Phenomena: The Secret Ingredient to Maximizing Remote Student Engagement in Science
The science classroom is a place to explore, to experiment, and to experience with all the senses. But recreating this type of environment from a distance can be challenging.
Using phenomena, or “events that occur in the universe and that we can use our science knowledge to explain or predict,” in remote lessons not only makes science education a more tangible, hands-on experience for students that they can have even from their desks at home, but also provides them with an opportunity to practice reasoning, problem-solving, and working with evidence. You can integrate phenomena into your remote instructional plans to more deeply engage your students in science education, and perhaps even spark a passion for science that follows them into college and career. To help inspire some creative lesson planning, we’ve gathered four tips for using phenomena to engage your students in science:
Take Risks with Digital Tools
There’s no way to facilitate remote science instruction without the use of digital tools. Look for digital tools that allow students to experience the phenomena in a way that goes beyond reading or speaking about it, so that they have multiple opportunities to practice inquiry. This doesn’t mean that every time you introduce a phenomenon you need to hand out 3D glasses or play a video game. Instead, think of it this way: you’re asking your students to take a risk by diving into an unfamiliar concept, so you can take a risk, too, by experimenting with new digital tools in the remote classroom. When selecting instructional programs for science education, be sure to take a look at the way phenomena are handled digitally: the content should interact with technology in a way that is purposeful, and will not only engage your students, but also foster inquiry and growth.
Ensure the Experiments are Accessible from Home
Using videos and other digital resources is a great option to introduce science concepts from a distance. But to make the lesson that much more impactful and engaging, hands-on experiments are highly encouraged. Unfortunately, in a remote environment, students will lack access to lab materials that facilitate demonstrations of natural phenomena. However, there are ways to adapt demonstrations into mini-experiments that students can do safely and accessibly at home.
In the below article from Edutopia, science educator Shawn Sutton introduces several ways to conduct real experiments with phenomena using materials easily found at home, like using a cup, dinner plate, and dish soap to create a bubble.
Don’t Rush Investigation
Don’t expect students to come to an understanding of phenomena right away. If they do, without much investigation and inquiry, then you might be using phenomena that aren’t appropriately matched to your student’s grade level. Phenomena allow students the time and space to participate in a process of incremental understanding that’s unique to learning in the science classroom. As a science teacher, you can empower them to learn and apply Crosscutting Concepts, Science and Engineering Practices, and Disciplinary Core Ideas to understand the phenomena, and in the end, they can be truly proud of their newfound grasp on the world around them. In this space, you have the freedom to let your students investigate, ask questions, and make use of their best tools while you guide and strengthen the learning experience.
Consider Your Students’ Perspectives
If we understand phenomena to be events that we can observe and explain, then we have to take a moment to consider the varying types of observations students might be making in their lives depending on their background, experiences, and even their culture. In any instructional planning, educators should always stop to engage in some perspective-taking to be sure that they aren’t making assumptions about what students inherently know or have experienced. But when using phenomena, this step is particularly important. Before you choose a phenomenon, think about the varying student populations in your classroom, and how the descriptors or components of that phenomenon might make a subset of your class feel isolated. This is not to say that each phenomenon you pick must be something that every student in your class has experienced first-hand. Instead, it’s to consider what kind of level-setting you might need to do in introducing a concept or experience that to you might feel obvious, but to others might be unfamiliar.
