Current Events No.

3 Miha Lee
Classroom Use of Multimedia-Supported Predict Observe Eplain
!as"s in a Social Constructivist Learnin# Environment
$% Matthew Kearney
&rom 'esearch in Science Education 3() (*+ (,3- *..(.
!his research paper tal"s about the effectiveness of usin# multimedia-supported POE tas"s
to facilitate small #roup learnin# conversations at the ph%sics class. !he collaborative students/
discussion is focused on to provide a peer learnin# opportunit% for students. So the research is
a "ind of interpretive stud% adoptin# a social constructivist perspective to anal%0e and interpret
the students/ conversations. !he researcher investi#ated students/ articulation and 1ustification
of their o2n science conceptions- clarification of and critical reflection on their partners/
vie2s- and ne#otiation of ne2- shared meanin#s. 3e made a conclusion that the computer-based
POE tas"s supported students/ peer learnin# conversations- particularl% durin# the prediction-
reasonin# and observation sta#es of the POE strate#%.
!he POE method is a teachin#-learnin# strate#% proposed b% 4hite and 5unstone 6788*9-
2hich includes three sta#es) Prediction- Observation- and Eplanation. :t the Predication sta#e
students ma"e predictions and 1ustifications about the epected results of eperiment that are
supposed to do in the net sta#e. :nd then the% observe attentivel% the scientific phenomena
doin# or 2atchin# eperiments at the phase of Observation. ;n the third sta#e the% have to
compare the their observations 2ith predictions- and the% eplain the observations 2ith their
o2n "no2led#e. !he most po2erful stren#th of usin# the POE method is that if it is used as a
dia#nostic tool to elicit students/ pre-instructional "no2led#e and conceptions- it helps teachers
desi#n the net teachin# for the purpose of meetin# students/ levels. &urthermore- if active
discussions amon# students are used properl% at the sta#e 2here students are tr%in# to eplain
an% discrepancies bet2een predictions and observations- the POE process can be an effective
teachin# strate#% to facilitate students/ understandin# of concepts.
!his paper is a part of series that the author/s doctoral stud% in 2hich he investi#ated
the desi#n and classroom use of computer-mediated POE tas"s. So ; feel li"e that he put a lot
of efforts and time into this stud%. 3e emplo%ed various methods to collect rich <ualit% data
from the conversations of students and teacher intervie2s- 2hich ma"es this research valuable in
science education. ;n this paper students 2ere learnin# about force and motion focusin# on
pro1ectile motion- and the POE strate#% 2as used to structure the students/ en#a#ement 2ith
the di#ital video clips. :lthou#h the author didn/t focus on the conceptual chan#es of students-
; have learned the stren#th of the POE process in teachin# science from this paper. &or
eample- 2hen students ma"e their predictions of the results- the% need to retrieve their prior
"no2led#e relatin# to the eperiments. So this phase offers students the opportunit% to thin"
about their readiness of learnin#. :nd in the observation pha#e- the% ma% find out their
predictions 2ron#. !o eplain an% discrepancies bet2een the predictions and the observations-
the% see" other ideas and can revise their ideas.
Moreover- the discussion 2ith peers throu#h the three phases of the POE tas"s affords the
students the valuable learnin# eperiences. Students need to articulate their ideas to tal" 2ith
peers and evaluate the peer/s ideas to ma"e a meanin#ful response. ;n this process- the% can
learn somethin# from listenin# to their partner/s vie2. ;f the% are 1ust b% themselves- the% do
not have an opportunit% to ma"e them thin" about the findin#s a lot more. :ctuall%- this
collaborative decision ma"in# process encountered durin# the computer-based the POE tas"s is
the focal point of this research paper. Students participatin# in this stud% obviousl% valued each
other/s ideas and used them to reflect on the viabilit% of their o2n conceptions.
On the other hand- usin# computer-based di#ital video clips instead of real eperiments
provides students 2ith man% advanta#es in learnin# science. ;n =earne%/s other paper 6=earn%-
!rea#ust- >eo- ? @adni"- *..79- he found three principal affordances of multimedia-based POE
tas"s. &irst- the computer environment affords student control over the pacin# of the POE tas"s
and also facilitates student control over the presentation of the video-based demonstrations.
Second- usin# di#ital video-based demonstrations in the observation phase of the POE strate#%
offers students a refined tool to ma"e detailed and clinical observations of ph%sical phenomena
and hence enhances the <ualit% of feedbac" on their earlier predictions. !hird- the real-life
ph%sical settin#s depicted in the video-clips provide interestin# and relevant contets for the
students.
!o be specific- ; have found some advanta#es of usin# computer-based video clips as
follo2s. &irst- students can #o bac" to the previous step as man% times as the% 2ant at the
prediction sta#e to chan#e their predications as the% came to reach ne2 a#reement throu#h their
discussion. Second- the% are able to observe eperiments as man% times and closel% as the%
2ant because di#ital video clips have man% useful functions 2hich help students have control
over the pla%. !hird- the di#ital video clips #ive students more accurate results of the
eperiments. Usuall%- students don/t have 2ell enou#h eperimental s"ills to #et accurate
results- but video clips produced b% eperts sho2 <ualit% results. ;n addition- the real-life video
clips- not laborator% situation- served as a particularl% effective Abac"drop/ for the reflective
discussions durin# the observation phase of the POE tas"s.
Overall- this paper #ave me a lot of useful information re#ardin# teachin# science 2ith the
computer based POE tas"s. 3o2ever- because ; don/t have enou#h "no2led#e about the
Constructivism- it/s difficult to full% appreciate this <ualitative research of anal%0in# students/
conversations and #estures. &ran"l% spea"in#- ; 2onder 2hat the role of teachers is in this
research. Onl% desi#nin# the POE tas"s and providin# learnin# eperience from the discussion
2ith peers are not sufficient for actin# as a teacher because some eplains #enerated b%
students in this paper 2ere scientificall% 2ron#. 4hat should 2e teachers do to correct these
2ron# ideasB &rom the social constructivists/ perspective- learners construct 6rather than
ac<uire9 their o2n "no2led#e- stron#l% influenced b% 2hat the% alread% "no2 6Criver ?
Easle%- 78+D9. Conse<uentl%- students are considered to learn science throu#h a process of
constructin#- interpretin# and modif%in# their o2n representations of realit% based on their o2n
eperiences. So ; thin" 2e teachers need to ponder about ho2 to provide students meanin#ful
eperiences to challen#e their false or alternative conceptions. ;n sum- the POE strate#% is a
useful "ind of teachin# method in science education- but teachers should ma"e an effort to
desi#n the POE tas"s that fit in the content and the #oal of class. !herefore- ; am desi#nin#
the POE tas"s for m% pro1ect to teach m% school students about the properties of metal.
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