CCMS Knowledge Sharing Institute
2004 Knowledge Sharing Institute Focuses on Research
The Center’s second Knowledge Sharing Institute (KSI) took place at Northwestern University on July 11–14, 2004, drawing more than 60 researchers from CCMS partners and others to talk about important questions related to science education and curriculum materials.
Each morning small working groups targeted specific research questions and discussed research methods and designs likely to be most effective in finding answers. For example, groups compared what can be learned from large- and small-scale research studies or from combining insights from complementary case studies. Research design questions focused on topics such as: “How can curriculum materials take account of students’ prior epistemologies and conceptions and build upon them successfully?,” “How do teachers interpret and use curriculum materials and how do patterns of use relate to teacher and student learning outcomes?,” and “How can curriculum materials be adaptable to build on the diverse cultural experiences of students?”
In the afternoons, small groups gathered for “greenhouse” sessions designed to foster new collaboration. These sessions were primarily proposed and organized by CCMS graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and focused on their areas of mutual interest. The participants in all sessions produced posters for a group poster session each evening.
For details on the KSI in 2004, see the abstracts of posters presented. You can learn about the first KSI (held in 2003) here.
