Argumentation and Modeling

2015 ◽  
pp. 47-67
Author(s):  
Douglas B. Clark ◽  
Pratim Sengupta
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Scientific Inquiry ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
The Other ◽  
Traditional Classrooms ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Interest In Science ◽  
The Core ◽  
Representational Practices ◽  
Modeling Practices

There is now growing consensus that K12 science education needs to focus on core epistemic and representational practices of scientific inquiry (Duschl, Schweingruber, & Shouse, 2007; Lehrer & Schauble, 2006). In this chapter, the authors focus on two such practices: argumentation and computational modeling. Novice science learners engaging in these activities often struggle without appropriate and extensive scaffolding (e.g., Klahr, Dunbar, & Fay, 1990; Schauble, Klopfer, & Raghavan, 1991; Sandoval & Millwood, 2005; Lizotte, Harris, McNeill, Marx, & Krajcik, 2003). This chapter proposes that (a) integrating argumentation and modeling can productively engage students in inquiry-based activities that support learning of complex scientific concepts as well as the core argumentation and modeling practices at the heart of scientific inquiry, and (b) each of these activities can productively scaffold the other. This in turn can lead to higher academic achievement in schools, increased self-efficacy in science, and an overall increased interest in science that is absent in most traditional classrooms. This chapter provides a theoretical framework for engaging students in argumentation and a particular genre of computer modeling (i.e., agent-based modeling), illustrates the framework with examples of the authors' own research and development, and introduces readers to freely available technologies and resources to adopt in classrooms to engage students in the practices discussed in the chapter.

Argumentation and Modeling

2013 ◽  
pp. 85-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Clark ◽  
Pratim Sengupta
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Scientific Inquiry ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
The Other ◽  
Traditional Classrooms ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Interest In Science ◽  
The Core ◽  
Representational Practices ◽  
Modeling Practices

There is now growing consensus that K12 science education needs to focus on core epistemic and representational practices of scientific inquiry (Duschl, Schweingruber, & Shouse, 2007; Lehrer & Schauble, 2006). In this chapter, the authors focus on two such practices: argumentation and computational modeling. Novice science learners engaging in these activities often struggle without appropriate and extensive scaffolding (e.g., Klahr, Dunbar, & Fay, 1990; Schauble, Klopfer, & Raghavan, 1991; Sandoval & Millwood, 2005; Lizotte, Harris, McNeill, Marx, & Krajcik, 2003). This chapter proposes that (a) integrating argumentation and modeling can productively engage students in inquiry-based activities that support learning of complex scientific concepts as well as the core argumentation and modeling practices at the heart of scientific inquiry, and (b) each of these activities can productively scaffold the other. This in turn can lead to higher academic achievement in schools, increased self-efficacy in science, and an overall increased interest in science that is absent in most traditional classrooms. This chapter provides a theoretical framework for engaging students in argumentation and a particular genre of computer modeling (i.e., agent-based modeling), illustrates the framework with examples of the authors’ own research and development, and introduces readers to freely available technologies and resources to adopt in classrooms to engage students in the practices discussed in the chapter.

scholarly journals Science verbs as a tool for investigating scientific phenomena – a pedagogical idea emerging from practitioner-researcher collaboration

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofie Areljung
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Scientific Inquiry ◽  
Chemical Processes ◽  
Everyday Practice ◽  
Teaching Model ◽  
The Core ◽  
Joint Problem ◽  
Core Idea ◽  
Scientific Phenomena

This paper communicates the pedagogical idea of approaching scientific phenomena through verbs. The idea has sprung from a collaboration between preschool practitioners and a researcher, addressing science education in preschool (children aged 1-5 years). Drawing on a joint problem inventory, the project group aimed to create a teaching model that supports inquiry-oriented approaches to science, and teachers’ ability of distinguishing chemical processes and physics phenomena in everyday practice. The core idea of the teaching model turned out to be a list of everyday verbs, connected to scientific phenomena. Starting from verbs appear to help teachers to recognise the scientific phenomena in everyday practice. Further, the verbs guide the formulating of questions that can be answered by scientific inquiry, such as: ''what matters to how something melts/rolls/mixes?''.

