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Suggestions for using data to improve science education

This article discusses the need to revise science education, the potential of NVODS/OPeNDAP as a technical infrastructure, and the importance of integrating technology and educational research. It also highlights recommendations for improving science education, such as adopting an inquiry-based approach and emphasizing scientific principles. The challenges of implementing reform and the role of technology as a cognitive tool for learning are explored. The example of the VGEE curriculum and its use of data as a cognitive tool is provided. The advantages of using compound documents and digital libraries for educational purposes are also discussed.

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Suggestions for using data to improve science education

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  1. Suggestions for using data to improve science education Rajul Pandya DLESE Program Center Unidata Program Center NVODS Meeting September 2003

  2. Overview • Science Education should be revised • NVODS/OPeNDAP can contribute technical infrastructure to that revision • Technology is not enough • Ideas from the Educational Research Community • A framework for integrating technology and educational research: Compound Documents

  3. Goals • Highlight key issues regarding the educational use of data • Provide a concrete illustration using cyberinfrastructure to enable meaningful educational use of data • Introduce DLESE as educational cyberinfrastructure and collaborator

  4. A need to improve Science Education • Even after studying a phenomena in class, students had a fragile and incomplete understanding of the underlying physical processes

  5. Recommendations for Reform • Adopt an inquiry-based approach • Emphasize scientific principles and their applicability to everyday life • Use scientific tools • Present an integrated, Earth-Systems perspective Recommendations from: Shaping the Future; Geoscience Education: A Recommended Strategy; Geosciences: Beyond 2000; Science for All Americans

  6. More Succinctly …faculty may come to interact with undergraduates in ways that resemble how they interact with their doctoral students today… National Academy of ScienceNovember, 2002

  7. Challenges in Implementing Reform • Students have difficulty using scientific tools and data, especially in inquiry environments • Professors encounter practical and technological hurdles when implementing reform recommendations • As a result, most classes are still taught in traditional ways

  8. More Challenges • “A consideration of how people can use computers and the Internet to further the process of social inclusion is paramount in any effort to install new technology into an environment lacking it.”1 • Time scales of change for technology, institutions, organizations, and society differ - how to maintain synergy? 1 Mark Warschauer: Demystifying the Digital Divide, Scientific AmericanAugust 2003

  9. Learning Theory Revolution • Behavioral View - Learning involves the transmission of fixed knowledge that can be measured precisely. • Cognitive View - Learning is contextual, effortful, developmental and can only be estimated through triangulation of assessments.

  10. Technology as a cognitive tool for learning. • Cognitive tools enhance powers of humans during thinking, problem-solving, and learning. • Written language, mathematical notation, and more recently, computer programs are examples of cognitive tools.

  11. Using Data as a Cognitive Tools • Data access needs to be linked to appropriate tools and guided by relevant educational context • Digital Libraries can provide a vehicle for discovering and using data in educational settings. From the DLESE Developers’ Workshop, 2003

  12. Compound Documents • TEXT: • A curriculum to model and guide inquiry • TOOLS: • Scientific visualization tools, data access tools • Intellectual models to inform student data exploration • DATA: • Multiple data sets to enable student discovery (cataloged in THREDDS)

  13. An Example: The VGEE • Web-based environment in which students use authentic data and tools to investigate a real scientific issue • It include: • A learner-interface to a scientific visualization tool • Concept models that support physical insight • A curriculum to guide inquiry • A catalog of data, with services to use that data

  14. Identify RelateExplainIntegrate An Example: The VGEE Students notice that the Western Pacific is considerably warmer than the East.

  15. IdentifyRelateExplainIntegrate The VGEE Learners construct visualizations showing that upward motion, above average precip, and warm SST all occur together

  16. IdentifyRelateExplainIntegrate The VGEE Concept models are used to explore relations in an idealized context.

  17. IdentifyRelateExplainIntegrate The VGEE Concept models can be used to probe data. This helps students ‘see’ basic physics in real data and apply theoretical understandings to real geophysical phenomena.

