Understanding Three-Dimensional Learning: A Comprehensive Guide
Three-Dimensional Learning represents a significant shift in science education, emphasizing the interconnectedness of scientific practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. This approach aims to foster a deeper understanding of science by encouraging students to actively engage with scientific concepts and apply them to real-world phenomena.
Introduction to Three-Dimensional Learning
The Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have introduced a new way of thinking about and enacting science teaching. Joe Krajcik, a developer of these frameworks, highlights that students should make sense of phenomena or design solutions for problems by integrating scientific and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts. This integration is at the heart of three-dimensional learning.
The Need for a New Approach
Traditional science education often focused on memorizing facts and concepts in isolation. However, the Framework and NGSS emphasize that scientific content (core ideas and crosscutting concepts) cannot be learned separately from engaging in scientific practices. Learners develop a deeper understanding of scientific content when actively involved in practices, and practices are learned best when applied to scientific ideas.
The Three Dimensions of Science Education
Three-dimensional learning is characterized by the integration of three essential dimensions:
1. Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs)
Science and Engineering Practices are the approaches and habits of real scientists and engineers. These practices involve:
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- Asking questions
- Developing models
- Planning investigations
- Constructing evidence-based explanations and arguments
These practices are not merely skills but require specific knowledge to be applied effectively in scientific investigations. While engineering design shares similarities with scientific inquiry, it also has distinct differences. Scientific inquiry focuses on formulating questions that can be answered through investigation, whereas engineering design involves formulating problems that can be solved through design.
2. Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs)
Crosscutting Concepts are big-picture thinking tools that scientists use to identify and connect science ideas across disciplines. These concepts include:
- Patterns, similarity, and diversity
- Cause and effect
- Scale, proportion, and quantity
- Systems and system models
- Energy and matter
- Structure and function
- Stability and change
By using crosscutting concepts as a lens to examine common themes in science, students can begin to identify and connect science ideas across various disciplines.
3. Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs)
Disciplinary Core Ideas represent the essential knowledge of science. These core ideas focus K-12 science curriculum, instruction, and assessments on the most important aspects of science. The Framework for K-12 Science Education (the Framework) and the Next- Generation Science Standards (NGSS) define three dimensions of science: disciplinary core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts and emphasize the integration of the three dimensions (3D) to reflect deep science understanding.
Implementing Three-Dimensional Learning in the Classroom
In three-dimensional science learning, students become active investigators, gathering evidence from multiple sources and constructing increasingly sophisticated scientific arguments and models about real-world phenomena. They participate in evidence-based debates, collaborate on engineering challenges, and make connections between their investigations and their own communities, as well as the world beyond.
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Active Investigation
Students actively investigate phenomena, gathering evidence from various sources. This active engagement helps them construct increasingly sophisticated scientific arguments and models about real-world phenomena.
Literacy-Rich Instruction
The literacy-rich nature of NGSS instruction means students read, write, speak, and listen like real scientists and engineers, actively questioning, analyzing, and communicating findings.
Real-World Application
The real-world anchor phenomenon is deeply woven throughout each unit as the central thread. In Amplify Science, students assume the role of a real scientist or engineer to investigate a compelling phenomena in K-5 and grades 6-8. Over the course of the unit, they gather and make sense of a variety of evidence sources and develop increasingly sophisticated explanations and models as their understanding deepens. All three dimensions of the NGSS are intentionally and thoughtfully integrated throughout every unit and across all grades.
The Role of Assessment in Three-Dimensional Learning
Assessments aligned with NGSS should measure a student's ability to integrate relevant Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Scientific and Engineering Practices (SEPs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) when explaining phenomena and solving real-life problems. The Framework suggests using learning progressions (LPs) as roadmaps for curriculum, instruction, and assessment development. Learning progressions are defined as "successfully more sophisticated ways of reasoning within a content domain". NGSS-aligned assessments should measure students' ability to integrate the three dimensions and probe their ability at various sophistication levels in accordance with relevant LPs.
Challenges in Assessment
Measuring 3D understanding is challenging because it requires students to demonstrate their ability to integrate all the relevant NGSS dimensions. This is difficult to assess using traditional recall-based assessment items, necessitating the use of constructed-response (CR) assessments. However, these assessments are time-consuming and expensive to score and provide feedback.
