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Fostering knowledge integration in geoscience education
Abstract
Knowledge integration involves pulling together ideas and information into a coherent framework such that new ideas can be linked into already established ideas, and groups of ideas can be mobilized for solving problems, answering questions, or understanding observations. Geoscientists are called on to integrate information from many different modes of inquiry, across different cultural and scientifi c traditions, in the face of incomplete evidence and in support of ill-structured problems. This paper explores fi ve strategies to foster knowledge integration through geoscience education: three organizational schemas for content, plus two integrative practices. These are (1) integrate around a locale of signifi cance to students, (2) integrate around a societally important problem, (3) integrate around a suite of "big ideas," (4) integrate using visual representations, and (5) integrate using physical and computer models. For each strategy, we describe examples of its use in geoscience education, critique advantages and potential disadvantages, and suggest questions for future research. We conclude with a thought experiment envisioning the nodes and linkages in hypothetical mental concept maps of students educated with each of these fi ve strategies, seeking to improve on a fragmented mental map of isolated nodes and weak linkages.
... often ensues (Brogaard & Gatzia, 2017;Donaldson, 2010;Gideonse, 2019;Wegerif, 2007). Associations and structures are synthesised (Linn, 2000), which connects new ideas to established ones by means of coherent argument (Baxter & Glaser, 1998;Kastens & Manduca, 2012;Nichols & Sugrue, 1999;Shepard, 2000). A kaleidoscope of intradisciplinary, multi-disciplinary, cross-disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and trans-disciplinary connections is often revealed (Jenseniu, 2012). ...
This article is a synthesis of possibility. A view of how question sense might generate inquiry and inventiveness across the gamut of human experience is presented. Dialogue between curiosity and questions spawns sense-making processes through which we can perceive and construct connections that have value. The application of a layered set of question frames energizes the construction of curious-concatenates that are precarious and continually networked across the template of human consciousness. They are created through intention and perceived value, and thereby, reflect underlying motivations in the life world, as distinct from psychological maturation. Ways in which curious-concatenates change and transform to make order out of disorder are discussed. The whole is synthesised into a two-phase iterative model for the generation and enactment of inventiveness, with a question-led process at the center. The implications for curriculum design and development and pedagogy are profound.
... This idea is extended in a post-Covid-19 higher education setting by Whalley et al. (2021). As well as the formulation of an exploratorium, the cognitive aspects mentioned also relate to knowledge integration in geoscience education (Kastens and Manduca 2012) that can be related to artistic endeavours associated with geoheritage. Geoscience is currently involved in many planning decisions; for example, hydrocarbon extraction, renewable energy generation, coastal erosion and flood prevention measures, where improved public knowledge of geoscience should enhance understanding of the issues involved. ...
The paper outlines how an outdoor 'exploratorium' can be curated to place field observations, together with some knowledge of the local environment, in a manner that relates to geology, geomorphology and artistic aesthetics. The exploratorium can also be used to help explain what is seen, touched or felt as part of 'sensory geology'. The locations used are on an accessible walk, a geo-promenade, along the sea front of a coastal town, Weston-super-Mare, England. Sites, such as a sea wall and recent engineering structures, are linked to flood prevention measures and sculpture and stone promenade furniture relate to various aspects of geoheritage. Notions of consilience and decision-making in the behavioural environment are introduced, together with ways in which perceptions of the landscape can be shared with visually impaired visitors. Notes are provided to illustrate the additional information (metadata) that might be supplied in constructing a geo-promenade. The use of mobile technologies for recording observations, providing locations (using decimal Latitude Longitude designations) and general information is also discussed with respect to accessible visits. Attention is also given to cognition and educational models of experiential discussion and knowledge sharing that can be used in exploratoria and geoheritage in general.
... In the geoscience education literature and beyond, there is a growing body of evidence on the value of visualization instruction in science classes (Gilbert, 2010;Kastens & Manduca, 2012;Paxton et al., 2017). Some authors have studied the benefits of creating visualizations, and others have focused on the effectiveness of students studying precreated visualizations; both have been deemed helpful (Cheng, Guy, Narduzzo, & Takashina, 2015;Dollahon, 2017;Kohnle et al., 2010). ...