  18. Classroom Testing Average Score Question Number

  19. Tools in the VGEE • VGEE content developers use THREDDS catalogs to serve data • UNIDATA IDV reads these catalogs and then loads data from remote servers • Advantages: • Convenience: Avoids time-consuming data downloads • Scalability: Future access to growing catalogs of research and real-time data • Interoperability: THREDDS can negotiate protocols allowing IDV to visualize multiple data types

  20. Advantages of Compound DocumentsDiscovery in Digital Libraries • The VGEE curriculum is catalogued in the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) • Is discoverable in the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) • Advantages • Dissemination: DLESE has over 100000 hits a month • Credibility: DLESE can serve as a “reputations broker” • Collaborations: DLs include intellectual commons

  21. Starting in DLESE

  22. Discovery of VGEE

  23. VGEE Curriculum

  24. Launching the Visualization Tool

  25. The IDV-based Visualization Tool

  26. Using THREDDS to Access Distributed Data The IDV can read THREDDS catalogs and locate and load the cataloged data set.

  27. Concept Models/Probes

  28. VGEE IDV DLESE VGEE Data Curricula Curricula Images THREDDS Concept Models Concept Models Simulations Solid Earth Ocean Data GIS Data Advantages of Compound DocumentsConnecting Data, Tools, and Curriculum Researchers Learners & Educators

  29. Advantages of Compound DocumentsA network of expert contributions • TEXT: • The inquiry curriculum implements pedagogical knowledge, integrates assessment, connects to scientific content, uses technology to launch & configure tools • TOOLS: • A customized interface to support discovery of specific understandings incorporates scientific knowledge, learner-centered design, pedagogical theory and classroom practice • Concept models depend on scientific understanding, technological skill, instructional design • DATA: • Multiple data sets to enable student discovery. And also support adding domain knowledge, relevant services, etc.

  30. Advantages of Compound Documents A Developers Toolkit • An educational materials developer • can find data sets in THREDDS thematic catalogs (in NSDL/DLESE) • find related Concept Models in DLESE/NSDL • modify or build a new interfaces for the IDV engine (including importing concept models) • use VGEE as a scaffold to build curriculum

  31. Advantages of Compound DocumentsDynamic Curriculum • A student or teacher can • Use curriculum with chosen, static data sets (as now) • Access thematic catalogs to look for the most recent related data sets • Catalogs can (in the future) • Contain pointers to configuration info for the IDV (including customizing the interface.

  32. Summary • Cyber-infrastructure provides tools for reform of science education • Data access and Interoperability (e.g. NVODS) • Digital Libraries • Educational research provides guidance in using these tools • Context, recommendations, and barriers • Compound Documents apply educational guidance to cyber-infrastructure components • An Example: The VGEE

  33. A Cyberinfrastructure for Geoscience Education: DLESE • Easy access to quality teaching and learning resources on a full range of Earth Systems topics for a wide range of learners • Services to help users effectively create, use and evaluate digital learning resources • Interfaces and tools to allow student exploration of Earth data • A community center that fosters interaction, collaboration and sharing

  34. What can DLESE offer NVODS? • Connections to educational community • Services to add context to data and tools • Mechanisms to align to digital resources to community needs • Authentic assessment opportunities

  35. Acknowledgements • The VGEE curriculum and concept models were developed by: Dan Bramer, Colleen Contrisciane, Ryan Deardorff, Dean Elliott, Ken Hay, Katia Issa, Mary Marlino, Rajul Pandya, Mohan Ramamurthy, Caryssa Seider, Marianne Weingroff, Robert Wilhelmson, and and John Yoder • VGEE Data were prepared by Don Middleton and Tim Scheitlin of the VETS group in SCD • The IDV was developed by the Unidata IDV developers: Jeff McWhirter, Don Murray, and Stuart Wier • THREDDS tools are designed and maintained by Unidata THREDDS developers: John Caron, Ethan Davis, Ben Domenico, Robb Kambic, and Stefano Nativi • All work supported by the National Science Foundation.

  36. Links • VGEE Curriculumwww.dpc.org/vgee • IDV Visualization Environment: www.unidata.ucar.edu/projects/metapps/webstart • SCD’s Visualization and Enabling Technologies Group:http://www.vets.ucar.edu/ • THREDDS: www.unidata.ucar.edu/projects/THREDDS • DLESE:www.dlese.org • NSDL: www.nsdl.org

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