Process of learning

1. INVESTIGATIVE SCIENCE LEARNING
http://paer.rutgers.edu/PT3
http://paer.rutgers.edu/scientificabilities
http://www.islephysics.net

2. What is Learning?
Brain research
Learning is a
physical process
that happens
QuickTime™ and a
through activation decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
and extension of
neural networks

3. What is Learning?
Brain research Cognitive research
Learning is
physical process
that happens QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
through activation are needed to see this picture.
and extension of
neural networks

4. What is Learning?
Cognitive research
Learning is a social
process that happens
when learners working
together activate and
build on existing
resources
QuickTim e™ and a QuickTime™ and a
decompressor decompressor
are needed to see this picture. are needed to see this picture.

5. How do we apply this?
Brain research Cognitive research
Learning is Learning is a social
physical process process that happens
that happens when learners working
through activation together activate and
and extension of build on existing
neural networks resources
Learning and
teaching of physics

6. We are good at applying this in
PER to ….
Brain research Cognitive research
Learning is Learning is a social
physical process process that happens
that happens when learners working
through activation together activate and
and extension of build on existing
neural networks resources
Learning and
teaching of physics
Final product

7. But not to everything…
Brain research Cognitive research
Learning is Learning is a social
physical process process that happens
that happens when learners working
through activation together activate and
and extension of build on existing
neural networks resources
Learning and
teaching of physics
Final product Process

8. Why is the process important?
Goals of courses: Preparation for future
learning and success in the
workplace…
Workplace research indicates that it is
the process of science that is
important for success.

9. So, what should we do?
Engineer learning environments where students can
learn together by actively constructing their own
ideas similar to the ways physicists do
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to s ee this picture.

10. What do physicists do to make
new knowledge?
• Represent ideas in different ways
• Collect and analyze data
• Find and express patterns
• Explain patterns
• Come up with ways to test explanations
• Conduct testing experiments and compare the outcomes to
predictions
• Revise explanations in light of new data
• Evaluate
• Communicate

11. Can we use content as the
opportunity to teach the process?
The main idea is that the process is not
an add-on but a part of learning the
content

12. Example
Please take 15 min to examine the first three
experiments in a lab in which students construct
some important physics concepts and focus on
three questions:
(a) what is the goal of student work and what ideas
are they expected to construct?
(b) what is the process that they follow?
(c) compare this process to what you would
normally do in your course and identify similar
elements and different elements.

13. Observational
experiments
Explanation,
mechanism, hypothesis,
different relation
Revision
Testing experiments

14. Observational
experiments
Explanation,
different mechanism, hypothesis,
Revision relation
as
se
ssm
en
t
+
Testing experiments
Yes Assumptions
More
Application

15. Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE)
Etkina and Van Heuvelen, 2001
Observational
experiments MR*
Explanation,
different mechanism, hypothesis,
Revision relation
as
se
ssm MR*
en
t
+
Testing experiments MR*
Yes Assumptions
More
MR*
Application See pages 2-3 of the handout

16. Thank you!