Using ICT in teaching and learning science

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Using ICT in teaching and learning science
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Whats special about science and science teaching?

• Science, especially school science, is often very
  practical subject.
• School science involves observing, measuring
  ,communicating and discussing, trying things out,
  investigating , handling things, watching and
  monitoring , record results
• ICT can help in virtually all of these activities

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Whats special about science and science teaching?

• Some Potential uses and application of ICT in
  science education
• Word processing / desktop publishing
• Database and Spreadsheets
• Communications
• Interactive Media
• Accessing Data
• Data-logging
• Control
• Graphics

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Whats special about science and science teaching?

• Pupils science activities and the ICT tools
  which enhance them
• Planning an investigation gt Word Processing
• Researching/learning about a topic gt CD-ROM
  ,Internet
• Taking measurements gt Data-logging
• Making results tables gt Data-logging
  ,spreadsheets
• Drawing Graphs gt Data-logging software,
  database, spreadsheets
• Doing Calculation gt Spreadsheets ,data-logging
  software
• Searching for patterns gt Spreadsheets ,databases
  ,simulations ,modelling programs
• Asking what if questions gt simulations
  ,databases ,modelling programs
• Compare pupils results with other peoples gt
  CD-ROM, data files ,Internet
• Presenting information in a report gt Word
  processing ,desktop publishing ,spreadsheets

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Why Use ICT in science education?

• Collecting and storing large amounts of data
• Performing complex calculations rapidly on stored
  data
• Processing large amounts of data and displaying
  them in a variety of formats
• Help to present and communicate information

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An Important issue When ICT use in science
education

• Should the computer , be used to collect ,process
  and display rather than these being done by the
  learner?
• The Ability to perform complex calculations
  rapidly should be one of the aims of education,
  not something to be replaced by ICT.
• The distinction between what counts as authentic(
  desirable and purposeful ) and inauthentic(
  unnecessary and irrelevant ) labour in the
  learning process is central one in considering
  the use of ICT in education.

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Classroom applications of ICT in science
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Computer Simulations in science education

• Direct copies of existing laboratory activities
• Simulations of industrial process
• Simulations of processes that are too dangerous,
  too slow ,too fast ,and too small
• Simulations involving non-existent entities
• Simulation of models of theories

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Why use computer simulations in science teaching

• Cost
• Time
• Safety
• Motivation
• Control
• Management

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Dangers of simulation

• Variable Simulations give pupils the impression
  that variables in a physical process can be
  easily, equally and independently controlled.In
  reality ,not all variables in a physical
  situation can be as easily ,equally and
  independently controlled as certain simulations
  suggest.

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Dangers of simulation

• Unquestioned models, facts and assumptions every
  simulation is based on a certain model of
  reality.User are only able to manipulate factors
  and variables within that model. They are neither
  encouraged nor able to question its validity.

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Dangers of simulation

• Caricatures of reality any model is an
  idealization of reality. Some Models may be
  deceptive ,misleading or downright inaccurate
  they provide caricatures of reality , rather than
  representations of it.

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Dangers of simulation

• Confusion with reality The microworld of
  Computer creates a reality of its own, so pupils
  may confound the programmers model of reality
  with reality itself.

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Dangers of simulation

• Double idealizations The scientific model or
  scientific theory, which itself is an
  idealization of reality.The idealization
  involved in modelling is doubly dangerous in
  simulations which involve a model of a model.

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Safeguards in using simulations

• All teachers and ,through them, pupils, must be
  fully conscious that models they use in a
  computer simulation ,simplified and perhaps
  value-laden idealizations of reality.
• The fact ,data ,assumptions, and even the model
  itself which are used by the programmer must be
  made clear and available to the user.