Educating for the serendipitous discovery

Lenox, Ronald S.

doi:10.1021/ed062p282

Cited by 21 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…While natural scientists rarely use interviews, note-taking is common among natural scientists. For instance, Lenox (1985) argued that 'the habit of observing and recording should be taught by requiring the student to keep a regular laboratory notebook'. Lenox (1985) (Lee and Hubona, 2009;Ngwenyama and Lee, 1997).…”

Section: Methodological Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demystifying beliefs about the natural sciences in information system

Siponen

Klaavuniemi

2020

Journal of Information Technology

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Section: Methodological Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demystifying beliefs about the natural sciences in information system

Siponen

Klaavuniemi

2020

Journal of Information Technology

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“…Serendipity, however, may be viewed from multiple perspectives, not unlike the multiple ways in which information has been conceptualized as thing (Buckland, ), thought and memory, a communication process, an artifact, and energy (Marchionini, ). Serendipity, for example has not only been conceptualized as an outcome (Fine & Deegan, ), but also a process (Makri & Blandford, ), a trigger (Thudt, Hinrichs, & Carpendale, ), and a method (e.g., Lenox, ). The diversity reflects the broad conceptual space of serendipity and hints at the difficulty of studying a phenomenon with such a “slippery nature” (Makri & Blandford, , p. 684).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating serendipity: How it unfolds and what may influence it

McCay‐Peet

Toms

2015

Asso for Info Science & Tech

103

186

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Serendipity is not an easy word to define. Its meaning has been stretched to apply to experiences ranging from the mundane to the exceptional. Serendipity, however, is consistently associated with unexpected and positive personal, scholarly, scientific, organizational, and societal events and discoveries. Diverse serendipitous experiences share a conceptual space; therefore, what lessons can we draw from an exploration of how serendipity unfolds and what may influence it? This article describes an investigation of work-related serendipity. Twelve professionals and academics from a variety of fields were interviewed. The core of the semi-structured interviews focused on participants' own work-related experiences that could be recalled and discussed in depth. This research validated and augmented prior research while consolidating previous models of serendipity into a single model of the process of serendipity, consisting of: Trigger, Connection, Follow-up, and Valuable Outcome, and an Unexpected Thread that runs through 1 or more of the first 4 elements. Together, the elements influence the Perception of Serendipity. Furthermore, this research identified what factors relating to the individual and their environment may facilitate the main elements of serendipity and further influence its perception.

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“…In addition, unintended learning can be an opportunity to expand authentic inquiry as the process of learning has similarities with the way scientists work. Cases from the history of science, such as the unintentional discovery of penicillin, also encourage the importance of unintended learning in the class (Lenox 1985;Roberts 1989). Similarly, Louis Pasteur said that 'Chance favors the prepared mind ' (1954).…”

Section: Summary and Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unintended Learning in Primary School Practical Science Lessons from Polanyi’s Perspective of Intellectual Passion

2015

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This study explored, from the perspective of intellectual passion developed by Michael Polanyi, the unintended learning that occurred in primary practical science lessons. We use the term 'unintended' learning to distinguish it from 'intended' learning that appears in teachers' learning objectives. Data were collected using video and audio recordings of a sample of twenty-four whole class practical science lessons, taught by five teachers, in Korean primary schools with 10-to 12-year-old students. In addition, video and audio recordings were made for each small group of students working together in order to capture their activities and intra-group discourse. Pre-lesson interviews with the teachers were undertaken and audio-recorded to ascertain their intended learning objectives. Selected key vignettes, including unintended learning, were analysed from the perspective of intellectual passion developed by Polanyi. What we found in this study is that unintended learning could occur when students got interested in something in the first place and could maintain their interest. In addition, students could get conceptual knowledge when they tried to connect their experience to their related prior knowledge. It was also found that the processes of intended learning and of unintended learning were different. Intended learning was characterized by having been planned by the teacher who then sought to generate students' interest in it. In contrast, unintended learning originated from students' spontaneous interest and curiosity as a result of unplanned opportunities. Whilst teachers' persuasive passion comes first in the process of intended learning, students' heuristic passion comes first in the process of unintended learning. Based on these findings, we 123 Sci & Educ (2016) 25:3-20 DOI 10.1007 argue that teachers need to be more aware that unintended learning, on the part of individual students, can occur during their lesson and to be able to better use this opportunity so that this unintended learning can be shared by the whole class. Furthermore, we argue that teachers' deliberate action and a more interactive classroom culture are necessary in order to allow students to develop, in addition to heuristic passion, persuasive passion towards their unintended learning.

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Educating for the serendipitous discovery

Abstract: Significant chance discoveries in the history of science and educating students in making discoveries.

Cited by 21 publications

References 2 publications

Demystifying beliefs about the natural sciences in information system

Demystifying beliefs about the natural sciences in information system

Investigating serendipity: How it unfolds and what may influence it

Unintended Learning in Primary School Practical Science Lessons from Polanyi’s Perspective of Intellectual Passion

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