Motivating and Shaping Scientific Argumentation in Lab Reports

Autor/inn/en	Gouvea, Julia; Appleby, Lara; Fu, Liren; Wagh, Aditi
Titel	Motivating and Shaping Scientific Argumentation in Lab Reports
Quelle	In: CBE - Life Sciences Education, 21 (2022) 4, Artikel 71 (18 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Schlagwörter	Scientific and Technical Information; Persuasive Discourse; Reports; Science Laboratories; Research Reports; Technical Writing; Introductory Courses; Biology; Science Process Skills; Science Curriculum; Rhetoric; Authentic Learning; Context Effect; Audience Awareness; College Students; Instructional Design; Scores; Computer Simulation; Massachusetts + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Persuasion; Persuasive Kommunikation; Abschlussbericht; Berichten; Research report; Forschungsbericht; Technical documentation; Technische Dokumentation; Einführungskurs; Biologie; Rhetorik; Collegestudent; Lesson concept; Lessonplan; Unterrichtsentwurf; Computergrafik; Computersimulation; Master-Studiengang
Abstract	Writing a lab report can be an opportunity for students to engage in scientific thinking. Yet students' lab reports often do not exhibit evidence of such engagement. Students' writing can appear focused on "filling in" required components and reporting on predetermined conclusions. We conducted a design experiment in an introductory biology laboratory course and examined the impact on students' engagement in argumentation in lab reports. Over two design iterations, students' arguments more often considered and integrated multiple claims, included a broader range of evidence and ideas, and gave appropriate attention to uncertainty in conclusions. We argue that two interrelated changes to the design of the lab course made these shifts possible. First, we restructured the role of instructors to position them as an audience interested in students' thinking. Second, we introduced more uncertainty into the lab activities to provoke consideration of multiple interpretations. We propose that these changes created a different "rhetorical context" that helped motivate and shape students' engagement in argumentation. More broadly, we suggest that an important alternative to explicitly scaffolding knowledge and skills is to design learning environments that can inspire students to engage in a range of scientific practices more authentically. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: https://www.lifescied.org/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01