Evolving Germs Antibiotic Resistance And Natural Selection In Education And Public Communication

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Evolving germs – Antibiotic resistance and natural selection in education and public communication

Author : Gustav Bohlin
Publisher : Linköping University Electronic Press
ISBN 13 : 9176854892
Total Pages : 103 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (768 download)

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Book Synopsis Evolving germs – Antibiotic resistance and natural selection in education and public communication by : Gustav Bohlin

Download or read book Evolving germs – Antibiotic resistance and natural selection in education and public communication written by Gustav Bohlin and published by Linköping University Electronic Press. This book was released on 2017-10-20 with total page 103 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bacterial resistance to antibiotics threatens modern healthcare on a global scale. Several actors in society, including the general public, must become more involved if this development is to be countered. The conveyance of relevant information provided through education and media reports is therefore of high concern. Antibiotic resistance evolves through the mechanisms of natural selection; in this way, a sound understanding of these mechanisms underlies explanations of causes and the development of effective risk-reduction measures. In addition to natural selection functioning as an explanatory framework to antibiotic resistance, bacterial resistance as a context seems to possess a number of qualities that make it suitable for teaching natural selection – a subject that has been proven notoriously hard to teach and learn. A recently suggested approach for learning natural selection involves so-called threshold concepts, which encompass abstract and integrative ideas. The threshold concepts associated with natural selection include, among others, the notions of randomness as well as vast spatial and temporal scales. Illustrating complex relationships between concepts on different levels of organization is one, of several, areas where visualizations are efficient. Given the often-imperceptible nature of threshold concepts as well as the fact that natural selection processes occur on different organizational levels, visual accounts of natural selection have many potential benefits for learning. Against this background, the present dissertation explores information conveyed to the public regarding antibiotic resistance and natural selection, as well as investigates how these topics are presented together, by scrutinizing media including news reports, websites, educational textbooks and online videos. The principal method employed in the media studies was content analysis, which was complemented with various other analytical procedures. Moreover, a classroom study was performed, in which novice pupils worked with a series of animations explaining the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Data from individual written assignments, group questions and video-recorded discussions were collected and analyzed to empirically explore the potential of antibiotic resistance as a context for learning about evolution through natural selection. Among the findings are that certain information, that is crucial for the public to know, about antibiotic resistance was conveyed to a low extent through wide-reaching news reporting. Moreover, explanations based on natural selection were rarely included in accounts of antibiotic resistance in any of the examined media. Thus, it is highly likely that a large proportion of the population is never exposed to explanations for resistance development during education or through newspapers. Furthermore, the few examples that were encountered in newspapers or textbooks were hardly ever visualized, but presented only in textual form. With regard to videos purporting to explain natural selection, it was found that a majority lacked accounts of central key concepts. Additionally, explanations of how variation originates on the DNA-level were especially scarce. These and other findings coming from the content analyses are discussed through the lens of scientific literacy and could be used to inform and strengthen teaching and scientific curricula with regards to both antibiotic resistance and evolution. Furthermore, several factors of interest for using antibiotic resistance in the teaching of evolution were identified from the classroom study. These involve, among others, how learners’ perception of threshold concepts such as randomness and levels of organization in space and time are affected by the bacterial context

Evolving Germs

Author : Gustav Bohlin
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (12 download)

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Book Synopsis Evolving Germs by : Gustav Bohlin

