EcoMUVE Update

1. EcoMUVE Update Yang Allison

2. Our Roles: • Videotaping students’ performance in fall field trips • Analyzing data and results in student and teacher surveys, audio and video

3. Overview of Work • Attended professional development meeting. • Performed preliminary research and lit reviews. • Brainstormed with Amy on research we read and questions we wanted to ask students • Devised methods for filming field trips. • Post-filming, we met with Amy to plan how we would contribute/aid in the analysis of the information we gathered.

4. Literature Review Our Research Questions: • How is learning, engagement, or attention different in real ecological environments versus virtual environments? • What is the effect of "priming" students for field trips? • Does novelty of the environment help or hinder learning? • How do pairing real and virtual experiences influence learning or student attitudes?

5. Some Literature Review Sources • Chris Dede, Jody Clarke, Diane JassKetelhut, Brian Nelson, & Cassie Bowman. Students’ Motivation and Learning of Science in a Multi-User Virtual Environment. • Gail Tuthill , E. Barbara Klemm. Virtual field trips: alternatives to actual field trips. • Kelly Riedinger • GiliMarbach-Ad •J. Randy McGinnis • Emily Hestness •Rebecca Pease. Transforming Elementary Science Teacher Education by Bridging Formal and Informal Science Education in an Innovative Science Methods Course. • Prokop, P., Tuncer, G., & Kvasnic, R (2007). Short-Term Effects of Field Programme on Students’ Knowledge and Attitude Toward Biology: a Slovak Experience. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 16(3), 247-255. DOI: 10.1007/s10956-007-9044-8 • Nina Neulight,1,4 Yasmin B. Kafai,1 Linda Kao,1 Brian Foley,2 and Cathleen Galas3v(2007). Children’s Participation in a Virtual Epidemic in the Science Classroom: Making Connections to Natural Infectious Diseases. Journal of Science Education and Technology, Vol. 16, No. 1, February 2007 (_ 2006) DOI: 10.1007/s10956-006-9029-z

6. Some Literature Review Sources • Roger Poland, Linda Baggott la Velle, & Jon Nichol. The Virtual Field Station (VFS): using a virtual reality environment for ecological fieldwork in A-Level biological studies—Case Study 3. British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 34 No 2 2003 215–231. • Doug Knapp1, & Elizabeth Barrie1.Content Evaluation of an Environmental Science Field Trip. Journal of Science Education and Technology, Vol. 10, No. 4, December 2001. • John J. Koran, Jr. Mary Lou Koran, & Jim Ellis Summer, 1989. Evaluation the Effectiveness of Field Experiences:1939-1989 • ANTHONY E. RICHARDSON, DANIEL R. MONTELLO, and MARY HEGARTY. Spatial knowledge acquisition from maps and • from navigation in real and virtual environments • Chris Dede, & Kevin Ruess. Designing for Motivation and Usability in a Museum-based Multi-User Virtual Environment • J.I.Spicer & J. Stratford. Student perceptions of a virtual field trip to replace a real field trip • Doug Knapp. Memorable Experiences of a Science Field Trip. Indiana University

7. Lit Review Helped us… • Form a basic understanding of what we should pay attention to and what evidence we were supposed to collect. • Raise some questions about our own pilot tests and how we would try to solve them during the subsequent meeting. • Some of our findings: • Two aspects of students’ performance evaluation: • Attitudes towards science/ecology • Knowledge of science/ecology

8. Oct. 7 Meeting • Overarching research question: Whether EcoMUVE serves as a priming activity for students going on a field trip (or the other way around)? • More specific questions: • Do students who have worked with EcoMUVE demonstrate different levels of comfort, aptitude, sophistication or knowledge when working with water measurement tools in the real world? • Do students who have worked with EcoMUVE demonstrate different levels of aptitude, sophistication or knowledge when finding, identifying and sketching organisms in the real world?

9. What we should pay attention to… • Do students know where to look for organisms? • Do students knowing what to look for? • Do they identify a wide variety of organisms? • Are there more microorganisms drawn? • Do the students demonstrate a greater level of sophistication in their drawings? • Are students able to identify more organisms? • Do students use appropriate terminology when talking about the organisms? • Do students think and hesitate a long time before drawing? What is it that confuses them? • How much time do students spend on this process? • Do students have a clear idea of food web? Do you identify many levels of the food web?

10. Student Interview Questions • 1) Was the field trip like you expected it to be? • 2) What was your favorite part? • 3) What was your least favorite part? • 4) Was there anything you had hoped to do on the field trip that you didn't get to do? • 5) Was there anything on the field trip that made you curious? If so what? • 6) Have you done the bottle biology before? • 7) What is your biggest discovery today? • 8) Is this your favorite field trip? Would you like to go on similar field trips like this next time?

11. Teacher Interview Questions • How did you think the field trip went? • Were there any students who contributed to the conversation that don’t normally speak up? • To the best of your memory, was this field trip noticeably different from any previous field trips you’ve been on? In what way? • e.g. What aspects of students’ performance in the field trip do you think won’t be found if the students don’t have experiences in EcoMUVE, even if they had had the curriculum similar to EcoMUVE, or bottle biology? • Please describe any activities you did in order to prepare the students for the field trip, if any. • How many days of ecosystems curriculum did you cover before going on the field trip? • How many days of EcoMUVE did you do before going on the field trip? • Do you plan to use the field trip as an instructional tool in the classroom? Can you describe how you plan to use the field trip experience in upcoming lessons?

12. Interview Questions for Susan • How did you think the field trip went? • To the best of your memory, was this field trip noticeably different from any previous field trips you’ve been on? In what way? • Were there any questions from the students that were different or surprising? • Did you change any aspects of the field trip today compared to what you normally do?

13. Field Trip • Videotaped the introduction session and the conversation about organisms and measurements in an ecosystem.  • Chose focal students (at least 1 boy and girl) • Tracked focal students during trip to the pond • Taped in classroom observation, discussion and sketching • Performed quick interviews with at least 4 students who had finished sketching and survey (ideally focal students) • Voice-recorded our conversation with Susan.

14. Our findings • During the EcoMUVE first trip on Oct. 25, the students were significantly making more connections. • Students also raised more questions and provided more creative and full-scale answers to these questions • Several referenced EcoMUVE without being prompted to do so.

15. What we are doing now… • Allison—Transcribing student interviews • Using codes so transcripts do not indicate if the field trips were post/pre EcoMuve (with the exception of students who mention EcoMuve in their answers) • Yang—Survey data entry • Student Survey Question 9-12 • How much do you like • 9.Taking measurements • 10. Looking at organisms under the microscope • 11.Being outside • 12.The whole field trip • Findings up to now: • There are no statistically significant differences between the survey results for EcoMUVE First and Field Trip First classes. • Except question 11: Weather.

16. We’re going to… • Develop rubrics for survey questions • Transcripts • Discuss transcripts and methods for analyzing • Determine whether more elements need to be transcribed • Videotapes • Are there areas that should be transcribed/analyzed • If so, which parts, and how should this be done?

17. Thank you!