Session 5.3 - Collecting and interpreting information
The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource
Learning intentions and objectives.
In this session you will learn about:
Success criteria.
To meet the learning intentions you will:
ICT components.
The ICT components you will focus on are
- Geogebra and polygons
- Use of online simulations for EBL
- Classroom use of Geogebra, spreadsheets, concept mapping,slideshows,
EtherPad
Review of follow-up activities from last session
If you are running a professional learning programme which follows these sessions in sequence, then you should do the review of follow-up activities relating to the (Category:OER4S CPD). The 'review of follow-up activities' for that session is available, and also shown below in the session text. However, if you are following selected sessions in a different order, then you should use the reflection appropriate to the previous session you did.
The review of the follow-up activities for this session (to be done at the start of the next session) is available here.
There is no review of follow-up activities from last session available. You can go to the previous session () and.
Further Tasters of EBL: Investigating characteristics of polygons
Small group activity (20 min). Working in your small group of three to four participants, complete the following activity using GeoGebra. In this activity, we will like you to experiment with drawing different polygons that you may not have seen before (i.e. be creative!). Draw 10 different shaped polygons using GeoGebra. As you draw, think about what is the same and what is different between those polygons, and how you could classify them into different groups.
You may like to refer to this YouTube clip if you are not certain about how to make use of GeoGebra:
VIDEO
Simple Polygons in GeoGebra
Simple Polygons in GeoGebra
Video/Simple Polygons in Geogebra.mp4, https://oer.opendeved.net/wiki/Video/Simple_Polygons_in_Geogebra.mp4,This video is available on your memory stick in the video/Video from other organisations folder. Duration: 03:12 watch on YouTube, local play / download options / download from dropbox)(Series: Video from other organisations, episode N/A)
Take some time to look at the different polygons you have drawn and try to find similar characteristics in some or all of the polygons. Try to group these polygons together and classify them with some sort of descriptor. For instance, some of them may look symmetrical, some may look like regular polygons, or some may have right angles. Be prepared to discuss with your group participants how you have classified them. Share your findings with the other participants and share whether such an activity can be used in the class as a quick taster of what EBL is about.
Try to encourage the participants to draw polygons of different shapes, and to really try to make them different. The polygons should not just be different sizes of the same shape. It is possible that some shapes may just look like the magnification or reduction of size of other shapes but hopefully, participants can draw shapes of different number of sides, length of sides and/or internal angles.
Note that while the instructions for the task are short, it will take some time to complete the task. Make sure you limit the time appropriately, so that there’s enough time for the remainder of the workshop. Decide whether or not to show the following video to illustrate the enquiry nature of this kind of problem-solving task:
VIDEO
The Art of Problem Solving
The Art of Problem Solving: Classifying Quadrilaterals
Video/Art of Problem Solving Classifying Quadrilaterals.mp4, https://oer.opendeved.net/wiki/Video/Art_of_Problem_Solving_Classifying_Quadrilaterals.mp4,This video is available on your memory stick in the video/Video from other organisations folder. Duration: 9:44 watch on YouTube, local play / download options / download from dropbox)(Series: Video from other organisations, episode N/A)
You can also refer to this clip (already used in the last session):
The wiki also contains a number of resources which discuss the use of video in professional development, including:
- The Digital Futures in Teacher Education (DeFT) case studies
- Using Digital Video in Professional Development
All of our video can also be watched on our YouTube site.
Selected videos
- Video from Zambian schools (2011):
- Video from Zambian schools (2012), mainly on project-based and enquiry-based learning:
- Video from South African schools, produced together with AIMSSEC.
- Other video and audio used in the OER4Schools programme:
- OER4Schools audio and podcasts (mainly materials used in the sessions)
- UnBlock Me
- Video from other organisations used in OER4Schools
- The ORBIT PedPack videos:
- Other video from the Centre for Commonwealth Education
- Videos of talks and conference presentations and documentaries (including general videos about OER4Schools in Zambia).
Series
[[Video/Exponentials|Video/Exponentials]]
[[Video/Exponentials|Video/Exponentials]]
[[Video/OER4Schools audio|Video/OER4Schools audio]]
[[Video/Pedpack1|Video/Pedpack1]]
[[Video/Pedpack2|Video/Pedpack2]]
[[Video/Talks|Video/Talks]]
[[Video/Talks|Video/Talks]]
How to use these
The video pages are set up so that they can just be transcluded! Just copy the video page name as above, and surrount with {{: ... }}, e.g.