Download or read book Evolving Germs written by Gustav Bohlin and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bacterial resistance to antibiotics threatens modern healthcare on a global scale. Several actors in society, including the general public, must become more involved if this development is to be countered. The conveyance of relevant information provided through education and media reports is therefore of high concern. Antibiotic resistance evolves through the mechanisms of natural selection; in this way, a sound understanding of these mechanisms underlies explanations of causes and the development of effective risk-reduction measures. In addition to natural selection functioning as an explanatory framework to antibiotic resistance, bacterial resistance as a context seems to possess a number of qualities that make it suitable for teaching natural selection – a subject that has been proven notoriously hard to teach and learn. A recently suggested approach for learning natural selection involves so-called threshold concepts, which encompass abstract and integrative ideas. The threshold concepts associated with natural selection include, among others, the notions of randomness as well as vast spatial and temporal scales. Illustrating complex relationships between concepts on different levels of organization is one, of several, areas where visualizations are efficient. Given the often-imperceptible nature of threshold concepts as well as the fact that natural selection processes occur on different organizational levels, visual accounts of natural selection have many potential benefits for learning. Against this background, the present dissertation explores information conveyed to the public regarding antibiotic resistance and natural selection, as well as investigates how these topics are presented together, by scrutinizing media including news reports, websites, educational textbooks and online videos. The principal method employed in the media studies was content analysis, which was complemented with various other analytical procedures. Moreover, a classroom study was performed, in which novice pupils worked with a series of animations explaining the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Data from individual written assignments, group questions and video-recorded discussions were collected and analyzed to empirically explore the potential of antibiotic resistance as a context for learning about evolution through natural selection. Among the findings are that certain information, that is crucial for the public to know, about antibiotic resistance was conveyed to a low extent through wide-reaching news reporting. Moreover, explanations based on natural selection were rarely included in accounts of antibiotic resistance in any of the examined media. Thus, it is highly likely that a large proportion of the population is never exposed to explanations for resistance development during education or through newspapers. Furthermore, the few examples that were encountered in newspapers or textbooks were hardly ever visualized, but presented only in textual form. With regard to videos purporting to explain natural selection, it was found that a majority lacked accounts of central key concepts. Additionally, explanations of how variation originates on the DNA-level were especially scarce. These and other findings coming from the content analyses are discussed through the lens of scientific literacy and could be used to inform and strengthen teaching and scientific curricula with regards to both antibiotic resistance and evolution. Furthermore, several factors of interest for using antibiotic resistance in the teaching of evolution were identified from the classroom study. These involve, among others, how learners’ perception of threshold concepts such as randomness and levels of organization in space and time are affected by the bacterial context

Encountering Evolution

Author : Johanna Frejd
Publisher : Linköping University Electronic Press
ISBN 13 : 9176850056
Total Pages : 122 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (768 download)

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Book Synopsis Encountering Evolution by : Johanna Frejd

