Dr Keith, I am glad that you replied, but I am sorry that you are
the only one who did!

> Well what if the learner forms the conception that light has a
width,
> part of which enter the second medium first, and so part of it
slows
> down before the rest: isn't that the logical conclusion to draw
from
> the model presented?

You are right that this is a possible misconception. I did not
realize its possibility to occur, which brings me to some
conclusions:

Teachers' knowledge of children's possible misconceptions has been
seen in regards to the children's cognitive development, with the
focus being on the NOT-YET-DEVELOPED aspects of their understanding
(negative view of misconceptions due to underestimation, and leading
to underestimation).

It is time we start thinking of misconceptions more positively,
based on the point of view that "students do understand more than we
sometimes expect".

Misconceptions of the second type, I imagine, are less likely to
occur, yet they cannot be eliminated as a possibility. Teachers
should be happy to observe this kind of positive misconceptions!

My science lesson was scheduled for today, and I intended to
announce how children responded. I am afraid the lesson was
cancelled for this week. Since I am very interested in the results
too, I have decided to make the lesson to a few of the students,
after having the head-master's permission. I will not mention the
model's inconsistency regarding the point Dr Keith made, and will
provoke a discussion suitable for observing whether it really
affects their understanding on the phenomenon. Only then will I
refer to the analogy's inconsistency and make some more observations.


Now, I would like to discuss the role of aesthetics in science
teaching. I am amazed how much literature exists on the subject. I
am also amazed that as far as I can know, only few science educators
at any level do their lesson having in mind the word "Inspiration"!
I was lucky enough to have a course with the title "Physics for
Poets" at the University and it really affected my "thinking
Physics"!

As a performing musician I have realized the role of music
appreciation in teaching music. Using it in the teaching act had
unexpectedly positive results. I now intend to use it in teaching
science. Making myself an analogy through music, I want to ask you:

Do you think that science educators should include topics (practical
applications etc) that are of a higher level than the students'
level, in order to awaken their creativity, as is being done in
music? Those subjects wont be included as a cognitive subject, but
as an indirect tool for inspiring.

As a conclusion, I want to quote Root-Bernstein's words:
"Understanding is a lot like sex. It's got a practical purpose, but
that's not why people do it normally."

