How can I use phenomena to engage and motivate students in the science classroom?

According to Koehler & Mishra (2008, p. 4), a wicked problem is a problem that “…does not have a known correct nor best solution.” In education, teachers face a variety of wicked problems on a daily basis. We encounter problems that relate to our students, classrooms, technology, and teaching practices. Over the last several weeks, CEP 812 assigned a wicked problem project, where I was challenged to think about the problems I face in my teaching practice and develop a potential solution for one of these problems.

Image retrieved from flickr

I began by participating in a question quickfire, where I typed all questions that came to mind in a 5-minute timespan. Following the innovative questioning techniques proposed by Warren Berger (2016), I spent time imagining, seeing, and understanding the problems I face. Many of my questions focused on the framework for teaching the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), where each unit revolves around a driving phenomenon that students work to explain using content, scientific inquiry, and engineering and design practices (Hutner & Sampson, 2015; Krist, Novak, Brody & Tipton, 2016). After viewing a phenomenon, students ask a series of questions to determine what they need to learn and do in order to explain the phenomenon (NGSS Lead States, 2018).

Image retrieved from flickr

I researched and brainstormed various ideas relating to my questions. I read about similar problems and solutions published by my peers to learn from and understand their failures, leading to more questions (Berger, 2016, p. 15).  After empathizing, I was ready to move onto the next step in the design process, define my wicked problem: How can I use phenomena to engage and motivate students in the science classroom? (IDEO, n.d.) Utilizing my research and thinking about my own questions, I created and distributed a survey to my Professional Learning Network (PLN) to gain insight on my wicked problem. The overall goal of my research and data analysis was to learn from my peers and connect their ideas in a unique way, in hopes of finding a possible solution (Berger, 2016, p. 34).

Warren Berger (2016) and my survey participants suggest that many students lack the ability to ask questions. Additionally, many students are afraid to ask questions. Since questioning techniques are required to explain phenomena, I plan to develop a questioning foundation with my students and create a safe space for their questioning. Various technologies, such as Padlet, can be used to support students during this process. However, since technologies are not created for educational purposes, I will repurpose them to be used in the classroom (Koehler & Mishra, 2008). I created a WeVideo presentation to illustrate and explain my wicked problem and the solutions I came up with during the ideation step of in the design process. As I continued sending out my survey and collecting more data, I received feedback on my presentation from my peers. I considered their feedback and made the appropriate changes to refine my WeVideo prototype (IDEO, n.d.).

My multimodal presentation explains the design thinking process I followed when tackling my wicked problem. The various modes of representation complement one another to enhance and clarify my wicked problem to the public (Mehta, 2015). The foundation of my presentation is a combination of visual and textual modalities to illustrate and explain my wicked problem. Images and video clips engage viewers throughout the presentation. Written texts are integrated with these visual aspects to add clarity to important concepts (Mehta, 2015). I also added an audio element to my multimodal presentation. When creating these pieces of audio, I spoke in a calming, slow-paced pitch to give my audience time to process the information I was speaking and incorporate it with the images and texts on screen (Anstey & Bull, 2009). According to Rohit Mehta (2015), “using two or more…modes of representation together can enrich our understanding of a topic”. Therefore, the goal of my multimodal presentation is to use various modes of representation to help my audience understand my wicked problem.

I look forward to testing my solutions in my own classroom when using a phenomenon to introduce and drive my next unit. I will assess my solution by analyzing my students’ motivation and engagement throughout the unit. If I do not see a change, I will refine my solution and re-test it with my next unit.

References

Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2009). Using multimodal texts and digital resources in a multiliterate classroom. Primary English Teaching Association.

Berger, W. (2016). A more beautiful question: The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas. New York, NY: Bloomsbury.

Hutner, T. L., & Sampson, V. (2015). New ways of teaching and observing science class. Phi Delta Kappan,96(8), 52-56. Retrieved January 28, 2019, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/24375889.

IDEO. (n.d.). Design Thinking for Educators. Retrieved February 8, 2019, from https://designthinkingforeducators.com/

Koehler, M., & Mishra, P. (2008). Handbook of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) for educators (1st ed.). New York: Routledge.

Krist, C., Novak, M., Brody, L., & Tipton, K. (2016). Cultivating a Next-Generation Classroom Culture. Science Scope,039(05), 8-14. Retrieved January 28, 2019, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/43691394.

Mehta, R. (2015, December 16). Going Multimodal. Retrieved February 10, 2019, from http://insideteaching.grad.msu.edu/going-multimodal/

NGSS Lead States. (2019, January 15). Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Retrieved February 6, 2019, from https://www.nextgenscience.org/