Slowmation: Preservice elementary teachers representing science knowledge through creating multimodal digital animations

Abstract

Research has identified the value of learners using technology to construct their own representations of science concepts. In this study, we investigate how learners, such as preservice elementary teachers, design and make a narrated animation to represent their science knowledge. The type of animation exemplified is called a ''Slowmation'' (abbreviated from ''Slow Animation''), which is a simplified way for preservice teachers to make an animation that integrates features from claymation, object animation, and digital storytelling. Drawing on semiotic theory, a case study of three preservice elementary teachers, who were audio and video recorded as they created a slowmation, illustrates how the construction process enabled them to engage with a science concept in multiple ways. Findings suggest that when preservice teachers create a slowmation, they design and make a sequence of five representations, each being a semiotic system with particular affordances that link as a semiotic progression: (i) research notes; (ii) storyboard; (iii) models; and (iv) digital photographs, which culminate in (v) a narrated animation. In this study, the authors present their theoretical framework, explain how the preservice teachers created a slowmation using a sequence of representations to show their science knowledge and discuss the implications of these findings for learners in universities and schools.

Designing a digital teaching resource to explain phases of the moon: A case study of preservice elementary teachers making a slowmation

“…We used a similar process to that reported previously (Hoban et al, 2011;Hoban & Nielsen, 2013), but with a key difference -phases of the moon is a much more difficult topic with well-documented alternate conceptions, the most common of which is that moon phases are caused by the shadow of the earth which Trundle et al (2002Trundle et al ( , 2007 called the "eclipse alternative conception". As soon as our case teachers were allocated the topic, individual interviews were conducted to ascertain their prior knowledge and science backgrounds.…”

“…Slowmation is a visualization technique involving model-making, which is an important part of science learning (Gilbert, 2007;Phillips, Norris, & Macnab, 2010). Whilst there have been studies on the process that preservice teachers use in constructing a slowmation (Hoban & Nielsen, 2010), the type and sequences of representations in construction (Hoban, Loughran, & Nielsen, 2011) and the nature of learning (Hoban & Nielsen, 2012) and social interactions (Hoban & Nielsen, 2014), there has not been a study on the design process of making a slowmation as a digital teaching resource.…”

“…This has been called a "semiotic progression" whereby the interpretant or meaning from each sign or representation contributes to the next representation culminating in the final narrated animation (Hoban, Loughran, & Nielsen, 2011). Learning results because of the cumulative semiotic progression, where preservice teachers "[revisit] content through different semiotic systems with meaning building from one representation to the next to promote learning" (Hoban, Nielsen, & Shepherd, 2013, p. 140).…”

Exploration of the Strategy in Constructing Visualization Used by Pre-service Elementary School Teachers in Making Science Video Clip for Flipped Learning - Focusing on Earth Science -

“…최근 국내 과학교육에서도 (Lee & Kim, 2007). 또한 과학 개념과 관련하여 표상을 만드는 것은 예비교사 자신의 과학적 개념을 확고히 하는 측면 과 만들어진 표상을 이용하여 어려운 과학적 개념에 대한 학생들의 이해를 도모할 수 있는 2가지 측면에 기여한다 (Ainsworth et al, 2007;Ainsworth et al, 2011;Prain et al, 2009;Prain & Tytler, 2012;Hoban et al, 2011;Hubber et al, 2010). 특히 초등 과학교육에서 계절의 변화 원인, 달의 위상변화, 낮과 밤 등 지구 영역의 여러 개념에 대하여 초등 예비교사들은 불완전한 개념을 가지고 있으며, 가르치기 어려움 을 겪고 있는 부분이다 (Atwood & Atwood, 1997;Trundle et al, 2002).…”

“…특히 초등 과학교육에서 계절의 변화 원인, 달의 위상변화, 낮과 밤 등 지구 영역의 여러 개념에 대하여 초등 예비교사들은 불완전한 개념을 가지고 있으며, 가르치기 어려움 을 겪고 있는 부분이다 (Atwood & Atwood, 1997;Trundle et al, 2002). 따라서 예비교사들은 과학적 개념에 대한 표상을 만드는 과정 을 통해 그들 자신의 불완전한 과학적 개념을 확고히 하게 해 줄 수 있으며, 완성된 표상을 교육적으로 활용할 수 있다 (Hoban et al, 2011). (Dixon, 2010;Long et al, 2013).…”