An interdisciplinary undergraduate atmospheric science modeling course was cotaught at a midsize public university by three professors from atmospheric science, statistics, and design using a blended learning approach. The in-class portion of the course taught upper-level students numerical weather prediction modeling and statistical evaluation methods. Online modules were used to teach data visualization techniques and three foundational design principles upon which their efficacy depends : legibility, visual hierarchy, and appropriate use of color. Geoscience students need data visualization skills to prepare for careers in government, industry, and research that increasingly require work with big data and communication with diverse collaborators and audiences. This article focuses on the instructional approach for the visualization component of the course—specifically, the three teaching innovations used: online modules, an interdisciplinary teaching team, and design-focused data visualization instruction. Although course enrollment was low at four students, several valuable lessons were learned that can improve the teaching of visualization in geoscience courses, including the utility of structuring visualization instruction around two separate but complementary visualization skills: visualization for analysis and visualization for sharing knowledge. Evaluation of students’ visualization work at the conclusion of the course demonstrated improvement in the foundational design principles as well as improved ability to select appropriate visualization strategies for different situations. The methods used to assess these improvements are presented alongside illustrative examples of student work. Pre- and postcourse surveys indicate the students felt more confident in creating data visualizations upon completion of the course, and qualitative assessments of student work confirm increased application of foundational design principles in visualizations created by the students. The authors argue that teaching visualization as an online supplement to other geoscience instruction is a potentially replicable model for improving students’ learning about visualization. This is especially true when such instruction relies on open-source programs and materials and leverages interdisciplinary expertise in course design.
... Knowledge integration-a constructivist process involving the combination and synthesis of information-is particularly relevant to the geosciences, which, by their very nature, require the integration of different types of knowledge. Kastens and Manduca (2012) identified several strategies that can be used to integrate geosciences thinking and learning, including (a) integrating knowledge around a place, or place-based learning, and (b) integrating knowledge around a socially important problem, or problembased learning. For this assignment, students combine information from course material, outside resources, and personal knowledge to address a geosciencerelated issue important to their home community. ...
Responding to the need for recruitment and retention of a diverse geoscience population, we developed a capstone homework assignment for use in introductory-level geoscience courses. In this article we present “Geologic Issues: Community Impacts and Science Communication,” a place- and problem-based assignment designed using research on student learning and interest, as well as research that suggests underrepresented minority students are more likely to be attracted to science disciplines if they perceive that science can be used to help their communities. The assignment combines a socially relevant problem in a location of personal interest for each student with a short letter-writing assignment designed to help students recognize the value and applicability of the geosciences to their lives. This assignment was successfully implemented in two very different settings—a highly selective four-year college and an open-access two-year college—and to diverse populations of students in small and moderate-sized classes. Students who participated in the study reported positive influences this assignment made on their perceptions of geoscience. For example, the assignment helped them (a) realize that geoscience was pertinent to their community (100% of students); (b) feel more confident in using and communicating science (95% of students); and (c) potentially see themselves as geoscientists because of interest, perception of the value of geoscience, and learning that geoscientists can work in their communities. These results are independent of academic setting, gender, and racial and ethnic diversity, indicating that all groups of students participating in the study benefitted from the assignment.
... By integrating all three dimensions into the curriculum design process, educators can create materials that foster students' critical thinking skills and develop scientific habits of mind. Ideally, geoscience content knowledge and observations of geologic processes can be combined to develop a coherent mental framework that allows students to reason about Earth (Kastens and Manduca, 2012). In addition to content knowledge, students need to develop an understanding of how scientists know what they know (Hannula, 2003; Laursen and Brickley, 2011). ...
