 |
 |
 |
| VIDEOCASES FOR SCIENCE TEACHING ANALYSIS (ViSTA) The Videocases for Science Teaching Analysis Project is a five-year grant (2004-2009) funded by the National Science Foundation. The ViSTA project is developing and studying the impact of six on-line, video-based modules designed to provide prospective teachers with the skills necessary to learn how to learn from analysis of K-8 science teaching. The modules are designed as tools to support teacher education program courses and experiences and will be used in a combination of face-to-face and on-line sessions. The modules cut across K-8 grade levels and the disciplines of life, physical, and earth sciences. Each module targets a key science concept and its supporting ideas, and these concepts are examined in tandem with important science inquiry and nature of science learning goals. Each module presents videos of at least two different teachers so that prospective teachers have the opportunity to analyze different approaches to teaching the same content. At the heart of the modules is a set of analytical tasks that are embedded in the on-line software platform to allow for interactions among prospective teachers and between them and their instructors. The tasks support prospective teachers in deepening their understanding of science content, developing their knowledge about content-specific teaching strategies (pedagogical content knowledge), and assessing student thinking and learning about this content. Research Design In addition to the videocase modules, the project will produce knowledge about the effectiveness of this approach and about the particular kinds of tasks that make a difference in prospective teachers’ learning how to learn from analysis of practice. After two rounds of pilots and revisions, the modules will be tested in a comparison group research study. Assessment of prospective teachers’ learning from the modules will focus on changes in their understanding of the science content and pedagogy specific to this content, and their abilities to analyze science teaching and student learning.Eighteen instructors (3 for each module) will be trained to use the software and the course materials. Each module will then be tested with three classes of undergraduate students. The eighteen instructors in the comparison group will be trained in the use of the software and provided with the same set of on-line videos and supplementary materials as are used in the modules but without the accompanying tasks to structure prospective teachers’ learning. They will be asked to incorporate these materials as they wish into their curriculum. In order to match for context and student population, at each university an equal number of comparison and experimental instructors and their classes will be identified. Pre- and post-assessments will measure prospective teachers’ content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, understanding of student learning, and analysis-of-practice abilities. Data on student and instructor patterns of use of the modules and level of satisfaction with the module content and materials will be collected as well. Contact This project is being directed by Kathy Roth; Karen Givvin and Rossella Santagata are serving as Co-PIs. |
| LessonLab Research Institute is the independent research arm of Achievement Solutions at Pearson. Our mission is to improve teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms. |
|
Home • Research • Visibility • Publications • Staff • Contact Us All rights reserved. © Copyright 2007 LessonLab Research Institute |