EDCI 771: Theory and Research in Science Education. 

Wednesdays 12:00 - 2:50 PM, 3122 Jiminez Hall

Instructor:  David Hammer
Offices:  1310 Physics and 2226 Benjamin.  Contact:  301 405-8188; davidham@umd.edu
Office hours:  Oh, before class (I’ll be at the coop); after class, or make an appointment…

Science education research has focused extensive attention on barriers and limitations to learning, and notions of misconceptions and developmental constraints have wide acceptance in the general community.  This seminar is about evidence for and models of students’ productive resources.  What do they know that’s useful; what are the starting points for expert understanding? What sorts of reasoning can they do that’s the beginnings of scientific inquiry?  We’ll talk both about phenomenology (what we see happening) and about ontology (models of cognitive structure and dynamics).  There will be weekly readings (including fairly technical articles), lots of discussion and debate, and independent investigations of learners' knowledge and reasoning. 

Requirements:  Reading, attendance and participation in the seminar, and a course project.

Grading:  There’s no getting around it, and I won’t try—grading is subjective.  It’s the same with reviewing papers for publication, or grant proposals, or hiring and promotion:  We use professional judgment, and that’s what will happen here too.  I’ll base my judgment on your written work and participation during the seminar. 

Special accommodations:  If at any time you feel that it would be more beneficial to your education to do something differently in the course, please say something!  This, of course, includes appropriate accommodations for disabilities as well as religious holidays.

Course wiki and files:  Go to courses.umd.edu and log in.  As last year in 788, that's going to be the main way I distribute readings for the course and our main place outside of class for communication.  There won’t be a textbook.