Analysis of ISLE based activity with included engineering elements

Jurkovič, Jan (author), Planinšič, Gorazd (mentor), Etkina, Eugenia (comentor)

"Mysteries of the conductive thread" is an activity, which engages students in scientific and engineering practices. It follows the steps of the process called Investigative Science Learning environment (ISLE), a framework for science inquiry learning, that mirrors the work of an expert. Research in this thesis investigates how the reasoning in the activity "Mysteries of the conductive thread" of electrical engineering students differs from the reasoning those of physics students, how the reasoning of traditionally taught students differ from students that are familiar with ISLE process and wether a motivational introduction affects students success in problem solving. We compared eight case studies. All of the case studies were conducted with groups of three students, who were videotaped while solving tasks of the given activity. With analyzing the videos we found out that physics students observed and explained more patterns, used more representations and tested the explanations to the higher degree, but also that electrical engineering students developed a better feeling for the quantities throughout their studies. We observed that mostly only ISLE students predicted the outcomes of the testing experiments and tested an explanation with multiple testing experiments. They were also the only ones that proposed multiple explanations for a single phenomenon. Furthermore, we observed that there was no difference in the success of problem solving between the students with and without the motivational introduction and also that students were all equally successful in proposing applications of the conductive thread, no matter whether they learned about the physics of the conductive thread through their own investigation or were given an explanation about it in a traditional lecture.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE), Engineering design, case study, video analysis, conductive thread, motivation, scientific practices, engineering practices, group work
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: FMF - Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
• Year: 2019
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-111886
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3375972
• Publication date in RUL: 17.10.2019

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Analiza aktivnosti ISLE z vključenimi inženirskimi elementi

Abstract

Nedavno objavljena aktivnost "Skrivnosti prevodne niti" vključuje tako znanstvene, kot tudi inženirske elemente. Sledi korakom procesa, ki je sestavni del ISLE (ang. Investigative science learning environment). ISLE je ogrodje za učenje fizike, ki simulira delo znanstvenikov. V tem magistrskem delu smo raziskovali podobnosti in razlike v pristopu k aktivnosti "Skrivnosti prevodne niti" med študenti fizike in študenti elektrotehnike. Primerjali smo tudi pristop študentov, ki so imeli izkušnje le s klasičnim, frontalnim poukom, in pristop študentov, ki imajo tri semestre izkušenj s procesom ISLE. Poleg tega je bil eden izmed ciljev magistrske naloge še preveriti ali motivacijski uvod vpliva na uspešnost študentov pri reševanju problema. Primerjali smo delo osmih skupin s tremi študenti v posamezni skupini. Študije vseh primerov so bile narejene tako z neposrednim opazovanjem dela študentov, kot tudi s snemanjem in kasnejšo videoanalizo njihovega dela. Ugotovili smo, da so študetni fizike opazili in razložili več različnih lastnosti prevodne niti, svoje razmišljanje podprli z več različnimi reprezentacijami in bolj temeljito testirali svoje razlage. Ugotovili smo tudi, da so študenti elektrotehnike v času svojega študija razvili boljši občutek za velikost fizikalnih količin povezanih z analizo električnih vezij. Opazili smo, da so večinoma le študenti z izkušnjami s procesom ISLE napovedali (artikulirali) izide testnih poskusov. Ti študenti so bili tudi edini, ki so predlagali več različnih razlag za opažen pojav. Poleg tega smo opazili še, da ni nobne razlike med uspešnostjo pri reševanju problemov med študenti z in študenti brez motivacijskega uvoda in tudi, da so vsi študenti bili enako uspešni pri iskanju načinov uporabe prevodne niti, ne glede na to ali so se o fiziki prevodne niti naučili ob aktivnosti ali pa so o fiziki prevodne niti slišali na tradicionalnem predavanju.

• Keywords: ISLE, inženirsko načrtovanje, študija primera, video analiza, prevodna nit, motivacija, znanstvene prakse, inženirske prakse, skupinsko delo