1. Learning-Goals-Driven Design: Developing Instructional Materials that Align with Learning Goals and Project-based Pedagogy
Joseph Krajcik
Professor of Science Education
Center for Highly Interactive Classrooms,
Curriculum and Computers for Education
The University of Michigan
AAAS
Michigan State University Northwestern University
University of Michigan
Center for Curriculum Materials in Science
This work is funded by the National Science Foundation (ES and ).
Any opinions, findings and recommendations expressed in the materials are those of the authors.

2. What will we do today Examine why we should redesign curriculum
Describe the IQWST Project
Explore what is meant by curriculum coherence
Discuss our design principles
Share some of our findings
Discuss

3. Why redesign curriculum?
Inadequate Science Materials
Science curriculum materials
Cover many topics at a superficial level
Focus on technical vocabulary
Fail to consider students’ prior knowledge
Lack coherent explanations of real-world phenomena
Provide students with few opportunities to develop explanations of phenomena

4. Solution - Design the Next Generation of Middle School Science Materials
Investigating and Questioning our World through Science and Technology (IQWST)
Utilizes a coordinated approach for 6th through 8th science curriculum materials
Uses a learning goals driven design model
Applies what we know about student learning
Supports students in developing understandings of the big ideas of science (both content & scientific practices)
Engages students in complex tasks
Is supported through a 5-year NSF grant
Based on work from Phase 1
Finishing Year 2 of Phase 2

5. IQWST SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
Coordinated curriculum

6. Overview: Design & Development Model
Learning-goals driven design
Focus on big ideas of science
Coordinated curriculum: Understanding of scientific content and practices builds across the school year (6th grade) and across middle school (6-8th grades)
Inter and Intra unit coherence
Project-based learning
Teachers involved with design, development, and feedback
Revisions based on data
Classroom observation and analysis
Pre/post tests
Pilot enactments
Scientists’ input
Project 2061 feedback
Teacher feedback

7. Smell Unit Overview 8-week, project-based unit for 6th grade students
Driving Question: How can I smell things from across the room?
Contextualized within real-world phenomena
Three Learning Sets, 15 Lessons
Learning Set 1: Students construct models to help them understand the particle nature of matter while focusing on the behavior of gases
Learning Set 2: How models help to explain why different materials have different properties
Learning Set 3: Using models to explain phase changes
Ideas from all three learning sets are brought together through a culminating final task in which students use their knowledge of the particle model.

8. Unit Learning Goals

9. Central Practice: Modeling
Why modeling?
Particulate nature of matter is an abstract concept
Scientists use models to better understand phenomena
Students develop models to better understand phenomena
Role of teacher
Help students understand models and the practice of modeling

10. Curriculum Coherence
Curricular coherence: the alignment of the specified topics, the depth at which the topic is to be studied, and the sequencing of the topics within each grade and across the grades (Schmidt, Wang & McKnight, 2005)
Curriculum coherence leads to integrated understanding in learners
Coherence in IQWST (Shwartz, et al., 2008)
Learning goal coherence: selecting key learning goals that build on each other
Intra-unit coherence: coordination between content learning goals, scientific practices, and curricular activities within a project-based framework
Inter-unit coherence: coordination among project-based units that support multidisciplinary connections.
Curriculum Coherence leads to

11. Built on Big Ideas Big ideas
Include both content and scientific practices
Help learners to understand a variety of different phenomena within and across science disciplines
Provide a framework for thinking about the long-term development of student understanding
Allow designers to revisit ideas throughout the curriculum so that student understanding becomes progressively more refined, developed and elaborated
Help satisfy learning-goals coherence requirement
Value of big ideas
Explanatory power within and across discipline and/or scales: The enduring idea helps one to understand a variety of different ideas within and/or between science disciplines.
Powerful way of thinking about the world: The enduring idea provides insight into the development of the field, or has had key influence on the domain.
Accessible to learners through their cognitive abilities (age-appropriateness) and experiences with phenomena and representations.
Building blocks for future learning: The enduring idea is key for future development of other concepts and helps lay the foundation for continual learning.
The enduring ideas will help the individual participate intellectually in making individual, social and political decisions regarding science and technology.

12. Development of Science Ideas: What typically happens
Physics
Chem
Earth
Science
Life
6th
7th
8th
Student
Understanding
particle model
Little understanding

13. particle model particle model particle model What happens in IQWST 6th
Physics
Chem
Earth
Science
Life
6th
7th
8th
Student
Understanding
particle
model
particle model
particle model
particle
model
particle model
particle model
Inter-unit coherence
particle
model
Deep and Meaningful

14. Development of Scientific Practices: What Typically Happens
Physics
Chem
Earth
Science
Life
6th
7th
8th
Student
Understanding
Modeling
Little understanding

15. What happens in IQWST 6th 7th 8th Modeling Modeling
Physics
Chem
Earth
Science
Life
6th
7th
8th
Student
Understanding
Modeling
Modeling
Inter-unit coherence
Deep and Meaningful

