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Stadig Degerman, M. (2012). Att hantera cellmetabolismens komplexitet: Meningsskapande genom visualisering och metaforer. (Doctoral dissertation). Linköping: Linköping University Electronic Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Att hantera cellmetabolismens komplexitet: Meningsskapande genom visualisering och metaforer
2012 (Swedish)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [sv]

Den molekylära livsvetenskapen är ett av de mest snabbväxande fälten inom naturvetenskap. Biokemi är en aktör inom detta tvärvetenskapliga fält, tillsammans med bland annat cellbiologi och genetik. En konsekvens är att läroböckerna ständigt sväller i omfång. Ett exempel är den välkända läroboken ”Molecular biology of the cell” av Bruce Alberts och medarbetare, som sedan sin första upplaga 1983 till den senaste reviderade femte upplagan ökat från cirka 1000 till 1600 sidor, en ökning på cirka 60%. Samtidigt har olika typer av representationer av de molekylära livsprocesserna ökat i betydelse såväl för forskning som för undervisning, och både den ökade kunskapen och utvecklingen inom visualiseringstekniken har gett nya möjligheter till att illustrera detta komplexa område.

Cellmetabolismen utgör en central del av den molekylära livsvetenskapen och består av ett närmast ofattbart antal reaktioner som sker samtidigt i cellen. Representationer (både interna och externa) spelar en central roll i kommunikationen av detta komplexa område och valet av symboler och metaforer påverkar tolkningen av dessa. De kan underlätta förståelsen men även misstolkas och därigenom skapa fallgropar för studenter. ”Makrofiering” av processen påverkar därmed studenters meningsskapande. Denna ämnesdidaktiska avhandling avser att bidra till en ökad medvetenhet bland lärare om; 1) vilka lärandemål som kräver särskild omsorg i undervisning av cellmetabolismen samt 2) betydelsen av det visuella språket i exempelvis animationer för hur metabola processer tolkas och förstås.

Man kan beskriva min avhandling som ett strategiskt arbete som startade med att jag ringade in vilka lärandemål som undervisande universitetslärare anser vara viktiga inom ett av cellbiologins och biokemins centrala områden, cellmetabolismen. Därefter fortsatte arbetet med en insnävning mot en speciell metabolisk process (ATP-syntes i den oxidativa forsforyleringen), och därefter till att kartlägga tolkningar av en specifik animation av ATP-syntas. Det som genomgående jämförs är lärarnas respektive animatörens intentioner och studenternas förståelse och tolkningar. Både konceptuell förståelse och hur ett metaforiskt/symboliskt språk kan skapa olika tolkningar av en molekylär process. Vilka meddelanden når studenterna? Hur förstår de lärarnas mål med undervisningen och animatörens sätt att förmedla processen i animationen? Vad underlättar respektive försvårar kommunikationen?

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Linköping: Linköping University Electronic Press, 2012. p. 103
Series
Linköping Studies in Science and Technology. Dissertations, ISSN 0345-7524 ; 1430
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-21915 (URN)978-91-7519-954-2 (ISBN)
Public defence
2012-03-23, K2, Kåkenhus, Campus Norrköping, 13:15 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2013-10-11 Created: 2013-10-11 Last updated: 2013-10-11Bibliographically approved
Stadig Degerman, M. & Tibell, L. A. E. (2012). Learning Goals and Conceptual Difficulties in Cell Metabolism: An explorative study of university lectures' views. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 13(4), 447-461
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Learning Goals and Conceptual Difficulties in Cell Metabolism: An explorative study of university lectures' views
2012 (English)In: Chemistry Education Research and Practice, E-ISSN 1756-1108, Vol. 13, no 4, p. 447-461Article in journal (Other academic) Published
Abstract [en]

The rapid development and increasing inter- and multi-disciplinarity of life sciences call for revisions of life science course curricula, recognizing (inter alia) the need to compromise between covering specific phenomena and general processes/principles. For these reasons there have been several initiatives to standardize curricula, and various authors have assessed general curricular requirements. The results have shown that teacher preferences strongly influence both topic arrangement and course content, and generating consensus among scientists and lecturers is challenging. Applying a somewhat different approach, we have focused on a limited part of the curriculum (cell metabolism). Using Delphi methodology, in four rounds of surveys we investigated phenomena that 15 experienced, practicing lecturers consider to be central aspects for students to learn in the cell metabolism module of an introductory university course.

