The Science In The City research group is a research group within Stanford University's Graduate School of Education. The SIC group focuses on improving science teaching and learning for urban school contexts. In urban science classrooms, a unique mixture of socioeconomic, racial, and pedagogical challenges shape students' opportunities to excel in science. As a research group, we partner with schools and non-profit organizations to study best practices in urban science education. We also look to develop and assess innovative practices to improve urban science teaching. The clip below provides a brief overview of the activities of our 2013 Science in The City summer camp.

Science In The City Summer Camp

 

Does complex science language stress students?

Over the past several years, we conducted research about how science language can both limit and enhance science learning. The root of those studies was a vision of language that recognizes that there are two parts of language communication. First, the words people use send a message rooted in content. We simply say things in the hopes that others will understand our words. Second, the words we use send a message about “whom” we are and whom we want people to know us as. Conversely, listeners determine who they think people are based on the types discourse they use. This very read language-culture interaction is what we have referred to as Discursive Identity in the past. The big idea is that language matters. It matters in two very specific ways. First, it determines if people will come to understand an idea. Second, it determines how people feel about the cultures where they find themselves. We conducted several studies about the use of language impacts’ students learning. However, we had not explored how students were impacted in the affective domain by the academic language used for instruction. This summer we conducted a small study that examined how using complex academic language could produce cognitive stress and potentially limit students’ working memory capacity. The basic question about how science language can stress students out can now be answered…the answer is…… CLICK HERE to download our white paper about the affective impact of complex science instruction.

 

We are excited to report the excellent results of our 2013 Science in the City Summer Camp.  We worked with an excellent group of students from the SF Bay area and had of  one of a kind experience. Students experimented with our beta testing ipad software and learned to think, work, and communicate like scientists. We are excited for future endeavors.