1/12/2011. However, current inquiry based learning practices often involve fixed small group collaboration as a design feature

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1 Action Researcher: Tan Mei San With the growing demand for schools to produce a citizenry with 21 st century capabilities, that is the ability to create knowledge, inquiry learning is currently one of the commonly promoted practices used by educators to support the needs of education for a Knowledge Age (Zhang et al., 2009). However, current inquiry based learning practices often involve fixed small group collaboration as a design feature To ensure that our children are able to establish such relevance and relationship of science to modern-day living and to take over the ownership of learning as a community, we explored Knowledge Building as one of our instructional approach in the learning of science. Knowledge Building shifts learning in the conventional sense to the construction of collective knowledge, aims to provide learners the kind of experience that best prepare students for life in a knowledge society (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1999). Important to look beyond examinations and to prepare students for life in the Knowledge Economy. This spirit of inquiry is especially essential in the learning of science. This study looks at how one of the twelve principles in Knowledge Building - community knowledge, collective responsibility, is used to help our pupils in developing the ability to engage in meaningful scientific discourse in a community, as it is an important skill and process in developing an How to use Knowledge Forum to promote community knowledge and collective responsibility among high - ability 5th graders in the knowledge of Life Sciences? A knowledge building community is a social activity system that targets communal knowledge creation supported by collective and sustained idea improvement. Twelve Knowledge building principles were suggested by Marlene Scardamalia to guide knowledge building pedagogy in a variety of context and to act as a system to facilitate development of knowledge building communities. 1

2 In a knowledge building community, pupils aimed at producing something of value to the community-theories, explanations, problem formulations, interpretation, and so on, which become public property that is helpful in understanding the world and functioning intelligently in it (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1999). Knowledge Forum is a Computer Supported Intentional Learning Environments (CSILE), which allows participants to enter their ideas into a communal space where they could read each other's entries and engage in reflective activity (Scardamalia, 2002). To turn higher levels of cognitive responsibility over to students, there is a need for a new discourse medium, this prompted Scardamalia and Bereiter to create an online environment called Knowledge Forum (KF). Rationale for Using Qualitative Study Setting Qualitative data (notes created in KF) are collected to examine how our children are able to establish such relevance and relationship of science to modern-day living and to take over the ownership of learning as a community. 8 weeks intervention to teach a life sciences science topics Neighbourhood primary school in the East zone of Singapore (Chongzheng Primary School) To log into the Knowledge Forum during or after science lesson. To read their classmates' notes. To contribute their own notes and to built on the posted notes. Participants 42 P5 average ability students To complete workbook assigned activities. Social constructivism takes place in Knowledge Forum when knowledge is built through consensus among groups of subjects. Evaluate (Reflect) Elaborate (Communicat e) Engage (Motivated) Explain (Analyse) Explore (Ask) ENGAGE EXPLORE EXPLAIN ELABORATE EVALUATE The class is given with a real life scenario (A real Peppermint Plant) to start the discussions. The different topics are related to the Peppermint Plant (Cells division, photosynthesis, respiration and variables affecting the growth of the plant) are discussed. Scientific concepts learnt are applied to the growth and survival of the peppermint plant. A key question / idea generated during discussions is selected by the class to do a further research about the peppermint plant. Learning taking place in KF are shared through reflections. 2

3 Planned Science Topics Extended Science topics during the KF discussions Introduction Yeast: Engage to cells Is it an animal or a plant? DNA: What is it? Introduction to KF through guiding the class to create new notes and built on notes with structured guiding questions, like What is Science to me? and What are cells? Based on the class adopted peppermint plant Introduction to cells Engage: Life Cycle of Show the class a rootless peppermint plant. Get Flowering Plants the class to think about how to relate their prior knowledge about cells with the new topic Life cycle of flowering plants. Provide guided instructions on both views Living Cells and Learning Stations to scaffold the class who is new to KF to do KB. Planned Science Topics Life Cycle of Flowering Plants Reproduction from other plant parts Extended Science topics during the KF discussions Orchid hybridization Based on the class adopted peppermint plant Explore: Discussion i on how to apply prior knowledge learnt about cells on the new topics Life Cycle of Flowering Plants and Cells Division Life Cycle of Flowering Plants Reproduction from other plant parts Based on the class adopted peppermint plant Explain: reflection about participation in KF. The class will explain why the rootless peppermint is still living after two weeks. Reproduction From Other Plant The class is taught how to use the scaffolding Parts to create online learning stations. feature (5Ws and 1H) to generate more discussions or built on one another s notes. Based on the class adopted peppermint plant Based on the class adopted peppermint plant Photosynthesis & Respiration Elaborate: Show the class the peppermint plant which has grown roots and taller with more leaves. Photosynthesis & Respiration Variables affecting an Evaluate: The class will build on one another s contributions to conclude how the The class will discuss what are the two important processes that ensure the survival and growth of the class peppermint plant. experimental setup peppermint plant gets its food, transfer its energy to and what are the variables that may affect the growth of the plant. 3

