Computer-supported collaborative argumentation in undergraduate chemistry teaching

• Grant number: 13/10610-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: March 01, 2014 - February 29, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Education - Specific topics in Education
• Principal Investigator: Salete Linhares Queiroz
• Grantee: Salete Linhares Queiroz
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Recently, various authors have called attention to the significance of argumentation to science education. Unfortunately, opportunities are rare in typical classrooms for students to engage in scientific argumentation. It is therefore not surprising that a great deal of research has been devoted to the development of new curricula, instructional practices, and technology-enhanced learning environments that can be used to promote scientific argumentation. Over the past ten years several computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments have been developed to support students engaging with one another in scientific collaborative argumentation (WISE, KIE, BELVEDERE etc). In this context, many researchers suggest that students should work in collaborative groups when they engage in argumentation. These researchers indicate that opportunities to collaborate with others can lead to more productive argumentation. Our goal in this research is to study and analyze didactic activities that involve undergraduate chemistry students collaboratively working on authentic discussion tasks (socio-scientific case studies) in an CSCL system called EDUQUI.INFO. To analyze the arguments given by the students, we will use the Rainbow framework (Baker et al., 2007) and the framework proposed by Clark and Sampson (2008). Baker, M. et al. Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, v. 2, p. 315-357, 2007. CLARK, D. B.; SAMPSON, V. D. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, v. 45, n. 3, p. 293-321, 2008. (AU)