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Wetlands Pre‐Constructed MEL An example of a student‐completed MEL diagram (left) and explanation task (right) Facilitating Students' Critique, Evaluation, and Argument about Freshwater Resources Doug Lombardi Temple University Abstract Critique and evaluation are central to the scientific enterprise. A Framework for K‐12 Science Education identifies critiquing, arguing, and analyzing as evaluative processes that are foundational to science and science learning. However, it can be challenging for students to think critically and scientifically about many socio‐science topics, such as availability of freshwater resources. My research team and I have developed instructional scaffolds‐‐one specifically covering the topic of freshwater availability—with the goal of helping students to purposefully evaluate connections between lines of evidence and alternative explanations of socio‐scientific phenomena. Our upcoming classroom‐based research will examine how students construct deep understanding of this freshwater topic, as well as other socioscientific issues, such as climate change. The material in the poster is based upon work supported by the NSF under Grant No. DRL‐1316057 and Grant No. DRL‐1721041. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the NSF’s views. Model‐Evidence Link (MEL) Diagrams MELs are scaffolds to facilitate students’ evaluations about connections between lines of evidence and alternative explanations about a phenomenon (Chinn & Buckland, 2012) Pre‐constructed MELs shifted students’ plausibility judgment toward a more scientific stance and deepened their knowledge (Lombardi et al., 2018) However, students’ scientific evaluations do not transfer beyond the task context Build‐a‐MELs may promote transfer via students’ conceptual agency (Nussbaum & Asterhan, 2016) Please direct any inquiries to Doug Lombardi [email protected] Project Website https://serc.carleton.edu/mel The website contains all the MELs and associated materials for free download. These are examples of figures associated with the evidence texts, which are elaborative sources about each line of evidence Background Scientific explanations must be “justified and critiqued on the basis of evidence and…validated by the larger scientific community” (NRC, 2012, p. 251) One judgment that both laypersons (e.g., students, the public) and scientists apply to explanations is plausibility. Plausibility Gap: Where individuals find competing—but non‐ scientific—ideas more plausible than explanations offered by scientists (Lombardi et al., 2013). The three spheres of activity for scientists and engineers (NRC, 2012, p. 45), with critique and evaluation at the nexus Freshwater Build‐a‐MEL To build a MEL, pick two of these three models To build a MEL, pick four of these nine lines of evidence Research Results In a quasi‐experimental, classroom‐based study, we found significant relations between the MEL activities, evaluation, plausibility, and knowledge These results suggests that MELs can help students think more critically, facilitate their scientific judgments, and deepen students’ knowledge (Lombardi et al., in review) Evaluation Plausibility Post Knowledge Post β = .45, p < .01 β = .31, p = .03 Knowledge Pre β = .21, p = .03 SES Teacher Treatment Plausibility Pre β = .30, p < .01 β = ‐.10, p = .18 β = .14, p = .10 β = .24, p = .01 β = .40, p < .01 β = .14, p = .10

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Page 1: Facilitating Students' Critique, Evaluation, and Argument ...Title: Microsoft PowerPoint - Lombardi 2018 FEW-NEXUS Poster.pptx Author: Doug Created Date: 5/16/2018 5:18:55 PM

Wetland

s Pre‐Co

nstructed MEL

An example of a stud

ent‐completed

 MEL diagram

 (left) and

 explana

tion task (right)

Facilitating Stud

ents' C

ritique

, Evaluation, and

 Argum

ent a

bout 

Freshw

ater Resou

rces

Dou

g Lomba

rdi

Temple University

Abstract

Critiqu

e an

d evalua

tion are central to the scientific en

terprise. A Framew

ork for K

‐12 Science Ed

ucationiden

tifies c

ritiquing

, arguing

, and

 ana

lyzin

g as evaluative processes tha

t are fo

unda

tiona

l to science an

d science learning

. How

ever, it can

 be 

challeng

ing for stude

nts to think critically and

 scientifically abo

ut m

any socio‐science topics, such as availability of freshw

ater re

sources. M

y research te

am and

 I ha

ve develop

ed instructiona

l scaffo

lds‐‐one

 specifically covering the topic of freshw

ater 

availability—

with

 the go

al of h

elping

 stud

ents to

 purpo

sefully evaluate conn

ectio

ns betwee

n lin

es of e

vide

nce an

d alternative explan

ations of socio‐scien

tific phe

nomen

a. Our upcom

ing classroo

m‐based

 research will examine ho

w stud

ents con

struct 

deep

 und

erstan

ding

 of this freshwater to

pic, as w

ell as o

ther so

cioscien

tific issues, such as clim

ate chan

ge.

