Assessing Students' Scientific Literacy in Collaborative Science Fiction Writing

• In Event: Poster Session 3
  In Poster Session: Scientific Practices and the Learning of Science

Abstract

In seeking to measure scientific literacy, the study examined how students integrated science ideas into collaborative science fiction writing. In a pilot implementation, sixteen middle school students enrolled in an afterschool program where they worked in small groups to create multimedia science fictions. Each team member took a different role of scientist, artist, engineer, or writer. Students’ final products were examined for four aspects: modality use, sources of science knowledge, scientific explanation, and integration between science ideas and stories. We found that students used various representational modes (e.g., equation and animation) to explain science ideas that gained from different sources (e.g., the Internet). In addition, the stories showed different levels of scientific explanation and integration between science ideas and stories.

Authors

• Shiyan Jiang, University of Miami

• Ji Shen, University of Miami

• Blaine Elizabeth Smith, University of Miami