4 Cells Division Life Cycle of Flowering Plants Reproduction from other plant parts Photosynthesis & Respiration Designing and analyzing an experiment Variables affecting an experimental setup Based on the class adopted peppermint plant Starting a new inquiry cycle Engage: KB Reflection Identify a research question through all the previous KF contributions to design and carry out an investigation. The Grade 5 students' personal reflections and life sciences notes built are used to examine how community knowledge and collective responsibility have been promoted through the use of Knowledge Forum. Some form of collective effort in advancing ones and community knowledge has been observed. Curiosity on how a peppermint plant survived and grew without roots had motivated pupils to make inquiries and formulate different theories on the factors that contribute to the survival of the plant. Pupils responded and queried the accuracy of one another's thread. There were also some positive compliments among pupils. Although pupils had not developed the abilities to quote authoritative sources in their notes to support their claims, they were beginning to take up the affordances of KF in contributing to one another's knowledge. Such discourse had successfully inspired some pupils to think of experimenting with their theories. For example, one pupil wrote: I think we can cover one or two leaves with black coloured paper, then, leave the rest of the leaves as normal under the sun. After a few days, cut them out of the plant and then put them in two sapperate containers. After that, take it out and put a drop of iodine solution on each of the leave and see which one turns black in colour." Such posting indicates the intention of pupils taking over their own learning and advance their scientific knowledge. Although in school, some students have initiated to conduct their own experiment to test for the presence of starch, there was no obvious evidence on pupils conducting experiment to improve their ideas on KF yet. However, notes contributed by pupils show that they are capable of using KF to learn and contribute. 4

5 Through the use of Knowledge Forum, primary students can promote community knowledge and collective responsibility to learn life sciences as a community. First time that both teacher and students in the treatment group are engaged in knowledge building. A longer period of intervention is needed to build a knowledge building community. Students who are kinesthetic learners may not enjoy knowledge building learning experience and hence, may not participate actively. Disproportional permitted time to do knowledge building at home. Engaging students in productive dialogues Scaffoldings to encourage students' questions How to close dialogues Questioning Posing high level questions to stimulate critical and creative thinking Developing students' process skills IMPROVE APPLY Research methodology: the use of mixed method with a control group, structured intervention and use of coding analysis. Conceptions and approaches to learning science in knowledge building. 1. Organise the students' notes. 2. Consolidating of information without plagiarism. 3. Logistic support to sustain discussions on KF. 4. Guide the class on how to provide evidence to support their reasoning and their conclusions. 5. Teach the class how to attach own drawings to illustrate science concepts or scientific inquiry. 6. Lastly, the class can demonstrate they have community knowledge and collective responsibility through differentiated instructions. For example, by creating their own peppermint plant song or rhyme on KF! 5

6 Engage to elicit students' preconception Explore by' opening up dialogue' to develop hypothesis Explain through questioning and reasoning the observations and inferences made. Advancement of knowledge as a community Engage in collaborative dialogues to elaborate and develop ideas Building a social network of self directed learners that value knowledge shared in the community `Reopen dialogue' if any students still have questions Evaluate if the observations and inferences have reached conclusions. Elaborate how valid the inferences are and the reasonableness of the conclusions stated. Community knowledge, collective responsibility Forms of knowledge acquisition Reproducing Knowing Extending & Developing Chai, C. S. (2006). Teachers' professional development in a computer-supported collaborative learning environment: A descriptive and interpretive enquiry. Unpublished Ed.D. Thesis. University of Leicester, UK. Curriculum Planning & Development Division (2007). MOE Science Syllabus Primary Singapore: Ministry of Education. orientation Motivational External Memorising Internal Increase Testing Calculating Quantitative Applying Understanding Qualitative Seeing in a new way Hewitt, J (2004). An exploration of community in a Knowledge Forum classroom: An activity system analysis. In S. Barab, R. Kling & J. Gray (Eds.) Designing virtual communities in the service of learning (pp ). Cambridge MA: Cambridge University Press. Macdonald, G. & Hursh, D. (2006). Twenty-first century schools: Knowledge, networks and new economies. Chapters 21 (Schools for the twenty-first century). Sense Publishers. National Research Council (NRC). (2000). Inquiry and the national science education standards: A guide for teaching and learning. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Ow, J., & Tan, S.C. (2005). Learning of Science in an Elementary Classroom through Knowledge Building. Paper presented at the IKIT Summer Institute 2005, Toronto, Ontario. Figure 1. A framework describing the variations of students conceptions of learning science (Tsai, 2004). Rop, C. J. (2003). Spontaneous inquiry questions in high school chemistry classrooms. International Journal of Science Education, 25(1), Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (1999). Schools as knowledge building organizations. In D. Keating & C. Hertzman (Eds). Today's children, tomorrow's society. The developmental health and wealth of nations (pp ). New York: Guilford. Scardamalia, M. (2002). Collective cognitive responsibility for the advancement of knowledge. In B. Smith (Ed.), Liberal education in a knowledge society (pp ). Chicago: Open Court. Shanmugaratnam, T. (2005). Speech at the MOE Work Plan Seminar Retrieved March 23, 2008, from Tsai, C. C. (2004). Conceptions of learning science among high school students in Taiwan: A phenomenographic analysis. International Journal of Science Education, 26, Wells,G. (2002). Learning and teaching for understanding: The key role of collaborative knowledge building. In J. Brophy (ed.), Social constructivist teaching: Affordances and constraints, Wenger, E. (2008). Communities of Practice, a brief introduction. Retreived 10 April, 2008, from Yap, K.C, Toh, K.A. & Goh, N.K (2002). Teaching Science. Readings and Resources for the Primary School Teachers. Constructivist Inquiry Approach (pp ). Prentice Hall: Singapore. Zhang, J. W., Scardamalia, M., Reeve, R. & Messina, R. (2009). Design for collective cognitive responsibility in knowledge building communities. The Journal of the Learning Science, 18, 8. Zhang, J. & Sun, Y. (2005). Constructive learning. Shanghai, China: Shanghai Education Publishing House