Co-constructing Strategies to Enhance Support and Effectiveness in Teaching Scientific Argumentation with Technology

This project seeks to establish a new partnership between the West Aurora School District and Northern Illinois University to co-construct strategies that enhance support and effectiveness in teaching scientific argumentation with technology. There are two primary goals for this proposal:

• Co-construct a research and development plan focusing on ways to enhance support and effectiveness in the teaching practice of scientific argumentation through technology.

• Develop a model for building a design research partnership between a school district and a mid-size public university.

In a design research partnership, the goals are to develop and test instructional activities and curriculum materials to support student learning, as well as to advance research and theory development. Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a mid-size public university with comparatively fewer research resources. However, it is crucial to explore how a mid-size public university can be strategic and creative in establishing a design research partnership, providing insights for other universities of similar sizes. This project is grounded in a place-based initiative from a local school district. Collaboration at all stages is central to a design research partnership. In this project, the collaboration will encompass co-exploring teaching practices related to scientific argumentation, co-investigating supportive pedagogy and emerging technologies in teaching scientific argumentation, and co-developing a research and development plan.