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| Amanda Durik |
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| Anne Britt |
To help protect our planet, scientists need to know the
behavior and consequences of disturbances in complex systems, such as
hurricanes, climate change, and infectious diseases. This is no small task since there are potentially dozens
of variables to account for, and these variables may interact in complicated,
dynamic and nuanced ways.
Established scientists know how to construct and test models of disturbances to the environment, but what is the best way to teach their methods to aspiring young scientists?
One might think it is just memorizing individual articles and formulae, similar to a recipe. However, that can only go so far. One must creatively combine, integrate and shift through the results of past measurements and individual research findings in order to make and test predictions.
Indeed, one can get blown away with the complexities of understanding the effects of major events like hurricanes.
Here enters CISLL affiliate Dr. Amanda Durik and CISLL Director Dr. Anne Britt. They are Co-PIs’ on a $2.7 million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to investigate how best to teach middle school students the process of constructing and evaluating evidence-based explanations regarding the effects of large scale disturbances. Dr. Steven McGee from The Learning Partnership heads the interdisciplinary team.
Durik summarizes what students do this way: “Students are given long term ecological data on hurricane effects in Puerto Rico since 1989. Students read texts about different species that live in the area and how hurricanes affect the prey, predators, canopy, moisture, etc. Then they use this knowledge to create and test a model of the effects of hurricanes on the population of that species using the simulations of hurricane disruption data.”
But how is this different from what is usually done in the classroom?
“Students get overloaded with information and start making mistakes and often disengage,” Britt observes. “Students need to develop a task model to understand the reason why they are engaged in a particular task and how that task will contribute to the primary goal of explanation.”
Britt and Durik apply their new model of reading called RESOLV (REading as Problem SOLVing) to frame the tasks to help students organize their learning. The task model is important for helping students carry important information from one task to the next.
Britt and Durik will be co-designing the instructional curriculum with middle school teachers in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS).
Over 6000 students will directly benefit from participation in the research program.
Grant specifics: McGee (Principal), Durik, A. M. (Co-PI), and Britt, M. A. (Co-PI), for "Collaborative Research: Developing a Generalized Storyline that Organizes the Supports for Evidence-based Modeling of Long-Term Impacts of Disturbances" Sponsored by National Science Foundation, Total: $2,748,854 (NIU Subaward: $416,647). July 2018 – June 2022).
Established scientists know how to construct and test models of disturbances to the environment, but what is the best way to teach their methods to aspiring young scientists?
One might think it is just memorizing individual articles and formulae, similar to a recipe. However, that can only go so far. One must creatively combine, integrate and shift through the results of past measurements and individual research findings in order to make and test predictions.
Indeed, one can get blown away with the complexities of understanding the effects of major events like hurricanes.
Here enters CISLL affiliate Dr. Amanda Durik and CISLL Director Dr. Anne Britt. They are Co-PIs’ on a $2.7 million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to investigate how best to teach middle school students the process of constructing and evaluating evidence-based explanations regarding the effects of large scale disturbances. Dr. Steven McGee from The Learning Partnership heads the interdisciplinary team.
Durik summarizes what students do this way: “Students are given long term ecological data on hurricane effects in Puerto Rico since 1989. Students read texts about different species that live in the area and how hurricanes affect the prey, predators, canopy, moisture, etc. Then they use this knowledge to create and test a model of the effects of hurricanes on the population of that species using the simulations of hurricane disruption data.”
But how is this different from what is usually done in the classroom?
“Students get overloaded with information and start making mistakes and often disengage,” Britt observes. “Students need to develop a task model to understand the reason why they are engaged in a particular task and how that task will contribute to the primary goal of explanation.”
Britt and Durik apply their new model of reading called RESOLV (REading as Problem SOLVing) to frame the tasks to help students organize their learning. The task model is important for helping students carry important information from one task to the next.
Britt and Durik will be co-designing the instructional curriculum with middle school teachers in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS).
Over 6000 students will directly benefit from participation in the research program.
Grant specifics: McGee (Principal), Durik, A. M. (Co-PI), and Britt, M. A. (Co-PI), for "Collaborative Research: Developing a Generalized Storyline that Organizes the Supports for Evidence-based Modeling of Long-Term Impacts of Disturbances" Sponsored by National Science Foundation, Total: $2,748,854 (NIU Subaward: $416,647). July 2018 – June 2022).
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