The overall aim was to identify learning goals of special concern, i.e. aspects considered by the teachers to be both central and difficult for students to understand. Our informants emphasized learning goals of overarching and principal type, e.g. to be able to couple different system levels (from molecules to cells to organisms) and grasp the interactions between them. However, they also expect detailed knowledge, e.g. to know the structure of central biomolecules and metabolites. The main result of the study is a ranked list of learning goals of special concern in cell metabolism. We also identified both important learning goals and difficulties that have not been previously reported (even though they are covered by most textbooks), e.g. that energy production occurs in well-regulated steps and the necessity of proximity and common intermediates for coupled reactions.

Keywords
Concept inventories, Big ideas, Molecular life science, Higher Education, Delphi study
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-21903 (URN)10.1039/C2RP20035J (DOI)000314239700007 ()2-s2.0-84867771190 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2012-03-28 Created: 2013-10-11 Last updated: 2024-01-17Bibliographically approved
Degerman, M., Larsson, C. & Anward, J. (2012). When metaphors come to life: At the interface of external representations, molecular phenomena, and student learning. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 7(4), 563-580
Open this publication in new window or tab >>When metaphors come to life: At the interface of external representations, molecular phenomena, and student learning
2012 (English)In: International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, ISSN 1306-3065, Vol. 7, no 4, p. 563-580Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Grasping the dynamics of molecular phenomenon appears to be rather challenging for students in the context of life science. To pursue the origin of such difficulties this paper investigates students' (n=43) meaning making, in interaction with peers and an animation, of the dynamic process of ATP-synthase. To support this inquiry we introduce the CharM-framework (Characteristics of Metaphors), which accounts for students' experiences of metaphors while interacting with external representations (ERs) when trying to make meaning of molecular phenomena. Student-expressed metaphors are outlined and related to the animator's intentions while designing the animation. The analysis shows that some of the used metaphors possess in-built problematic characteristics that could act as potential problems for learning. For example, the metaphors machine and watermill possess problematic characteristics that are a possible reason for students' difficulties with unders-tanding the ATP-synthesis as a reversible and non-deterministic process. Furthermore, we also conclude that students' use of metaphors is highly influenced by the ER, which is designed according to the animator's internal representation of the scientific phenomenon and his intentions. The challenge associated with designing educational representations that sufficiently represent molecular processes is somewhat similar to the challenge student face while linking the characteristics of metaphors to the molecular processes. The CharM-framework can assist in the design process by allowing designers to reflect on how ERs could be interpreted or misinterpreted and also guide teachers' choice of educational representations. © 2012 IJESE.

Keywords
Affordance, Design of external representations, Higher education, Metaphors, Molecular phenomena
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-18239 (URN)
Available from: 2013-02-15 Created: 2013-02-15 Last updated: 2024-01-16Bibliographically approved
Stadig Degerman, M., Larsson, C. & Anward, J. (2012). When metaphors come to life: at the interface of external representations, molecular processes and student learning. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 7(4), 563-580
Open this publication in new window or tab >>When metaphors come to life: at the interface of external representations, molecular processes and student learning
2012 (English)In: International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, ISSN 1306-3065, Vol. 7, no 4, p. 563-580Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

When studying the molecular aspect of the life sciences, learners must be introduced to somewhat inaccessible phenomena that occur at the sub-micro scale. Despite the difficulties, students need to be familiar with and understand the highly dynamic nature of molecular processes. Thus, external representations1 (ERs) can be considered unavoidable and essential tools for student learning. Besides meeting the challenge of interpreting external representations, learners also encounter a large array of abstract concepts2, which are challenging to understand (Orgill & Bodner, 2004). Both teachers and learners use metaphorical language as a way to relate these abstract phenomena to more familiar ones from everyday life. Scientific papers, as well as textbooks and popular science articles, are packed with metaphors, analogies and intentional expressions. Like ERs, the use of metaphors and analogies is inevitable and necessary when communicating knowledge concerning molecular phenomena. Therefore, a large body of published research related to metaphors concerns science teachers’ and textbook writers’ interpretation and use of metaphors (Harrison & Treagust, 2006). In this paper we present a theoretical framework for examining metaphorical language use in relation to abstract phenomena and external representations. The framework was verified by using it to analyse students’ meaning-making in relation to an animation representing the sub-microscopic and abstract process of ATP-synthesis in Oxidative Phosphorylation. We seek to discover the animator’s intentions while designing the animation and to identify the metaphors that students use while interacting with the animation. Two of these metaphors serve as examples of a metaphor analysis, in which the characteristics of metaphors are outlined. To our knowledge,  no strategies to identify and understand the characteristics, benefits, and potential pitfalls of particular metaphors have, to date, been presented in science education research. Our aspiration is to contribute valuable insights into metaphorical language use at the interface between external representations, molecular processes, and student learning.

