CAREER: Conceptual Dynamics in Complex Science Interventions

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

Many recent innovations in science education are designed to embed science learning into meaningful contexts. These task-structured curricula are organized around specific projects, goals, or issues that cut across multiple content areas at varying levels of depth, unlike content-structured curricula that are organized around disciplinary topics. The content covered in these new curricula has different properties when compared to content-structured curricula, which makes the description and measurement of learning difficult. This project aims to develop theoretical frameworks and methodological strategies that can be used to characterize conceptual change in task-structured curricula. The project will result in three outputs: (1) an assembly of theoretical frameworks and methodological strategies referred to as the Conceptual Dynamics program, (2) application of the program to analyze existing task-structured curricula, and (3) development of resources for teaching students in the learning sciences.