EDC 365C: Knowing and Learning in Mathematics and Science

Fall 2006




Course Teaching Assistant: Adem Ekmekci ekmekci@mail.utexas.edu


Course Webpage: http://128.83.243.140/classes/knl2006fall/knl2006.htm


Required Materials:

Course Packet. Available from IT Copy on MLK.

Additional readings and materials will be provided in class and/or on the course website.


Additional Requirements:

Students must use a word processor and e-mail, and have access to a web browser. Presentations, if applicable, must be submitted in advance as PowerPoint files.


Description:

The goal of this course is to develop a powerful tool kit of approaches to knowing and learning in mathematics and science. This course focuses on issues of what it means to learn and know science and mathematics. What are the standards for knowing we will use? How is knowing and learning structured and how does what we know change and develop? For the science and mathematics educator, what are the tensions between general, cross-disciplinary characterizations of knowing (e.g., intelligence) and the specifics of coming to understand powerful ideas in mathematics and science? What are the links between knowing and developing in learning theory, and the content and evolution of scientific ideas? What are the connections between kinds of assessments and theories of knowing? How are various uses of technology associated with specific approaches to learning?


Tentative Course Schedule


R: Reading to be done before class so as to answer questions

D: What’s Due in class. Answers to web questions are submitted the day before class

IC: In Class Activity

Week 1: Course Introduction


Week 2: Testing for Intelligence?


Week 3: Measurement and Assessment

Sept. 12

R: (4) Popham: The Seductive Allure of Data

(5) Black & Wiliam.: Inside the Black Box

D: Web questions and Interview write-up.

IC: Discussion of Interviews

Sept. 14

R: (6) HG: Chapter 2 – Origins of Scientific Perspective

(7) HG: Chapter 3 – The Psychometric Tradition

D: Web questions

IC: Discussion


Week 4: Nature vs. Nurture

Sept. 19

R: (8) HG: Chapter 5 – Biological Perspectives

(9) NRC: High Stakes: Tracking

D: Web questions

IC: Statistics from Texas and beyond

Sept. 21

R: (10) Boeree: B.F. Skinner

(11) Skinner: Teaching Machines

D: Web questions

IC: Sleek 8


Week 5: The Cognitive Revolution and Multiple Intelligences

Sept. 26

R: (12) Gardner: Cognitive Science

(13) HG: Ch 6 – The Cognitive Perspective

(14) Polya: How to Solve It

(15) Eliza: Notes about…

D: Second Interview Due and Web questions

IC: Eliza and Neural Networks

Sept. 28

R: (16) HG: Multiple Intelligences

(17) HG: Reflections on MI

D: Web questions

IC: What is my learning style


Week 6: Constructivism and Direct Instruction

Oct. 3

R: (18) Papert: On Piaget

(19) HG: The Developmental Perspective

(19opt) Driver: Pupil as Scientist

D: Web questions

IC: Kine-mouse / Equilibrium game

Oct. 5

R: (20) Gagne: Issues in the Psychology of Mathematics Instruction

D: Web questions

IC: Discussion


Week 7: Minds in Society and Society of Minds

Oct. 10

R: (21) Stroup: Learning the Basics with Calculus

(22) Piaget: Structuralism – Reversibility

D: Web questions

IC: Mathworlds and Reversibility

Oct. 12

R: (23) Vygostky: Mind in Society Ch. 1

(24) Bigge & Shermis: Ch. 6

D: Web questions

IC: Model-eliciting activity (MEA)

Guidelines for MEA Assignment


Week 8: Modeling and Learning

Oct. 17

R: (25) Zawojewski & Carmona (2001)

(26) Lesh: Principles for Developing Thought-revealing Activities for Students and Teachers

D: Web questions

IC: Model-eliciting activity Presentations

Oct. 19

MIDTERM


Week 10: Experts and Novices and Children’s Ideas in Math and Science

Oct. 24

R: (27) HPL: Ch.2 – How Experts Differ from Novices

D: Web questions

IC: Concept Map Activity

Oct. 26

R: (28) Driver et al.: Children’s Ideas and the Learning of Science

(29) Driver et al.: Some Features of Children’s Ideas and their Implications for Teaching

D: Web questions

IC: Discussion and Electricity Video



Week 11: Teaching in Math and Science

Oct. 31

R: (30) Schoenfeld: When Good Teaching Leads to Bad Results

D: Web questions

IC: Discussion and Electricity Video (cont.)

Nov. 2

R: (31) HPL: Chapter 7 – Effective Teaching in Math and Science (pp. 155-189)

D: Web questions

IC: Ms. Lindquist



Week 12: Everyday Problem Solving

Nov. 7

D: MEA Assignment Due

IC: Developing a Scoring Rubric for MEA’s

Nov. 9

R: (32) Lave: Problem Solving as an Everyday Practice

D: Web questions

IC: Discussion


Week 13: In School and Out

Nov. 14

R: (33) Grubb: The New Vocationalism

(34) Cammarata: Education for Living –and for Life

D: Web questions

IC: Discussion

Nov. 16

R: (35) Resnick: Learning in School and Out

D: Web questions

IC: Discussion


Week 14: Critical Pedagogy

Nov. 21

R: (36) Freire: Pedagogy of the Oppressed

D: Web questions

IC: Discussion

Nov. 23

THANKSGIVING DAY

NO CLASS


Week 15: Literacy and Agency and Classrooms as Complex Systems

Nov. 28

R: (37) Moses: Radical Equations and Interview

(38) Papert: Mindstorms

D: Web questions

IC: Net logo

Nov. 30

R: (39) Senge: Ch. 2 – The Fifth Discipline

D: Web questions

IC: Discussion – The beer game


Week 16: Generativity

Dec. 5

R: (40) Stroup: Taxonomy of Generative Activities

D: Web questions

IC: Generativity

Dec. 7

Final Exam


The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.