Experiential Education

I found Zimmerman’s study of place based learning to be particularly interesting because it rests on a similar educational philosophy as that of Programs like Outward Bounds of SPOT. The motivating philosophy behind outdoor educational experiences is that, with the guidance of an expert, people may push themselves to adapt to often inclement or less… Read more Experiential Education

Week 8 Discussion

Constance Steinkuehler and Sean Duncan’s paper Scientific Habits of Mind in Virtual Worlds especially intrigued me because of the approach the authors took in analyzing a MMO that was not necessarily created for an educational purpose, but made a valid argument that it can be used to promote informal scientific literacy. I wonder how much of this socially… Read more Week 8 Discussion

Week 8: Informal Science Learning

This week’s readings looked at how scientific habits can be formed, fostered, and adapted. Crowley et al.’s look at parents’ explanations to their children featured specific, though “inconclusive,” evidence of its findings that parents explain scientific phenomena more to boys than to girls. Parents have go beyond simply bring their children to the museum, they… Read more Week 8: Informal Science Learning

Week 8 Discussion - Juan G

In regards to parents explaining more to boys than girls when it comes to science, recently we have seen toy companies and the media trying to demonstrate the importance of attracting girls to the science field, I wonder the effects of  these on the average parent perspective. Challenging parents’ ideas becomes even harder in cultures that… Read more Week 8 Discussion - Juan G

Week 8 Discussion

The Zimmerman paper briefly mentioned a design principle called “heads up” that I found very innovative (80). This design goal aims to engage users in an evenly distributed amount of screen time and environment time. As users interact with the screen, they are prompted by real life objects and scenarios in their environment that support the science based… Read more Week 8 Discussion

Week 8 - Lisa G

I’m responding this week to Heather Zimmerman’s “Facilitating Place-Based Learning in Outdoor Informal Environments with Mobile Computers.” I’m vacillating between whether I find this article incredibly smart because it provides a very simple framework in which to make mobile-based learning more purposeful or meaningful (through a direct connection to place), or, if I find it uncompelling because the parallels they draw between placed-based education… Read more Week 8 - Lisa G

Week 8 Reading

The Steinkuehler study examined how World of Warcraft promoted scientific ways of thinking by providing a simulated world whose systems can be observed and investigated through social knowledge construction and experimentation. The article provides empirical evidence that the WoW fosters informal learning, particularly science literacy. If we assume that this study is correct, that games… Read more Week 8 Reading

Week 8 - Connecting open and planned learning

What intrigued me from this week’s readings is the seemingly conflict between open and planned learning. Even in classroom, it is hard to have both. “Even in the best schools, what may appear to be genuie group debates about an issue are usually heavily controlled by the teacher … [who] already possesses the understanding of an… Read more Week 8 - Connecting open and planned learning

DQC Week 8

It was sad, but not shocking, to read in the research report by Crowley et al that parents are explaining STEM topics to boys three times more often when compared to girls. While wondering around the California Science Museum, young boys are being engaged more often by their parents sharing explanations that may inform a boy’s interests and… Read more DQC Week 8

Week 8 - Explaining Science to Girls

As you can imagine, this study and its conclusions resonated with me on a very personal level and actually made me aware of the potential that I have to be bias with my daughter. Firstly, I was struck with how detailed and thorough the study was and how well the paper explained it. Secondly, I… Read more Week 8 - Explaining Science to Girls