Keywords
Affordance, Design of external representations, Higher education, Metaphors, Molecular phenomena
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-21901 (URN)2-s2.0-84872914800 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2013-10-11 Created: 2013-10-11 Last updated: 2024-01-16Bibliographically approved
Stadig Degerman, M. & Tibell, L. (2011). Critical aspects and how students concretize their molecular understanding: benefits and potential pitfalls with an animation. In: : . Paper presented at ESERA 2011 Conference, September 5th-9th 2011, Lyon, Centre de Congrès, Frande.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Critical aspects and how students concretize their molecular understanding: benefits and potential pitfalls with an animation
2011 (English)Conference paper, Published paper (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

We have investigated the effects of an animation of ATP synthesis in mitochondria on students understanding of the process. University students were exposed to the animation without narration before their introductory course in cell metabolism. Our intention was to identify any visual aspects of the animation that helped students to understand the process, and how the animation influenced their reasoning. In a mixed-method design, individual questionnaires were administered and group discussions performed. We identified three features of the animation which helped the students to understand critical aspects of the process, namely 1) molecular dynamics, 2) an explicitly visualized coupling between the flow of protons through the protein complex and ATP-synthesis 3) movements and induced conformational changes in the proteins during the process. We also observed that students showed difficulties in predicting the reversibility of the reaction. Analogies might enhance the meaningfulness and provide qualitative insights of sub-microscopic explanations. Albeit so, our preliminary analysis of the group discussions indicates that they are also sometimes misleading and can act as traps that induce erroneous chemical reasoning. 

Keywords
ATP-synthase, critical features, metaphors, animation
National Category
Didactics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-21905 (URN)
Conference
ESERA 2011 Conference, September 5th-9th 2011, Lyon, Centre de Congrès, Frande
Available from: 2011-11-17 Created: 2013-10-11 Last updated: 2016-02-12Bibliographically approved
Stadig Degerman, M. & Larsson, C. (2011). When metaphors come to live – at the interface of a visualization and students’ meaning-making of dynamic chemical processes. In: : . Paper presented at Nordiskt forskarsymposium om undervisningen i naturvetenskap, NFSUN 2011, Linköping, June 14-16, 2011.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>When metaphors come to live – at the interface of a visualization and students’ meaning-making of dynamic chemical processes
2011 (English)Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

In molecular life science phenomena exist on a sub-micro scale and are not readily accessible for learners. Here tools, as external representations and metaphorical language, become essential for students’ learning. Metaphorical language is often used to relate abstract concepts to more familiar ideas from everyday life. For successful meaning-making students need to be familiar with the concepts being compared and know which characteristics of the metaphor are relevant and should be conveyed to the conceptual domain. There is a need for students to interpret and focus on certain given aspects and also on deviances between the two domains. Students’ prior knowledge of the real life domain as well as the scientific domain, then becomes the foundation for students’ learning. Furthermore, the metaphor itself mediates new meaning and new ways to interpret the natural world in interaction with learners, and this has an impact on students’ conceptualization of the concept the metaphor is describing. The objective of this study was, i) to explore which metaphors students tend to use while interacting with two external representations of dynamic molecular processes, and ii) to describe what connections between the scientific concept and the identified metaphors students made, both useful connections and potential pitfalls. The first representation is an animation visualizing the formation of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in a metabolic process in the cell. The second is a physical model of self-assembly of a virus capsid. The empirical material analysed consisted of ten audio-recorded group discussions with university students (n=59). The students had completed basic courses in chemistry and molecular biology. A pre-formulated discussion guideline was used and the students had access to the external representation during the whole session. A qualitative analysis was performed using an inductive analytical model. The preliminary analysis showed that students used several metaphors, for example water mill, paddle wheel, ball, and chief, to create meaning to the scientific concepts while interacting with the two representations. The following analysis will examine to what degree the metaphors possess characteristics that can mislead and tempt students to use parts of the iconographic representation that are not relevant for understanding the represented phenomenon. With these results we can clarify how far the metaphors, and thereby the representations, reach and thus make valuable implications for education.

