Cognition, Computers, and Synthetic Science: Building Knowledge and Meaning through Modeling

Abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

The Use of Computer‐based Programming Environments as Computer Modelling Tools in Early Science Education: The cases of textual and graphical program languages

“…Moreover, any learning experience that is grounded upon the premises of modelling-based learning offers students, through an authentic inquiry-oriented practice, an opportunity to think and talk scientifically about natural phenomena (Penner, 2001), to share, discuss and criticize their ideas (Devi, Tiberghien, Baker, & Brna, 1996;Rouwette, Vennix, & Thijssen, 2000;Suthers, 1999) and to reflect upon their own understanding (Gilbert, Boulter, & Rutherford, 1998;Jonassen, Strobel, & Gottdenker, 2005). Penner (2001) has argued that models can be "tools to think with and to reflect upon", because they include representations of physical and conceptual values that are not usually represented in "concrete" forms and therefore cannot be otherwise observed in the natural world (p. 2).…”

“…Moreover, any learning experience that is grounded upon the premises of modelling-based learning offers students, through an authentic inquiry-oriented practice, an opportunity to think and talk scientifically about natural phenomena (Penner, 2001), to share, discuss and criticize their ideas (Devi, Tiberghien, Baker, & Brna, 1996;Rouwette, Vennix, & Thijssen, 2000;Suthers, 1999) and to reflect upon their own understanding (Gilbert, Boulter, & Rutherford, 1998;Jonassen, Strobel, & Gottdenker, 2005). Penner (2001) has argued that models can be "tools to think with and to reflect upon", because they include representations of physical and conceptual values that are not usually represented in "concrete" forms and therefore cannot be otherwise observed in the natural world (p. 2). Research in science education has highlighted a number of modelling-based learning approaches (that is the construction of models through the process of scientific modelling) in science (see Justi & Gilbert, 2002, for a review; also see Constantinou, 1996;Penner, 2001;Penner, Lehrer, & Schauble, 1998;Schecker, 1993;Gobert & Buckley, 2000;Glynn et al, 1994;Treagust et al, 1996;Pittman, 1999;Iddling, 1997;Gilbert, 2004).…”

“…Penner (2001) has argued that models can be "tools to think with and to reflect upon", because they include representations of physical and conceptual values that are not usually represented in "concrete" forms and therefore cannot be otherwise observed in the natural world (p. 2). Research in science education has highlighted a number of modelling-based learning approaches (that is the construction of models through the process of scientific modelling) in science (see Justi & Gilbert, 2002, for a review; also see Constantinou, 1996;Penner, 2001;Penner, Lehrer, & Schauble, 1998;Schecker, 1993;Gobert & Buckley, 2000;Glynn et al, 1994;Treagust et al, 1996;Pittman, 1999;Iddling, 1997;Gilbert, 2004). Nevertheless, all researchers appear to identify that the modelling-based learning approach involves two basic steps.…”

“…Once students have constructed a model, they need to evaluate their model through a comparison with the real-life phenomenon (Bell, 1995;Papaevripidou, Constantinou and Zacharia, in press;Penner, 2001;Penner, Lehrer & Schauble;Schecker, 1993;Gobert & Buckley, 2000). Students should attempt to apply their model to new situations by using the model to interpret and make predictions about new phenomena.…”

Exploring middle school students' use of inscriptions in project-based science classrooms

“…Students could attach information to an inscription and modify its format and content to reflect upon their emergent understandings (Forman & Ansell, 2002). As Penner (2001) argued, "developing scientific understanding can be viewed as the appropriation of tools allowing students to build on their current knowledge while engaged in socially mediated activity" (p. 28). Inscriptions could be such tools.…”