Download or read book Encountering Evolution written by Johanna Frejd and published by Linköping University Electronic Press. This book was released on 2019-08-21 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis explores preschool class children’s meaning making processes when they encounter evolution. By adopting social semiotic and sociocultural perspectives on meaning making, three group-based tasks were designed. Video data from the activities were analysed using a multimodal approach. The analysis focuses on how the communicated science content affects the science focus of the tasks, how different materials function as semiotic resources and influence meaning making, and interactive aspects of doing science in the meaning-making processes. The findings reveal that, by using the provided materials and their previous experiences, the children argue for different reasons for animal diversity and evolution. Throughout the tasks, a child-centric view of life emerged in a salient manner. This means that, apart from the science focus, the children also emphasise other aspects that they find important. The child-centric perspective is suggested to be a strength that enables children to engage in science activities. The results show that the provided materials had three functions. Children use materials as resources providing meaning. This means that the children draw on the meaning potential of the materials, a process that is influenced by their previous experiences. Moreover, in interaction with peers, the materials also serve as communicative and argumentative tools. Thus, access to materials influences the children’s meaning making and enables them to discuss evolution and “do science”. The findings also reveal an intimate relationship between task context and interaction. More scripted tasks convey more child–adult interaction (scaffolding) while less scripted tasks, during which children build on previous experiences instead of communicated science content, stimulates child–child interaction (mutual collaboration). In scaffolding interactions, a greater emphasis is placed on the science topic of the task due to guidance from the adult. Consequently, meanings made by children in more scripted tasks are more likely to be “scientifically correct”. However, if the teacher or the adult steps back and allows the children to engage in mutual collaboration, they engage in multiple ways of doing science through evaluating, observing, describing and comparing. Overall, the research reported in this thesis suggests that task contexts and materials have a great impact on children’s meaning making and how science is done. Den här avhandlingen utforskar förskolebarns meningsskapandeprocesser kring evolution. Tre gruppbaserade aktiviteter har designats. Videodata har analyserats utifrån ett multimodalt perspektiv på kommunikation. Analysen fokuserar på hur kommunicerade naturvetenskapliga beskrivningar av evolution påverkar aktiviteternas naturvetenskapliga fokus, materials funktion som semiotiska resurser och påverkan på meningsskapande och interaktiva aspekter av att göra naturvetenskap. Avhandlingens resultat visar att barnen, genom att använda material och sina tidigare erfarenheter, för olika resonemang kring varför djur utvecklas och blir olika. Genomgående har barnens syn på världen en betydande roll för meningsskapandeprocessen. Det betyder att barnen, förutom att fokusera på det naturvetenskapliga innehållet i aktiviteterna, också lägger stor vikt vid andra aspekter som är viktiga för dem. Det barncentrerade perspektivet förslås vara en styrka som möjliggör för barn att delta i och engageras av naturvetenskapliga aktiviteter. De material som barnen har tillgång till de i de olika aktiviteterna har tre funktioner. Barnen använder material som meningsgivande resurser, vilket betyder att barnen använder materialens meningspotential. Denna process påverkas av barnens tidigare erfarenheter. Vidare används materialen som kommunikativa- och argumentativa redskap i interaktion med andra. Tillgången till material påverkar således barnens meningsskapande och möjliggör att de kan diskutera evolution påverkar barnens naturvetenskapliga handlande. Avhandlingens resultat visar på en nära relation mellan uppgifters kontext och interaktion. Mer styrda aktiviteter medför mer interaktion mellan barn och vuxna (scaffolding). Mindre styrda aktiviteter, där barnen bygger på sina tidigare erfarenheter, stimulerar istället interaktion mellan barnen (mutual collaboration). Som ett resultat av den vuxnes agerande, läggs det större vikt vid det naturvetenskapliga innehållet (evolution) i scaffolding-interaktioner. Följaktligen är de meningar som skapas i mer styrda aktiviteter mer i linje med naturvetenskapliga förklaringar till evolution. Samtidigt finns det ett samband mellan att den vuxne kliver åt sidan och att barnen kliver fram och gör naturvetenskapliga handlingar som att utvärdera, observera, beskriva och jämföra. Sammanfattningsvis visar den här avhandlingen att uppgifters kontext och material har stor påverkan på barns meningsskapande och hur de gör naturvetenskap.

