html

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/human-head-transplant/

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/15/two-surgeons-in-china-developing-a-method-to-transplant-a-human-head.html

 #scienceasahumanendeavour #BITL #australiancurriculum  #science #ethics

STEM Learning Problem and Inquiry based learning pedagogies

 STEM Learning

Problem based and Inquiry based Learning

Challenge based learning, project based learning, problem based learning and inquiry based learning are some of the different processes that are described within the vast body of literature on teaching STEM. Each process provides a different way for learners to experience, explore and construct their understanding of STEM and the disciplines it embodies. 

The problem based learning process (PBL) and inquiry based learning process (IBL) brings these frameworks to life by facilitating learners to construct their own understanding in real-world contexts. 

Both the problem based learning process and inquiry process shift learning from surface to deep learning of STEM knowledge, understandings, skills and thinking.

In problem based learning learners are challenged to define or find a problem to solve. The emphasis of the learning is on the process and thinking, and not the final product, solution or idea.

Inquiry based learning in STEM refers to the scientific and mathematical systematic process of inquiry. A phenomenon is noticed or wondered about and from these observations learners pose a question to investigate and design a fair test to determine their product, solution or idea, informing their explanation.

The intentional focus on “intellectual stretch for all” in STEM learning design illustrated in these processes develops learner resilience in the face of unfamiliar and non-routine problems and contexts. 
These processes foster metacognition and engagement in productive struggle that develops a deep understanding of STEM concepts and skills as well as learning expertise.

Science as a Human Endeavour SACE assessment BIOSECURITY example

Science as a Human Endeavour SACE assessment EXAMPLE

South Australia is the only Australian mainland state that is free of fruit fly. The prevention, detection and eradication of fruit fly is managed by biosecurity. Biosecurity SA has constructed a $3.8 million Sterile Insect Technology (SIT) facility in Port Augusta to help combat the threat of fruit fly.   
                          

link to more information (http://pir.sa.gov.au/biosecurity/fruit_fly/what_we_do)

Senior Science BITL questions:

·       How might the development of biosecurity impact on South Australia socially, economically and culturally?

·       What ethical considerations might need to be considered if biosecurity is introduced for this scientific knowledge of fruit flies and the control of other species? 

·       How might biosecurity of fruit flies be beneficial for society? Could it be harmful for society?

·       Can you think of any unintended consequences for how this scientific knowledge might be used?

·       How might this scientific knowledge be used to evaluate projected economic, social and environmental impacts?

·       How might this scientific knowledge be used to design action for sustainability and provide opportunities for innovation? 

·       How might this scientific knowledge be used to inform the monitoring, assessment and evaluation of risk? 

·       How do scientists offer reliable and valid explanations?

·       How does scientific knowledge enable scientists to make reliable predictions?

·       How can scientists communicate the uncertainty of the data available while still being supporting the public with debate over an issue? How can scientists support the interpretation of the data to the public to reduce it being open to question?

Key concept of Science as a Human Endeavour used in this example:

Application and Limitation

·       Scientific knowledge, understanding, and inquiry can enable scientists to develop solutions, make discoveries, design action for sustainability, evaluate economic, social, and environmental impacts, offer valid explanations, and make reliable predictions.

·       The use of scientific knowledge may have beneficial or unexpected consequences; this requires monitoring, assessment, and evaluation of risk, and provides opportunities for innovation.

·       Science informs public debate and is in turn influenced by public debate; at times, there may be complex, unanticipated variables or insufficient data that may limit possible conclusions.

The biggest predictor of success in STEM is spatial reasoning.

The biggest predictor of success in STEM is spatial reasoning.

Spatial thinking is fundamental to problem solving in a variety of contexts: in life spaces, physical spaces, and intellectual spaces.

Findings from the Project Talent research project revealed that students with high spatial reasoning were more likely to choose STEM careers than students with lower scores, even after accounting for the fact that they often had higher verbal and mathematical scores.
This study measured spatial reasoning skills of approximately 400,000 people for over 50 years from their high school years and into their adult life.

Wai, J., Lubinski, D. and Benbow, C.P., 2009. Spatial ability for STEM domains: Aligning over 50 years of cumulative psychological knowledge solidifies its importance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(4), p.817.

STEM -OECD - spatial reasoning
http://www.oecd.org/officialdocu…/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/…

Spatial skills are not innate and can be improved with training.

Spatial reasoning skills:

Visualisation and imagery
Location, arrangement, orientation, and structure
Visual and graphical arrays
Maps and timelines
Sequencing

Translating (encoding) features and properties
• distinguishing figures from ground;
• pattern recognition - both outline shapes and internal configurations;
• evaluating size;
• discerning texture;
• colour evaluation
• determining other features / properties.
•
Representation of static features and properties
• determining orientation
• determining location,
• assessing distance,
• comparing size, colour, shape, texture, location, direction and other features/ properties

Representation of dynamic features and properties
• direction of movement,
• behaviour of motion,
• speed or acceleration, and
• intersection or collision.

Spatial transformations
• changing perspective such as changing your frame of reference,
• changing orientation such as mental rotation,
• transforming shapes,
• changing size,
• moving wholes,
• reconfiguring parts.
• zooming in or out,
• enacting, and
• panning.

Just a very few ideas
Learning spatial thinking in Early Years

Mathematics : explore butterfly symmetry using felt shapes and mirror images
Science : playing with egg parachutes
Technology : draw a map of hide and seek in the playground and make a model of it

Learning spatial thinking in Primary Years

Maths : make tangram letters using tangram shapes
Science : noticing and recording observations of insects – size and colour of wings, how the wings are folded
Technology : 3D printing software – mental rotation

Learning spatial thinking in Secondary Years

Maths : Tessellations: these help students to develop slides, flips, and rotations. Use an Isometric Drawing Tool
Science : rotate augmented molecules or use molecular kits to construct 3D models of molecules,
Technology : designing an interface for reading data in real time

Some useful sites
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/…/literacyn…/LNSPayingAttention.pdf
https://www.nap.edu/read/11019/chapter/4#48

#STEM #mathematics #science #technology #spatialreasoning