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Empowering Prospective Teachers to Become Active Sense-Makers: Multimodal Modeling of the Seasons

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Abstract

Situating science concepts in concrete and authentic contexts, using information and communications technologies, including multimodal modeling tools, is important for promoting the development of higher-order thinking skills in learners. However, teachers often struggle to integrate emergent multimodal models into a technology-rich informal learning environment. Our design-based research co-designs and develops engaging, immersive, and interactive informal learning activities called “Embodied Modeling-Mediated Activities” (EMMA) to support not only Singaporean learners’ deep learning of astronomy but also the capacity of teachers. As part of the research on EMMA, this case study describes two prospective teachers’ co-design processes involving multimodal models for teaching and learning the concept of the seasons in a technology-rich informal learning setting. Our study uncovers four prominent themes emerging from our data concerning the contextualized nature of learning and teaching involving multimodal models in informal learning contexts: (1) promoting communication and emerging questions, (2) offering affordances through limitations, (3) explaining one concept involving multiple concepts, and (4) integrating teaching and learning experiences. This study has an implication for the development of a pedagogical framework for teaching and learning in technology-enhanced learning environments—that is empowering teachers to become active sense-makers using multimodal models.

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Notes

  1. Like usual model we have a light bulb indicating the sun, because we need the sun to give out light to represent the sun. Ok, for the earth we’ll use a big Styrofoam ball with a stick to represent the axis of rotation and we would er…stick it in such a way that it is around 23.… and we assume that the amount of light received on the surface is actually proportional to the heat received. (Simon).

    Our model could also explain …people living in the Northern hemisphere as in they will see sunrise at different points as in they will see…the sun will still rise in the east but at different positions throughout the year, er but…it’s easier with the real model but… (Daniel).

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Authors and Affiliations

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Correspondence to Mi Song Kim.

Appendix: The Coding Scheme

Appendix: The Coding Scheme

Categories

Coding

Definition

Move (turns of utterance)

Initiation

The move that is made to open a new exchange on a topic/theme. The initiation can be made by teachers/facilitators or students/participants

Response

The move that responds to the questions in initiation or questions aroused in the follow-up. It can be made by teachers/facilitators or students/participants

Feedback or follow-up

The move that follows up to the responses to evaluate, comment, or clarify the responses, or to supplement the previous response. It can be made by teachers/facilitators or students/participants

Type of utterance

Question

The interrogative utterance

Answer

Utterance that spoken in response to a question

Presentation

Teachers/facilitators or students presenting in groups or a whole-class

Statement

Further content-related propositions made by teachers/facilitators or students/participants for summarization or conclusion

Comment

An evaluative or neutral utterance given by teachers/facilitators or students/participants in response to a student/participant’s reply to the question; or a restatement/reformulation of students/participants’ responses

Argument

A verbal, social and rational activity aimed at convincing a reasonable critic of the acceptability of a standpoint by putting forward a constellation of proposition justifying or refuting the proposition expressed in the standpoint (Chin and Osborne 2010)

Purpose of utterance

Elicit

To draw out students/participants’ prior knowledge or previous experiences

Probe

To let the other speaker justify ‘why’ certain answer is given so as to explore certain topics (e.g., How can you show … using your model?)

Extend

To switch from one sub-topic to another related sub-topic within a topic discussed (e.g., when students/participants are not sure of concept A, teachers/facilitators guide them to know about concept B in order to understand concept A)

Clarify

To make sure whether information is correctly received by repeating or rephrasing based on others’ statements

Challenge

To point out the limitations of others’ response and to rebut claims or arguments

Reply

To response to others’ questions

Explain

To explain phenomena by providing reasoning, giving examples, justifying what they said, elaborating ideas, etc. [sometimes, the purpose is fulfilled by the action of using models]

Enquire

To seek for basic information when the speaker is not sure about the idea

Complement

To add on or supplement the other speaker’s statements by giving concrete examples or giving further explanation

Procedural instruct

To give instruction in order to manage the process of task

Express emotions

To show emotions such as confusedness, doubt, excitement, or frustration

The use of models

Construct a model spontaneously without clear objectives

Construct a model randomly without any objective (e.g., students/participants just aimlessly build toys or some unrelated stuff using modeling materials)

Construct, represent, visualize, and illustrate single phenomenon or system

Use a model to externalize and concretize the abstract or internal image of certain processes or phenomena or system; Use a model to discuss a topic that is closely related to representation

Use a model to explore or investigate the phenomenon

Use a model to investigate and further explore certain concepts without clear expectation or prediction about the possible outcome (e.g., modifying certain elements in the models, or observing a model from different perspectives)

Use a model to explain why the phenomenon occurs with reasoning

Use a model to explain a process, reasoning, or factors of certain phenomena or concepts

Use a model to explain and predict how the phenomenon occurs by expanding to related phenomena

Use a model to bring out, explain and predict other related phenomena based on understanding of current phenomena

Use a model to ask questions

Ask questions based on models

Use a model to generate argument or show contradiction

Use a model to create arguments by using some evidences emerged from the model

Use a model to give comments

Use models to give evaluative or neutral comments related to the model components or the object that the model represents

Guide others to modify the model

Teachers/facilitators or students/participants give comments or instructions to revise or modify the model

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Kim, M.S. Empowering Prospective Teachers to Become Active Sense-Makers: Multimodal Modeling of the Seasons. J Sci Educ Technol 24, 610–627 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-015-9550-z

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