Travelling through time

Author : Jörgen Stenlund
Publisher : Linköping University Electronic Press
ISBN 13 : 9176851214
Total Pages : 89 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (768 download)

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Book Synopsis Travelling through time by : Jörgen Stenlund

Download or read book Travelling through time written by Jörgen Stenlund and published by Linköping University Electronic Press. This book was released on 2019-05-20 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evolutionary knowledge is important to understand and address contemporary challenges such as loss of biodiversity, climate change and antibiotic resistance. An important aspect that is considered to be a threshold concept in teaching and learning about evolution is the time it involves. The history of evolution comprises several scales of magnitude, some of which are far from direct human experience and therefore difficult to understand. One way of addressing this issue is to use dynamic visualizations that represent time, for example, to facilitate teaching and learning about evolution. This thesis investigates how students’ comprehension of evolution and evolutionary time can be facilitated by visualizations in educational settings. Two different dynamic visualizations were investigated. In paper I different temporal versions of a spatio-temporal animation depicting hominin evolution were explored. The temporal information was expressed as one or several timelines along which an animated cursor moved, indicating the rate of time. Two variables, the number of timelines with different scales, and the mode of the default animated time rate (either constant throughout the animation or decreasing as the animation progressed), were combined to give four different time representations. The temporal aspects investigated were undergraduate students' ability to find events at specific times, comprehend order, comprehend concurrent events, comprehend the length of time intervals, and their ability to compare the lengths of time intervals. In paper II, perceptions and comprehension of temporal aspects in an interactive, multi-touch tabletop application, DeepTree, were investigated. This application depicts the tree of life. The focus was on the interactive aspects, especially how the zooming feature was perceived, but also on any misinterpretations associated with the interaction. The same temporal aspects listed for paper I were also implicitly investigated. The findings indicate that handling the problem of large differences in scale by altering the rate of time in the visualization can facilitate perception of certain temporal aspects while, at the same time, can hinder a correct comprehension of other temporal aspects. Findings concerning DeepTree indicate that the level of interactions varies among users, and that the zooming feature is perceived in two ways, either as a movement in time or as a movement in the metaphorical tree. Several misinterpretations were observed, for example the assumption that the zooming time in the tree corresponds to real time, that there is an implicit coherent timeline along the y-axis of the tree, and that more nodes along a branch corresponds to a longer time. The research reported in this thesis supports the claim that careful choice, and informed use of visualizations matters, and that different visualizations are best suited for different educational purposes För att kunna förstå och ta ställning till utmaningar i form av exempelvis klimatförändringar, förlust av biodiversitet och antibiotikaresistens krävs kunskap om evolution. För att förstå evolution är det i sin tur viktigt att inse betydelsen av de tidsskalor som evolutionära processer omfattar. Detta utgör inte sällan ett problem vid undervisning om evolution eftersom det rör sig om tidsskalor som sträcker sig långt bortom vad vi själva kan erfara. Tidsskalor ingår i en grupp av begrepp som kallas tröskelbegrepp. Tröskelbegrepp utmärks av att de är svåra att ta till sig, men när väl förståelse uppnås så innebär det en radikal och permanent förändring av hur ett ämnesinnehåll, exempelvis evolution, betraktas. Av den anledningen är de också ”enkelriktade” i meningen att den nya förståelsen är bestående Ett sätt att bemöta problemen med att förstå tidsskalor av varierande storlekar är att använda dynamiska visualiseringar. Denna avhandling handlar just om hur elevers förståelse av evolution med avseende på tiden kan underlättas genom visualiseringar i undervisning. Avhandlingen baseras på två studier som var och en belyser evolutionär tid på olika sätt beträffande såväl innehåll som form. I den första studien undersöktes hur olika varianter av en tidsrepresentation i form av animerade tidslinjer påverkade 144 studenters förståelse av olika tidsaspekter. Representationen av tid hade två variabler, nämligen antal tidslinjer (en tidslinje respektive 3 tidslinjer med olika skalor) och hastighet för animationen av tidsförloppet (konstant hastighet respektive avtagande hastighet när animationen närmade sig nutid). De två variablerna kombinerades för att ge fyra olika varianter av tidsrepresentation. I studien jämfördes varianterna genom att undersöka studenters förmåga kring olika tidsaspekter; hitta händelser vid specifika tider, uppfatta ordning på händelser, uppfatta samtidiga händelser, uppfatta längden på ett tidsintervall och jämföra längden av två tidsintervall. I den andra studien undersöktes uppfattningar och förståelse av tidsmässiga aspekter hos 10 gymnasieelever med utgångspunkt från det interaktiva multi-touch-bordet ”DeepTree”. Det är en interaktiv visualisering av livets träd, det vill säga de fylogenetiska sambanden mellan organismer på jorden. I denna studie fokuserades de interaktiva aspekterna av visualiseringen, särskilt kring hur zoomfunktionen uppfattades av elever men också vilka missuppfattningar som var kopplade till interaktioner. Även tidsaspekterna från den första studien undersöktes. Resultaten från den första studien visar att det under vissa omständigheter kan vara en fördel att variera det animerade tidsflödet, till exempel genom att hastigheten på tidsflödet i animationen avtar under en speciellt händelserik period som behöver granskas noggrannare. Under andra omständigheter kan det däremot vara olämpligt att variera hastigheten för den animerade tiden eftersom det försvårar bedömningen av storleken på, och jämförelsen av, tidsintervall. Det är alltså viktigt att lärare är medvetna om vilken, eller vilka, tidsaspekter som är centrala i den specifika lärandesituationen. Resultaten från den andra studien visar två olika sätt att uppfatta zoomfunktionen när den används i applikationen DeepTree; antingen som en rörelse i tid eller som en rörelse i det metaforiska trädet. Flera missuppfattningar av interaktionen observerades hos eleverna. Till exempel tolkade en del elever den tid det tog att zooma i trädet som att det motsvarade hur lång tid som förflöt mellan olika evolutionära händelser. Ett antal elever verkade anta att det finns en implicit linjär tidslinje längs y-axeln på trädet, och att ju fler grendelningar som fanns längs en gren desto längre tid motsvarade grenen. Generellt är de flesta tidsaspekter svåra att uppfatta för användare av DeepTree. Evolutionära träd av denna typ är dock främst gjorda för att illustrera släktskapsförhållanden, men de tidsmässiga aspekterna skulle kunna förbättras. Applikationer av den typ som DeepTree utgör har potential att erbjuda goda möjligheter till lärande även beträffande evolutionär tid men hänsyn behöver då tas just till hur tidsaspekter beskrivs.

Coteaching chemical bonding with Upper secondary senior students

Author : Felix Schultze
Publisher : Linköping University Electronic Press
ISBN 13 : 9176852113
Total Pages : 115 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (768 download)

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Book Synopsis Coteaching chemical bonding with Upper secondary senior students by : Felix Schultze

