Project Overview
This project is aimed at high school students to refine their scientific misconceptions through discussion with their classmates. The module focuses specifically on the topic of climate change, aligned with NGSS standards.
Grounded in social constructivism theory, the course leverages peer and AI-mediated dialogue so that students can co-construct understanding, refine misconceptions, and elaborate on existing knowledge.
Problem Statement & Context
According to National Center for Education Statistics data, the average science GPA of U.S. high school students is 2.70, which is the second lowest among all subjects.
Key Challenge
Science requires understanding abstract concepts and complex language. The difficulty makes high school students lose their interest in science, causing them to believe they are "not good at science," which ultimately restricts their future career options in STEM fields.
Goals & Objectives
The project is designed to deepen students' understanding of science concepts in the short term, and encourage them to pursue science studies as a long-term goal.
- Objective 1: Make students' existing ideas and misconceptions visible and organized using a Driving Question Board (DQB).
- Objective 2: Facilitate heterogeneous group discussions where students can explain and question ideas, allowing lower-understanding students to get accessible help.
- Objective 3: Provide quick, targeted feedback on student explanations using LLMs to correct misconceptions.