| NSF Org: |
DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | March 9, 2012 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 13, 2015 |
| Award Number: | 1232388 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Julio Lopez-Ferrao
DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2011 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2018 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $2,631,203.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $2,631,203.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2015 = $526,348.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2 EAST LANSING MI US 48824-2600 (517)355-5040 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
East Lansing MI US 48824-1046 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Discovery Research K-12 |
| Primary Program Source: |
04001516DB NSF Education & Human Resource |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
This project designs, develops, and tests coherent interdisciplinary instructional materials to support high school students' integrated understanding of the forces and energetics involved in interactions that occur between atoms and molecules, and explores how students' learning progresses across time. Instructional materials focus on physical science core ideas identified in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC, 2011), and "College Board Standards for College Success" (College Board, 2009). The two research questions are: (1) How does learning progress over time when students experience a set of interdisciplinary instructional materials designed to help them advance toward important learning goals related to interactions at very small scales?; and (2) How do the various learning activities support the development of integrated understanding? The project is implemented in three Michigan school districts with students who traditionally do not succeed in science. Two of the school districts serve urban communities with ethnically diverse student populations; the third serves a rural, primarily Caucasian community.
To develop and test instructional materials and associated assessments, the project joins efforts with the Concord Consortium and employs the Construct-Centered Design process (a principled process based on evidence-centered assessment and learning goal-driven designs); uses physical and computer-based models and simulations; and draws on previous and ongoing work on a learning progression of the hypothetical students' path in their understanding of the structure, properties, interactions, and transformations of matter. Four instructional units are produced: (1) Introduction to Electrical Forces, (2) Water, (3) Larger Molecules, and (4) Bio-Molecules, with a duration of two to six weeks each. After testing for usability, the units go through two additional phases. Phase I comprises pilot testing with at least one teacher at two sites, two classrooms each, yielding information from 100-120 students per unit. Phase II consists of field testing the units with a larger sample. Using a power analysis to determine sample size, the project tests two different sequences of the units: (a) four teachers, eight classrooms, and 200 students use the units as a single semester course before taking biology or chemistry; and (b) four teachers, eight classrooms, and 200 students use the units in appropriate points within a chemistry or biology course. Eight teachers from the same school districts, 16 classrooms, and 400 students who do not use the units, serve as the comparison group. A mixed-methods approach is used to collect and analyze data. Data collection strategies include: (a) pre- and post- tests, (b) unit-embedded assessments, (c) students' interest and attitudes, (d) assessments to place students in the learning progression, (e) classroom observations, (f) analysis of student classroom work, and (g) interviews with students and teachers. Data interpretation strategies include: (a) coding of students' and teachers' responses from interviews, (b) identification of patterns, and (c) using item-response theory (IRT) procedures to place students' responses in the learning progression. A range of methods are used to assess validity and reliability of instruments used, including: (a) construct validity, (b) content validity, and (c) IRT procedures. Project external evaluation addresses both formative and summative aspects.
Key project outcomes include: (a) a research-informed and field-tested semester-long course comprising four integrated units with specific objectives, learning tasks, phenomena to illustrate and support understanding at key points, reading materials, and embedded assessments; (b) computer simulations aligned with the units; (c) educative materials for teachers; (d) valid and reliable instruments to measure students' understanding and attitudes; and (e) a set of research manuscripts focused on how the new materials work and promote student learning of key challenging ideas.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Michigan State University and the Concord Consortium developed and tested high school teaching and learning materials that align with the Next Generation of Science Standards (NGSS) to support learners in making sense of phenomena involving electrical interactions. The goal of the project was to test, design and develop coherent, interdisciplinary curricula materials for high school physical science to help students meet several performance expectations from the NGSS related to intermolecular forces. The Interactions materials engage learners in using the 3-dimensions of scientific knowledge -- disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts and scientific and engineering practices -- to explain phenomena.
The Interactions project resulted in development of a full, free-use 9th grade physical science curriculum, complete with educative teacher materials, housed at the Concord Consortium learn portal (https://learn.concord.org/interactions). Each of the four units in Interactions are centered on real-world, relatable phenomena that students work to figure out through investigations, hands-on experiences, and digital simulations. In addition to the four curricular units, our team developed NGSS-aligned three-dimensional (3D) pre and post assessments. The Interactions curricular materials were submitted to Achieve.org for peer review, and Interactions Unit One was the first curriculum to receive a rating of High Quality NGSS Design? and to be awarded the Digital Design Badge.
We worked with the National Science Teachers Association to produce videos of the Interactions in action as part of the NGSS Classroom video series housed on the NSTA website. Finally, as part of our research, we developed the Next Generation Project-Based Learning Professional Learning System to support teachers in the using the Interactions curriculum. This program is intended to support teachers in transition to NGSS during curriculum implementation.
Research conducted as part of the Interactions project focused on student modeling practices, developing and validating a learning progression, student learning outcomes, and teacher learning. Case studies of student models in an "ideal" classroom where one co-teacher was familiar with the organization and purpose of the curriculum and 3D learning indicated that students were able to develop dynamic atomic models and use them to explain a range of observable phenomena. In interviews, students were able to apply their models to explain observations that they had not learned about in class and to relate them to science classes they would be taking in the future.
A 3-dimensional (3D) learning progression was developed for unit 1 and 2 of the Interactions curricular materials. The 3D learning progression was validated using qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative methods included developing 3D assessment instruments using evidence centered design methodology to probe different levels of the learning progression. Student interviews were conducted on selected items from the 3D assessment instrument to validate levels of the learning progression. Quantitative methods included evaluation of dimensionality of assessment instrument using confirmatory factor analysis and running item response theory analysis to further validate levels of the 3D learning progression.
Teachers in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) implemented Interactions in their classroom while participating in a year-long, equity-focused professional learning program. Case study analysis of three teachers indicated that each teacher engaged deeply with different professional learning activities, yet all three teachers enacted their learning in ways that maintained fidelity of curriculum implementation, and met the needs of their particular students and schools. These findings support research that teacher professional learning programs should include multiple entry points to accommodate diverse learning and contextual needs for teachers.
Paired with an equity-focused professional learning program, the Interactions field test in LAUSD was so successful that the district invited the Interactions team to work with an additional 20 teachers. Since then, LAUSD district applied for, and received state approval for Interactions to count for credit, and plans to implement district-wide with 235 ninth grade teachers next year. School districts in Michigan, including the Detroit Public Schools Community District have also pursued a fee-for-service approach to provide teachers with professional learning support for Interactions. Currently, districts in California, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin are using the materials.
- Full Interactions curriculum is housed on the learn portal at The Concord Consortium https://learn.concord.org/interactions
- CREATE for STEM Institute & The Concord Consortium, (2017). Interactions Unit 1: Why do some clothes stick together when they come out of the dryer? Received Achieve's Peer Review Rating: An example of high quality NGSS design. http://www.nextgenscience.org/resources/high-school-interactions-unit-1-why-do-some-clothes-stick-together-when-they-come-out
- CREATE for STEM Institute & The Concord Consortium (2018). Interactions Unit 2: How can a small spark trigger a huge explosion Received Achieve's Peer Review Rating: An example of high quality NGSS design if improved. http://www.nextgenscience.org/resources/high-school-interactions-unit-2-how-does-small-spark-trigger-huge-explosion
- The Interactions materials are an open educational resource and are free for use under the Creative Commons Attribution International license (CC BY 4.0) and powered by open source software packages.
Last Modified: 11/29/2018
Modified by: Joseph S Krajcik
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