{{: Video/Pedpack1-16.m4v }}
to give:
VIDEO
Starter 1
Starter 1
Video/Pedpack1-16.m4v, https://oer.opendeved.net/wiki/Video/Pedpack1-16.m4v,This video is available on your memory stick in the video/Pedpack1 folder. Duration: 02:40 watch on YouTube, local play / download options / download from dropbox) This resource is part of the DfES resource Pedagogy and practice.(Series: Pedpack1, episode 16)
List of all videos
| Wiki page | Title | Description | Duration | Series | Episode | Project |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video/Africa Colloquium March 2014 | Africa Colloquium | Introduction to the OER4Schools Programme | 12:49 | Video/Talks | 06 | |
| Video/Agness Tembo at eLA 2010 Zambia.mp4 | Agness Tembo speaking at eLearning Africa 2010 in Lusaka, Zambia | Agness Tembo speaking at eLearning Africa 2010 in Lusaka, Zambia | Video/Talks | 02 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource | |
| Video/Audio clip from interview with Eness about grouping slow and fast learners | Audio clip from interview with Eness about grouping slow and fast learners | Audio clip from interview with Eness about grouping slow and fast learners | 1:26 | Video/OER4Schools audio | N/A | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Global Poverty and ICTs 2010.mp4 | Introducing digital Open Educational Resources into Zambian schools | Introducing digital Open Educational Resources into Zambian schools through school-based professional development. This is a presentation made by Sara Hennessy of the Centre for Commonwealth Education (CCE), University of Cambridge, at the "Global Poverty and ICTs" event 26 October 2010, organised the Humanitarian Centre. It reports the findings of Phase 1 of the OER4Schools project assessing the feasibility of using Open Educational Resources (OER) in ICT-equipped primary schools in Zambia, and of using interactive teaching methods to supporting active, collaborative learning. | 4:21 | Video/Talks | 01 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Introduction to Chalimbana Basic School.m4v | Introduction to Chalimbana Basic School | Introduction to Chalimbana Basic School | 1:57 | Video/Talks | 03 | |
| Video/OCW 2012 presentation | Supporting effective primary and secondary school practice through OER | ORBIT and OER4schools: Supporting effective primary and secondary school practice through OER | 20:34 | Video/Talks | 04 | |
| Video/ORBIT and OER4Schools OCW2012.mp4 | ORBIT and OER4Schools | ORBIT and OER4Schools (OCW 2012). | 30:08 | Video/Talks | 05 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pedpack1-01.m4v | Leadership Guide 1 | Becoming a professional learning community | 02:45 | Video/Pedpack1 | 01 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack1-04.m4v | Structured Learning 1 | Sharing objectives | 02:17 | Video/Pedpack1 | 04 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-01.m4v | Pedpack 2 | Guided Learning: guided writing | 10:22 | Video/Pedpack2 | 01 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-02.m4v | Guided Learning: guided learning in History | Guided Learning: guided learning in History | 17:48 | Video/Pedpack2 | 02 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-03.m4v | Guided Learning: guided learning in art and design | Guided Learning: guided learning in art and design | 16:41 | Video/Pedpack2 | 03 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-04.m4v | Guided Learning: guided learning in design and technology | Guided Learning: guided learning in design and technology | 11:14 | Video/Pedpack2 | 04 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-05.m4v | Guided Learning in Modern Foreign Languages | Guided Learning in Modern Foreign Languages | 11:48 | Video/Pedpack2 | 05 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-06.m4v | Group work: group work in primary schools | Group work: group work in primary schools | 08:50 | Video/Pedpack2 | 06 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-07.m4v | Episode 07: Group work: snowball | Episode 07: Group work: snowball | 10:13 | Video/Pedpack2 | 07 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-08.m4v | Group work: setting ground rules | Group work: setting ground rules | 05:35 | Video/Pedpack2 | 08 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-09.m4v | Group work: maintaining momentum | Group work: maintaining momentum | 04:36 | Video/Pedpack2 | 11 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-10.m4v | Active Engagement Techniques: teaching for active engagement | Active Engagement Techniques: teaching for active engagement | 16:17 | Video/Pedpack2 | 12 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-11.m4v | Assessment for Learning: Assessment in everyday lessons | Assessment for Learning: Assessment in everyday lessons | 12:50 | Video/Pedpack2 | 13 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-12.m4v | Assessment for Learning: sharing learning objectives and outcomes 1 | Assessment for Learning: sharing learning objectives and outcomes 1 | 03:25 | Video/Pedpack2 | 14 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-13.m4v | Assessment for Learning: sharing learning objectives and outcomes 2 | Assessment for Learning: sharing