16. Coherence within the “Smell” Unit
Learning goals coherence: big ideas of science
Particle model of matter
Intra-unit coherence: coordination between content learning goals, scientific practices, and curricular activities within a project-based framework

17. What is food? Does it have energy? How do we get energy from food?
Inter-Unit Coherence
How do I get the energy to do things?
What is food? Does it have energy?
How do we get energy from food?
How do plants make food?
Energy & energy transfer
Properties of matter
Cells to systems
Weather and climate
Behavior of light
Particle
nature of matter
Organisms in their ecosystems
Water cycle

18. Learning Goal Driven Design

19. Developing Learning Goals
Step1: Select the most important big ideas / content standards
Step 2: Unpack the content standards
Step 3: Unpack the practices
Step 4: Create learning performances and specify evidence
Helps to meet learning-goal coherence for a unit!

20. Step 1: Select Important Content Standards
Use Big Ideas of Science
Atoms and molecules are perpetually in motion. In gases, the atoms or molecules still have more energy and are free of one another except during occasional collisions.

21. Step #2: Unpack Content Standard
Part A: Interpret the Big Idea/Content Standard
Decompose into related concepts
Clarify the different concepts
Consider what other concepts are needed
Make links if needed to other standards
Interpret the Standard
Atoms and molecules are perpetually in motion. In solids, the atoms are closely locked in position and can only vibrate. In liquids, the atoms or molecules have higher energy, are more loosely connected, and can slide past one another; some molecules may get enough energy to escape into a gas. In gases, the atoms or molecules have still more energy and are free of one another except during occasional collisions. Increased temperature means greater average energy of motion, so most substances expand when heated.

22. Step #2: Unpack Content Standard
Part B: Identify students’ prior knowledge
Students prior knowledge
Possible misconceptions
Student Prior Knowledge
Matter consists in three phases: solids, liquids and gases
Matter has mass and volume
A gas has mass and volume
Matter is continuous
Gas are not matter

23. Step #3: Unpack Practice
Why consider the practice?
Describes what it means for learners to “understand” a scientific concept
Specifies how we want students to use the content knowledge
Clarifies how the knowledge is used in reasoning about scientific questions and phenomena

24. Step #3: Unpack Practice
Example - Modeling (MoDeLS group Northwestern, MSU and UM)
Models are often used to think about processes that happen… too quickly, or on too small a scale to observe directly… (AAAS, 1993, 11B: 1, 6-8)
Central to what scientists do
Aspects of modeling
Construct: Learners construct models by selecting entities and relationships through an explicit deliberative process of considering alternatives, evaluating fit with scientific knowledge and evidence.
Use: Learners use a model to illustrate, explain and predict well-known and new aspects of phenomena.
Evaluate: Learners consider the explanatory and predictive power of a model by comparing alternative entities or relationships in competing models, and by analyzing connections to relevant scientific knowledge. Learners try to test models with different cases to find out where it may fail.
Revise: Learners modify a model to improve its accuracy and its utility in illustrating, predicting and explaining.

25. Creating Learning Performances
Why use learning Performances?
Science standards are declarative statements of scientific ideas. They do not articulate “knowledge in use”.
Using “know” or “understand” is too vague
We conceptualize understanding science as embedded in practice and not as memorizing static facts.
What are Learning performances?
Learning performances define, in cognitive terms, the designers’ conception for what it means for learners to “understand” a particular scientific idea
Learning performances define how the knowledge is used in reasoning about scientific questions and phenomena

26. Creating Learning Performances
Learning performances combine scientific practices and content standards.
Use terms or verbs that describe the performance you want students to be able to accomplish.
Learning performances exist at different levels of cognitive complexity:
Level 1 - Identify, Define, and Describe
Level 2 - Analyze data, Interpret a model, Make a prediction
Level 3 - Design an investigation, Construct a scientific explanation, and Build a model.

27. Developing Learning Performances
Content Scientific Learning
Practice Performance

28. Learning Goal Driven Design

29. Learning Ideas Linked to Project-based Science
PBS
Driving Question
Anchoring experiences
Investigation
Scientific Practices
Multiple means to assess learning
Active reading
Collaboration
Learning Technologies
Scaffolding
Big/Enduring Ideas
Learning Ideas
Contextualized
Relate to Prior Knowledge and experiences
Active Construction
Community of Learners
Cognitive Tools
Expert Knowledge

30. Contextualize Learning
Students need to see the importance of what they are learning
What students learn needs to connect to their world
Implications beyond the classroom
Students develop a need to know
Learning Idea

31. How it Works in the Classroom: Create Meaningful Environments
Driving question
Links activities to learning goals
Ties the unit together
Builds intra-unit coherence
Anchoring Experiences
Experience phenomena in context
Use Cases and meaningful scenarios
Examples from 6th grade include:
Physics: Seeing the Light -- Can I Believe My Eyes?
Chemistry: How Can I Smell Things From a Distance?
Biology: What Can Cause Populations To Change?
Questions should be anchored in the lives of learners and deal with important, real-world questions.

