Curricula Development for e-Science: Meeting the Challenges

By Malcolm Atkinson, David Fergusson, and Elizabeth Vander Meer, available here.

They discuss the need to teach 'distributed systems thinking,' to show how the tools act as aids to collaboration.

Computing can be used differently in every subject, so each discipline applies e-Science differently to answer or solve their particular research questions or problems. e-Science tools must fit the discipline’s needs and culture. Students must understand the analytical side to their own problems and then map these onto computational structures; one component can’t be taught without the other.

Learner-Generated Science workshop

This documents the workshop we ran at the Science Learning Centre, Institute of Education (London) in April 2008.

In a follow up interview, one teacher said, "I think the main thing is it made more aware of things that are out there that I would never've thought of using before.... [In the workshop] "we tried to create a lesson that would be based around things like using the podcasting or the Internet for students to be a little more active in using technology in the lessons."

[more to come]

Related projects

Flexe: From Local to Extreme Environments

GLOBE: Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment

LETS GO: Learning Ecology with Technologies from Science for Global Outcomes

MUSHI: Multi User Simulations with Handheld Integration

Science Created by You

Participatory Learning in Context

Prof. Rose Luckin, one of the researchers behind this web site, will give a keynote address at the Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning conference in Rhodes, Greece on 12 June, 2009. Find out more here.

Technology integration in the college classroom

Adapted from the following, oriented originally to university sector but I think applicable to all levels.

Hopper, K. and R. Hendricks. Technology integration in the college classroom: A baker's dozen frugal but promising strategies. Educational Technology Sept-Oct 2008: 10-17.

1. Be student-centred.
Focus on teaching & learning not tech.

2. Capitalise on strengths of technology-mediated learning, especially efficiency and scalability.
Re-use, re-purpose digital assets such as recordings of lectures)

3. Be cost-effective.
UK educators will no doubt be aware of the millions wasted on high tech that doesn't get used. Tech should be used as part of a larger strategy (see 1 above). Use tech at hand or easily obtained; for example, some of our activities utilise mobile phones to surpass school network restrictions - not out of subversion but practicality of not having to wait for the IT dept., passwords, content controls etc. Another example given in the article is that many features of popular software like MS Word goes unused. Also there are lots of free tools online now - several linked from this web site.

4. Be judicious.
Tech is not the end all. Example from article is coming to class with latest articles on a topic downloaded from a web site, instead of giving a multimedia presentation. Show how you found them, incorporate into teaching, expect same level of scholarship from students.

5. Use online tech to support teaching.
Some of the same suggestions as on this site: YouTube, remote scientist/experts, content-related sites.

6. Help students find their own answers.
Library and scholarly databases, basic web skills, ability to assess credible sources.

7. Manage expectations.
Students may expect instant results with technology. In contrast, many activities include collecting data but then discussing, editing, shaping into a coherent (often narrative) form. See for example our activities on using Comic Life.

8. Use tech to increase the value of feedback.
Online or quizzes, discussion forums mean instant feedback to students; email and asynchronous message boards mean you and they can accept feedback when convenient. The authors suggest that frequent feedback promotes multiple drafts: work isn't 'finished' on the first draft.

9. Encourage best practice.
Protecting privacy, copyright and intellectual property, ethical conduct. Separate official school emails, for example, from those for personal use. Social networks like Facebook can have value in learning, but only when used with awareness, oversight and structure.

10. Focus on long term goals.
Don't abandon classroom practises that work; select technologies that work with them. Think about students' long-term careers, and how these tools will be useful for them. In a project in Kenya with farmers new to computers, we tried all sorts of new technologies but in the end they really wanted to learn office applications to improve their business practises.

11. Prepare for a mix of technology experience levels.
While students at all levels now grow up with digital technologies, some are more confident than others - and often teachers even less so. The authors suggest having more able students teach the less able; pointing out interface conventions; and using technologies to solve real problems, not in an abstract way. I would add that both hardware and software evolve frequently, so teach some basic computing concepts (e.g. http://csunplugged.org/)so that students can learn to teach themselves about new technologies as they come along.

12. Use the technology's power to archive and distribute.
Despite trends toward constructivism there are still bodies of knowledge to learn in most subject areas, and here technology is good for holding a lot of data and moving it around easily, in different forms: for example doing revisions on a mobile device. Use the tech for what it's best at, freeing the humans for the creative stuff!

13. Don't over-rely on Powerpoint
"We sometimes reflect sadly that our own children may bemoan their education as an endless stream of Powerpoint presentations," the authors write, "and they are well aware that this promotes a fragmented, narrow form of learning."

14. Attend to aesthetics and usability.
The seemingly obvious: communicate clearly and simply. Kids don't need childlike illustrations and as the authors observe, websites that try to be "fun" are forced and silly. Select tools that will not require learning themselves but can focus on subject learning.

