M. Gail Jones

Haptics in Education: Exploring an Untapped Sensory Modality

As human beings, we can interact with our environment through the sense of touch, which helps us to build an understanding of objects and events. The implications of touch for cognition are recognized by many educators who advocate the use of “hands-on” instruction. But is it possible to know something more completely by touching it? Does touch promote the construction of more connected and meaningful understandings? Current technology makes the addition of touch to computer-generated environments possible, but the educational implications of this innovation are still largely unknown. This article is a baseline review that examines the role of touch in cognition and learning and explores the research investigating the efficacy of the haptic augmentation of instruction.

Putting Practice Into Theory: Changes in the Organization of Preservice Teachers’ Pedagogical Knowledge

This study investigated changes in the organization of preservice teachers’ knowledge about teaching. The research questions included: (a) How do student teachers’ concepts of effective teaching change through time? (b) What experiences and factors do student teachers report as influencing changes in the organization of their concepts? Twenty-three seniors in middlegrades teacher education drew concept maps, completed card sorting tasks, and participated in structured interviews four times during the senior year. The findings indicated that student teachers reconstructed their knowledge related to teaching during the middle of student teaching and attributed these changes in knowledge organization primarily to student teaching experiences. Using a constructivist perspective, the authors discuss how anomalies experienced by student teachers interacted with prior knowledge. Two concepts—flexibility and planning—emerged as key concepts that changed rapidly. Flexibility was initially associated with preparation for class; then toward the end of student teaching, this concept was related to differentiating instruction for students’ needs and taking advantage of the teachable moment. Planning was initially described as a concept related to planning lessons and obtaining materials; then by the middle of student teaching, it became associated with the unpredictability of classroom events. By the end of student teaching, planning became a complex concept that connected lesson planning, maintaining class management, and meeting students’ needs.

The impact of haptic augmentation on middle school students’ conceptions of the animal cell

Of the five sensory channels—sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch, it is only our sense of touch that enables us to modify and manipulate the world around us. This article reports the preliminary findings of a systematic study investigating the efficacy of adding haptic feedback to a desktop virtual reality program for use in middle school science instruction. Current technology allows for the simulation of tactile and kinesthetic sensations via sophisticated haptic devices and a computer interface. This research, conducted with 80 middle school students, examined the cognitive and affective impact of this technology on students’ understandings of the structure and function of an animal cell. The results of this work offer valuable insights into the theoretical and practical considerations involved in the development and implementation of haptically augmented virtual reality instructional programs.

Experienced and Novice Teachers’ Concepts of Spatial Scale

Scale is one of the thematic threads that runs through nearly all of the sciences and is considered one of the major prevailing ideas of science. This study explored novice and experienced teachers’ concepts of spatial scale with a focus on linear sizes from very small (nanoscale) to very large (cosmic scale). Novice teachers included undergraduates in science teacher education and students enrolled in a Masters of Arts in Science Teaching Program. Experienced teachers included students enrolled in a Master of Science Program. Participants’ knowledge of conceptual categories of size, scale accuracy, and experiences learning scale were assessed. Results showed both experienced and novice teachers were most accurate in their knowledge of human scale (1 m or body length) and both groups were more accurate with large scale than small scale. Experienced teachers held more accurate concepts of small‐scale measurements such as the nanometre than novice teachers. There was evidence that being able to directly experience objects and distances influenced concepts of size and scale. The role of in‐school and out‐of‐school experiences in developing concepts of scale is discussed.

Haptic feedback and students' learning about levers: Unraveling the effect of simulated touch

While there has been extensive experimental research on haptics, less has been conducted on cross-modal interactions between visual and haptic perception and even less still on cross-modal applications in instructional settings. This study looks at a simulation on the principles of levers using both visual and haptic feedback: one group received visual and haptic feedback while the other just visual feedback. Using the triangulation of learning scores, eye tracking data, and video analysis of interaction with the levers, the efficacy of haptic feedback to improve learning was explored. The results indicate that while the total fixation time on the levers and numeric readout was greater for the visual and haptic group, very similar patterns of visual attention were seen between groups. Perhaps surprisingly, the visual only group scored higher on an embedded assessment. Explanations for these results are synthesized from theories of cross-modal perception and cognitive architecture.

