Pedagogies in Higher

Science Education
Ruby May R. Aquino
PhD Sci. Student
 Engaged Pedagogy
 Refers to using teaching approaches that
encourage student – student interactions.
 The approaches to teaching are presented
in the following 5 categories: Engaged
Pedagogy, Visualizations, Field-Based
Instructions, Classroom Labs, and Problem
solving.
 Visualizations
 Direct Measurement Videos- are short, high-quality
videos of real events that allow students to easily and
quantitatively explore physical phenomena.
 Models - help students understand the
relationships between data and Earth
processes.

Replica
3d CAD model Data Model
How to use Models?

Technical Considerations
include

 Acquiring the models or ideas in a

useable form.
 Identification and use of the proper
equipment for physical demonstration
models.
 In the case of mathematical models,
computers simulations of analogous
systems, visualization models, or
statistical models one must learn how
to operate and manipulate the
modeling environment or software.
Pedagogical Considerations
 Keep the activity as interactive as possible.
 Including students in the development process and/or providing
opportunities for them to experiment with the model or modify
it can increase students' understanding of the model and its
relationship to the physical world.
 Creating opportunities for students to analyze and comment on
the models behavior increases their understanding of the
relationships between different inputs and rates.
 Creating opportunities for students to validate the model.
 Stress that models are not reality and that a model's purpose is
to help bridge the gap between observations and the real
world..
 Make sure that students think about the underlying assumptions
of a model and the domain of applicability. Try to ask questions
that can help check their understanding. Models can be used to
introduce specific content. A model can introduce students to
important terms as well as provide an environment to explore
relevant processes.
 Models can be used to explore "What-if" scenarios. "What if
Atmospheric CO2 doubles?"
Types Model:

 Conceptual Models - are qualitative models that

help highlight important connections in real world
systems and processes.
 PhET Interactive - is a suite of research-based
interactive computer simulations for teaching and
learning physics, chemistry, math, and other
sciences.
Why Teach with PhET?

 PhET simulations are based on research into how students learn in

general, student understanding of specific science concepts, and
user interface design. Each simulation goes through an iterative
design process of student interviews to test usability and
conceptual learning, and classroom testing.
 Research shows that effective use of PhET simulations can lead to
improved conceptual learning over traditional lectures,
demonstrations, and labs.
 Teaching Data with Simulations - allows students to
visualize probability distributions, which in turn can make
the processes associated with probability more concrete.
 Teaching GIS with Geoscience - shows how this
powerful new tool can be used to help teach geoscience.
 Teaching with Google Earth - provides detailed
instructions for bringing rich imagery and interactive
information into the classroom.
 Teaching with Simulations - uses a model of
behavior to gain a better understanding of that
behavior
Teaching with Visualization – helps students see how
systems work
 Using Media to Enhance Teaching and Learning -
can engage students and produce more
meaningful and deep learning experiences by
using films, television shows, popular music,
news stories, literature, documentaries, and
videos from sources such as youTube.
 Field Base Instruction

 CampusLiving Laboratory - uses the

campus environment itself as a teaching
tool.
 Experience - Based Environmental Projects -
get students involved in their own learning.
 Field Labs - introduce students to complex natural systems, breaks down
barriers among academic fields, encourages multiple observations, and
introduces students to the area near their campus.

Medical Scientist Lab.

Ecology students
 Students working on a field lab together will commonly notice that each of them
observes different things. This is an easy way to demonstrate that a combination of
many observations is needed to represent the natural situation accurately.
 Collecting their own data gives students a better sense of the uncertainty and error
involved in scientific investigations that they read about in journal articles.
 Simply being outside helps many students work together more easily.
 Field labs give students the opportunity to learn about the local geography of the local
campus area - or in some cases, to view the familiar features of campus in a new way
through geoscience study.
 Skills that can be developed in the field:
 Observation
 Description, including measuring, writing and sketching
 Starting and maintaining a field notebook
 Working in groups
 Service Learning - offers the opportunity to link
academic learning with community service.
 Undergraduate Research - provides opportunities for students to
collaborate with faculty on actual research projects, learning about
both a particular topic in a field and the research process in general.
 a four-step learning process...

 1. the identification of and acquisition of a disciplinary or

interdisciplinary methodology

 2. the setting out of a concrete investigative problem

 3. the carrying out of the actual project

 4. finally, the dispersing/sharing of a new scholar's discoveries with his

or her peers- a step traditionally missing in most undergraduate
educational programs.
 Classroom Labs
 Indoor Labs - provide students with
opportunities for structured investigations and
experiments of materials, models, and other
equipment.
 Classroom Experiments - are activities where any
number of students work in groups on carefully
designed guided inquiry questions.

Classroom experiments differ from classroom

demonstrations because the students are involved in
collecting data or observations. However, just as in an
interactive classroom demonstration, students involved in
classroom experiments can be asked to make predictions
and to reflect upon their observations.
 Direct Measurement Videos - are short, high-
quality videos of real events that allow students
to easily and quantitatively explore physical
phenomena.
Thank you for
listening!