| 1. |
- Berg, Astrid, et al.
(författare)
-
Representational challenges in animated chemistry: self-generated animations as a means to encourage students reflections on sub-micro processes in laboratory exercises
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Chemistry Education Research and Practice. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 1756-1108 .- 1109-4028. ; 20:4, s. 710-737
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A central aspect of learning chemistry is learning to relate observations of phenomena to models of the sub-microscopic level of matter, and hence being able to explain the observable phenomena. However, research shows that students have difficulties discerning and comprehending the meaning of the sub-micro level and its models, and that practical work in its traditional form fails to help students to discern the relation between observations and models. Consequently, there is a strong call for new teaching activities to address these issues. This paper emerges from a growing number of studies showing that learning is supported when students are set to cooperatively create their own multimodal representations of science phenomena. In this paper, we explore the approach of letting students create their own stop-motion animation as a means to explain observations during practical work. The students work of producing a phenomenon in the laboratory and creating an animation was recorded (audio-video) to capture students verbal and non-verbal interactions and use of resources. Data was analysed using a thematic content analysis with a deductive approach aimed at identifying the aspects of chemistry content that are being reasoned. The analysis showed that the task enabled students to engage in reasoning concerning both the observations and the sub-micro-level models, and how they relate to each other. The task also enabled students to reason about features of the representation that are needed to make sense of both the observational and sub-microscopic aspects of a phenomenon, as well as reflecting upon the meaning of a model.
|
|
| 2. |
- Göransson, Andreas C., 1975-, et al.
(författare)
-
Conceptual Characterization of Threshold Concepts in Student Explanations of Evolution by Natural Selection and Effects of Item Context
- 2020
-
Ingår i: CBE - Life Sciences Education. - Bethesda : The American Society for Cell Biology. - 1931-7913. ; 19:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Evolutionary theory explains a wide range of biological phenomena. Proper understanding of evolutionary mechanisms such as natural selection is therefore an essential goal for biology education. Unfortunately, natural selection has time and again proven difficult to teach and learn, and students’ resulting understanding is often characterized by misconceptions. Previous research has often focused on the importance of certain key concepts such as variation, differential survival, and change in population. However, so-called threshold concepts (randomness, probability, spatial scale, and temporal scales) have also been suggested to be important for understanding of natural selection, but there is currently limited knowledge about how students use these concepts. We sought to address this lack of knowledge by collecting responses to three different natural selection items from 247 university students from Sweden and Germany. Content analysis (deductive and inductive coding) and subsequent statistical analysis of their responses showed that they overall use some spatial scale indicators, such as individuals and populations, but less often randomness or probability in their explanations. However, frequencies of use of threshold concepts were affected by the item context (e.g., the biological taxa and trait gain or loss). The results suggest that the impact of threshold concepts, especially randomness and probability, on natural selection understanding should be further explored.
|
|
| 3. |
- Göransson, Andreas C., 1975-, et al.
(författare)
-
Context dependence of threshold concepts in students' natural selection explanations
- 2019
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- A rich body of research has investigated students’ explanations of natural selection by focusing on a number of key concepts such as variation, differential survival, and change in population. Recent research has pointed out that other underlying abstract concepts (so-called threshold concepts) such as randomness, probability, spatial scale, and temporal scales are central for evolution understanding. However, no holistic account exists of students’ threshold concepts use in evolutionary explanations. This study therefore aims to explore how students use the abovementioned threshold concepts in their explanations of natural selection. We collected written answers to three natural selection items (i.e., evolution of 1) antibiotic-resistance in bacteria, 2) running speed in cheetahs, and 3) blindness in cave salamanders) from 247 university students. To characterize and quantify the use of threshold concepts, content analysis and subsequent statistical analysis were carried out. Overall, students’ explanations of the three items differ in their expression of threshold concepts. Students most often phrased some kind of spatial scales but less often randomness or probability. A more-fine grained analysis indicated that randomness and spatial scale were most frequent in the bacteria item, while probability was most often expressed in the cheetah item. In contrast, temporal scale was used across all three items, although with rather unspecific expressions. Our work indicates that item context affects the expression and use of threshold concepts in evolutionary explanations.