The material in the po

ster is based

 upo

n work supp

orted by th

e NSF und

er Grant No. DRL‐131

6057

 and

 Grant No. DRL‐172

1041

. Any opinion

s, find

ings, con

clusions, o

r recom

men

datio

ns expressed

 are th

ose of th

e au

thors a

nd do no

t necessarily refle

ct th

e NSF’sview

s.

Mod

el‐Evide

nce Link

 (MEL) D

iagram

s

MELs a

re sc

affolds to facilitate stud

ents’ evaluations abo

ut 

conn

ectio

ns betwee

n lin

es of e

vide

nce an

d alternative 

explan

ations abo

ut a phe

nomen

on (C

hinn

 & Bucklan

d, 201

2)

Pre‐constructed MELs s

hifted

 stud

ents’ p

lausibility ju

dgmen

t toward a more scientific stan

ce and

 dee

pene

d their k

nowledg

e (Lom

bardi et a

l., 201

8)

However, stude

nts’ sc

ientific evalua

tions do no

t transfer b

eyon

d the task con

text

Build

‐a‐M

ELs m

ay promote tran

sfer via stud

ents’ con

ceptua

l agen

cy (N

ussbau

m & Asterha

n, 201

6)

Plea

se dire

ct any

 inqu

iries to

 Dou

g Lomba

rdi

doug

.lomba

rdi@

temple.ed

u

Project W

ebsite

https://serc.carleton.ed

u/mel

The web

site contains all the MELs a

nd associated materials for free do

wnloa

d.

These are exam

ples of figures associated with

 the eviden

ce te

xts, which are elabo

rativ

e sources ab

out e

ach lin

e of evide

nce

Backgrou

nd

Scientific explan

ations m

ust b

e “justified an

d critiqu

ed on the 

basis

 of e

vide

nce an

d…valid

ated

 by the larger sc

ientific 

commun

ity” (NRC

, 201

2, p. 2

51)  

One

 judg

men

t tha

t both layp

ersons (e

.g., stud

ents, the

 pub

lic) 

and scientists a

pply to

 explana

tions is plausibility.

Plau

sibility Gap

: Whe

re in

dividu

als find compe

ting—

but n

on‐

scientific—

idea

s more plau

sible th

an explana

tions offe

red by

 scientists (Lomba

rdi et a

l., 201

3).   

The three sphe

res of activity

 for scien

tists and

 eng

inee

rs (N

RC, 2

012, p. 4

5), 

with

 critique

 and

 evaluation at th

e ne

xus

Freshw

ater Build‐a‐M

EL

To build a 

MEL, p

ick tw

o of th

ese three 

mod

els

To build a M

EL, p

ick four 

of th

ese nine

 line

s of 

eviden

ce

Research Results

In a qua

si‐expe

rimen

tal, classroo

m‐based

 stud

y, we foun

d sig

nifican

t relatio

ns betwee

n the MEL activities, evaluation, plausibility, and

 kn

owledg

e

These results su

ggests th

at M

ELs c

an help stud

ents th

ink more critically, 

facilitate their scien

tific ju

dgmen

ts, and

 dee

pen stud

ents’ kno

wledg

e (Lom

bardi et a

l., in

 review

)

Evalua

tion

Plau

sibility 

Post

Know

ledg

e Po

st

β= .45, p< .01 

β= .31, p= .03 

Know

ledg

e Pre

β= .21, p= .03

SES

Teache

r

Treatm

ent

Plau

sibility 

Pre

β= .30, p< .01 

β= ‐.1

0, p= .18 

β= .14, p= .10 

β= .24, p= .01 

β= .40, p< .01 

β= .14, p= .10