Nanotechnology and Nanoscale Science: Educational challenges

Nanotechnology has been touted as the next ‘industrial revolution’ of our modern age. In order for successful research, development, and social discourses to take place in this field, education research is needed to inform the development of standards, course development, and workforce preparation. In addition, there is a growing need to educate citizens and students about risks, benefits, and social and ethical issues related to nanotechnology. This position paper describes the advancements that have been made in nanoscale science and nanotechnology, and the challenges that exist to educate students and the public about critical nanoscience concepts. This paper reviews the current research on nanotechnology education including curricula, educational programs, informal education, and teacher education. Furthermore, the unique risks, benefits and ethics of these unusual technological applications are described in relation to nanoeducation goals. Finally, we outline needed future research in the areas of nanoscience content, standards and curricula, nanoscience pedagogy, teacher education, and the risks, benefits, and social and ethical dimensions for education in this emerging field.

Gender Issues in Teacher Education.

Jones examines the influence of gender bias on classroom interactions. Sixty teachers were observed using the Brophy-Good Teacher-Child Dyadic In teraction System to code classroom in teractions. Teacher experience was then analyzed in relation to gender differ ences in classroom interactions. Teach ers of all levels of experience were found to interact more with male students than with females. The nature of and differ ences in interactional patterns are examined. Reform in teacher prepara tion with regard to educational equity is discussed.

Cooperative learning: Developmentally appropriate for middle level students

What is cooperative learning? Cooperative learning has also been called student team learning or small group instruction. However, there are certain distinct elements that separate cooperative learning strategies from traditional group work. Cooperative learning groups are structured for positive interdependence to ensure that every student has a role or task and is held accountable for completion of the task (Johnson & Johnson, 1987). In traditional learning groups there is often a single group captain or leader. In cooperative group work, all students are held responsible for encouraging and helping each other learn. Many teachers actively teach cooperative social skills to encourage the groups to process their effectiveness and set collaborative goals. In addition, there is often a group reward or recognition for team success. There are three commonly used types of cooperative learning: student teams achievement divisions (STAD), teams-games-tournament (TGT) and jigsaw (Slavin, 1986). In student teams achievement divisions the teacher provides traditional instruction; then teams of four or five students study together and each person takes an individual quiz. Each students score is compared to his or her own previously determined average and points are given for improvement. The team that achieves the most improvement points receives recognition through a newsletter, bulletin board or other reward.

Small Groups and Shared Constructions

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the use of instructional groups within a constructivist framework and considers critical questions regarding the nature of knowledge, the roles of teachers and learners, and the organization of classroom experiences. The cooperative learning movement provided educators with new models that emphasized achievement of objectives while also including the diversity of perspectives and learning strategies that group work provides. The greatest advantage of group work is the role that another individual plays in creating a cognitive conflict or dissonance. The first step in any construction process is contingent upon the blueprint or building plans for construction. In order to participate in the building of a viable structure, the builder must understand the building plan as provided by the architect and have some fundamental idea of how the building task is accomplished. On the most basic level, in order to construct meaning, students must share some common understandings of the words and symbols that are used in the context of the science classroom.

Teachers’ Concepts of Spatial Scale: An international comparison

Metric scale is an important concept taught as part of science curricula across different countries. This study explored metric and relative (body-length) scale concepts of inservice (N = 92) and preservice (N = 134) teachers from Austria, and Taiwan, and their concepts were compared with those of teachers from the USA. Participants completed three assessments: the Scale Anchoring Objects (SAO), Scale of Objects Questionnaire (SOQ), and a subsample of participants were interviewed with the Learning Scale Interview. A Rasch analysis was conducted with the SAO and SOQ and results showed that the Rasch model held for these assessments, indicating that there is an underlying common dimension to understanding scale. Further analyses showed that accuracy of knowledge of scale measured by the SAO and SOQ was not related to professional experience. There were significant differences in teachers’ accuracy of scale concepts by nationality. This was true for both metric and body-length SAO assessments. Post hoc comparisons showed that the Austrian and Taiwanese participants were significantly more accurate than the US sample on the SAO and SOQ. The Austrian participants scored significantly higher than the US and the Taiwanese participants. The results of the interviews showed that the Taiwanese experienced teacher participants were more likely to report learning size and scale through in-school experiences than the Austrian or the US participants. US teachers reported learning size and scale most often through participating in hobbies and sports, Taiwanese teachers reported learning scale through sports and reading, and Austrian teachers most often noted that they learned about scale through travel.