Presentation from the 2nd Scientix Conference, 24-26 October 2014, Brussels, Belgium

1. LEARNING SCIENCE IN THE
21ST CENTURY
A SHARED EXPERIENCE
BETWEEN SCHOOLS
Fátima Ruas fatima.braz@aecerco.pt
Rosa Soares rosasoares@aegarciadeorta.pt
Tânia Pinto taniapinto@clararesende.pt
2ND SCIENTIX CONFERENCE
Brussels, Belgium
25th October 2014

2. Background
Facts Implications
ROSE
PISA
European
Comission
Science
Education
in
Portugal
The teaching has (in
particular in the more
wealthy countries) to be
motivating, meaningful
and engaging.
Sjøberg & Schreiner (2010)
Students need to be able
to find the information that
they want, critically
evaluate its reliability and
relevance, and integrate
and apply this information
to solve their information
needs.
OECD (2010)
Low interest about
science in
developed countries
In international
exams, the
portuguese
students’ perform in
science is lower,
comparing with
other countries.
In most of European
countries, science
teaching
methods are
essentially
deductive.
A reversal of school
science-teaching
pedagogy from mainly
deductive to inquiry-based
methods provides
the means to increase
interest in science.
EC (2007)
Students are choosing
less scientific and
technology courses in
higher education.
The more efficient way to raise
curiosity about science, in children
and young people, is providing
them experimental activities at the
earliest age.
Fiolhais (2011)

3. Schools’ location
Objective
To disseminate
a teaching
experience
between 3
classes in 3
different
schools,
located in th
north of
Portugal.

4. Common denominators between the lessons
Problem Based
Learning
(PBL) as
methodology
Use of
digital
software
Laboratorial
experiments
Group
Assessement presentations
through a final
questionnaire
7th
grade
students
ICT itself can and will not replace
hands-on activities, scientifically driven
experiments, vivid discussions about
explanations and many other actions
(Welzel-Breuer et al., 2010)

5. PBL can be defined as an inquiry process that resolves questions,
curiosities, doubts, and uncertainties about complex phenomena in life
(Barell, 2007)
http://www.ceebl.manchester.ac.uk/ebl/
EBL
Problem
Based
Learning
Exploration of
scenario driven
learning experience
Small scale
investigations
Field work or case
study adapted to
disciplinary contexts
Projects and
Research
Encouragement of
research-based
approach to projects
and processess

6. Students
PBL – Main characteristics
 are presented with an ill-structured problem
work in small groups
actively construct their own knowledge
Teacher
acts like a tutor
 does not convey expert knowledge
(Lambros, 2004; Ronis, 2008)
 stimulates and monitors the group process and discussions
(Dolmans & Shmidt, 2010)

7. Scenario
Problem
question
Facts
Hipothesis
Application
Research
New Problem-Questions
Argumentation
Solution
Evidences
(Adapted from Vasconcelos & Almeida, 2012)
PBL cycle

8. Leading aim of the Lessons
To develop 21st Century Skills
 Collaboration
 Knowledge construction
 Self-regulation
 Real-world problem-solving and innovation
 The use of ICT for learning
 Skilled communication
(21CLD Learning Activity Rubrics)

9. Participants (sample)
-75 students
- 42 girls and 33 boys
- 12 to 14 years old

10. Direct
observation
Data
Collection
Methods
Research
journal
Based on Pols, Roger (undated) apud
Altrichter, H., Feldman, A., Posch, P.,
Somekh, B. (2008)
Questionnaire

11. Moon Craters
• You bought a
telescope and
decide to observe
the Moon today.
You have an old
magazine from
your parents that
shows a picture
taken in the 70s to
the moon surface.
They both look
similar
• How can you
explain this?
Volcanic Activity
• You cannot take a
plane to London
because a
volcanic eruption
in Iceland stopped
plane traffic
around the world.
• What are the
consequences of
a volcanic
eruption and how
can they be
prevented?
Seismology
• An earthquake
ocurred in
Azores and you
are watching
the TV news.
You switch
between
channels to get
more
information.
However the
earthquake
evaluations do
not match. Have
the journalists
been mistaken?
Themes and Scenarios

12. Moon Craters
Lesson Goals – Students should be able to:
• Recognize the
moon surface
evolution
through time
• Comprehend the
craters formation
• Determine the
craters
dimension
• Make a report
using Gowin’s
Vee diagram
Volcanic Activity
• Relate the
litosphere ‘s mobility
with the volcanoes
distribution
• Distiguish the types
of products expelled
during volcanic
activity
• Discuss the hazards
and benefits from
volcanic activity
• Elaborate a flyer that
allerts to volcanic
hazards
Seismology
• Relate
earthquakes with
Earth’s energy
release
• Distinguish the
Mercalli and
Richter Scalles
• Discuss the
hazards from the
seismic activity
• Construct
concept maps
using images
about
earthquakes

13. Lesson structure
In group, students had to:
Discuss
the
problem
List
the
facts
Do a
research
List the
problem
questions
Make an
experiment
and do the
digital
simulation
Present
the final
product to
the class
Fill a
questionaire
about the
educational
methodology
used

14. Moon Craters
Direct observation - Questions made by the Students
• Why is the
moon surface
inhaltered from
1970?
• What it is
possible to
observe in the
moon surface?
• Why are there so
many craters in
the moon
surface?
• Where is the
biggest crater
located?
• What size are the
moon craters?
Volcanic Activity
• Why does Iceland
have volcanoes?
• What is released
during a volcanic
eruption?
• How is possible
to prevent the
effects from a
volcanic
eruption?
• When is a
volcano
considered
extinct?
Seismology
• What is an
earthquake?
• What causes an
earthquake?
• How can an
earthquake be
measured?
• Can an
earthquake be
predicted?
• How can be
prevented the
effects from an
earthquake?