|
|
| 4. |
- Göransson, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
-
Searching for threshold concepts in evolution by using an open response instrument
- 2015
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite decades of research evolution remains a challenge to teachers and learners. Student reasoning about evolutionary processes tend to lack important key concepts and exhibits a range of well documented alternative conceptions. New research in the domain of conceptual change has generated the notion of threshold concepts. Threshold concepts focus on abstract concepts thought to underlie difficult content in a discipline. The hope is that this research will contribute to better teaching practises as well as understanding of what makes certain discipline content difficult. Earlier research has revealed candidate threshold concepts underlying understanding of evolution. Our aim of this study was to pilot ways to assess if and which threshold concept student use in response to different items as well if different contexts facilitates integration of threshold concepts in explanations. We used a published evolution test instrument to assess the presence of evolution key concepts, threshold concepts. The test instrument was piloted on 113 Swedish upper secondary and university students. Analysis revealed the presence of evolution key concepts as well as threshold concepts and alternative conceptions. The context of the question seem to affect what threshold concepts are used by students. We also found indications of a relation between evolution key concepts and threshold concepts usage. Implications for future research as well as teaching are briefly discussed.
|
|
| 5. |
- Orraryd, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
-
Creative evolution: Students generating stop-motion animations of evolutionary change
- 2015
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- iagrams have been used to visualize evolutionary relationships for more than 150 years, and are today readily found in many areas such as textbooks, media, museums and the scientific literature. The tree of life metaphor, where the diagram takes the form of an organic vertical tree has been used almost as long and is still used to a high degree in textbooks and at museums. Despite this high prevalence the instructional needed to develop tree-thinking abilities are often lacking, potentially leading to interpretational misconceptions of the evolutionary concepts presented.In this study 5 exhibitions with evolutionary content in natural science museums in the Nordic countries have been analysed in order to understand how evolutionary tree diagrams are incorporated in these exhibitions, what design is used and what instructional support is available to the visitor. A multi-modal social semiotic approach was used, where 3 functional levels were analysed together in order to assess the meaning making potential of the evolutionary trees in these exhibitions; i) content, representational process and design. ii) instruction and interactivity. iii) spatial and organizational composition. The analyses show a wide range of communication strategies; reaching from the evolutionary tree diagrams having a pivotal role in the exhibition narrative to being placed purely in the margin with no explicit connection to the overall evolutionary content. The instructional support is in many cases lacking but is sometimes incorporated in the presentational text of specific parts of the evolutionary tree, and the design ranges from tree of life type iconic visualisations to highly abstract renderings. Overall the evolutionary tree as a visual tool to communicate important evolutionary concepts seems to be used to a high degree but important aspects in order to better afford scientific correct interpretations of the trees are sometimes lacking.
|
|
| 6. |
- Orraryd, Daniel, 1976-
(författare)
-
Elevers animationer av evolution
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Modeller, analogier och metaforer i naturvetenskapsundervisning. - Lund : Studentlitteratur AB. - 9789144090009 ; , s. 201-226
-
Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
|
|
| 7. |
- Orraryd, Daniel, 1976-
(författare)
-
Making science come alive : Student-generated stop-motion animations in science education
- 2021
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The availability of digital technology in classrooms does not only increase the possibility for teachers to present content in new visual and dynamic ways. This technology also offers students the opportunity to become cocreators of content in science classrooms. The dissertation explores, mainly through qualitative methods, the potential of student generated stop-motion animations in science education research and practice. This exploration is motivated by the challenges learners experience when they are introduced to abstract dynamic science concepts spanning several organisational levels in space and time. In addition, it emphasises the importance of multiple representations for communicating and reasoning about such concepts. This novel approach is used, in combination with a conceptual characterisation of students’ written explanations, to expand the knowledge about students’ conceptions of evolution by natural selection. The potential of a stop-motion approach to stimulate meaning making of evolution biology and redox-chemistry classrooms is also explored. The thesis consists of four studies and a comprehensive summary with an extended analysis and discussion of the results.In relation to students’ written explanations about the mechanisms of evolution, the student generated stop-motion animations express the same pattern concerning key-concepts connected to evolution by natural selection. However, the analysis of misconceptions in the student-generated animations resulted in interesting differences from written explanations. The globally reported misconception of essentialism (the idea that all individuals of a species share a common essence, and that this essence is what is changed in evolution) was represented in only a low proportion of the animations. On the other hand, another misconception was expressed more often in the stop-motion animation than in written explanations, namely evolution as an event. These findings support the view that students’ expression of different misconceptions is influenced by the context and representational form.The work reveals that generating stop-motion animations to explain scientific concepts is an engaging approach that stimulates students to explore their understanding in a creative and personal manner. The analysis of the videorecorded animation process showed that one important realisation expressed in the student dialogue was that a representation is symbolic and cannot be a picture of reality, as it then would lose some of its explanatory value. The design of the task, the forms of feed-back during the work process, as well as the nature of the science content are important to consider before the approach of stop-motion animations is used in the classroom. Otherwise, the potential for meaningful learning may be lost and the activity becomes at best a lesson in creating an animation, albeit a fun and creative one.
|
|