scholarly journals Investigating the Random Seat Boarding Method without Seat Assignments with Common Boarding Practices Using an Agent-Based Modeling

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camelia Delcea ◽  
Liviu-Adrian Cotfas ◽  
Mostafa Salari ◽  
R. Milne
Keyword(s):  
Human Subjects ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
The Other ◽  
Agent Based Model ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
The Real ◽  
The World

Research related to creating new and improved airplane boarding methods has seen continuous advancement, in recent years, while most of the airline companies have remained committed to the traditional boarding methods. Among the most-used boarding methods, around the world, are back-to-front and random boarding with and without assigned seats. While the other boarding methods used in practice possess strict rules for passengers’ behavior, random without assigned seats is dependent on the passengers own way of choosing the “best” seats. The aim of this paper is to meticulously model the passengers’ behavior, especially, in random boarding without assigned seats and to test its efficiency in terms of boarding time and interferences, in comparison with the other commonly-adopted methods (random boarding with assigned seats, window-middle-aisle (WilMA), back-to-front, reverse pyramid, etc.). One of the main challenges in our endeavor was the identification of the real human passengers’ way of reasoning, when selecting their seats, and creating a model in which the agents possess preferences and make decisions, as close to those decisions made by the human passengers, as possible. We model their choices based on completed questionnaires from three hundred and eighty-seven human subjects. This paper describes the resulting agent-based model and results from the simulations.

Analytical Sociology and Agent-Based Modeling: Is Generative Sufficiency Sufficient?

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco J. León-Medina
Keyword(s):  
Computer Modeling ◽  
Black Box ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Generative Process ◽  
Current Definition ◽  
Analytical Sociology ◽  
Modeling Practices ◽  
Definition Of

Building mechanisms-based, black box–free explanations is the main goal of analytical sociology. In this article, I offer some reasons to question whether some of the conceptual and methodological developments of the analytical community really serve this goal. Specifically, I argue that grounding our computer modeling practices in the current definition of mechanisms posits a serious risk of defining an ideal-typical research path that neglects the role that the understanding of the generative process must have for a black box–free explanation to be met. I propose some conceptual and methodological alternatives, and I identify some collective challenges that the analytical community should tackle in order not to deviate from its main goal.

scholarly journals Empirical Analysis and Agent-Based Modeling of the Lithuanian Parliamentary Elections

Complexity ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksejus Kononovicius
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Analysis ◽  
Beta Distribution ◽  
Voting Behavior ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
Vote Share ◽  
The Other ◽  
Empirical Observation ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Parliamentary Elections ◽  
Proposed Model

We analyze a parties’ vote share distribution across the polling stations during the Lithuanian parliamentary elections of 1992, 2008, and 2012. We find that the distribution is rather well fitted by the Beta distribution. To reproduce this empirical observation, we propose a simple multistate agent-based model of the voting behavior. In the proposed model, agents change the party they vote for either idiosyncratically or due to a linear recruitment mechanism. We use the model to reproduce the vote share distribution observed during the election of 1992. We discuss model extensions needed to reproduce the vote share distribution observed during the other elections.

scholarly journals Towards Computer Simulations of Virtue Ethics

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 399-413
Author(s):  
Jeremiah A. Lasquety-Reyes
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulation ◽  
Virtue Ethics ◽  
Computer Simulations ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
The Other ◽  
Single Variable ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Internal Struggle ◽  
Cardinal Virtue ◽  
Social Components

AbstractThis article presents two approaches for computer simulations of virtue ethics in the context of agent-based modeling, a simple way and a complex way. The simple way represents virtues as numeric variables that are invoked in specific events or situations. This way can easily be implemented and included in social simulations. On the other hand, the complex way requires a PECS framework: physical, cognitive, emotional, and social components need to be implemented in agents. Virtue is the result of the interaction of these internal components rather than a single variable. I argue that the complex way using the PECS framework is more suitable for simulating virtue ethics theory because it can capture the internal struggle and conflict sometimes involved in the practice of virtue. To show how the complex way could function, I present a sample computer simulation for the cardinal virtue of temperance, the virtue that moderates physical desires such as food, drink, and sex. This computer simulation is programmed in Python and builds upon the well-known Sugarscape simulation.1

