Student Approaches to Screencasting a Scientific Argument...99
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USING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY TO ENGAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE SCIENTIFIC PRACTICE OF ARGUMENTATION VIA SCREENCASTING by Patricia Anne McGinnis A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Technology Boise State University May 2016 © 2016 Patricia Anne McGinnis ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE COLLEGE DEFENSE COMMITTEE AND FINAL READING APPROVALS of the dissertation submitted by Patricia Anne McGinnis Dissertation Title: Using Mobile Technology to Engage Middle School Students in the Scientific Practice of Argumentation via Screencasting Date of Final Oral Examination: 26 February 2016 The following individuals read and discussed the dissertation submitted by student Patricia Anne McGinnis, and they evaluated her presentation and response to questions during the final oral examination. They found that the student passed the final oral examination. Yu-hui Ching, Ph.D. Co-Chair, Supervisory Committee Ross Perkins, Ph.D. Co-Chair, Supervisory Committee Yu-Chang Hsu, Ph.D. Member, Supervisory Committee The final reading approval of the dissertation was granted by Yu-hui Ching, Ph.D., Co- Chair of the Supervisory Committee, and Ross Perkins, Ph.D., Co-Chair of the Supervisory Committee. The dissertation was approved for the Graduate College by John R. Pelton, Ph.D., Dean of the Graduate College. DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my parents, Bob and Gerry Carius, who always encouraged me to follow my dreams. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document represents my four-year journey towards accomplishing a goal that I have had for most of my adult life. It would not have been possible without the support of my family who exhibited enormous patience throughout the last four years. Thank you for listening to me when I was frustrated and for always asking how classes were progressing. I would also like to thank my advisor, Dr. Yu-hui Ching, for her advice while demonstrating enthusiasm for my project and patience with my numerous questions. Thank you, too, to Dr. Ross Perkins for his dedication and perseverance in guiding Boise State University’s EDTECH online doctoral program and for serving as co-chair of my committee. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Yu-Chang Hsu for providing valuable guidance and insight into the affordances of mobile technology. Earning a doctorate via an online program can be a lonely process, but a fabulous cohort supported me through the process. A special thank you to Dwayne Ockel whose friendship and encouragement have been a constant source of inspiration for me. I also want to thank my colleague Glori Hinck with whom I have shared many heart-to-heart conversations over the last four years. Finally, I would like to thank my teaching colleague who welcomed me into his classroom and gave me the freedom to create a unit of study that proved to be quite challenging at times. I am indeed fortunate to work in an environment with such supportive colleagues. Thank you, too, to the students who undertook many tasks with enthusiasm. Although there were times when things did not always go as planned, they v were always positive and did their personal best. I know they will grow into thoughtful and inquisitive people and I am pleased to have been part of their education. vi ABSTRACT This case study examined the use of mobile devices in supporting data collection and argumentation in the sixth grade science classroom. Mobile devices were used for data collection during laboratory activities and for constructing screencasts of science arguments. Findings revealed that students exhibit little planning when collecting digital data. Students used the digital data to add visual interest to their screencasts, support observations, and support inferences. Students who used the screencasting application’s narration and annotating tools were more likely to create appropriate and sufficient science arguments than their peers. One of the low achieving students in this study was able to create a sophisticated scientific argument through the use of annotation and narration, indicating the potential for screencasting as a viable alternative for struggling students to convey their conceptual understanding of scientific principles. Both students and the classroom teacher viewed the use of mobile devices for creating screencasts of scientific arguments to be valuable. Other findings included that some students avoided narrating their screencast out of anxiety and that workflow issues arose due to the sharing of iPads. Keywords: argumentation, NGSS, screencasts, mobile learning, science education, iPad vii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ......................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... v ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................ vii LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................. xv LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................. xvii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................. xviii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 Science Education and Technology .............................................................................. 4 Theoretical Underpinnings for the Study ...................................................................... 6 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................................. 7 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................... 8 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 8 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ................................................................. 11 A Brief History of Inquiry .......................................................................................... 11 Defining Inquiry.......................................................................................................... 13 The Role of Scaffolding .............................................................................................. 15 Assessing Inquiry ........................................................................................................ 17 Argumentation ............................................................................................................ 19 Scaffolding the Argumentation Process .......................................................... 22 viii Argumentation Frameworks ....................................................................................... 24 CER Framework ............................................................................................. 25 ADI Instructional Model ................................................................................. 27 Assessing Argumentation ........................................................................................... 29 Using Technology to Promote Science Understanding .............................................. 33 Mobile Devices ........................................................................................................... 35 Student-Created Content ............................................................................................. 36 Screencasting .............................................................................................................. 39 Screencasts as a Tool for Supporting Science Practices ............................................. 41 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 45 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLGY ............................................................................................. 46 Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 47 Demographics of School ............................................................................................. 48 Available Technology ................................................................................................. 48 Access and Recruitment .............................................................................................. 49 Student Participants .................................................................................................... 49 Participating Teacher .................................................................................................. 50 Classroom Setting ....................................................................................................... 51 Researcher as Research Instrument ............................................................................ 51 Description of the Unit of Study ................................................................................. 52 Activities Conducted Prior to Data Collection ..........................................................