Science education can build a bridge between research carried out by scientists and relevant learning opportunities for students. The Broader Impact requirements for scientists by funding agencies facilitate this connection. We propose and test a model curriculum development process in which scientists, curriculum developers, and classroom educators work together to scaffold the use of authentic, unprocessed scientific data for high school students. We outline a three-module curriculum structure that facilitates these goals. This curriculum engages students in the collection, description, visualization, and interpretation of data; develops understanding of the nature of science; includes prompts to develop higher-order thinking skills; builds knowledge of regional relevance of climate change in students; uses active learning techniques; and can be easily integrated with the Next Generation Science Standards. The curriculum was reviewed and tested in the classroom. To shed further light on the curriculum development process, we gathered reflection data from the scientists, curriculum developers, and educators. Scientists appreciated the collaborative process in which they contributed their expertise without requiring a large time commitment or strong expertise in science education. The curriculum developers viewed the modular structure as helpful in breaking complicated scientific concepts into teachable steps. Classroom educators appreciated the detailed description and step-by-step instructions to navigate data analysis tools like Excel or Google Earth. Initial classroom implementation of the curriculum by 11 teachers with over 1,100 students showed high levels of interest in the topic and engagement. Further work is needed to assess efficacy of the curriculum through classroom observations and measures of student learning.
The epistemic components of science are included in instruction through the three-dimensional learning of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Students use the Science & Engineering Practices to engage the Disciplinary Core Ideas through the perspective of the Crosscutting Concepts. The NGSS focus on the epistemic aspects that all sciences share, but the domain-specific epistemic aspects, referred to here as ways of knowing, are still important to include in science education because they require different pedagogical methods. In this paper, I show how curriculum developers can incorporate the ways of knowing of the Earth & Space Sciences into their units through the choice of Practices and Crosscutting Concepts in the lesson-specific learning performance statements. I start by identifying the most common Practice-Crosscutting Concept pairs of the Earth & Space Sciences performance expectations and comparing them to the literature on the ways of knowing in the geosciences. The performance expectations represent the multiple modes of inquiry and systems thinking characteristic of the Earth & Space Sciences. Yet, they don’t effectively represent other aspects of the Earth & Space Sciences, like visualization, spatial reasoning, deep time, and large size and spatial scales. I then encourage curriculum developers to move beyond the example of the performance expectations by providing suggested Practice and Crosscutting Concept pairs and groupings that can be used by curriculum developers to communicate these other aspects. I also include example unit outlines to show what the suggestions might look like in application.
A concept for an interdisciplinary summer school for “multiscale processes in oceans and the atmosphere” is presented. It aims to deepen students’ understanding of scientific issues as well as their experience in multicultural communication. The theme covers climate evolution, which is partially dominated by far-reaching anthropogenic changes and their possible consequences on the Earth’s system. An integrated approach helps to change rigid subject-specific mindsets among faculties and students and across cultures, so as to broaden their horizons in both research and life. Research has shown, however, that the development of intercultural competence in students does not happen automatically but needs to be fostered and supported. Therefore, a primary goal is also to provide young researchers from several countries (mainly China and Germany) with the opportunity to gain more indepth knowledge on research in Germany, to be exposed to scientific culture, and thus to prepare for foreign research visits either during the PhD phase or as postdoctoral fellows, supporting the internationalization of education and opportunities in marine sciences. Finally, the students have the chance to further develop their scientific profiles by attending scientific talks, lab exercises, and excursions and by combining rigorous scientific disciplines with the awareness of multidisciplinary issues related to the topic of global climate change.
Faculty development is often under-emphasized in community colleges (or 2-year colleges; 2YCs). This research reports on data collected from a National Science Foundation (NSF) project involving 2YC geoscience faculty as “change agents.” We studied 22 geoscience faculty involved in a NSF funded longitudinal project that focused on three project strands: supporting academic success of all students; facilitating professional pathways of students in geoscience and STEM; and broadening participation in the geosciences. The participants were involved in intensive professional development (PD) workshops that were supplemented by virtual activities. Using situated learning and adult learning theory as theoretical frameworks, we discuss connections between faculty as learners and effective practices for faculty development toward evidence-based teaching and learning practices. Based on baseline interview data with individual faculty prior to their involvement as change agents, we found that faculty members’ disciplinary background influenced how the participants approached their own learning. Using participants’ reflections and workshop feedback, we found that the situated learning that occurred during the PD sessions and change agent team meetings was supported by the opportunity to apply new teaching strategies into current classes and other aspects of their faculty work. This study concluded that leveraging adult learning theories provides enhanced opportunities for the occurrence of situated learning for faculty members.