learning objectives and outcomes 2 | 02:17 | Video/Pedpack2 | 15 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-14.m4v | Assessment for Learning: sharing learning objectives and outcomes 3 | Assessment for Learning: sharing learning objectives and outcomes 3 | 03:59 | Video/Pedpack2 | 16 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-15.m4v | Developing Reading: a literacy in RE | Developing Reading: a literacy in RE | 12:06 | Video/Pedpack2 | 23 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-16.m4v | Learning Styles | Learning Styles | 03:54 | Video/Pedpack2 | 29 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-17.m4v | Classroom Management | Classroom Management | 07:49 | Video/Pedpack2 | 30 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-18.m4v | Improving the climate for learning: making the best use of the environment | Improving the climate for learning: making the best use of the environment | 09:48 | Video/Pedpack2 | 27 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-19.m4v | Developing Effective Learners: developing independence | Developing Effective Learners: developing independence | 06:13 | Video/Pedpack2 | 26 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-20.m4v | Developing Writing: sequence for teaching and writing | Developing Writing: sequence for teaching and writing | 15:05 | Video/Pedpack2 | 25 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-21.m4v | Assessment for Learning: Sharing level descriptions | Assessment for Learning: Sharing level descriptions | 05:31 | Video/Pedpack2 | 22 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-22.m4v | Assessment for Learning: Peer-assessment and English | Assessment for Learning: Peer-assessment and English | 11:02 | Video/Pedpack2 | 21 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-23.m4v | Assessment for Learning: Peer-assessment and ICT | Assessment for Learning: Peer-assessment and ICT | 06:28 | Video/Pedpack2 | 20 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-24.m4v | Assessment for Learning: Peer-assessment and Science | Assessment for Learning: Peer-assessment and Science | 03:12 | Video/Pedpack2 | 19 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-25.m4v | Assessment for Learning: peer-assessment and RE | Assessment for Learning: peer-assessment and RE | 10:36 | Video/Pedpack2 | 18 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-26.m4v | Assessment for Learning: recognising the standards | Assessment for Learning: recognising the standards | 11:24 | Video/Pedpack2 | 17 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-27.m4v | Introducing group task 2 | Introducing group task 2 | 02:52 | Video/Pedpack2 | 10 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-28.m4v | Introducing group task 1 | Introducing group task 1 | 03:32 | Video/Pedpack2 | 09 | ORBIT |
| Video/Pedpack2-29.m4v | Improving the climate for learning: using a double horse shoe | Improving the climate for learning: using a double horse shoe | Video/Pedpack2 | 28 | ORBIT | |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.1-2.mp4 | Learners doubling numbers | Two learners are working together to repeatedly double numbers and work out how much gold the man should receive. | 01:01 | Video/Exponentials | 02 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.1-3.mp4 | Learners check answers | Pindi looks at the work of a pair of learners and questions whether they think a particular answer is correct. They are offered a calculator to check answers but prefer to work out for themselves. | 00:36 | Video/Exponentials | 03 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.1-5.mp4 | Involving class in answering a question | A learner has noticed that the beginning of next week is called 'week 1' and asks what the current week could be called. The teacher asks the rest of the class, and another question quickly follows. | 01:05 | Video/Exponentials | 04 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.1-7.mp4 | Giving answers and class making corrections | Pindi stops the class to give answers to the class. She encourages the learners to recite answers together and make corrections. | 01:29 | Video/Exponentials | 05 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.2-10.mp4 | Giving an example | Pindi follows up on the previous question and looks at why the rules of exponents work with the example on the board. | 01:20 | Video/Exponentials | 07 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.2-11.mp4 | Pair work and explanations | Learners are instructed to work in pairs to answer questions with an added explanation of the method they used and why it works. | 01:28 | Video/Exponentials | 08 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.2-9.mp4 | Class questioning and confusion | Pindi asks the class what they think the answer to two exponents multiplied together might be. She asks for the answer in exponent form which confuses a couple of learners. | 01:19 | Video/Exponentials | 06 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.3-14.mp4 | Table of values | Pindi helps the class to fill in their table of values which will be used to plot a graph of y=2^x. | 00:42 | Video/Exponentials | 09 