scholarly journals Causal mapping as a teaching tool for reflecting on causation in human evolution

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Hanisch ◽  
Dustin EIrdosh
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Change ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Causal Reasoning ◽  
Evolution Education ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teaching Tool ◽  
Educational Design ◽  
Causal Maps ◽  
Teacher Researcher

Teleological reasoning is viewed as a major hurdle to evolution education, and yet, eliciting, interpreting, and reflecting upon teleological language presents an arguably greater challenge to the evolution educator and researcher. This article argues that making explicit the role of behavior as a causal factor in the evolution of particular traits may prove productive in helping students to link their everyday experience of behavior to evolutionary changes in populations in ways congruent with scientific perspectives. We present a teaching tool, used widely in other parts of science and science education, yet perhaps underutilized in human evolution education - the causal map - as a novel direction for driving conceptual change in the classroom about the nature of evolutionary change. After describing the scientific and conceptual basis for using such causal maps in human evolution education, we describe a classroom intervention within the context of a larger Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) project. An overview of the teacher-researcher collaborative design process and preliminary results from classroom interventions using causal maps within a human evolution unit are described. Initial results of the interventions indicate that causal maps allow students to make visible their causal reasoning about complex processes in human evolution, and can facilitate classroom reflection and conceptual change. Based on these insights, we offer considerations for future research and educational design.

scholarly journals Causal Mapping as a Teaching Tool for Reflecting on Causation in Human Evolution

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Hanisch ◽  
Dustin Eirdosh
Keyword(s):  
Human Evolution ◽  
Evolution Education ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teaching Tool ◽  
Educational Design ◽  
Causal Mapping ◽  
Causal Maps ◽  
Mapping Tool ◽  
Evolutionary Changes

Abstract Teleological reasoning is viewed as a major hurdle to evolution education, and yet, eliciting, interpreting, and reflecting upon teleological language presents an arguably greater challenge to the evolution educator and researcher. This article argues that making explicit the role of behavior as a causal factor in the evolution of particular traits may prove productive in helping students to link their everyday experience of behavior to evolutionary changes in populations in ways congruent with scientific perspectives. We present a teaching tool, used widely in other parts of science and science education, yet perhaps underutilized in human evolution education—the causal map—as a novel direction for driving conceptual change in the classroom about the role of organism behavior and other factors in evolutionary change. We describe the scientific and conceptual basis for using such causal maps in human evolution education, as well as theoretical considerations for implementing the causal mapping tool in human evolution classrooms. Finally, we offer considerations for future research and educational design.

scholarly journals A content analysis of pre-college lesson plans on human evolution

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Hite
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Conceptual Change ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Lesson Plans ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
College Science ◽  
American Science

Abstract One of the most fundamental understandings within biology is evolution, yet often ascribed as one of the most misunderstood scientific concepts by the American public. Despite not being explicitly mentioned in most American science standards, human evolution is nevertheless taught as an engaging context for understanding complex evolutionary processes among pre-college science students. Therefore, pre-college science teachers seek out human evolution content experts (e.g., Smithsonian Institution, NOVA, ENSI) to procure curricula (lesson plans) to teach these concepts in their classrooms. For students to accurately understand human evolution, research recommends lesson plans employ a diversity of direct and indirect evolutionary evidence, infused with social science perspectives related to the nature of science (NOS) and/or socioscientific issues (SSI) to foster necessary conceptual change. Given such empirical affordances of using multiple sources of evidence and integrated social science perspectives to foster conceptual change in teaching human evolution, it is unknown to what extent these attributes are present in lesson plans created by these entities and targeted to pre-college science teachers. To ascertain to what extent pre-college lesson plans on human evolution employ these research-based best practices, this paper analyzed 86 lesson plans created by 18 entities with content expertise in human evolution concepts that had developed online pre-college lesson plans. Among the sampled lesson plans, less than one third (29%) presented a combination of direct and indirect evidence. Further, a mere 17% incorporated elements of NOS, where SSI (like historical (n = 3) and racial (n = 1)) perspectives were fewer. In sum, findings suggest available resources are deficient in fostering the conceptual change necessary for pre-college students to fully understand human evolution concepts. This study evidences a continued need to ensure best practices are incorporated into human evolution lesson plans created for pre-college teachers.