Thank you


--- In learning-science-concepts@..., "Dr. Keith S.
Taber" <kst24@c...> wrote:
> Welcome to the group Andreas
>
> >A) The model should not be used to explain the reasons for
> >which the phenomenon of refraction happens but only in order to
> >offer a means of visualisation of its results.
>
> I think this is an important point here. I've never understood how
> soldiers marching over different surfaces was meant to model the
> actual interaction when light is incident on materials.
>
>
> >Refraction should be
> >handled as an abstract concept because it has no obvious reasons
(in
> >a child's mind-or an adult's mind sometimes) for occurring, even
if
> >they meet it in several everyday life events.
>
> Another good point.
>
> >Inconstancies and suggestions:
> >...So the speed of the car in those short moments will not be the
> >same as it will be when all four wheels touch the gravel road.
> >However, I do not see how this will cause a misconception.
>
> Well what if the learner forms the conception that light has a
width,
> part of which enter the second medium first, and so part of it
slows
> down before the rest: isn't that the logical conclusion to draw
from
> the model presented? Unless...
>
> >The model's purpose must be explicitly mentioned. ("This is an
> >everyday life event that you can use in order to visualise HOW
light
> >changes its direction and speed during refraction. It does not
show
> >us WHY, though!")
>
> Hm, yes.
>
> I'd be interested to hear how the pupils respond if you do use
and
> explore this with them!
>
> Keith.
>
>
> Subject: "The racing car model"
> -------------------------------
> I am an undergraduate student at the Education Department of
> University of Cyprus (for elementary school) and I am having my
> Teaching Experience now. This is my first post here.
>
> I have realised the importance of thinking through physical model
> analogies and the impact they have on someone's perception since my
> high school studies. Now, I want to use these models analogies in a
> subject I will teach this week: "refraction of light". I have
> remembered of this model I used myself in order to visualize how
> light changes speed and/or direction through two different
materials:
>
> The model:
> A car travels on the tarred road >> first material where speed is
> higher
> The driver meets gravel passage >> second material where speed is
> lower.
>
> If the car goes vertically into the second material then its
> direction won't change, but its speed will decrease. If there is an
> angle other than 90 degrees, though, the one wheel which is still
on
> the tarred road will turn faster than the one on the gravel. So,
its
> direction will inevitably change towards the vertical. Speed will
> change too.
>
> Assuming that this is an intuitive knowledge for most kids of age
11-
> 12 then it is meaningful enough and can be used.
>
> Contribution:
> A) The model should not be used to explain the reasons for
> which the phenomenon of refraction happens but only in order to
> offer a means of visualisation of its results. Refraction should be
> handled as an abstract concept because it has no obvious reasons
(in
> a child's mind-or an adult's mind sometimes) for occurring, even if
> they meet it in several everyday life events.
> B) The model should be used to provide evidence of a single
> ray's refraction. If we use it to explain the way a light beam from
> a torch changes its direction, then we wont able to visualise the
> way the beam "broadens" after its refraction. Therefore, in such a
> case, we can use a model of more than one cars travelling next to
> each other. That would be a reliable analogy!
>
> Inconstancies and suggestions:
> A ray of light changes speed at the moment it enters the second
> material. In the car model, though, at the time both front wheels
> are in the gravel, the two rear wheels will still be on the tarred
> road. So the speed of the car in those short moments will not be
the
> same as it will be when all four wheels touch the gravel road.
>
> However, I do not see how this will cause a misconception. Most
> probably, an average child will not realize the model's difficulty
> unless we mention it. I suggest we don't. It`d cause more
confusion.
> This brings out a subject I would like to discuss. Dr Taber, in his
> article "When the analogy breaks down: modelling the atom on the
> solar system", mentions that "pupils can learn as much about the
> target by considering the differences as the similarities-as long
as
> these are made explicit". I would completely agree, only if there
> was an addition: There are analogy difficulties that if mentioned
> will be counter-productive, such as the one above… I am confident
> that some aspects of a model should be left intact, even if they
are
> gravely conflicting to the cognitive target. Instead, what we
should
> do is give instructions regarding the model's use for positive
> results by explaining why we created it, what its purpose should be
> (terms of use!!! &#61514;). A model can be created in order to act
as an
> analogy of the reasons that cause a phenomenon and/or to act as an
> analogy of the results of the phenomenon.
>
> Concluding, a model could have a more positive impact for
conceptual
> development if this proposition is not neglected:
> The model's purpose must be explicitly mentioned. ("This is an
> everyday life event that you can use in order to visualise HOW
light
> changes its direction and speed during refraction. It does not show
> us WHY, though!") We need to do that, in order to narrow the
model's
> use in its valid features. Presentation of all the invalid features
> that can cause more confusion is now not necessary.
>