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.3-17.mp4 | Learners use measuring cards | Pindi shows what the graph should look like as learners use their measuring card to mark out points on the graph | 00:37 | Video/Exponentials | 10 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.3-19.mp4 | Learners divide into groups | Learners enter the hall and divide into their groups to finish plotting their graphs. | 01:25 | Video/Exponentials | 11 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.4-21.mp4 | Examing completed graphs | Pindi gathers the students back together to examine all of the completed graphs. | 00:31 | Video/Exponentials | 12 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.4-22.mp4 | Checking and demonstrating plotting points | Pindi and the class look at all the graphs next to each other and check for mistakes. Pindi demonstrates how to plot the points. | 01:59 | Video/Exponentials | 13 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.4-23.mp4 | Pindi checks one group's work | Pindi checks one group's work and helps them to make corrections. | 01:10 | Video/Exponentials | 14 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.4-24.mp4 | Pupils return with graphs | The pupils are instructed to return with their graphs to the classroom. | 01:13 | Video/Exponentials | 15 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi Exponentials2.4-26.mp4 | Pupil make predictions | Pupils put their graphs up on the wall and mark in bold pen increasing values of 2^x. The graphs quickly get much taller and pupils are asked to predict where the next marks would be. | 02:51 | Video/Exponentials | 16 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi exponentials 2.1-1.m4v | Introducing a problem with a story | Pindi introduces the problem ("The powers of two"). She begins the lesson by telling a story. She asks the students which option they would choose: A fixed amount of money, or a smaller amount which doubles every week. Learners give their opinion. | 2:35 | Video/Exponentials | 01 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi exponentials 2.3-18.m4v | Classroom management | Classroom management. Pindi asks the learners to go to the school hall to continue the investigation. | 1:56 | Video/Exponentials | 18 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi exponentials 2.4-21.m4v | Whole group work | Pindi asking the groups to come together with their work, so that the work can be compared and discussed. | 0:33 | Video/Exponentials | 21 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Pindi exponentials 2.4-23.m4v | Graph group work | Group work activity on drawing the graph. Pindi shows the use of the "ruler" to a group. | 1:04 | Video/Exponentials | 23 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
| Video/Zambia2014 | 21st century learning in Zambia - iSchool.zm and OER4Schools.org | This video features http://ischool.zm and http://www.oer4schools.org. It was produced by Björn Haßler (http://bjohas.de), directed by Peter Cook, and camera by Rich Peart. The video was part-funded by ARM, and part-funded by OER4Schools. | 7:11 | Video/Talks | 07 | The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource |
The following task may be used as an alternative if preferred or if there is no GeoGebra resource:
Investigating volume and surface area of paper boxes
Each group of participants should have access to papers of different sizes. Each participant should fold a paper box using each of the papers. Use an appropriate method to measure the area of paper and volume of the paper box. Would the size of the paper affect the volume of the paper box? Or would it be dependent on how your fold the paper? What is your initial ‘best guess’ or hypothesis? How will you go about finding out whether your guess or hypothesis is correct? Share your findings with the other participants and whether such an activity can be used in the class as a quick taster of what EBL is about.
Simple Data Collection Exercise
Small group activity (10 min). This is a fast and simple activity in which you (or your students) fill in the blanks, and you learn more about each other. On a piece of paper, draw a simple profile of yourself (forehead, nose, mouth, and chin). You and your group members should choose at least four items from the following list of possible information about each other, and write them inside the profile using coloured pens:
- Name
- Favourite time of day
- Favourite colour
- Favourite sport
- Favourite subject
- Something I did that I'm proud of
- Birthplace
- Something that makes me laugh
- Favourite food
- Favourite animal
- Favourite song
You can post the profiles in the classroom or create a display section in a suitable venue in your school along with your picture (or your students’ pictures). For another variation, you can use a spreadsheet, to consolidate a particular aspect of the profile of the class (e.g. favourite time of day, favourite food). These can be shown on a regular basis as ‘data’ from your class. (e.g. My classmates all like to eat ’nsima’)
Now try to come up with some interpretation of the data from all the profiles in your group.This is a great way to get to know each other and also the group as a whole.