Collaborative Design Education Using 3D Printing

2019 ◽  
pp. 286-305
Author(s):  
Kazuhiro Muramatsu ◽  
Sonam Wangmo
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Computer Aided Design ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Design Activity ◽  
3D Design ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Design Objects ◽  
Aided Design

Design education is important at technical universities and colleges. In general, real product design requires collaborative work. In this chapter, the authors discuss collaborative design education. An A360 cloud platform on Autodesk's 3D computer-aided design “AutoCAD” is adopted to illustrate a collaborative design activity implemented in the Engineering Graphics class offered at the College of Science and Technology, Royal University of Bhutan. By using A360 cloud, students can share a 3D model with group members. Based on feedback received, students can modify the initial model, share it, print, and discuss the modified object with members. This collaborative work allows students to create enhanced 3D design objects while engaged in discussions and interactions. The authors also discuss some difficulties encountered during the collaborative process and offer recommendations and future research ideas.

scholarly journals Improving resilience in high-risk organizations: principles for the design of innovative training situations

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Flandin ◽  
Germain Poizat ◽  
Marc Durand
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Organizational Design ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Training Design ◽  
Educational Design ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Enactive Approach ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Collective Sensemaking ◽  
And Training

Purpose Safety and organizational research indicates that fostering resilience in organizations is a promising way for improving safety, albeit concrete means to implement resilience are still lacking, especially in the educational field. The purpose of this paper is to propose four principles for training design derived from past and current studies the authors conduct in high-risk organizations. Design/methodology/approach Training for resilience is considered within an enactive approach of human activity building on its properties of autonomy, structural coupling, self-organization, emergence, sensemaking, and metastability. Findings The article describes four educational design principles aiming at improving individual, collective, and organizational resilience: encourage mimetic experiences; pay attention to attention and concernedness; perturb and turn into an event; support participatory-sensemaking and collective sensemaking. Research limitations/implications The training program the authors propose may be challenging to assess. Besides, the most durable solutions to improve safety through resilience are to be found at the crossroad between organizational design and training/development policies. Future research should determine the implementability criteria which are likely to support the use of the principles the authors propose, and contribute to enrich this educational foundation. Originality/value Education and training are conceived herein as high-order means to improve safety through resilience in high-risk organizations, fostering the capacity of the operators and organization to develop efficiently and in the long run. We provide independent but complementary training principles that cannot be hierarchized, but that can be locally prioritized in organizations.

scholarly journals The Taboo Against Explicit Causal Inference in Nonexperimental Psychology

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 1243-1255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Grosz ◽  
Julia M. Rohrer ◽  
Felix Thoemmes
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Causal Inference ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Causal Reasoning ◽  
Causal Effects ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subsequent Work ◽  
Causal Mechanisms ◽  
Causal Assumptions ◽  
Research Questions

Causal inference is a central goal of research. However, most psychologists refrain from explicitly addressing causal research questions and avoid drawing causal inference on the basis of nonexperimental evidence. We argue that this taboo against causal inference in nonexperimental psychology impairs study design and data analysis, holds back cumulative research, leads to a disconnect between original findings and how they are interpreted in subsequent work, and limits the relevance of nonexperimental psychology for policymaking. At the same time, the taboo does not prevent researchers from interpreting findings as causal effects—the inference is simply made implicitly, and assumptions remain unarticulated. Thus, we recommend that nonexperimental psychologists begin to talk openly about causal assumptions and causal effects. Only then can researchers take advantage of recent methodological advances in causal reasoning and analysis and develop a solid understanding of the underlying causal mechanisms that can inform future research, theory, and policymakers.