15. Don't panic.
Don't rush into tech usage for fear of being left behind, and don't be seduced by the latest and greatest. That's where the millions in government money have gone. Technology is not necessarily going to engage or make learning faster, easier, more fun.

Publications

These are publications and presentations generated by the e-Science Usability project.

Underwood, J., Luckin, R., Smith, H., Walker K., Rowland, D., Fitzpatrick, G., Good, J., Benford, S. Reflections on Participatory Science for TELSci2.0. Science2.0 for TEL workshop at EC-TEL, 29 Sept - 2 Oct 2009, Nice, FR.

Fitzpatrick, G. (2009) Participated in From Social Butterfly to Urban Citizen: A HCSNet Workshop on Social and Mobile Technology to Support Civic Engagement. 13-14 July 2009, QUT, AU.

Luckin, R. (2009) Invited panelist at What Comes Next? The Channel 4 Education Summer Conference, 30 June 2009.

Luckin, R. (2009) Keynote speaker at CSCL, Rhodes, 12 June 2009.

Luckin, R. (2009) Invited panelist at Public Service Media, 7 May 2009.

Smith, H., Underwood, J., Fitzpatrick, G. and Luckin R. (2009) Classroom e-Science: Exposing the Work to Make it Work. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, Vol. 12, Issue 3 Pages 289–308

Smith, H., Underwood, J., Fitzpatrick, G., Walker, K., Good, J., Luckin R., Rowland, D. and Benford, S. (2009) Sustainability requirements for online science communities and resources. Presented at CAL'09, Brighton, UK, 23-25 March 2009.

Underwood, J., Smith, H., Walker, K., Luckin R., Good, J., Fitzpatrick, G., Rowland, D. and Benford, S. (2009) Designing p-Science: Participation, Learning & Technology. Poster presented at CAL'09, Brighton, UK 23-25 March 2009. *Best poster award.

Smith, H., Underwood, J., Walker, K., Fitzpatrick, G., Luckin R., Benford, S., Good, J. and Rowland, D. (2008) e-Science for Learning: Crossing the Boundaries between School Science and Research Science. Presented at the UK e-Science All Hands Meeting, Edinburgh, UK, 8-11 September 2008.

Smith, H., Underwood, J., Walker, K., Fitzpatrick, G., Luckin R., Benford, S., Good, J. and Rowland, D. (2008) Web 2.0 for schools e-Science: A hands-on approach. Proceedings of workshop on Research 2.0, at 4th International e-Social Science Conference 2008, Manchester, UK, June 18.

Smith, H., Underwood, J., Benford, S., Walker, K., Fitzpatrick, G., Luckin R., Good, J. and Wyeth (2008) Photo Stories as a Tool to Support Review and Reflection. Poster presented at the 4th International e-Social Science Conference 2008, Manchester, UK, June 18-20.

Underwood, J., Smith, H., Luckin, R. and Fitzpatrick, G. (2008) E-Science in the classroom - Towards viability. Computers and Education 50 (2), pages 535-546

Smith, H., Fitzpatrick, G., Luckin R., Benford, S., Underwood, J., Walker, K. and Good, J. (2008) Reflecting on Learning Through a Comic-style Photo Story Tool. Poster presented at The Environmental e-Science Revolution, 7-8 April 2008, The Royal Society, London.

Wyeth, P., Smith, H., Ng, K.H., Fitzpatrick, G., Luckin, R., Walker, K., Good, J., Underwood, J. and Benford, S. (2008) Learning Through Treasure Hunting: The Role of Mobile Devices. In proceedings of Mobile Learning '08, 11-13 April, Algarve, Portugal, Pages 27-34.

Smith, H., Ng, K.H., Walker, K., Underwood, J., Heldt, S., Fitzpatrick, G., Luckin, R., Good, J., Wyeth, P. and Benford, S. (2007) Reconstructing an Informal Mobile Learning Experience with Multiple Data Streams. Proceedings of workshop on "Research methods in informal and mobile learning: How to get the data we really want", WLE Centre, Institute of Education, London, 14 December 2007.

Smith, H. and Underwood, U. (2007) e-Science, e-Learning but Not as we Know it. Paper presented at the workshop on "Design, Use and Experience of e-Learning Systems", HCI 2007, Lancaster, UK

Data collected

Here is a list of data collected during the e-Science Usability project

23 Apr 2007
In-school science observation, Sussex

19 June 2007
E-Science Exchange meeting with teachers, Univ. of Sussex

21 Jun 2007
In-school science observation, Sussex

23 June 2007
Teachers' meeting, London Knowledge Lab, recorded with audio

28 June 2007
In-school science observation, Sussex

June 2007
Trip planning chat with teacher David Daniels.