Data Collection
Whole group discussion (10 min). Data collection is an essential part of many EBL activities. It is important that data is carefully and accurately collected. Otherwise, the interpretations and conclusions you draw from your enquiry can be very misleading! For instance, you would not want your profile in the previous activity to contain any mistakes about yourself! Some common methods of data collection include: reading reference material in a library or on the Internet, conducting an interview, using questionnaires or conducting an experiment. Discuss with each other whether you are familiar with each of these data collection activities. It is important to give students ownership of how they prefer to collect and record their findings by giving them options to choose from. It is also important for teachers to discuss with them the reasons for collecting or recording findings, because they may not understand why they need to collect or record findings in a particular way.
Now watch this video clip on Nixolo helping students to collect data in her EBL lesson, bearing in mind the questions below:
VIDEO
Recording findings
Recording information during an enquiry. Noxolo encourages a group to record their findings. She checks who in the group is supposed to keep the records of the investigation.
Video/Noxolo 3D shapes 1.3 AfL3 recording.m4v, https://oer.opendeved.net/wiki/Video/Noxolo_3D_shapes_1.3_AfL3_recording.m4v,This video is available on your memory stick in the video/3D shapes folder. Duration: 0:40 watch on YouTube, local play / download options / download from dropbox)(Series: 3D shapes, episode 13)
Discuss these questions:
- Why do you think it is important for students to record their findings during the enquiry process?
- Are the students in the clip motivated to record their findings?
- Can you think of ways to help the students engage with the recording information part of the enquiry process?
Collecting and Interpreting Data: Part one
Recall the four enquiry ideas (A-D) that were discussed in the last session. Get back into the small group you were in the last session. We will assume your group has been able to develop one or two of these ideas into enquiry-based lesson(s) and you now want your students to start collecting data to answer the enquiry questions.
Idea A: Investigating paper airplanes
There are many different designs for paper airplanes. Some of them have a very plain design but can fly a longer distance whereas some can have a rather interesting design but not fly as well. What are the factors that affect how far a paper airplane can fly?
Idea B: Investigating the process of hand washing
We have been told that washing of our hands is an important part of maintaining hygiene and preventing the spread of germs and viruses. How do you know that you have spent adequate time washing your hands each time?
Idea C: Investigating the vegetables and trees within our community
What are some of the vegetables and trees that are grown in our community and why are they being grown here? (e.g. consider tomatoes, rape, onion, cabbage, nimu tree, holy fiso, malaina, mango) Some possible areas of investigation: location of vegetable/trees (e.g. type of soil and availability of water source like stream), medicinal properties (e.g. is it used as a traditional medicine?), nutrition properties, economic consideration (e.g. source of fuel/income), ecological and environmental concerns, personal and spiritual values.
Idea D: Planning for a trip to the game reserves and Victoria Falls
Imagine you have two overseas friends who have just arrived in Lusaka and would like to visit a game reserve near Lusaka, the Victoria Falls and one other interesting site. The visitors only have one day to visit these three places by car. Can you recommend the third place to visit and inform the visitors the distance to these places from Lusaka city centre? Can you also suggest an itinerary that will take into consideration the shortest distance of travel to and between the three places, starting and ending at Lusaka city centre ? Please state the distance of travelling to each place and the approximate time required to travel.
Also think about the practical arrangements: how much luggage (water, food, equipment) will you need to take and how will you be able to carry this? Are there any elderly people or young children in your party, who might need special provision, such as extra food, or more frequent stops?
Small group activity (10 min). Discuss in your groups the following questions:
- What form of data collection will the students need to work on? Do they need to identify sources of information or conduct some sort of experiment or calculation?
- If it is a form of experiment or calculation, do they have the necessary skills or knowledge to conduct the experiment or calculation? How will they record their results? How will I make sure to integrate ICT into this process? Would the use of a spreadsheet help students to keep track of and if necessary further process results?
- If it involves identifying sources of information, where do they find the information? How do they know the information is valid and how can they access the information?
- What other ways of finding information are there?
