Presentation during the EARLI SIG 20 conference .

1. Supporting inquiry and modelling
with interactive drawings
Wouter van Joolingen
University of Twente

2. Inquiry at school !?
Today at school the teacher had students start inquiry experiments. . .
They first submitted three questions they could study using plants. The
teacher then pointed them towards the ideas that were the most
workable. It was really cool to see some of the ideas they came up
with. Some students are feeding their plants Coke and others are
testing the difference between real and fluorescent light. They are also
using dyes and various types of soil — even gravel and sand. One
group is testing the effects of music on plants. I was really surprised
by the sophistication of their ideas— A lot of questions similar to the
ones in our methods class. There was even a plant hanging upside
down. It was very cool to see the inquiry method implemented.
(Windschitl, 2004, p. 497)

3. Inquiry at school !?
Today at school the teacher had students start inquiry experiments. . .
They first submitted three questions they could study using plants. The
teacher then pointed them towards the ideas that were the most
workable. It was really cool to see some of the ideas they came up
with. Some students are feeding their plants Coke and others are
testing the difference between real and fluorescent light. They are also
using dyes and various types of soil — even gravel and sand. One
group is testing the effects of music on plants. I was really surprised
by the sophistication of their ideas— A lot of questions similar to the
ones in our methods class. There was even a plant hanging upside
down. It was very cool to see the inquiry method implemented.
(Windschitl, 2004, p. 497)

4. Inquiry at school !?
Today at school the teacher had students start inquiry experiments. . .
They first submitted three questions they could study using plants. The
teacher then pointed them towards the ideas that were the most
workable. It was really cool to see some of the ideas they came up
with. Some students are feeding their plants Coke and others are
testing the difference between real and fluorescent light. They are also
using dyes and various types of soil — even gravel and sand. One
group is testing the effects of music on plants. I was really surprised
by the sophistication of their ideas— A lot of questions similar to the
ones in our methods class. There was even a plant hanging upside
down. It was very cool to see the inquiry method implemented.
(Windschitl, 2004, p. 497)

5. Inquiry at school !?
Today at school the teacher had students start inquiry experiments. . .
They first submitted three questions they could study using plants. The
teacher then pointed them towards the ideas that were the most
workable. It was really cool to see some of the ideas they came up
with. Some students are feeding their plants Coke and others are
testing the difference between real and fluorescent light. They are also
using dyes and various types of soil — even gravel and sand. One
group is testing the effects of music on plants. I was really surprised
by the sophistication of their ideas— A lot of questions similar to the
ones in our methods class. There was even a plant hanging upside
down. It was very cool to see the inquiry method implemented.
(Windschitl, 2004, p. 497)

6. What is wrong with
this?
Lack of theory Cookbook approach
“Experiments” are chosen Inquiry cycle as only
without any theoretical method of generating
motivation data
“The inquiry method” Disconnected from
real world science
Inquiry is seen as
something outside the
curriculum.

7. History of inquiry
research
Philosophy of Science Psychological
research
Popper
i. “Logic of discovery”
Simon, Langley,
ii. Falsification Qin
Kuhn, Lakatos, ... Inquiry is problem
solving
Paradigms, research
programs Generate, test and
revise.
Social aspects of
Inquiry Inquiry Cycle

8. Inquiry and Modelling

9. Inquiry and Modelling

10. What is the core of
inquiry?
And why do we teach it?

11. So, what about this?
Standard model
structured collection
of fermions and
bosons
Mathematical system
to explain interactions
and creation/
annihilation of
particles

12. Really generate-test-
revise?
Matter of scale?
Complexity?
Or fundamentally
different.

13. Standard model
Construct of
theoretical ideas
(fields, operators,
processes)
Internally consistency
as driving force
Symmetry
Covariance
Empirical validation

14. Model-based reasoning
(Nersessian, Giere)
Inquiry and discovery rely on the construction
of models
Visual and analogical modelling
Mental simulations
Requires creative and constructive activities

15. modelling takes many forms

16. Kekulé
Building structure for
Benzene
Problem with the bonds
& spatial structure
It came in a dream

17. Kekulé
Using visual/spatial representations
With well defined constraints
Valence
External properties of benzene - isomers

18. Constructing models
Adding/changing/removing elements
Check interactions
Check internal consistency
Check correspondence
Do we still predict what we already could?
Validation
Check by new experiments or earlier observation
or ..