National Category
Didactics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-21904 (URN)
Conference
Nordiskt forskarsymposium om undervisningen i naturvetenskap, NFSUN 2011, Linköping, June 14-16, 2011
Available from: 2011-11-17 Created: 2013-10-11 Last updated: 2016-02-12Bibliographically approved
Stolpe, K. & Stadig Degerman, M. (2008). Assocationsverktyg som ett sätt att studera studenters diskussion kring naturvetenskapliga begrepp. NorDiNa: Nordic Studies in Science Education, 4(1), 35-47
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Assocationsverktyg som ett sätt att studera studenters diskussion kring naturvetenskapliga begrepp
2008 (Swedish)In: NorDiNa: Nordic Studies in Science Education, ISSN 1504-4556, E-ISSN 1894-1257, Vol. 4, no 1, p. 35-47Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [sv]

This article aims to describe a new tool, the association tool, to collect data of students- discussions on scientific concepts. We have tested the association tool in two different situations. In the first, the association tool was used by student teachers in group-work. The students (two groups, which con- sisted of two and three students respectively) were asked to associate ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a concept with which they are familiar, with other concepts. In the second situation, the association tool was used in an interview situation dealing with the concepts of energy and heat. Three student teachers were interviewed. Both situations were videotaped and the transcripts were analysed quali- tatively and quantitatively to show different ways of using the association tool. The association tool yielded rich data on the discussions of the concepts useinteractions in group-work and an interview situation.

National Category
Engineering and Technology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-21906 (URN)
Available from: 2009-10-10 Created: 2013-10-11 Last updated: 2017-12-06Bibliographically approved
Bernhard, J., Lindwall, O., Engkvist, J., Stadig Degerman, M. & Zhu, X. (2007). Helping students to make sense of formal physics through interactive lecture demonstrations: Final report from the Council for Renewal of Higher Education project 090/G03. Norrköping: ITN, Linköpings universitet
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Helping students to make sense of formal physics through interactive lecture demonstrations: Final report from the Council for Renewal of Higher Education project 090/G03
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2007 (English)Report (Other academic)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Norrköping: ITN, Linköpings universitet, 2007
National Category
Engineering and Technology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-21908 (URN)
Available from: 2009-10-10 Created: 2013-10-11 Last updated: 2013-10-11Bibliographically approved
Bernhard, J., Lindwall, O., Engkvist, J., Zhu, X. & Stadig Degerman, M. (2007). Making physics visible and learnable through interactive lecture demonstrations. In: Physics Teaching in Engineering Education,2007: . Paper presented at Physics Teaching in Engineering Education, 2007. Delft: TU Delft
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Making physics visible and learnable through interactive lecture demonstrations
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2007 (English)In: Physics Teaching in Engineering Education,2007, Delft: TU Delft , 2007Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

  

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Delft: TU Delft, 2007
National Category
Engineering and Technology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-21907 (URN)978-90-8649-108-7 (ISBN)
Conference
Physics Teaching in Engineering Education, 2007
Available from: 2013-10-11 Created: 2013-10-11 Last updated: 2013-10-11Bibliographically approved
Stadig Degerman, M., Tibell, L. & Bernhard, J. (2007). University Teachers View about Learning Metabolism - What are the core knowledge and which are the Students' Difficulties?. In: : . Paper presented at ESERA 2007.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>University Teachers View about Learning Metabolism - What are the core knowledge and which are the Students' Difficulties?
2007 (English)Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
National Category
Engineering and Technology Other Engineering and Technologies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-21913 (URN)42147 (Local ID)42147 (Archive number)42147 (OAI)
Conference
ESERA 2007
Available from: 2009-10-10 Created: 2013-10-11 Last updated: 2016-02-12Bibliographically approved
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0003-4915-2331

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