Download or read book Coteaching chemical bonding with Upper secondary senior students written by Felix Schultze and published by Linköping University Electronic Press. This book was released on 2018-11-22 with total page 115 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The aim of this study was to investigate how an experienced chemistry teacher gains and refines her pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) by cooperating with two grade 12 students (age 18) as coteachers while teaching chemical bonding in a grade 10 Upper secondary class. The study has been conducted from a sociocultural perspective, especially Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development (ZPD) (Vygotsky, 1978). Other theoretical concepts and models that has framed this study are Shulman´s Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and Pedagogical reasoning and action model (Shulman, 1986, 1987). When analysing the data, Magnusson, Krajcik, and Borko´s (1999) model of PCK and the 2017 Refined consensus model of PCK (Carlson, Daehler, et al., in press) was used. Empirical data was collected by video- and audio recorded lessons, coreflection sessions, coplanning sessions and interviews. During 10 weeks, about 28 hours of video and audio recordings was collected. Selected parts of the material were transcribed and analysed in order to answer two questions: (1) How can chemistry teachers refine their PCK when coteaching together with senior students in an Upper secondary science class? (2) How do Upper secondary senior student coteachers´ conceptual knowledge of representations and chemical bonding shape a teacher’s foundation of personal PCK (pPCK) when teaching chemical bonding in an Upper secondary science class? The results relating to research question one indicates that the coteachers contributed with their own learning experiences to help the teacher understand how students perceive difficult concepts. The coteachers were mediating between the teacher and the students, thus bridging the gap between the teacher and the students’ frames of references. The experienced chemistry teacher improved her understanding of students´ thinking about themselves as learners of chemical bonding. Regarding the second research question, the findings showed that the creative process of reconstructing concepts of chemical bonding in the coplanning sessions meant that these were a useful tool for developing new teaching strategies and to further develop representations such as drama to illustrate chemical bonding. Together, the teacher and student coteachers, constructed a new representation that better illustrated polar covalent bonding. Taken together, these results provide important insights into how the chemistry teacher´s pPCK was refined and how the coteachers contributed to improve instructional strategies.

Time, Progress, Growth and Technology

Author : Filipe Duarte Santos
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3030553345
Total Pages : 720 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (35 download)

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Book Synopsis Time, Progress, Growth and Technology by : Filipe Duarte Santos

Download or read book Time, Progress, Growth and Technology written by Filipe Duarte Santos and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-09-18 with total page 720 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses the current challenges of sustainable development, including its social, economic and environmental components. The author argues that we need to develop a new concept of time based on inter-generational solidarity, which focuses both on the long- and the short term. The evolution of man's notions of time are analyzed from prehistory to modern times, showing how these concepts shape our worldviews, our ecological paradigms and our equilibrium with our planet. Practical approaches to dealing with the major medium- and long term sustainability challenges of the 21st century are presented and discussed. This is a thought provoking and timely book that addresses the main global socioeconomic and environmental challenges facing the current and future generations, using science-based analysis and perspectives. It presents an historical narrative of the advent of progress, economic growth and technology, and discusses the structural changes needed to co-create sustainable pathways. It provides hope for our future on Earth, mankind’s common home. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations This is an amazing, almost mind-boggling book. The author takes a look at the true whole, i.e., the development of the human enterprise since its very beginning. This enterprise is evidently a possibility under the boundary conditions of cosmological dynamics and natural evolution, but evidently also a highly improbable one. It is all but a miracle that the Earth system in its present form exists and happens to support a technical civilization. Will this civilization last long, will it transform itself into something even more exceptional, or will it perish in disgrace? Santos dares to address these grandest of all questions, equipped with a unique transdisciplinary wisdom drawing on physics, cybernetics, geology, biology, economics, anthropology, history, and philosophy. And he dares to dive into the deepest abysses of thinking, where categorial monsters like time and progress lurk. Thereby, he takes us on fascinating journey, during which we perceive and grasp things we have never seen and understood before. One of the best essays I have ever read. John Schellnhuber, founding director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and former chair of the German Advisory Council on Global Change

Microbial Evolution

Author : Howard Ochman
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781621820376
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (23 download)

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Book Synopsis Microbial Evolution by : Howard Ochman

Download or read book Microbial Evolution written by Howard Ochman and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bacteria have been the dominant forms of life on Earth for the past 3.5 billion years. They rapidly evolve, constantly changing their genetic architecture through horizontal DNA transfer and other mechanisms. Consequently, it can be difficult to define individual species and determine how they are related. Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology examines how bacteria and other microbes evolve, focusing on insights from genomics-based studies. Contributors discuss the origins of new microbial populations, the evolutionary and ecological mechanisms that keep species separate once they have diverged, and the challenges of constructing phylogenetic trees that accurately reflect their relationships. They describe the organization of microbial genomes, the various mutations that occur, including the birth of new genes de novo and by duplication, and how natural selection acts on those changes. The role of horizontal gene transfer as a strong driver of microbial evolution is emphasized throughout. The authors also explore the geologic evidence for early microbial evolution and describe the use of microbial evolution experiments to examine phenomena like natural selection. This volume will thus be essential reading for all microbial ecologists, population geneticists, and evolutionary biologists.