32. Challenges in use DQ
Develop a question that will both engage students and meet important learning goals
Support teachers in using the DQ throughout a unit
How can a teacher focus instruction on a driving question rather than on specific topics?
How can the driving question be used to link concepts and diverse activities together to build intra-unit coherence.

33. What a Learning Goal Driven Model Provides: Coherence
Big idea
Standards
Materials
Unpack
idea
Instruction
Learning
Assessment

34. Student Investigations: An Example
Purpose: In this investigation, you will explore how air can be expanded and compressed. You will create and revise models to explain the behavior of air.
Procedure: Fill the syringe with air by pulling the plunger back halfway. Block the end of the syringe with your finger. Pull the plunger back, but do not pull the plunger out. Now push the plunger in as much as you can.Release the plunger (but keep blocking the end of the syringe) and observe what happens.
Sequencing of the the tasks builds intra-unit coherences
Creating Models If you had a special microscope that would allow you to see the air inside the syringe, what would the air look like? Draw what the air in the syringe would look like if the microscope focused on one tiny spot. Drawing #1: Before pushing the plunger.

35. What a Learning Goal Driven Model Provides: Coherence
Big idea
Standards
Materials
Unpack
idea
Instruction
Learning
Assessment

36. Multiple Means to Assess Learning
Students construct models of the particle model to explain phenomena
Pre- Posttest comparison
Embedded assessments

37. Example: Question 4 Student Pre and Posttest Models
Shayna had a small bottle of Bromine gas. The bottle was closed with a cork. She tied a string to the cork, and then placed the bottle inside a larger bottle. She sealed the large bottle shut. (See Figure 1.) Next, Shayna opened the small bottle by pulling the string connected to the cork. Figure 2 shows what happened after the cork of the small bottle was opened.
First, draw a model that shows what is happening in this experiment. Second, explain in writing what is happening in your model.
Question 4 model
Posttest: average response we get from students
Figure 1
Figure 2

38. Example: Question 4 Student Pre and Posttest Models
Shayna had a small bottle of Bromine gas. The bottle was closed with a cork. She tied a string to the cork, and then placed the bottle inside a larger bottle. She sealed the large bottle shut. (See Figure 1.) Next, Shayna opened the small bottle by pulling the string connected to the cork. Figure 2 shows what happened after the cork of the small bottle was opened.
First, draw a model that shows what is happening in this experiment. Second, explain in writing what is happening in your model.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Posttest
Pretest
Question 4 model
Posttest: average response we get from students

39. Embedded Assessment: Modeling Smell
Your teacher opened a jar that contained an odor. Imagine you had a very powerful microscope that allowed to see the odor up really, really close. What would you see?
Students initial models
45% of students created continuous models
Typical description: The odor is coming out of the source

40. Embedded Assessment: Modeling Smell
Lesson 5 student models
52.3% of students created a particle model
70.5% of models include movement
Typical description: Molecules in the liquid come off the surface of the liquid and become a gas. They move around and change direction when they come in contact with another object.

41. Embedded Assessment: Modeling Smell
Lesson 15 student models
75% of students create a particle model, 25% a mixed model
68% of students include odor particles that are moving in straight lines until they collide into each other; 32% include both odor and air
55% of students’ written portion of models explains movement of particles; 25% include incorrect mechanism

42. Learning Goal Driven Design

43. Our Study: One teacher Two 6th grade class Data Collection
57 students
Data Collection
Pre and Posttests
Student work
Video of curriculum enactment
Data Analysis
Coding rubrics

44. Do students learn?
How do students understanding change as they participate in a coherent, contextualized and model based unit in chemistry that focuses on the particle nature of matter?
Prediction:
If we have learning-goals coherence and intra-unit coherence and if the materials are aligned, we should see significant learning gains.

45. Overall Student Learning Gains: Pre to Posttest

46. Summary Statement
To design curriculum materials that develop integrated understanding, build curriculum resources with coherence
Learning-goals coherence
Use big ideas
Unpack standards from a learning perspective
Create learning performances as a way to specify knowledge in use
Intra-unit coherence
Use driving-questions as support to link ideas together
Create alignment by iteratively aligning learning goals with tasks and assessments
Inter-unit coherence
Build connections between Units

47. Thanks to many IQWST and MoDeLS Development and Research Team
Colleagues at University of Michigan
Joi Merritt
Colleagues at Northwestern University
Colleagues at Weizmann Institute of Science
David Fortus
Many teachers with whom we work
National Science Foundation

48. Questions????
Always feel comfortable contacting me:

49. References
Shwartz, Y., Weizman, A., Fortus, D., Krajcik, J., & Reiser, B. (2008). The IQWST experience: Coherence as a design principle. The Elementary School Journal, in press.
Krajcik, J., McNeill, K. L., Reiser, B., (2008). Learning-Goals-Driven Design Model: Developing Curriculum Materials that Align with National Standards and Incorporate Project-Based Pedagogy. Science Education, 92(1), 1-32.