Design Resilience of Demand Response Systems Utilizing Locally Communicating Thermostatically Controlled Loads

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Kuwada ◽  
Hoda Mehrpouyan ◽  
John F. Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Demand Response ◽  
Stability Limit ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
Algebraic Connectivity ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
The Core ◽  
System A ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Response Systems ◽  
Thermostatically Controlled Loads

Abstract Thermostatically Controlled Loads (TCLs) have shown great potential for Demand Response (DR) events. The focus of this study is to investigate the effects of adding communication throughout a population of TCLs on the resilience of the system. A Metric for resilience is calculated on varying populations of TCLs and verified with agent based modeling simulations. At the core of this study is an added thermostat criterion created from the combination of a proportional gain and the average compressor operating state of neighboring TCLs. Differing connection architectures are also analyzed. Resilience of the systems under different connection topologies, are calculated by analyzing algebraic connectivity at varying population sizes. The resilience analysis was verified through simulation. Results of the analysis show the effect of on delay schemes and connection architecture on stability limit of each system. Good concurrence was found between predicted and observed resilience for smaller dead-band sizes. Simulations showed varying results on the effect of a simulated attack based on location of the attack within the population.

From Minority Games to $-Games

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorgen Vitting Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Rational Expectations ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
Heterogeneous Agent ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Standard Methods ◽  
The Core ◽  
Minority Games ◽  
Real Market ◽  
Traditional Approaches ◽  
New Framework

This chapter argues for the use of game theory or agent-based modeling to go beyond the standard methods used in traditional approaches to finance. The theory of rational expectations is at the core of most theories of finance in use since the 1970s, but it is also very unrealistic. This chapter first introduces some very general thoughts about elements needed in a new framework for finance. Then a few concrete examples of heterogeneous agent-based models will be introduced, and several of their main results will be discussed. Finally, applications and methods to real-market data will be introduced, notably the idea of “decoupling” to explain the short-lived synchronization of investors.

scholarly journals Agent-based Modeling of Malaria Control Based on Aquatic Habitats Management in a Traditional Sub-sahara Grouping

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Layie ◽  
Vivient Corneille Kamla ◽  
Jean Claude Kamgang ◽  
Yves Sebastien Emvudu Wono
Keyword(s):  
Field Data ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
The Other ◽  
Aquatic Habitats ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Infected People ◽  
Dirty Water ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Harmful Effects

Abstract Background: In their behavior, Africans generally pour dirty water around their homes. This dirty water becomes stagnant at a given moment, which hence constitutes aquatic habitats (AH). These AH are sought after by mosquitoes for egg-laying and larval development. Recent studies have shown the effectiveness of destroying AH around host habitats (humans and animals) in reducing the incidence of malaria. In this paper, an agent-based model (ABM) is proposed for controlling the incidence of malaria through population sensitizing campaigns on the harmful effects of aquatic habitats around houses.Methods: The environment is constituted of houses, AH, mosquitoes, humans, and a hospital that will allow humans to heal themselves when they have malaria. The dynamics of malaria’s spread is linked to the dynamics of individuals (humans and mosquitoes) populations. The dynamic of the mosquito is represented by two phases: egg-laying and a phase of seeking blood. The dynamic of human is animated by the presence in the health center and houses. Their dynamic also results in hitting the mosquito when a human is bitten by it. Initially, the same number of houses and AH have been considered. Thereafter, houses are fixed and the AH are destroyed each time by 10% of the number of starting Aquatics habitats. The number of infected humans varied also from 0 to 90 which led to a total of 1001 simulations.Results: The results show that when the number of houses and AH is equal, we find approximately the same results as the field data. At each reduction of AH, the incidence and prevalence tend more and more towards 0. On the other hand, when there is no AH and infected humans in the environment, the prevalence and incidence are at 0.Conclusions: The study shows that every time we destroy the AH, it increasingly inhibits the growth of mosquitoes and malaria. But when there is no AH site, even if there are infected people in the environment, the disease disappears completely. Therefore the global destruction of the AH in an environment is to be recommended. Using many parameters in the same model is also recommended.

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