SCE3260 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Scientific Modelling, Outline Of Space Science, Mental Model
10 Jun 2018
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SCE1260(-(Science(Education(in(Primary(Schools!
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WEEK(8(-(LECTURE!
Scientists!thinking!about!science!
Learning!outcomes:!identify!examples!of!scientific!models!used!to!help!scientists!think!
about!science.!Describe!how!scientific!models!are!developed.!Suggest!how!analogies!can!
help!students!to!learn!science!concepts.!With!the!use!of!models!and!teamwork,!
demonstrate!some!important!concepts!related!to!earth!and!space!science.!!
!
Scientific(Models:(!
A!model!is!a!device,!demonstration,!equation,!picture!or!replica!of!something!else.!The!
model!must!be!in!some!way,!different!to!the!target!concept.!Scientists!use!models!as!
thinking!tools!to!help!them!develop!a!deeper!understanding!of!the!target!concept.!When!
teaching,!it!is!essential!that!students!realise!where!the!model!‘falls!down’!is!not!the!same!as!
target!concept,!otherwise!they!might!think!the!model!is!the!same!as!the!target!concept.!!
!
Categories(of(scientific(models:(!
• mental!models:!an!idea!a!person!has!about!how!something!works!
• expressed!models:!a!version!of!a!mental!model!expressed!by!someone!through!their!
actions,!speech,!drawing!or!writing!
• consensus!models:!an!expressed!model!that!has!been!tested!by!scientists!peers!and!
a!consensus!has!been!reached!that!the!model!has!merit.!!
!
What(makes(a(good(scientific(model?!
• Explanatory!power:!a!model!that!does!not!help!scientists!explain!observations!has!
little!value!
• Predictive!power:!models!that!are!useful!enable!scientists!to!make!predictions!and!
test!the!outcomes.!!
• Consistent!across!contexts:!the!model!has!to!apply!across!different!contexts!
• Consistent!with!other!scientific!models:!the!model!has!to!work!when!considered!in!
combination!with!other!models!
!
Learning(with(scientific(models:(!
Students!often!think!models!are!copies!of!reality!or!only!have!a!use!as!toys,!students!may!
think!a!model!is!useful!because!it!is!a!copy!or!scaled!version!of!a!real!object,!what!might!
happen!to!a!student’s!learning!if!they!think!that!a!scale!model!is!exactly!the!same!as!the!real!
object?!How!do!scientists!use!models?!Because!a!scientific!model!cannot!be!identical!to!the!
‘real!thing’!there!are!always!some!characteristics!that!are!exaggerate!and!some!that!are!
ignored.!!
!
Analogies:(!
Direct!comparisons!between!a!science!concept!or!system!with!a!familiar!object!or!event.!
Analogies!are!conceptual!change!tools.!They!help!to!develop!a!students!thinking!by!making!
connections!between!science!concepts!(that!can!be!abstract)!and!the!students!real!life!
experiences.!When!students!can!identify!the!flaws!in!the!analogy,!this!shows!their!
understanding!of!the!target!concept!is!quite!sophisticated.!Encourage!students!to!use!a!
variety!of!ways!to!represent!their!ideas!(writing,!drawing,!acting/role!playing,!talking)!Be!
Document Summary
Learning outcomes: identify examples of scientific models used to help scientists think about science. Suggest how analogies can help students to learn science concepts. With the use of models and teamwork, demonstrate some important concepts related to earth and space science. A model is a device, demonstration, equation, picture or replica of something else. The model must be in some way, different to the target concept. Scientists use models as thinking tools to help them develop a deeper understanding of the target concept. When teaching, it is essential that students realise where the model falls down" is not the same as target concept, otherwise they might think the model is the same as the target concept. Because a scientific model cannot be identical to the. Real thing" there are always some characteristics that are exaggerate and some that are ignored. Direct comparisons between a science concept or system with a familiar object or event.