This study identifies a population of students who have an intermediate amount of relevant content knowledge and skill for working with data, and characterizes their approach to interpreting a challenging data-based visualization. Thirty-three undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory environmental science course reasoned about salinity data as shown in map and vertical profiles from the Mediterranean while thinking aloud and being eye-tracked. Students reasoned about 2D and 3D interpretations in the context of two hypothesis arrays (a suite of potential interpretations about a set of data). Findings suggest the students have some effective strategies in reading data: They look at cartographic elements, correctly identify the image as a salinity map, and draw inferences from the data. Common looking strategies include scanning along the salinity gradient, comparing areas of interest, and aligning the color bar with the map. Individual differences emerge in the interpretation of the data, with no interpretations being fully aligned with the scientifically normative explanation. Post hoc analyses identify reasoning tasks and spontaneous behaviors related to a construct we refer to as “data expertise,” which is intended to capture the degree of conceptual sophistication and resourcefulness in reasoning about data. A data expertise scale was developed, with scores ranging from zero (weak) to six (strong) that were normally distributed. Our findings suggest that appropriately coordinating data with a model, comparing and contrasting across data representations from different times or places, and extracting 3D structure from 2D representations are associated with data expertise.
The geoscience education research (GER) enterprise faces a challenge in moving instructional resources and ideas from the well-populated domain of “practitioners' wisdom” into the research-tested domains of St. John and McNeal's pyramid of evidence (this volume). We suggest that the process could be accelerated by seeking out clusters of instructional materials that share a common design pattern and then researching the affordances, pitfalls, and mechanism for the cluster. As a proof of concept, we sought design patterns that would support the learning goal that students be able to use authentic geoscience data to make inferences about Earth processes and decisions about Earth–human interactions. Analyzing intro-level modules from the InTeGrate project revealed six such patterns, each of which was used in at least three modules. For each pattern, we describe the instructional sequence, provide an illustrative example, describe the variability observed within the pattern, hypothesize mechanisms by which the instructional sequence might lead to improved learning, and pose potential research questions. In order from most to least abundant, the observed design patterns are Data Puzzles, Pooling Data to See the Big Picture, Make a Decision or Recommendation, Predict–Observe–Explain, Nested Data Sets, and Deriving a New Data Type. We conclude that a research program based on design patterns for teaching and learning with authentic geoscience data is viable, and we offer recommendations for moving forward.
To promote active learning and increase student involvement in their own knowledge construction, we have implemented the use of concept sketches, which are simplified sketches that are concisely annotated with processes, concepts, and interrelationships, in addition to labels of features. When concept sketches are instructor-generated, they help students see how we organize and explain our knowledge. Students can generate their own concept sketches after seeing animations, video clips, photographs, and detailed textbook-style illustrations. They can also generate concept sketches while reading their textbook or after participating in inquiry exercises and in-class demonstrations. By generating such sketches and explaining them to their peers, students necessarily process the information more fully, consolidate their understanding, and personalize the information to suit their learning styles. Concept sketches are also excellent for identifying student conceptions prior to instruction, for directing student study as homework, and for assesing student understanding in exams. Concept sketching engages students in the learning process, develops critical thinking skills, teaches communications skills, and makes the course more enjoyable. Abundant educational research indicates that such sketches promote better student comprehension of the system under study and permit students to better use this knowledge to investigate the underlying processes and principles.
The Place-Based Education Evaluation Collaborative (PEEC) was formed to invest in the development of place-based education models of professional development and whole school improvement through more rigorous evaluation. An external evaluation team conducted a cross-program study, analyzing the effects of 4 place-based education programs on teachers, students, schools, and communities. This article reports on 2 aspects of the study: (a) a cross-program analysis of the 4 programs strengths and challenges, and (b) an analysis of trends in teacher practice change across the programs. Data sources included 163 adult interviews (teachers, administrators, program staff, and community members), 85 student interviews, and 41 field observations. Recommendations for program development and emergent themes for further research are reported.