Evolution

Author : Brian Charlesworth
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0198804369
Total Pages : 169 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (988 download)

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Book Synopsis Evolution by : Brian Charlesworth

Download or read book Evolution written by Brian Charlesworth and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text is about the central role of evolution in shaping the nature and diversity of the living world. It describes the processes of natural selection, how adaptations arise, and how new species form, as well as summarizing the evidence for evolution

Socio-scientific Issues in the Classroom

Author : Troy D. Sadler
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 940071159X
Total Pages : 376 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis Socio-scientific Issues in the Classroom by : Troy D. Sadler

Download or read book Socio-scientific Issues in the Classroom written by Troy D. Sadler and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-05-11 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Socio-scientific issues (SSI) are open-ended, multifaceted social issues with conceptual links to science. They are challenging to negotiate and resolve, and they create ideal contexts for bridging school science and the lived experience of students. This book presents the latest findings from the innovative practice and systematic investigation of science education in the context of socio-scientific issues. Socio-scientific Issues in the Classroom: Teaching, Learning and Research focuses on how SSI can be productively incorporated into science classrooms and what SSI-based education can accomplish regarding student learning, practices and interest. It covers numerous topics that address key themes for contemporary science education including scientific literacy, goals for science teaching and learning, situated learning as a theoretical perspective for science education, and science for citizenship. It presents a wide range of classroom-based research projects that offer new insights for SSI-based education. Authored by leading researchers from eight countries across four continents, this book is an important compendium of syntheses and insights for veteran researchers, teachers and curriculum designers eager to advance the SSI agenda.

The Resistance Phenomenon in Microbes and Infectious Disease Vectors

Author : Institute of Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309168309
Total Pages : 333 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis The Resistance Phenomenon in Microbes and Infectious Disease Vectors by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book The Resistance Phenomenon in Microbes and Infectious Disease Vectors written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2003-03-26 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The resistance topic is timely given current events. The emergence of mysterious new diseases, such as SARS, and the looming threat of bioterrorist attacks remind us of how vulnerable we can be to infectious agents. With advances in medical technologies, we have tamed many former microbial foes, yet with few new antimicrobial agents and vaccines in the pipeline, and rapidly increasing drug resistance among infectious microbes, we teeter on the brink of loosing the upperhand in our ongoing struggle against these foes, old and new. The Resistance Phenomenon in Microbes and Infectious Disease Vectors examines our understanding of the relationships among microbes, disease vectors, and human hosts, and explores possible new strategies for meeting the challenge of resistance.

Tools, Techniques, and Strategies for Teaching in a Real-World Context With Microbiology

Author : Davida Smyth
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
ISBN 13 : 2889717607
Total Pages : 255 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (897 download)

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Book Synopsis Tools, Techniques, and Strategies for Teaching in a Real-World Context With Microbiology by : Davida Smyth

Download or read book Tools, Techniques, and Strategies for Teaching in a Real-World Context With Microbiology written by Davida Smyth and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2021-12-02 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Recent Advances in Science and Technology Education, Ranging from Modern Pedagogies to Neuroeducation and Assessment

Author : Zacharoula Smyrnaiou
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1443890081
Total Pages : 390 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (438 download)

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Book Synopsis Recent Advances in Science and Technology Education, Ranging from Modern Pedagogies to Neuroeducation and Assessment by : Zacharoula Smyrnaiou

Download or read book Recent Advances in Science and Technology Education, Ranging from Modern Pedagogies to Neuroeducation and Assessment written by Zacharoula Smyrnaiou and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2016-03-08 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science and technology education research, influenced by inquiry-based thinking, not only concentrates on the teaching of scientific concepts and addressing any misconceptions that learners may hold, but also emphasizes the ways in which students learn, and seeks avenues to achieve better learning through creativity. New developments in science and technology education rely on a wide variety of methods, borrowed from various fields of science, such as computer science, cognitive science, sociology and neurosciences. This book presents papers from the first international conference on “New Developments in Science and Technology Education” that was structured around seven main thematic axes: namely modern pedagogies in science and technology education; new technologies in science and technology education; assessment in science and technology education; teaching and learning in the light of inquiry learning methods; neuroscience and science education; conceptual understanding and conceptual change in science; and interest, attitude and motivation in science. It explores the beneficial impact of pedagogically updated practices and approaches in the teaching of science concepts, and elaborates on future challenges and emerging issues that concern science and technology education. By pointing out new research directions, the volume will inform educational practices and bridge the gap between research and practice, providing new information, ideas and perspectives. It will also promote discussions and networking among scientists and stakeholders from worldwide scientific fields, such as researchers, professors, students, and companies developing educational software.

