SCOM 5056 Design Theory in Science Communication week 2: the science content Dave Goforth FA377...

SCOM 5056Design Theory

inScience Communication

week 2: the science content

Dave GoforthFA377 (Fraser)

705-675-1151 ext 2316 dgoforth@cs. laurentian.ca

SCOM 5056 week 2, D. Goforth

Armadillo Results


My armadillo best


Armadillo Run - user

• Fun or work? Why?

• Ease of use? Casual games

• Learning and improved performance?


Armadillo Run - designer

• Is this a design experience?• Where does it ‘break’? (it’s not CAD)


Science CommunicationDesign Process

1. Goals, objectives, constraints

2. Audience, context

3. Knowledge

4. Experience

5. Artifact

e.g., Museum of Science, Boston:

http://www.mos.org/exhibitdevelopment/index.html

mailto:[email protected]






Purpose: Gregory and Miller• Appreciate science

• Understand science

• Understand how science works

What is science communication for each?


Science CommunicationDesign Process

1. Goals, objectives, constraints

2. Audience, context

3. Knowledge

4. Experience

5. Artifact


Models of scientific knowledge

• Toulmin – formal argument

• Kuhn

• Giere

• Reigeluth


Formal Science

“Understanding of nature (…) open to public criticism” – Toulmin

Aim of argumentation is consensus– Issues are “at the edge”

• Phenomena need explaining, anomalies

– Apply, extend, constrain, revise, replace existing ideas

Basic Standard (Applied) Research(Issues)


kinds of issues in science

1. what (kinds of) things are there?

2. how are they composed?

-> how do they function?

1. how do they come to be so composed?

2. what are their functions?


system theory


science explanations

Toulmin’s categories• what (kinds of) things are there?

1. how are they composed? -> how do they function?




science explanation examples1. what (kinds of) things are there?




exhaust fan

big bang

glacier

fluorine

Canadarm

transfat

oil spill

bird migration

tar sands

lung

GMOs

photosynthesis


Formal Science

Why is this model important?

• academic science communication

• format of much (educational) sci comm

• source of some / most of science communicator’s information

• focus on kinds of explanation/argument


Communicating science

• Education model:

• Science communication model

elementary secondary undergraduate graduate

Basic Standard (Applied) Research(Issues)


Real ScienceThomas Kuhn, 1962 “Structure of Scientific

Revolutions”• normal science• scientific revolutions and paradigm shift

How science really works: – personalities, money,

policy, serendipity,trial and errorand human intuition


The Cognitive Structure of Scientific Theories

• Models in cognitive science

attempt to match

mental structures

good models for learning?


Giere – “model-theoretic” viewVertical hierarchy of concepts by abstraction

Horizontal distribution as central/peripheral

superordinate

subordinate

basic

central peripheralperipheral


Concept analysis

Examples from Giere

• Colours

• Birds

• Mother

• Shapes

• Weapons

• Vehicles

• Pendulums


Giere – “model-theoretic” viewClaim: Central and basic conceptsare historical starting points for scientific exploration

Science communication:

Are these also good starting points for learning,

i.e., closest to current understanding of audience?

Science communication:

Are these also good starting points for learning,

i.e., closest to current understanding of audience?


An example: cloud types

• what explanation

category?• what type

is central/basic?• peripheral types?• superordinate /

subordinate

concepts?

remember the heuristics…









High clouds These are usually composed solely of ice crystals and have a base between 18,000 and 45,000 feet (5,500 and 14,000 metres).Cirrus - white filamentsCirrocumulus - small rippled elementsCirrostratus - transparent sheet, often with a halo

Medium clouds These are usually composed of water droplets and ice crystals, and have a base between 6,500 and 23,000 feet (2,000 and 7,000 metres).Altocumulus - layered, rippled elements, generally white with some shadingAltostratus - thin layer, grey, allows sun to appear as if through ground glassNimbostratus - thick layer, low base, dark, rain or snow may fall from it

Low clouds These are usually composed of water droplets, though cumulonimbus clouds include ice crystals, and have a base below 6,500 feet (2,000 metres).Stratocumulus - layered, series of rounded rolls, generally white with some shadingStratus - layered, uniform base, greyCumulus - individual cells, vertical rolls or towers, flat baseCumulonimbus - large cauliflower-shaped towers, often 'anvil tops' sometimes giving thunderstorms, or showers of rain or snow

Most of the main cloud types are often subdivided further on the basis of their shape, structure and degree of transparency.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/clouds2.shtml


Cloud types - first design

cloud type

cumulus stratuscirrus

altostratus, cumulonimbus, stratocumulus,…?


Cloud types - extendingtype

high low medium

cirro-cumulus

cumulus stratus alto-cumulus

strato-cumuluscirrus


Science for Learning - Reigeluth

This is instructional design• How does it match or mismatch

with design for free choice

science communication

in terms of

1. Audience,

2. Context, and

3. Goals?


Elaboration theory

Scope and sequence

• Deciding scope (content) in a free choice science communication context:– Like training?– Like education?– Distinct how?


Elaboration theory

Scope and sequence• Sequence is dependent on knowledge

structure• Many sequences (and other presentation

formats) are possible from any structureComment: Scope and structure are

knowledge design; sequence is part of artifact design. So, focus on structures of elaboration theory


Elaboration theory

Knowledge structures:

Conceptual structure – “inclusivity relationships” like Giere’s (Fig. 18.3)

- also applies to principles

Causal model – how principles relate to each other in systems to describe phenomena (Fig. 18.2)

Feel free to explore, create your own structures


Elaboration theory

“Simplifying Conditions Method” (SCM)

is one approach to design of presentation based on the knowledge structure.

Epitome plus elaboration

“How to design an SCM sequence” contains useful ideas for all presentation/experience design


An example: Rubik’s cube

• Can you design communication in a domain where you are not an expert?

• “Model-theoretic” structure

of the knowledge

Rubik’s cube presentation

http://www.mos.org/exhibitdevelopment/index.html


Organizing Structure of knowledge

Some possible organizing forms

• Procedural

• Systemic (part-of, type-of, instance-of)

• Theoretical (principles, laws, theories)

• Tabular, taxonomic

• Historic model-theoretic


Why design the knowledge?

• where to start? what does audience already understand?

• is everything included so audience can follow development and understand?

• explicit knowledge model is basis for design of presentations


Designing scientific knowledge

• context -> audience, goal

-> kind of understanding• heuristics for approaching the problem• formal science -> kind of explanation• model-theoretic -> central/basic or epitome

-> organization of knowledge

• elaboration theory


ExampleHow a fish extracts oxygen

from its environment

Audience / Context

What to include

Kind of organizing structure

Model-theoretic categories

What to include:Toulmin, p 231

• Kinds of things

• Composition, behaviour of things

• “Come to be” – causality, process

• Function of things

Hierarchical

Central-peripheral

Organizing forms

Procedural

Systemic (part-of, type-of, instance-of)

Theoretical (principles, laws, theories)

Tabular, taxonomic

Historic model-theoretic

SCOM 5056 Design Theory in Science Communication week 2: the science content Dave Goforth FA377...

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