Development of a grades 6-12 learning progression for biodiversity: an overview of approach, framework and key findings Presentation Written by: LAUREL HARTLEY 1, ANDY ANDERSON 2, ALAN BERKOWITZ 4, JENNIFER DOHERTY 2, SHAWNA MCMAHON 3, JOHN MOORE 3, CORNELIA HARRIS 4, JONATHON SCHRAMM 2, BROOK WILKE 2 Culturally relevant ecology, learning progressions and environmental literacy Long Term Ecological Research Math Science Partnership April 2011 Disclaimer: This research is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation: Targeted Partnership: Culturally relevant ecology, learning progressions and environmental literacy (NSF ). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

LAUREL HARTLEY 1, ANDY ANDERSON 2, ALAN BERKOWITZ 4, JENNIFER DOHERTY 2, SHAWNA MCMAHON 3, JOHN MOORE 3, CORNELIA HARRIS 4, JONATHON SCHRAMM 2, BROOK WILKE 2 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER 1, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY 2, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY 3, CARY INSTITUTE of ECOSYSTEM STUDIES 4 Development of a grades 6-12 learning progression for biodiversity: an overview of approach, framework and key findings

Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Who we are Ecologists + Science Education Researchers + Teachers + Grades 6-12 Students

Alan Berkowitz, Bess Caplan, Sarah Haines, et al. Cary and Towson University Ali Whitmer, Scott Simon, et al. UCSB and Georgetown Univ. John Moore, Kim Melville- Smith, Ray Tschillard, Bill Hoyt, Laurel Hartley NREL, CSU, UC Denver, UNC Bob Mayes, Sylvia Parker, et al. Univ. of Wyoming Andy Anderson, Brook Wilke, Jennifer Doherty, Jon Schramm et al. MSU Many others: Beth Covitt, Univ. of MT Lia Harris, Eric Keeling, et al. Cary Institute, NY Kristen Gunckel, Univ. of AZ Karen Draney, UC Berkeley Bob Waide, LNO Pathways to Environmental Science Literacy Project

Why do we need biodiversity literacy? Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Biodiversity is rapidly declining

Why do we need biodiversity literacy? Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Species perform vital ecosystem functions/services.

Why do we need biodiversity literacy? Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy The more diverse a population or community is, the more resistant it might be to perturbations like disease

Why do we need biodiversity literacy? How much do citizens need to know to make sense of the information in popular media and policy? How can a reader decide whether to trust claims, especially when reports are contested in popular press? Should we expect citizens to make or accept changes in policies that affect them on the basis of simplified popular media, leaving “technical details” to the experts?

Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Goal of our Work Develop a grades 6-12 learning progression for biodiversity

Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Our working definition of a learning progression  Compatibility with current research: built on findings of the best research about both student learning and scientific thought  Conceptual coherence: “make sense”/ tell a reasonable story  Empirical validation: grounded in empirical data about real students  Learning progressions are descriptions of increasingly sophisticated ways of thinking about a subject.

Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Informed by, builds upon, corroborates Anderson Catley, Lehrer, and Resler Duncan Furtak Metz Nehm Schauble and Lehrer Songer and Gotwals and others

Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Upper Anchor Framework ScaleProcessesPrinciples

Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Upper Anchor Framework ScaleProcessesPrinciples IndividualLife cycles Seasonal cycles 1. An organism’s physical traits and behaviors are the result of genes being expressed within a determined range, moderated by the environment 2. Matter and energy are necessary for life cycle processes 3. Matter and energy are transformed as they are used by biota for life processes

Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Upper Anchor Framework ScaleProcessesPrinciples IndividualLife cycles Seasonal cycles 1. An organism’s physical traits and behaviors are the result of genes being expressed within a determined range, moderated by the environment 2. Matter and energy are necessary for life cycle processes 3. Matter and energy are transformed as they are used by biota for life processes PopulationEvolution1. There is phenotypic and genotypic variability among individuals in and between populations 2. Matter and energy are finite and limit the growth of populations 3. There is differential survival and reproduction in populations based on fitness of traits and chance 4. Dispersal of individuals into and out of a population can change the populations size and/or gene frequencies

Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Upper Anchor Framework ScaleProcessesPrinciples IndividualLife cycles Seasonal cycles 1. An organism’s physical traits and behaviors are the result of genes being expressed within a determined range, moderated by the environment 2. Matter and energy are necessary for life cycle processes 3. Matter and energy are transformed as they are used by biota for life processes PopulationEvolution1. There is phenotypic and genotypic variability among individuals in and between populations 2. Matter and energy are finite and limit the growth of populations 3. There is differential survival and reproduction in populations based on fitness of traits and chance 4. Dispersal of individuals into and out of a population can change the populations size and/or gene frequencies Community /Ecosystem Succession Community Assembly Food Webs 1. Dispersal 2. Abiotic conditions/resources 3. Interactions with other organisms 4. How organisms interact with one another affects how they change themselves and the environment in ways that then change the nature of the interactions between those organisms

Methods Define Content Area Observe patterns in student thinking (literature search and pilot studies) assessments teaching experiments Construct a model about we how think students progress Revise the model Test the model Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy

Methods Written Assessments (MD, NY, CO, MI, CA) Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy School LevelTests (2010) Interviews (2010) Middle School69858 High School67247 Teachers38

Methods Written Assessments (MD, NY, CO, MI, CA) Clinical Interviews (MD, NY, CO, MI, CA) Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy School LevelTests (2010) Interviews (2010) Middle School69858 High School67247 Teachers38

Methods Created rubrics for each item with 10 student answers Attempted rubrics with 30 student answers, refined rubrics Used rubrics to code interview data –Refined rubrics –Eliminated unreliable questions Coded all student answers with refined rubrics –10% of answers were coded by multiple coders –Less than 80% reliability led to another round of developmental coding IRT analysis is on-going Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy

Basic Learning Progression LevelGeneral Description 4Model-Based Reasoning 3School-Science Narrative 2Force-Dynamic with Hidden Mechanisms 1Force-Dynamic Reasoning Upper Anchor Lower Anchor

Outline Paper 1: Development of a Grade 6-12 Learning Progression for Biodiversity: an Overview of the Approach, Framework, and Key Findings, Laurel Hartley Paper 2: The Role of Heredity and Environment in Students’ Accounts of Adaptation by Selection and Phenotypic Plasticity, Jennifer Doherty Paper 3: Endangered Species Conservation as a Context for Understanding Student Thinking about Genetic Diversity, Shawna McMahon Paper 4: Student understanding of species diversity in ecosystems, Jonathon Schramm, Brook Wilke Paper 5: Using complexity in food webs to teach biodiversity, Cornelia Harris

Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Characteristics of Levels: Individual Scale See individuals as static life forms  recognize change in individuals over life cycles and seasons Type I survivorship curves  Type II and III survivorship curves Recognize traits of individuals  connect trait with function and environment

Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Characteristics of Levels: Population Scale Recognize Individuals/families  recognize populations within communities Traits of individuals shaped by free will  traits shaped by genetics moderated by environment All survive  survival in face of strong selection pressures  recognize reproduction as important, recognize weak as well as strong selection Phenotypic plasticity as rationale for “free will” explanation  as rationale for genetic explanation Change within generation  long-time  generational time

Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Characteristics of Levels: Community Scale See direct biotic interactions  also see indirect, resource-mediated interactions, see time lags from action to response Simplistic view of connections  recognition of variable strengths of connections, recognition of functional redundancy Change only from catastrophic events or human intervention  change as constant and mediated by interplay among biota and abiotic environment Isolated landscapes  landscape mosaics don’t invoke dispersal  see dispersal as important and moderated by traits

Future Directions Teaching Experiment (N=1200) Revisions of 2010 Assessments and Framework –Plasticity –Importance of weaker selection pressures –Socio-ecological contexts Differences among students –Demographics –Schools and teaching practices Incorporating learning progression teaching strategies into our teacher professional development

Questions?