Meeting Twelve (22nd May): Boosting science learning through the design of curriculum materials

Bybee, Rodger, “Boost­ing sci­ence learn­ing through the design of cur­ricu­lum mate­ri­als” (2006). http://research.acer.edu.au/research_conference_2006/7 [Down­load .PDF]

(Abbre­vi­ated) Abstract: How can cur­ricu­lum mate­ri­als enhance sci­ence teach­ing and stu­dent learn­ing? In answer­ing this ques­tion I draw upon my expe­ri­ence at the Bio­log­i­cal Sci­ences Cur­ricu­lum Study (BSCS) to describe the design and devel­op­ment of effec­tive sci­ence curricula.

To be dis­cussed Tues­day 7.30, 22nd May, @teachingofsci to moderate.

Dis­cus­sion points:

1. How do your stu­dents demon­strate (or when unsuc­cess­ful, fail to demon­strate) the three prin­ci­ples of learn­ing sug­gested by pre­vi­ous research? How do you try to ensure your teach­ing ful­fils the require­ments of address­ing these?
2. What are the biggest chal­lenges of apply­ing the 5Es model (more expla­na­tions by @hrogerson here and NASA here) to your cur­ricu­lum design process, for exam­ple new schemes of work? With­out com­plain­ing about exam boards, Ofsted or the Depart­ment for Edu­ca­tion, how might we improve our use of this model?
3. How might we repli­cate the col­lec­tion of evi­dence about stu­dent learn­ing in the UK school sys­tem? What changes if any might we need to make to the meth­ods to acco­mo­date our sys­tem (with sum­ma­tive exams at the end of the 9–11 time period)?
4. It is inter­est­ing to see teacher learn­ing addressed in the same con­text as that of stu­dents. How might we best share these ideas more widely with pro­fes­sional col­leagues — both dur­ing ITT and CPD — assum­ing that we chose to do so?