Conceptual Profiles

Author : Eduardo F. Mortimer
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9048192463
Total Pages : 330 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (481 download)

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Book Synopsis Conceptual Profiles by : Eduardo F. Mortimer

Download or read book Conceptual Profiles written by Eduardo F. Mortimer and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2014-02-07 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The language of science has many words and phrases whose meaning either changes in differing contexts or alters to reflect developments in a given discipline. This book presents the authors’ theories on using ‘conceptual profiles’ to make the teaching of context-dependent meanings more effective. Developed over two decades, their theory begins with a recognition of the coexistence in the students’ discourse of those alternative meanings, even in the case of scientific concepts such as molecule, where the dissonance between the classical and modern views of the same phenomenon is an accepted norm. What began as an alternative model of conceptual change has evolved to incorporate a sociocultural approach, by drawing on ideas such as situated cognition and Vygotsky’s influential concept of culturally located learning. Also informed by pragmatist philosophy, the approach has grown into a well-rounded theory of teaching and learning scientific concepts. The authors have taken the opportunity in this book to develop their ideas further, anticipate and respond to criticisms—that of relativism, for example—and explain how their theory can be applied to analyze the teaching of core concepts in science such as heat and temperature, life and biological adaptation. They also report on the implementation of a research program that correlates the responsiveness of their methodology to all the main developments in the field of science education. This additional material will inform academic discussion, review, and further enhancement of their theory and research model.

Evolution in Health and Disease

Author : Stephen C. Stearns
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780199207459
Total Pages : 398 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis Evolution in Health and Disease by : Stephen C. Stearns

Download or read book Evolution in Health and Disease written by Stephen C. Stearns and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work explores and analyses the ways in which our ancient genes contend with, and influence, modern human life. It offers coverage of the points of contact between evolutionary biology and medical science.

Why Evolution is True

Author : Jerry A. Coyne
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 019164384X
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (916 download)

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Book Synopsis Why Evolution is True by : Jerry A. Coyne

Download or read book Why Evolution is True written by Jerry A. Coyne and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2010-01-14 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For all the discussion in the media about creationism and 'Intelligent Design', virtually nothing has been said about the evidence in question - the evidence for evolution by natural selection. Yet, as this succinct and important book shows, that evidence is vast, varied, and magnificent, and drawn from many disparate fields of science. The very latest research is uncovering a stream of evidence revealing evolution in action - from the actual observation of a species splitting into two, to new fossil discoveries, to the deciphering of the evidence stored in our genome. Why Evolution is True weaves together the many threads of modern work in genetics, palaeontology, geology, molecular biology, anatomy, and development to demonstrate the 'indelible stamp' of the processes first proposed by Darwin. It is a crisp, lucid, and accessible statement that will leave no one with an open mind in any doubt about the truth of evolution.

The Role of Moral Reasoning on Socioscientific Issues and Discourse in Science Education

Author : Dana L. Zeidler
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 140204996X
Total Pages : 311 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis The Role of Moral Reasoning on Socioscientific Issues and Discourse in Science Education by : Dana L. Zeidler

Download or read book The Role of Moral Reasoning on Socioscientific Issues and Discourse in Science Education written by Dana L. Zeidler and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-04-29 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book to address moral reasoning and socioscientific discourse. It provides a theoretical framework to reconsider what a "functional view" of scientific literacy entails, by examining how nature of science issues, classroom discourse issues, cultural issues, and science-technology-society-environment case-based issues contribute to habits of mind about socioscientific content. The text covers philosophical, psychological and pedagogical considerations underpinning moral reasoning, as well as the status of socioscientific issues in science education.

Crossing the threshold

Author : Andreas C. Göransson
Publisher : Linköping University Electronic Press
ISBN 13 : 9179297072
Total Pages : 127 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (792 download)

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Book Synopsis Crossing the threshold by : Andreas C. Göransson