A Lean-Server Approach to Enabling Collaboration Using Advanced Design Methods

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Hale ◽  
James I. Craig ◽  
Dimitri N. Mavris
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Research Direction ◽  
Design Methods ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Prototype System ◽  
Design Framework ◽  
Server Side ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Compliant Layer

Abstract The design framework research community utilizes the internet as a facilitator for collaborative activities. The internet provides a platform independent interface and geographic distribution. Information can be easily represented to the end-user using the HyperText Markup Language and can be coded in a reasonable timeframe. A shortcoming of exploiting this technology further is the reliance on existing Web servers to interface with analysis tools and design services. In this case, interactive components require auxiliary processes (called CGI scripts) to be started by the server that are used in an inefficient manner. This model does not provide the user-oriented capability required by standalone applications. Java offers improvements in client-side processing but a server bottleneck still exists. A novel approach using lean-servers is introduced as an alternative method for providing an efficient server-side computing model. In this case, internet requests are brokered directly by the design application by providing a gateway to the application’s programming interface using a HyperText Transfer Protocol compliant layer. This allows requests to be managed directly by the application rather than requiring auxiliary services. Step-by-step directions for implementing this approach using a case study of an existing design framework are given in this paper. A prototype system, called the Systems Programming Architecture for Collaborative Engineering, is described as one scenario for implementing the lean-server technology. Usability of the approach is demonstrated through a Design of Experiments example that is representative of modern design methods. This example also demonstrates collaboration because it executes asynchronously with multi-user intervention at any time during the process. In hindsight, the lean-server approach is an enabling technology for collaborative design and focuses future research direction on the establishment of collaborative design practices.

Dropping in to game design

2019 ◽  
Vol 120 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 663-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin M. DeVane ◽  
Jeremy Dietmeier ◽  
Kristen Missall ◽  
Salloni Nanda ◽  
Michala Cox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Educational Design ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Children's Museum ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
Design Perspective ◽  
Long Timescales ◽  
Parent Child

Purpose This paper aims to present an iterative approach to creating a collaborative design-and-play skatepark videogame for a children’s museum physics exhibit. Intended for children of 5-8 years old and accompanying adults, this interactive tabletop game encourages players to build a skatepark and then skate through it with a skater character. This case study describes the authors’ design perspective shift to make the game’s possibilities for tinkering more “perceptible.” Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a case-based design narrative that draws on the project’s iterative playability testing with parent–child dyads and reflections from the design team’s endeavors. This analysis draws on methodological elements adapted from agile game development processes and educational design-based research. Findings The initial game prototype inhibited the collaborative tinkering of parent–child dyads because it used interface abstractions such as menus, did not orient to the task of tinkering with skatepark design and did not help players understand why their skatepark designs failed. Subsequent game versions adopted blocks as a metaphor for interaction, gave players explicit design goals and models and provided players with more explicit feedback about their skater’s motion. Originality/value Museum games that provide tinkering experiences for children are an emerging medium. Central concerns for those designing such games are presenting multiple modes of play for different players and contexts and clearly and quickly communicating the possible activities and interactions. The design approach in this study offers players the opportunity to – at both short and long timescales – take up game-directed challenges or explore the skatepark physics through self-generated goals.

Distributed System Development Risk Analysis

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Leung ◽  
Kosuke Ishii ◽  
Jeffrey Abell ◽  
Jan Benson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Collaborative Design ◽  
System Development ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
System Level ◽  
Distributed Teams ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Work Distribution

Under the current trend of globalization, companies develop products not only to target a single market but to sell them to the entire world. Companies realize the importance of collaborative design, or workshare, to develop global regional engineering centers to balance design variations while ensuring local market success. This paradigm shift enables diverse customer values to be integrated into products but also introduces challenges in the management of work distribution. Extensive industry case studies have shown that capability and capacity of the regional centers drive the workshare decisions; however, this strategy overlooks the interdependence of the design systems causing many delays and quality problems. Seeing the opportunity, this paper presents a method to identify and to quantify the system-level workshare risk based on the couplings of system components to evaluate the overall workshare scenarios. The risk analysis consists of two key elements in terms of two relationships, the division of work for distributions (i.e., component coupling) and the work assignments of the distributed teams (i.e., workshare coupling), as well as an algorithm to combine the relationships to calculate the workshare risk. To illustrate the steps of the risk analysis, this paper applies it to a hair dryer design as a case study. The paper also discusses the usages and characteristics of the risk analysis, and concludes with the future research and the next steps of generalizing the method to other product development projects.

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