This Forum is centered around the book “Designing for Science” which explores the integration of recent research on everyday, classroom, and professional scientific thinking. This edited volume brings together an international group of researchers to present core findings from each context; discuss connections between contexts, and explore structures; technologies, and environments to facilitate the development and practice of scientific thinking. The chapters focus on: situations from young children visiting museums, middle-school students collaborating in classrooms, undergraduates learning about research methods, and professional scientists engaged in cutting-edge research. A diverse set of approaches are represented, including sociocultural description of situated cognition, cognitive enthnography, educational design experiments, laboratory studies, and artificial intelligence. This unique mix of work from the three contexts deepens our understanding of each subfield while at the same time broadening our understanding of how each subfield articulates with broader issues of scientific thinking.

Course Expectations

Participation in class – Class discussion is crucial to the success of Forum. By participating in a critical debate of the week’s readings, you and your classmates will improve your ability to speak publicly about issues and ideas and to question the scholarly positions of others. Four essays will also be required to be completed. See “*” on Class Meetings for designated chapters for reflection (750 words), due day of class.

Attendance – Class discussions are an extremely important part of learning and on-time class attendance is mandatory. If you must miss class, please notify me in advance to discuss the situation

Grading – This is a pass/no pass seminar. It is expected as graduate students you will not have excessive absences and that you will actively participate in classroom discussion in a scholarly fashion.  In the event you miss 3 or more classes you will receive a NO PASS for the semester. In the event of continued none participation or not being prepared for class discussion, a grade of NO PASS will be administered immediately following a third warning from the instructor.

Required Material

DESIGNING FOR SCIENCE: Implications From Everyday, Classroom, and Professional Settings
Author:  Kevin Crowley (ed.),  D. Schunn (ed.), and Takeshi Okada (ed.)
Primary Subject: COGNITIVE SCIENCE Sec Subject: SCIENCE EDUCATION
ISBN: 0-8058-3474-5 Year: 2001

CLASS MEETINGS

January 14 - Introduction

January 21 - H.A. Simon, "Seek and Ye Shall Find": How Curiosity Engenders Discovery.

January 28 - M.A. Callanan, J.L. Jipson,  Explanatory Conversations and Young Children's Developing Scientific Literacy.

February 4* - M.  Azmitia, K. Crowley, The Rhythms of Scientific Thinking: A Study of Collaboration in an Earthquake Microworld.

February  11 - C. Schunn, J. Anderson, Acquiring Expertise in Science:  Explorations of What, When, and How.  Last day to drop a course without a possible academic penalty.