Download or read book Crossing the threshold written by Andreas C. Göransson and published by Linköping University Electronic Press. This book was released on 2021-02-18 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The theory of evolution is considered the unifying theory of biology. An accurate understanding of evolution is vital both for the understanding of diverse topics in biology, but also for societal issues such as antibiotic resistance or biodiversity. In contrast, decades of research in science education have revealed that students have difficulties to accurately understand evolutionary processes such as mutation and natural selection. The majority of this research relies on a conceptual framework of so-called key concepts (variation, selection, inheritance), derived from scholarly descriptions of natural selection. Recent research suggests that non-domain specific concepts such as randomness, probability, spatial and temporal scales, so called threshold concepts, are important for evolution understanding in addition to the key concepts. Thus, many important elements of evolutionary theory are counter-intuitive or lie outside direct perception. Hence, representations such as visualizations, models and simulations are considered to be important for teaching and learning evolution. While the importance of visualizations is generally acknowledged for science education, less is known about how visual design can facilitate students understanding of threshold concepts, such as random mutations or spatial scales. This thesis uses the Model of Educational Reconstruction (MER) as the guiding framework for exploring the significance of threshold concepts by analysing the conceptual content of students’ explanations and extant visualizations of natural selection. MER combines scientific content with teaching and learning perspectives for the analysis and design of learning environments. Content analysis of visualizations available online showed that most fail to fully represent the basic principles of natural selection (variation, selection and inheritance). Moreover, the representational potential of visualizations was seldom used to represent threshold concepts such as randomness in origin of variation. Visualizations were also biased to animals as the context of evolution. Similarly, upper-secondary and tertiary students’ explanations of natural selection were seldom complete in terms of the basic principles and threshold concepts such as randomness were often lacking. Especially significant was the almost complete lack of randomness in upper-secondary students’ explanations. In addition, threshold concepts were context-sensitive across the items used (bacteria, cheetah and salamander), for example spatial scale and randomness was significantly more common in responses to the bacteria item compared to the cheetah and salamander items. Considering the results from these studies, three interactive visualizations were developed (evolution of antibiotic resistance and fur colouration in mice). The visualization design was conducted iteratively following a Design-Based Research approach and evaluated in classroom settings in secondary and upper-secondary Swedish schools. The results showed that visualizations targeting randomness and genetic level events such as mutations can guide students towards a more scientific conception of natural selection. However, there were differences across the visualizations and student samples. In addition, while students often inferred randomness from the visuals, the results showed that integration of randomness into explanations of natural selection may be challenging. Hence, future research should explore the role of guidance and reflection for students understanding of randomness. The thesis also discusses the role of students’ intuitive conceptions in relation to the use of interactive visualizations and how these preconceptions interact with the presented message. By using the theory of frame semantics, framing effects and conceptual integration, students’ issues of achieving an accurate understanding of evolution are discussed in relation to the theory of conceptual change. Implications for teaching and learning natural selection as well as visualization design for learning are also discussed. Evolutionsteorin förs ofta fram som biologins förenande teori. Vikten av en korrekt och användbar evolutionsförståelse har därför ofta betonats, inte minst för elevers förståelse inom biologins olika delområden men också för att fatta beslut i samhällsfrågor som exempelvis antibiotikaresistens. Många av de centrala delarna av evolutionsteorin är kontraintuitiva eller abstrakta och decennier av forskning har visat att elever har svårigheter att förstå evolutionära processer som mutation och naturligt urval. Representationer såsom visualiseringar, modeller och simuleringar är därför viktiga för att ge elever direkta erfarenheter av evolutionära processer. Även om vikten av visualiseringar är allmänt accepterad inom naturvetenskapsundervisning så är det mindre känt hur visualiseringars utformning specifikt bidrar till att utveckla elevers förståelse av vetenskapliga fenomen såsom evolution. Dessutom har forskningen på elevers evolutionsförståelse till stor del fokuserat på så kallade nyckelbegrepp (variation, selektion och arv) som härletts från vetenskapliga beskrivningar av evolutionsteorin. Dessa begrepp antas vara nödvändiga men också tillräckliga för elevers evolutionsförståelse. Dock har vikten av icke domänspecifika begrepp kopplade till evolutionsteorin, såsom slump, sannolikhet, spatial och temporala skalor (så kallade tröskelbegrepp), inte undersökts i någon högre grad. Den här avhandlingen använder Model of Educational Reconstruction för att utforska betydelsen av tröskelbegrepp för evolutionsförståelse. Med utgångspunkt i den vetenskapliga beskrivningen och historiken undersöks förekomsten av tröskelbegrepp i befintliga visualiseringar för lärande samt elevers förklaringar för att formulera designprinciper för interaktiva visualiseringar av evolution. Dessutom beskrivs utvecklingen av ett antal interaktiva visualiseringar samt undersökningar av deras potentiella användning i klassrumsmiljöer. Avhandlingen diskuterar även betydelsen av elevers intuitiva föreställningar i relation till användandet av interaktiva visualiseringar och hur dessa föreställningar interagerar med det presenterade budskapet. Genom användning av ramsemantisk teori inklusive ”framingeffekter” och ”blendteori” diskuteras elevers svårigheter och utveckling av en vetenskaplig evolutionsförståelse i relation till tidigare teorier om begreppsförändring. Konsekvenser av ”ramsemantisk teori” och ”framingeffekter” i visuella medier diskuteras även i relation till visuell design för lärande.