19. Mental simulation

20. Mental simulation
Reason through the properties of the model
Using time, structures and properties
Realise implications and limitations of the
model

21. Inquiry and modeling
Inquiry is model-based
Experiments are not the only source of
evidence
Construction
Mental simulation

22. Drawing-based modelling
Drawing with a plus
and with constraints
Drawing model
elements
Identify objects
Specify behaviour
Simulate and revise

23. Supporting Construction
Draw
elements
Identify
Associate
behavior

24. Layers of thinking
Objects and elements
Behavior

25. Supporting mental
simulation
Use animation and computer simulation as
augmentation for mental simulation
Providing support for “untraceable” situations.

26. Mars retrograde movement

27. Explain like this or ..

28. Changing perspective

29. Emergence
Phenomena may become untraceable when
there are many objects.
New phenomena may emerge from the
collective interactions

30. Traffic jams

31. SimSketch
Support for construction by drawing
No learning time
Intuitive specification of behaviour
Support for simulation
Animated behaviour of drawing elements
Multiplication, interaction, emergence

32. Behaviour dilemma
What should be
on the behaviour
list?
Elements of
theory
Phenomenological
terms

33. Phenomenology
The Earth is in a circular orbit around the Sun
vs.
The Earth and Sun attract each other due to
gravitation

34. Goal of modeling
Reproduce/reconstruct expert knowledge
vs
Express and build models of self-chosen systems

35. SimSketch development
and evaluation
Basic system
Trial in Masterclass
Empirical studies

36. Masterclass
(with Lars Bollen)
Six participants
Selected
From different schools
Goal: create a drawn model

37. Process
Pretest:
Purpose of models
Scientific Attitude
Introduction to Topic choice and Final model
modelling initial model
Exploring Adaptation to Posttest:
Purpose of models
SimSketch SimSketch Scientific Attitude
Evaluation of SimSketch

38. Purpose of modeling
Post:
Pre:
Simulations
Scale models
Improved view of
Fashion models
testing
Strive for
Focus on purpose
exactness
of model

39. Models!
Included six
Crowd management new behaviours
Predator prey system
Spreading of disease
Traffic (2x)
Influence of alcohol on brain

40. Evaluation
Scientific attitude was and remained high
SimSketch evaluated positively: easy to learn,
fun to use.

41. Crowd management

42. More models

43. NEMO study
Annika Aukes
Science musuem
solar system, planetary movements, solar eclipse
248 participants, aged 7-18 (90% between 8 – 12)
pre-knowledge-test (domain: solar system)
SimSketch tutorial
modelling task solar system
modelling task solar eclipse
Post-knowledge-test (and others)

44. Results
younger children (<= 11) have higher
learning gain than older children
but: ceiling effect
model score does weakly but significantly relate to
learning gain
positive correlation between age and
perceived easyness
negative correlation between age and
perceived value of SimSketch
but remarks that it is nice for younger children

45. Retrograde motion study
Hanna Schmalz
Specific study into modeling retrograde
movement
31 students (11-12)
Tasks: draw the solar system as you know it.
Try to explain the retrograde motion of
Venus using your drawing and simulation
Measures: knowledge, science attitude

46. Results
General increase in attitude towards science
More with boys than girls
General increase in knowledge about
planetary motion
More with girls than boys
Much better expression of retrograde motion
in drawings than in words.

47. Summarizing
Inquiry is a model building activity
Construction and Mental simulation as core activities
SimSketch
Drawing to support construction
Animation to support mental simulation
Way to go:
range of models
assessment of learning
user interfaces for exploring building and exploring models
...

48. www.modeldrawing.eu