Using Computation to Support Student Creativity and Agency in Science

TorOleOdden,DevinSilvia,AndersMalthe-SørenssenCCSEChristmasSeminar2020December16,2020

Centre forExcellence inEducation

ScienceLearning

Creativity and Agency in Science Learning

ComputationCreativity,Agency

Narrativetext LiveCodeInput&Output

TitleandIntroduction

TextandEquations

PicturesandDiagrams

Importingpackages

Modelparameters

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Computational Essays

Computational Essay Design

Challenge: “Useacomputationalsimulationtoinvestigateaproblemthatyoufindinteresting.Then,writeacomputationalessayaboutwhatyou’velearned”

EssayTopics:• Usingarailgunto…

– Sendasatelliteintoorbitaroundthesun– Accelerateaircrafttohighvelocities– Poweratrainline– Getastudenttoclassontime

• Automatedcarlanecontrolusingmagneticfields• Simulatingthenorthernlights

Essaysavailableat:…andmanymore!

Creativity and Authenticity

Studentsreportthatworkingwithcomputationfeelsmorecreative andauthentic:

Itakethesesubjectsbecausetheydon’trequireanythingfromme,inaway,Icanjustsolvetheproblemsandbedonewithit,andthat’s

comfortable.Butthefactthatitrequiressomecreativityis—itmaybebecomesclosertothewayitistoactuallydo physics.AndIfeellikethisassignmenthere—thatis,itrecreatesthesituationwhereonehasto inventsomething,onehasto findsomethingtofigureout,inaway.It’snotoftenthatweencounterthatinourSTEMcourseshere.So,it’salittlebitofabreathoffreshair,creativelyspeaking.(translated)

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Creativity and Authenticity

Studentsreportthatworkingwithcomputationfeelsmorecreative andauthentic:

Itakethesesubjectsbecausetheydon’trequireanythingfromme,inaway,Icanjustsolvetheproblemsandbedonewithit,andthat’s

comfortable.Butthefactthatitrequiressomecreativityis—itmaybebecomesclosertothewayitistoactuallydo physics.AndIfeellikethisassignmenthere—thatis,itrecreatesthesituationwhereonehasto inventsomething,onehasto findsomethingtofigureout,inaway.It’snotoftenthatweencounterthatinourSTEMcourseshere.So,it’salittlebitofabreathoffreshair,creativelyspeaking.(translated)

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Educational Goals

Goals:1. Redesigncoursestosupportstudents’scientificcreativity

2. Compare our design choiceswithothersimilarcourses

Problem:creativity iswaytoobroad!Solution:focusonepistemicagency

Epistemic agency

EpistemicAgency:thewaysinwhichstudentstakecontrolandownershipoftheirownscientifically-authenticprocesses

oflearningandinquiry.

Epistemicagents:"individualsorgroupswhotake,oraregranted,responsibilityforshapingtheknowledgeand

practiceofacommunity”[1].

Computation and Epistemic Agency

Computation

Realisticmodeling

CommunicableResults

Authenticinquiry

Multiplewaystocode

Educational Goals

Goals:1. Redesigncoursestosupportstudents’scientificcreativity

2. Compare our design choiceswithothersimilarcourses

Educational Goals

Goals:1. Redesigncoursestosupportstudents’scientificcreativityepistemicagencythroughtheuseof computation

2. Compareourdesignchoiceswithothersimilarcourses

Fys1120 Redesign: Lessons Learned

Keyword: Lagom(not too little, not too much)

• Best:mixofopen-endedandtraditionalassignments• Completelyopen-ended vs. “Choose-your-own-adventure”• Take-home exams are hard

Comparative Study: Initial Results

Emphasison:• Codeefficiency• Assumptionandlimitations• Communication

Emphasison:• Codeorganizationandself-description

• Novelresearchquestions• Modeldevelopment/dataexploration

• Externalsources

Impact of Educational Design?Traininginobject-

orientedprogramming

Codeefficiency

Modeling-FocusedProjects

Assumptionsandlimitations

Exampleessaysinshowroom

Communication

Trainingincodereadability,notebooks

Organized,documentedcode

Dataanalysisprojects

Externalresources,multi-stepinvestigations

Completelyopen-endedproject

Novelinvestigationquestions,externalsources

Conclusions (so far…)

Computationcan supportstudentepistemicagencyinmultipleways

Computer=“objecttothinkwith”(Papert [2])

Educational design, scaffolding, and goals play a major role

Thank You!References:1. Stroupe,D.(2014).ExaminingClassroomSciencePracticeCommunities:How

TeachersandStudentsNegotiateEpistemicAgencyandLearnScience-as-Practice.ScienceEducation,98(3),487–516.

2. Papert,S.(1980).Mindstorms.NewYork:BasicBooks,Inc.

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ComputationalEssayshowroom: