A few of you may be interested in this literature review of design based science I just completed.  It reviews a good number of papers and studies that evaluate how science concepts and processes can be taught using design.  Design includes engineering and robotics.  Here’s the abstract.

Although robotics has been identified as a promising way to increase STEM interest and also teach science concepts (Brophy, Portsmore, Klein, & Rogers, 2008), there is no research of student use of robotics in a sustained elementary program.  The studies that do exist show promising results for short term robotics programs in middle and high school (Hynes, 2007; Sullivan, 2008).  There are many studies that use design, engineering, or robotics as a way to teach science concepts. This literature review examines relevant papers on using design to teach science and engineering concepts.  The goal of the review is to determine the most relevant theoretical frameworks and methodologies that can be used or modified in a longitudinal case study of elementary robotics students.  A model for classifying the studies is presented.  The studies uniformly use a constructivist, constructionist, and social constructivist approach.  The studies vary in the age group studied, study methodologies, and the secondary goals of the instruction apart from the science focus. The studies report positive results but differ in their recommendations for instruction strategies.  However, common themes are providing appropriate scaffolding to connect the design tasks to specific science concepts and processes.

Because the orientation changed, it was inexplicably split into 3 pieces when I created the PDF from Word.

DesignBasedScienceLitReview

DesignBasedScienceLitReview.2

DesignBasedScienceLitReview.3

John Heffernan – 7/7/13

Introduction

This basic research seeks to understand how children’s engineering skills change over time. Secondarily, I want to know how our K-6 robotics program influences students.  Every year from kindergarten to grade 6, they are given the same task, which is to design and built a prototype (model) amusement park ride.  Each year, they are offered crafts materials and an age appropriate LEGO ™ kit.  I transcribe their verbal output and take photographs of their creations along with selected video clips.

Major Findings – Year 2

All students primarily used LEGO ™ this year; there were no all craft constructions.  In kindergarten, there were 2 all craft constructions.

2 out of 9 students used the computer and motor even though all had learned it in class.  Both were advanced students.  This suggests that most students were not comfortable with using the computer to program robots yet or it was not a natural technique for them developmentally.

Even one advanced student frequently used tape to augment construction.    Construction techniques were major challenge this year.   I am seeing certain construction problems across grade levels that would benefit from some scaffolding.  Fine motor skills, which were a major challenge for K students, was less of an issue for first graders.

First graders were not concerned with many adult notions like symmetry and consistency though they may notice and comment on them.  They often were not able to project out that different design ideas  that would not be stable or buildable.

Inherent building styles and personalities seem fairly well set and on a trajectory of some sort.  I was surprised by this because I thought developmental gains and what was taught would be much more dominant.  However, the use of LEGO ™ at school may have influenced the choice of materials and had some effect on construction.

Self-talk was much less prominent for grade 1 students than K students.

Some students made up the ride as they went along, others had a clear idea and stuck to it, other had ideas but flexibly changed them as they went along.

As you can see from the photos of year 1 and year 2 projects, there was a big jump in sophistication from spring K to spring grade 1.

Click here for the Case Study Year 2 Report with photos.