> Andreas Georgiou
> Andre.Georgiou@c...
>
>
>
>
>
> >--- In learning-science-concepts@..., Sue Howarth
> ><howarthsg@y...> wrote:
> >> I like this idea very much and will use it next time I teach
this
> >topic - probably with Y8/9.
> >>
> >> Simple but effective
> >>
> >> Thanks
> >> Sue
> >> The Royal High School, Bath
> >>
> >> Sue Muswell <sue@m...> wrote:
> >> I always start the circulation analogy using houses in a
suburban
> >street as
> >> individual cells with input requirements of post and milk
> >deliveries and
> >> output requirements of rubbish removal...they then decide (as
> >small groups)
> >> for themselves how to achieve the major supply routes in and
> >out....in my
> >> experience, this makes them appreciate that the crucial
> >requirement of
> >> circulation is to serve each and every cell - from this, they
come
> >up for
> >> themselves with the understanding that each capillary is the
> >equivalent of a
> >> street with houses (and can see immediately that the most
crucial
> >blood
> >> vessels are the capillaries). From here they can work out trunk
> >roads,
> >> motorways etc as the blood vessels supplying the capillaries -
the
> >one way
> >> system we impose is how they get round artery vs vein. I
developed
> >this
> >> after many kids came up with the same misconception that
arteries
> >are the
> >> most important blood vessels because the blood they carry is
> >(usually)
> >> oxygenated, or at the highest pressure and they are seen
as 'big'.
> >This
> >> method does seem to work in an understanding of the job of the
> >circ. system.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Dr. Keith S. Taber [mailto:kst24@c...]
> >> Sent: 08 February 2004 12:38
> >> To: learning-science-concepts@...
> >> Subject: Re: LSC: Analogy in learning science concepts
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> >Target: Blood system
> >> >Analogue: School
> >> >
> >>
> >> Interesting - I'm not sure if this is intended for the pupils
or
> >the
> >> science department!
> >>
> >> I think the value of these sorts of comparisons comes from the
> >> exploration of them - having pupils discuss and critique them.
If
> >> Puni is trying this out with classes it could be interesting to
> >know
> >> the outcomes: what do the pupils make of it.
> >>
> >> Keith
> >>
> >> >T : Artery
> >> >A : Team leader
> >> >
> >> >T : Arteriole
> >> >A : Deputy team leader(or similar)
> >> >
> >> >T : Capillaries
> >> >A : Classroom teacher
> >> >
> >> >T : Cells
> >> >A : Pupils
> >> >
> >> >T : Blood( with the 'contents')
> >> >A : Information(various)
> >> >
> >> >T : Heart
> >> >A : Headteacher(or Senior Management Team)
> >> >
> >> >Where analogy breaks down : Blood flows one way: Artery->
> >> >Arteriole -> capillaries -> Veules -> Vein but information
flows
> >> >from leader to deputy to form tutor to pupils and then
feedback
> >and
> >> >any other information from pupils to tutor to deputy to
leader.
> >> >
> >> >If anyone can refine this you are most welcome to make
changes.
> >> >Puni
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >About this list:
> >> >
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> >learning
> >> >in science, and for circulating news about publications,
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>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/learning-science-
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.u
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> >>
> >> Dr. Keith S. Taber
> >>
>
>><http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/staff/taber.html>http://www.educ.cam.ac.
uk/staff/taber.html
> >> University Lecturer in Education
> >> University of Cambridge Faculty of Education
> >> Homerton College site
> >> Hills Road
> >> Cambridge CB2 2PH
> >>
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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> >in
> >> science, and for circulating news about publications, projects,
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> >>
> >> This list is a moderated discussion group (ie postings are
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> >Cambridge.
> >>
>
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uk/staff/taber.html
> >>
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> >> Dr.Sue Howarth
> >> howarthsg@y...
> >>
> >> ---------------------------------
> >> BT Yahoo! Broadband - Free modem offer, sign up online today
and
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> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >About this list:
> >
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> >in science, and for circulating news about publications,
projects,
> >etc., related to this theme.
> >
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learning
> >in science and related fields, and any others interested in the
> >topic.
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or
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concepts/files/
> >
> >This list is a moderated discussion group (ie postings are vetted
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> >Moderator: Dr. Keith Taber, Faculty of Education, University of
Cambridge.
>
><http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/staff/taber.html>http://www.educ.cam.ac.u
k/staff/taber.html
> >
> >
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> --
> Dr. Keith S. Taber
> http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/staff/taber.html
> University Lecturer in Science Education
> University of Cambridge Faculty of Education
> Homerton site
> Hills Road
> Cambridge CB2 2PH
>
>
> to join an electronic discussion list on
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