20 July 2007
In-school science observation of Nicky Halstead class, Hove Park, includes trip planning interview

1 Aug 2007
Trip planning: 1 hour 20 min discussion with David Daniels re:

10 Aug 2007
Wind: 30 min. chat with David Daniels

14 Aug 2007
Mobile Missions Trials, Nottingham: Video, audio (iPod interviews), still pictures, SMS timestamps and logs, Moodle logs

20 Aug 2007
trip planning: Interview with Peter Passaro on prototype

29 Aug 2007
Windmill trials: 4 kids trial session with us and D.D. video, photos, audio , bit of paper

30 Aug 2007
Trip planning: audio of Jo Bell interview

20 Sept 2007
Trip planning: Attended science centre school trip with Sarah (org by DD)

26 Sept 2007
Trip planning Session with Helen Gaiger. HS notes, video, audio

24 Feb 2008
Wind: Brighton Science festival. Milan audio on iPod and video tape, couple of iPod ints by Judith on audio, worksheets, flickr photos, photos, blog posts, google analytics.

27 Feb 2008
Lesson observation: Nicky Halstead, Electricity. Notes plus a few photos of resources

10 Mar 2008
Wind: Teachers' Event in science week iPod recordings on 3 iPods, 2 Video tapes, notes, Flickr photos, photos, RCUK questionnaires from participants and presenters

15 Mar 2008
Wind: Public Event in Science Week, Brighton: iPod recordings, 2 videos, photos by HS and GF, flickr photos and blogs.

Photo story session at Newick School

On 20 March 2009, Year 4 students at Newick Primary School used Comic Life software to make a one-page photo story titled 'A day at our school,' for the purpose of initiating communication with Silanga School in Kenya, as part of this project as well as the VeSeL project. Two researchers from this project were on hand to document the session and offer technical help.

Preparation

We created the template pictured below. The teacher took pictures beforehand of different activities around the school which students could use (using cameras which we supplied for the VeSeL project). We also set up simple blogs for each school, and before the session the class talked about their typical school day and about how conditions at Silanga School might be different. Students thought for example that school assemblies are different, having seen pictures of Silanga School gathered outside under the trees instead of in a large hall where Newick's assemblies are held; they thought the school might not have tables or a library; one student suggested that Silanga wouldn't have such a large digital whiteboard, having only a single laptop.

In preparation the teacher also created a text document titled 'Steps to success' which contained specific steps for students to follow, including opening the document, saving into their folder, adding photos and text.



The session

At the start of the session the teacher demonstrated Comic Life in front of the class on the digital whiteboard, showing how to open the template, drag photos into panels, and add text boxes. She described adding text to using Microsoft Word, an indication that students had used Word previously.

Most students worked on their own, though some had to pair up since not all laptops were available. Pairs had the option of collaborating on one photo story or two. Even for students working on their own there was a lot of sharing, communication and collaboration, as can be seen in the following images taken from video.











Students received support from the teacher, other students, and the researchers present. For example, one student showed another where to locate the template document. The teacher showed another how to scroll through the pictures and drag them into the document. A student asked one of the researchers how to make speech bubbles without arrows.

The students generally accomplished the task within the allotted time (1 hour) and near the end the teacher told students that anyone who had finished could 'have a fiddle' at making a second photo story of their choosing. This resulted in a good deal of experimentation

At the end of the session students presented their photo stories to the class, as seen below.









Results

Most students' photostories tended to replicate the one the teacher demonstrated at the start of the session. However they demonstrated creativity within this structure, for example using speech bubbles to have pictured students say what they were doing, or giving labels or speech bubbles to inanimate objects such as the whiteboard or the class register.

There were some technical issues. For example, the teacher placed the template on a server, and students were instructed to open the file and save a copy into their own folders. However, when all students simultaneously tried to access the same file this caused severe network delays. To address this during the session, the teacher tried to save a copy into each student's folder herself using her own laptop.

Students generally found the software easy to use. One student, when asked whether using the software was a good way to tell a story, said, 'Yeah, because it's a comic strip!' but then said a story would be easier to understand if it was written down, 'because then you would be able to describe it more, and this is just pictures with a little bit of writing about what's happening,' adding that a written account could include more detail.

Another student said, 'I like when you click on anything, absolutely anything, you can change the style of it and I really love it for that.' The main complaint was that the text boxes were difficult to move around.

Bibliography

Running list of relevant research in e-science

Aanensen DM, Huntley DM, Feil EJ, al-Own F, Spratt BG. EpiCollect: Linking Smartphones to Web Applications for Epidemiology, Ecology and Community Data Collection. PLoS ONE 4(9): e6968. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0006968

Atkinson, A., Fergusson, D. and Vander Meer, E. (2009) Curricula Development for e-Science: Meeting the Challenges. IEEE Intelligent Systems, Mar. 2009.

Stewart, K. Mobile learning: Designing the learning context. mLearn 07 proceedings

Wiseman, R. (1996) `MegaLab UK': participatory science and the mass media. Public Understanding of Science 5(2), 167-169.