Many students leave high school chemistry courses with profound misunderstandings about the nature of matter, chemical processes, and chemical systems. The ChemSense project is addressing this problem through a multidisciplinary program of research and development to examine the impact of representational tools, chemical investigations, and discourse on chemistry learning and teaching in high schools and colleges. This work intersects several theoretical approaches to learning, including collaborative project-based investigations, representational competence, knowledge building, and the design of chemistry curriculum. The ChemSense Knowledge Building Environment allows students and instructors to collaborate in the investigation of chemical phenomena, collect data, build representations of these phenomena, and participate in scaffolded discourse to explain these phenomena in terms of underlying chemical mechanisms. Research indicates that ChemSense is effective in supporting student representational use and chemical understanding. In this article, the authors present their theoretical approach, describe the ChemSense learning environment in the context of actual use by high school students, summarize the research findings, and discuss the implications of these findings for future work.
In this study, we examine how subjects set up, transform, and reason with models that they establish on the basis of known facts as they seek to explain a familiar everyday phenomenon—the phases of the moon. An interview schedule was designed to elicit subjects’ reasoning, and in the case where explanations were mistaken, to induce a change in explanation. Detailed interviews of eight participants were videotaped and their reasoning analysed to highlight the difficulties encountered, the interaction between physical and geometrical aspects, simplification and idealisation processes, interplay between facts, concepts and visualisation, and the use of external visualisations through gestures and diagrams. We suggest that visualisation is an important process in science learning, and point to the importance of developing among students the ability to work with diagrams.
Systems thinking is regarded as a high-order thinking skill required in scientific, technological, and everyday domains. However, little is known about systems thinking in the context of science education. In the current research, students' understanding of the rock cycle system after a learning program was characterized, and the effect of a concluding knowledge integration activity on their systems thinking was studied. Answers to an open-ended test were interpreted using a systems thinking continuum, ranging from a completely static view of the system to an understanding of the system's cyclic nature. A meaningful improvement in students' views of the rock cycle toward the higher side of the systems thinking continuum was found after the knowledge integration activity. Students became more aware of the dynamic and cyclic nature of the rock cycle, and their ability to construct sequences of processes representing material transformation in relatively large chunks significantly improved. Success of the knowledge integration activity stresses the importance of postknowledge acquisition activities, which engage students in a dual process of differentiation of their knowledge and reintegration in a systems context. We suggest including such activities in curricula involving systems-based contents, particularly in earth science, in which systems thinking can bring about environmental literacy. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 545–565, 2003
Teaching the use of models in scientific research requires a description, in general terms, of how scientists actually use
models in their research activities. This paper aims to arrive at defining common characteristics of models that are used
in present-day scientific research. Initially, a list of common features of models and modelling, based on the literature
was compiled. Next, a questionnaire was developed, which consisted of 10 statements with which the common features of models
were probed. A sample of 77 research papers from ‘hard science’ journals was drawn. The questionnaire was sent to the first
author of the selected articles. The useful response was 24 (31%). From an analysis of the results, it was concluded that
the consulted scientists more or less agreed with the initial list of common features of models and modelling. However, some
characteristics were perceived differently by the respondents, or formulated in different terms. This has led us to revise
some of the features in our list. It is recommended that in science curricula and science text books, more attention should
be paid to modern uses of models (e.g., in the context of computer simulation and technological design), and that aspects
of the nature of models (e.g., the relation between model and target, and possible limitations of a model), which are underexposed
in education, are addressed more explicitly.
Within Charles Sanders Peirce''s semiotical theory, twodifferent kinds of creative metaphorical reasoning inscience can be identified. One of these, the buildingof remainder metaphors, is especially important forcreating new scientific models. We show that theconveyor belt metaphor provides an excellent examplefor Peirce''s theory. The conveyor belt metaphor hasrecently been invented in order to describe theoceanic transport system. The paradigm of the oceanicconveyor belt strongly influenced the geosciencecommunity and the climate change discussion. Afteridentifying structures of metaphorical reasoning inscience (section 2), these structures are examined insection 3 for the conveyor belt metaphor in the fieldof oceanography. Finally, concluding remarks are givenin section 4.
