Needfinding
Observations and interviews were conducted with a variety of people in preparation for thinking about ways to address the learning problem.
The observations were informal and took place at locations that connected people with either the ocean or climate change education opportunities. Interviews were also informal and conducted with a wide variety of people that may be invested in a potential solution.
The observations were informal and took place at locations that connected people with either the ocean or climate change education opportunities. Interviews were also informal and conducted with a wide variety of people that may be invested in a potential solution.
Observation Locations
Monterey, CA (beach) Los Angeles, CA (beach) Monterey Bay Aquarium Seymour Marine Discovery Center California Science Center California Academy of Science (climate change exhibit) Two residences to observe children interacting with technology at home |
Interviews
Science teacher Curator of an Ecology gallery Parents of 2, 4 and 8 year-old children (technology use and outdoor time) 8 year-old boy (interests in the ocean) |
Design and Learning Goals
Cognitive
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Affective
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Learning Theories
“Interest is the relation between person and object: ‘Interest, then, is not in the object, nor in the mind of a child, but it emerges as a result of processes that link the two in irreversible time’.”
-Ainley & Ainley, A Cultural Perspective on the Structure of Student Interest in Science, 2011
The core learning theories of KaiPals are those related to building interest and techniques of environmental education:
Four phase interest development model
In the four phase interest development model, Hidi & Renniger describe the movement through the stages of Triggered Situational Interest, Maintained Situational Interest, Triggered Individual Interest, Maintained Situational Interest (2006). The focus of this project is on the first stage of Triggered Situational Interest. Interest emerges when we already have prior knowledge with the object, implying situational interest in the ocean would take at least two visits. KaiPals provides children with enough prior experiences so that when they do visit the ocean that prior knowledge is activated, making their very first experience with the ocean meaningful.
Motivational Processes
Scott Paris lays out six motivational processes: constructing meaning, choices, challenges, control, collaboration and positive challenges (1997). KaiPals uses the ideas of these six motivational processess to inform the curricular activities and drive motivation to continue to engage with the tool.
Environmental Education Conservation Behavior Theories
Environmental educators have defined two avenues for encouraging conservation behaviors: behavior change through social marketing tools and cultivating environmental literacy through education programs (Monroe, 2003). Although KaiPals is based on knowledge content, the long-term impact is conservation behavior for better ocean health. While the driving force of the solution is environmental literacy over a longer term, there is a feeling of social marketing with specific things children can do as people tend to also want immediate results or doable actions.
Theories of Knowledge Acquisition
Many researchers have delved into the field of "misconceptions" or "preconceptions", particularly in the field of physics and more recently chemistry (diSessa, 1993; Sherin, 2005, Taber & Garcia-Franco, 2010). But ecology is another area where children's prior knowledge based on observations greatly influences their perception of ecology, particularly because much of what they observe is hard to abstract out to the magnitude of scale that ecological processes work on. For example, one misconception regarding ecology is that “human activities inland can’t possibly harm or impact the oceans” (Feller, 2007). But researchers have also shown that misconceptions can be addressed at an early age, before naïve ideas become firmly entrenched (Pettito & Dunbar, 2004). The activities in the KaiPals curriculum attempt to engage children with real ecological and environmental concepts related to the ocean, in hopes of giving them more accurate representations for their future interactions with the ocean.
-Ainley & Ainley, A Cultural Perspective on the Structure of Student Interest in Science, 2011
The core learning theories of KaiPals are those related to building interest and techniques of environmental education:
Four phase interest development model
In the four phase interest development model, Hidi & Renniger describe the movement through the stages of Triggered Situational Interest, Maintained Situational Interest, Triggered Individual Interest, Maintained Situational Interest (2006). The focus of this project is on the first stage of Triggered Situational Interest. Interest emerges when we already have prior knowledge with the object, implying situational interest in the ocean would take at least two visits. KaiPals provides children with enough prior experiences so that when they do visit the ocean that prior knowledge is activated, making their very first experience with the ocean meaningful.
Motivational Processes
Scott Paris lays out six motivational processes: constructing meaning, choices, challenges, control, collaboration and positive challenges (1997). KaiPals uses the ideas of these six motivational processess to inform the curricular activities and drive motivation to continue to engage with the tool.
Environmental Education Conservation Behavior Theories
Environmental educators have defined two avenues for encouraging conservation behaviors: behavior change through social marketing tools and cultivating environmental literacy through education programs (Monroe, 2003). Although KaiPals is based on knowledge content, the long-term impact is conservation behavior for better ocean health. While the driving force of the solution is environmental literacy over a longer term, there is a feeling of social marketing with specific things children can do as people tend to also want immediate results or doable actions.
Theories of Knowledge Acquisition
Many researchers have delved into the field of "misconceptions" or "preconceptions", particularly in the field of physics and more recently chemistry (diSessa, 1993; Sherin, 2005, Taber & Garcia-Franco, 2010). But ecology is another area where children's prior knowledge based on observations greatly influences their perception of ecology, particularly because much of what they observe is hard to abstract out to the magnitude of scale that ecological processes work on. For example, one misconception regarding ecology is that “human activities inland can’t possibly harm or impact the oceans” (Feller, 2007). But researchers have also shown that misconceptions can be addressed at an early age, before naïve ideas become firmly entrenched (Pettito & Dunbar, 2004). The activities in the KaiPals curriculum attempt to engage children with real ecological and environmental concepts related to the ocean, in hopes of giving them more accurate representations for their future interactions with the ocean.
Learning Experience Outcomes
Logic model for intended goals and current solution
To help focus the project, I developed a logic model based on the current solution. The goals for the project fall primarily under medium term outcomes. Cognitive goals are included in "visit ocean and be able to access prior knowledge". Affective goals are implicit to encourage repeated engagements with the solution.
Considering the possible outcomes and impacts, I have chosen to focus on the strand in blue.
Considering the possible outcomes and impacts, I have chosen to focus on the strand in blue.