An enormous amount of valuable, deep and exciting information is available on the Internet, but an enormous amount of total nonsense, falsities, half-truths and unsupported theories is also out there. Your students have to learn to distinguish between the two, but you cannot give them hard-and-fast rules. Everything that comes out of an established publishing source isn't good information, and everything that comes from a personal home page isn't bad information. The kinds of things that students ask may be answerable only by other people, perhaps only by a knowledgeable person other like a teacher, parent, medical specialists, etc.
Group activity (20 min). After the discussion, assess if the resources that you have prepared so far would be adequate for the students to embark on the data collection process (whether is it in the form of experiment or enquiring through the Internet/asking people). If not, make some changes or consider creating additional worksheets or perhaps a spreadsheet for the students. You should make sure that you have included an ICT element in each of your enquiry ideas.
Imagine that you are the students who are going through the data collection process. Now go ahead and complete the experiment or data gathering. By the end of the workshop, you should have the full data set and findings that you could share with the other groups next week.
Some post-activity questions for discussion (if there is time):
- What kind of challenges can you anticipate your students will face when completing this phase of the enquiry-based learning lesson?
- How can you support your students as they face these challenges?
- Does the use of ICT in your activity support students’ learning?
Collecting and Interpreting Data: Part two
Small Group work (10 min). You have now collected the data and should be ready to analyse or find solutions to respond to appropriately during the enquiry. Where should you begin and how do you proceed with this section of the enquiry? You might like to take note of the steps in the scientific method as usually followed in many scientific investigations and enquiries:
- A question or a problem is posed.
- Research is done to find out what is already known about the topic.
- A hypothesis is formed - this is usually a best guess based on what’s already known.
- A very detailed step-by-step experimental procedure is designed to test the hypothesis – this is the scientific enquiry or investigation and must take into account all variables affecting the experiment.
- The investigation is done (using whatever equipment/materials you have chose to use) and data is collected.
- Data is analysed.
- Conclusions are reached.
- Results are communicated.
You should observe that the steps are very similar to the EBL steps. The steps in italics should be particularly helpful reminder to what enquiry activities you have carried out, in the context of a scientific investigation method. Before you carry on to analyse your data, discuss these questions:
- What is your ‘best guess’ at this point in time? Why?
- Do you think the data help you to respond to the enquiry? Why?
- How do you know that you can ‘trust’ the data that has been collected? Why?
- What is the best way to make sense of the data so that you are able to find some solutions to the enquiry?
Use the following information if required:
The analysis of the data involves responding to the questions above. These questions help you evaluate your guesses, and assess whether the data collected is valid (ie. whether it can actually answer the enquiry questions) or reliable (ie. whether the data comes from a rigorous and trustworthy method of data collection). If you do not think the data fulfills the qualities of validity and reliability, then you should immediately highlight the problem and try to find out why this could have happened. It may be that you need to to rethink or repeat the data collection process. If you are satisfied with the data collected, you can then go ahead to make sense of the data so that you are able to present a solution, or different solutions, to the rest of the participants next week.
Remember, to ensure that the data collected is reliable. It may be necessary to repeat the experiment a number of times. Averages can then be calculated if further processing is needed - for example in the paper airplane enquiry. To ensure that the data is valid, make sure to consider all the possible variables and which one to control.
Making use of ICT in Enquiry-Based Learning
Small group activity (20 min). Go to the ‘Balancing Act’ simulation by following the link below. Play with the simulation for a few minutes and think about how you might use it in an EBL lesson. Can you come up with one or two enquiry questions that could be investigated using the simulation? Discuss with your colleagues how students would record their answers to these questions.
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/balancing-act
If time permits, think about reviewing the two gold star rated resources (Teaching Ideas) that accompany the simulation to see how they could be good exemplars for your EBL lesson.
http://phet.colorado.edu/files/activities/3485/Balancing%20Act_Sample_Lesson.pdf
These are some possible extension activities you can choose to do in your own time:
1. Study other simulations that have been developed in the web page:
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/new
2. Come up with some headings under which to review the simulations and resources that this website pages could offer for an EBL lesson. For instance, you could assess the simulations and resources in terms of:
- the level of enquiry they promote,
- ways of extending/differentiating the level of enquiry,
- how user friendly it is for yourself and students,
- how engaging it will be for the students,
- the relevance to your teaching subjects or curriculum in general.