Web-based inquiry educational modules using Geographic information system (GIS) maps are ideal for earth and environmental systems education. GIS maps display and manage a rich array of spatially referenced data, which can be combined in user- defined ways to study most natural systems. The maps can be served over the Web to create flexible and portable educational modules for science education. We describe the use of GIS maps for an ongoing pre-service teacher graduate education course at Lehigh University and show applicability to other traditional disciplinary courses taught in many secondary and introductory college classrooms. Like Earth system science, use of GIS maps transcends traditional natural and social science disciplinary boundaries. GIS can be used to track how natural systems are functioning and changing in response to human activities. Similar to Earth system science, GIS maps provide a framework for integration of environmental data across a range of temporal and spatial scales. Instruct...
Learning geoscience and becoming a professional geoscientist require high-level spatial thinking. Thus, geoscience offers an intriguing context for studying people's mental representations and processes as they pertain to large-scale, three-dimensional spatial cognition and learning, from both cognitive science and geoscience perspectives. This paper discusses major tasks that professional geoscientists and geoscience learners deal with, focusing on the spatial nature of the tasks and underlying cognitive processes. The specific tasks include recognizing, describing, and classifying the shape of an object; describing the position and orientation of objects; making and using maps; envisioning processes in three dimensions; and using spatial-thinking strategies to think about nonspatial phenomena. Findings and implications from cognitive science literature that could be incorporated into geoscience teaching and some questions for future research are also discussed.
Humans reason by analogy (Lakoff and Johnson, 1980; Gentner, 1983; 2003; Hofstadter, 2001, 2006; Pinker, 2007). Some have further argued that analogs can be scientific models (Hesse, 1966, Clement, 1989) although clearly not all analogies are models. Analogies based on mere physical similarity are not equivalent to scientific models but analogies based on shared relationships between the analog and target maybe equivalent to scientific models. A literature review of analogies and scientific models indicates that all scientific models in geology are relational analogs. Relational analogs are equivalent to models because both: 1) are based on recognizing relational characteristics of the analog (or model) and target, 2) map similarities and differences between the analog (or model) and target and 3) support inferences about the target based on relational similarities between the target and analog (or model). Therefore, the cognitive processes involved in analogical thinking provide a theoretical, research-based framework for instruction designed to improve students' ability to learn how to use and generate scientific models.
Visual displays of data, images of subatomic to planetary-scale features, and animations of geological processes are widely
used to enrich our disciplines. However, their communicative power may be dramatically different to a student and to an expert
because of the need for prior knowledge and inference when interpreting visuals. To “see” equivalent visual information, the
non-expert must learn the visual language of the expert. Teaching visual literacy is important to instruction at all levels
and is as fundamental to a discipline as its vocabulary. The underlying foundations of visual literacy and the recognition
of what one “sees” and interprets in a visual depiction are critical for enhancing student learning and for effective communication
in our visually rich discipline.
Spatial thinking is a powerful form of human cognition. It is used in a plethora of occupational activities (e.g., reading architectural blueprints), educational curriculum (e.g., using graphs and molecular models in science class), and everyday tasks (e.g., packing suitcases into a car trunk). Developmental psychologists, differential psychologists, and educational psychologists have studied the emergence of spatial thinking over the life course, identified meaningful differences among individuals and groups, and demonstrated that spatial thinking can be improved through interventions. The finding that many individuals do not achieve high spatial skills on their own implies the need for explicit spatial education. Recognizing that adding a standalone spatial education curriculum is unrealistic, it is argued that spatial education should be infused within existing courses. One particularly good vehicle for enhancing spatial instruction is geography, a discipline that places spatial thinking at its core. Furthermore, a key tool of geography (as well as of many other disciplines) – the map – is a flexible and powerful spatial representation. Thus, map education is singled out for particular focus. The chapter provides reviews of major qualities and functions of maps and of developmental changes in map mastery, and offers illustrations of both traditional and developmentally motivated map education curriculum. The chapter concludes with a discussion of some practical challenges in map education, and urges continued efforts in devising, implementing, and evaluating programs designed to educate spatial thinkers.