15. Moon Craters
Digital resources and experiments
• Salsa J
• Stellarium
• Impact simulation

16. Volcanic Activity
Digital resources and experiments
• Erupt3
• Volcanic eruption experiment

17. Digital resources and experiments
Seismology
• Make-a-Quake
• VirtualQuake
• Earthquake simulation

18. Moon Craters
• Gowin’s vee
about moon
craters
Volcanic Activity
• Flyer that
allerts to
volcanic
hazards
Seismology
• Concept
map on
preventive
measures of
earthquakes
Final products presented to the class

19. Assessement – common strategies
Final
product
presented
to the class
Assessement
Teacher’s
evaluation
and
feedback
Self
evaluation
and peers
feedback
Final
questionnaire

20. Questionnaire - Results
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Seismology
Volcanic activity
Moon craters
Seismology
Volcanic activity
Moon craters
Total (average)
How much do you think you have learnt?
All of it
Some of it
None
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Total (average)
How much did you enjoy the lesson?
All of it
Some of it
None

21. 100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
How much did you understand?
Did your partner help you in the task?
Total (average) Moon craters Volcanic activity Seismology
Not at all
A little
A lot
0%
Total (average) Moon craters Volcanic activity Seismology
None
Some of it
All of it

22. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Seismology
Volcanic activity
Moon craters
Total (average)
Did the teacher facilitated your task?
A lot
A little
Not at all
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Seismology
Volcanic activity
Moon craters
Total (average)
What was your favourite part of the class?
Try to solve the problem question
To use the software
To do the experiment

23. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Seismology
Volcanic activity
Moon craters
Total (average)
How did you find this work?
Easy
Hard
Just about right
Difficulties you have had during the lesson
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Seismology
Volcanic activity
Moon craters
Total (average)
To list the facts and problem questions
To solve the problem question
To do the experiment
To use the software

24. 11
21
38
22
29
50
15 25 35
12 10
2
17
5
8
16 28 38 10 8
To learn new
things
To use the
software
To do the
experiment
To discuss the
problem
Everything
Percentage (%)
Positive aspects of the lesson
Seismology
Volcanic activity
Moon craters
Total (average)

25. Conclusions
- Most of the students (about 80% total average) enjoyed all part of the lessons and think they
learned all that was discussed during the lessons;
- The favorite part of the lesson to students is to “manipulate objects” (i. e., doing experiments
and using the software – 40% to 50%), only 10% say “to solve the problem question”;
- The teacher still holds a key role in students’ perception about learning: > 90% (total average)
indicates that teacher facilitated their task;
- The majority of pupils understood all of the lesson;
- 60-70 % of students considered the work done as suitable (nor too difficult or too easy);
- Most students (70%) stated that their peers helped them in the task
- The major difficulties experienced by pupils were related to list questions (25-40%) and to
solve the problem (20-30%)
- The most positive aspects varied among the different themes:
- To learn new things – volcanic activity (21%)
- To use the software - seismology (38%)
- To do the experiment – volcanic activity (50%)
- To discuss the problem – Moon craters (17%)

26. Conclusions
What 21st Century Skills were developed?
 Collaboration → Group work
 Knowledge construction → Students’ Research
 Self-regulation → Peers and teacher feedback and self-evaluation
 Real-world problem-solving and innovation → Problem Based Learning
 The use of ICT for learning → Software (Salsa J, Erupt3, Make-a-Quake…)
 Skilled communication → Final product presented to the class

27. Implications
- The lessons had a significant impact on students and the use of software and making
the experiment was relevant, as well as the collaborative working;
- With this study, performed with a reduced sample, it was not our purpose to
accomplish result generalization, but to reflect about the strengths and weaknesses of
PBL’s application, using the same educational strategies, in science learning in 7th
grade students;
- It would be necessary to develop further investigation with this kind of educational
methodology, to a greater variety of themes, with a student larger sample, that would
allow to study its effects in students’ learning in a long term.

28. Bibliography
European Commission (2007) Science Education NOW: A renewed Pedagogy for the Future
of Europe, http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/report-rocard-
on-science-education_en.pdf
Fiolhais, C. (2011). A Ciência em Portugal. Lisboa: Relógio D’Água Editores.
OECD (2010), PISA 2009 Results: What Students Know and Can Do – Student Performance in
Reading, Mathematics and Science (Volume I) http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264091450-
en
Ronis, D. (2008). Problem-Based Learning for Math & Science – Integrating Inquiry and the
Internet. California: Corwin Press.
Sjøberg , S. & Schreiner , C. (2010) The ROSE project - An overview and key findings
http://roseproject.no/network/countries/norway/eng/nor-Sjoberg-Schreiner-overview-
2010.pdf
Welzel-Breuer, M. et al. (2010). The Effective Use of Computer Aided Teaching and Learning
Material in Science Teaching – Handbook for a teacher training course. Bulgaria: Plovdiv
University Press