Thank you for visiting and watching this video! We'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts... If you are using computer modeling and simulation in your classroom or project, do you think it is appropriate to expose students to the potential for bias in representations and generated outcomes when using computer models?  Feel free to comment on any other aspects of the project that you have questions about.  

Hi-

I love the idea of integrating modeling and simulation into science courses. Can you say a little more about this as a “pathway”? Are there new courses being developed and offered, or are you talking about projects and units pushed in to existing courses? And is there a sequence of courses where students take this same modeling and simulation approach?

Hello Patrick,

Great questions - EDC Science+C has developed three new courses in partnership with the Massachusetts Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education (MA DESE).  The courses, Biology+C, Chemistry+C, and Physics+C, are alternative courses to the traditional Biology, Chemistry and Physics introductory level courses. Each of the Science+C courses includes 10 three-day units that integrate computational science. These three courses form a pathway that prepares students for coursework and futures in CT-enabled fields.  I hope this answers your questions.

Very exciting.  What are your plans for further dissemination of the courses?  Do you have research results you can share about the student effects of the courses? 

Hello Marion,

We are completing our pilot year now and next year will conduct the impact study. We hope to disseminate the courses widely thereafter.

I love the critical focus highlighted in your video!  How empowering to help students question the assumptions on which the computer model was constructed.   I wonder how our projects might overlap and benefit each other. A core aim of our project is also to nurture critical science literacy; your example is so powerful.  Let me know if you want to connect!  Here is a link to our video: https://stemforall2021.videohall.com/presentati...  

Integration of C+ in the content while addressing the NGSS standards is so exciting. Simply unique. Would love to hear about some challenges that you faced along the way and how you overcame it. Was the virtual setting for students advantageous?  

Hi Irene, Your project is a great example to build connections between programming skills and science learning, which is a very organic way to integrate STEM disciplines. For the decoding to modifying stages, have you tried to have students diagnose problems in the codes? In one of our studies, we observed that sometimes errors in a simulation could arouse productive discussion among students.

I like this because it goes beyond basic computer logic and coding. Computational modeling involves the next level of critical thinking.   

What a cool project! The use of COVID-19 is, of course, a timely and relevant choice. I'm curious to learn about the feedback have you gotten from students. Was it easy for them to consider the ethical implications through the modeling and simulation, or did they need some extra support to get to those questions? 

Thank you all for viewing our video and your great comments.  Imagine how great it will be to have Computational Biology, Computational Chemistry and Computational Physics courses as an option for high school students.  Our goal is to help students develop the skills needed by today's and tomorrow's scientists as they solve problems affecting our communities.  Our work over the past several years indicates that today's scientists routinely use computational tools and processes in their daily work.  We are excited to be able to offer students the opportunity to develop interests in computational sciences and a grounding in foundational skills that will prepare them for this type of work should they choose to move onto a STEM career pathway.