Connecting with overarching goals of the programme
Open space (10 min). It's now time for the "open space", that gives you an opportunity to discuss issues that have arisen, and to relate those to the broader context of the programme. Do not just gloss over this section, but make time to raise issues, and probe the progress that you are making. You could use this space to:
- Remind yourselves of the of the Most Significant Change Technique, and e.g. collect more of your stories.
- Discuss your assessment portfolios: Is there anything that you are unsure about? Is it going well? What could be done better?
- Check on the work with the classroom assistants: Is this going well? Are there any tensions? Any observations or tips you can share?
- Reviewing individual ICT practise (such as typing practise).
- If you are preparing a presentation for other teachers, you could work on the presentation (about what you have been learning, stories emerging from MSC).
- Remind those who are doing audio diaries, to upload them.
- You could discuss any other issues that have arisen.
You will find notes and summaries of various techniques and concepts on our reference page, and you might want to refer to those for clarification during this activity if needed.
Follow-up activities
Agreeing follow-up activities (5 min).
Participants should set concrete days for their Geogebra day, as well as for the project day. Part 1 of the investigation should be carried out between 5.3 and 5.4. As you go through the homework, explicitly discuss days or lessons which teachers can set aside for this.
Part A: Try out in your classroom the same mini-GeoGebra enquiry as in the first taster EBL activity above, with learners working in mixed groups of 3-4 around a computer. Consider the following question: how did your students respond to the open nature of this task? What other observations can you make that will help you evaluate the use of Geogebra to explore this topic. Note down the responses and observations. In the next session you will share this with the others.
Part B: Tidy up and make sense of the data for the group enquiry activities you have worked on in this session and be ready to present them next week. Decide on what would be the best way to present your ideas (e.g. charts, OpenOffice presentation) so that you can present your findings next week.
Part C: Continue to work on planning for a ‘project day’ or ‘field trip’ and share any development of ideas in the next session. It may be that you have introduced some form of EBL whether in the form of a mini EBL (as in Part A of this homework) or the ‘project or field day’. Be ready to share the positive, minus and interesting (PMI) points that you have noted so far when introducing EBL in your classrooms. The following additional set of questions can be considered for thinking and sharing of PMI, if you have already started to make use of EBL in your lessons:
- How are the students involved in framing the enquiry tasks and questions? (e.g. could groups or individuals generate and record ideas about "what I/we want to know"? Or in the case of a whole class investigation, could the class vote on which enquiry is the most interesting yet feasible to pursue? )
- Are the tasks open-ended enough so that students could also take some responsibility for how they develop, rather than just producing an answer or a solution? (open-ended tasks can still contain guidance)
- Can students conduct experiment, search for information or resources themselves?
- Can students interpret the information or data themselves?
- Can you persuade students to ask more questions without feeling shy or stupid?
- Can you show students that you can be a learner alongside them?
- Are the resources - inside and outside the classroom, human/material/digital - sufficient and accessible to all of them?
- Can you, and the rest of the class, give comments or criticisms that are constructive and sensitive? Can the group be encouraged to take on board constructive feedback?
- Are the students motivated to suggest more enquiry ideas of their own?
Part D: Carry out Stage 1 of your ‘project day’ or ‘field trip’. You could do this across a couple of lessons (or the longer sessions which we have arranged for in the timetable), or by setting half a day aside for this.
In the next session, these follow-up activities will be reviewed. If you are using this session on its own, you can have a look at the review of follow-up activities here.
At the end of each session, we provide an overview of the activities in this session, together with their suggested timings. Although this appears at the end of the session (for technical reasons), you should keep an eye on this throughout the session, to make sure that you are pacing the workshop session appropriately!
Total time: 115 (min)
Activities in this session:
- Small group activity(20 min).
- Small group activity(10 min).
- Whole group discussion(10 min).
- Small group activity(10 min).
- Group activity(20 min).
- Small Group work(10 min).
- Small group activity(20 min).
- Open space(10 min).
- Agreeing follow-up activities(5 min).
If you have printed this session for offline use, you may also need to download the following assets:
- Video/Simple Polygons in Geogebra.mp4 (local play / download options / download from dropbox)
- Video/Art of Problem Solving Classifying Quadrilaterals.mp4 (local play / download options / download from dropbox)
- Video/Pedpack1-16.m4v (local play / download options / download from dropbox)
- Video/Noxolo 3D shapes 1.3 AfL3 recording.m4v (local play / download options / download from dropbox)