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Artificial Intelligence in Assessment
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology, such as machine learning (ML) approaches, has shown success in scoring short CR items in various STEM disciplines. ML text scoring can identify key ideas in students' written explanations. ML models have shown good agreement with human scores, but student use of formal language in responses can be a challenge for ML accuracy. ML-based scoring has been reliable and consistent with human scoring when measuring progression toward deeper understanding as reflected in learning progression-based assessments.
Analytic vs. Holistic Rubrics
Multi-level, holistic rubrics are used to assign a score to a given response, which can be aligned to a specific learning progression (LP) level. These holistic scores assess the overall quality of the student's performance or response. Each level in the rubric captures a distinctive set of DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs within the LP. Analytic rubrics are a series of binary or dichotomous rubrics that identify the presence or absence of construct-relevant ideas in student responses.
A key study comparing analytic and holistic approaches to human coding for LP-aligned assessments found that training sets based on analytically coded responses showed equal or better ML model performance compared to using holistic scores in training sets. Analytic scoring also provides an easier way for evaluating the validity of ML-based scores with respect to LP levels. When developing and using analytic rubrics for scoring NGSS-aligned CR assessments, it is essential to ensure that the 3D nature of the items and the emphasis on integrating the three dimensions of NGSS (DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs) are properly reflected in the rubric.
Enhancing Student Engagement through Three-Dimensional Learning
Student engagement is known to have several positive effects on learning outcomes and can impact a student's university experience. High levels of engagement in content‐heavy subjects can be difficult to attain. Three-dimensional learning can enhance student engagement through the use of innovative teaching tools and interactive learning activities.
The Use of 3D Printed Models
One effective method for increasing student engagement is the implementation of anatomy learning activities centered on sets of three‐dimensional printed skeleton models. Studies have shown that students find these models to be an engaging resource that helps improve their study habits. The use of 3D models inspires greater academic confidence and overall better performance in assessments.
Deep vs. Surface Learning
Student engagement is critical in student learning, success, and retention at a tertiary level. Student engagement can be broadly conceptualized as the time and physical energy that students expend on activities in their academic experience. A deep learning approach implies a more profound conceptualization of knowledge, which includes the ability to apply, elaborate, and analyze the content. Deep learning strategies in anatomy education are important because they correlate positively to the quality of learning. Deep learning can be effectively implemented by encouraging students to have a primary role in the construction of knowledge they seek.
This is juxtaposed with surface learning, where the facts or content are memorized on a superficial level, without any real‐world purpose or application. However, deep and surface learning strategies can be used synergistically, as rote learning and memorization is often a component of conceptualizing the anatomical knowledge in a deeper way. When students are engaged in the content, they show a propensity for deeper learning and tend to intrinsically value their course more highly.
Benefits of 3D Printing in Education
In recent years, three‐dimensional printing (3DP) has emerged as an innovative teaching tool to enhance anatomical education. The procedural advantages of 3DP include cost efficiency and ethical and legal advantages compared to traditional teaching methods such as cadaver prosection/dissection, preserved bones, and plastic models. The use of models to assist in educating students in anatomy is less likely to exclude students who may be unable to engage in cadaver training due to religious or cultural beliefs, or those who have difficulties accessing online resources.
Research has shown that students using 3DP anatomical models demonstrate equal or better test scores compared to students who engaged with more traditional anatomy teaching tools such as computer programs and cadavers. Furthermore, 3DP anatomy models may enhance or complement other forms of learning, which enhances both deep learning and engagement among students.
Case Study: Implementing 3D Models in Osteopathic Education
Victoria University (Melbourne, Australia) underwent a transformational change that saw the removal of traditional lectures from all first‐year units. This change compelled the authors to redesign their anatomy learning activities to have a higher impact on student engagement in courses that have poorer student retention and performance.
Methodology
A two‐part mixed-method sequential exploratory design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of 3D printed models. Part one was a questionnaire that evaluated the students' usage, engagement, and perceptions of the 3DP anatomical models and associated learning activities. Part two consisted of focus group interviews.
Results
The participants reported a high level of use, engagement, and overall benefit when asked about their thoughts on the 3DP models. The majority of students perceived the 3DP bones to be useful for both reviewing materials from class and preparing for the viva.
Practical Implementation
Students were each given a set of 3DP bones of the upper limb to keep (scapula, clavicle, humerus, ulna, radius, carpal and metacarpal bones, and phalanges). The students completed approximately 4 hours of in‐class activities with the bones directly each study week. These activities consisted of anatomical orientation, identifying bony landmarks, using Blu‐Tack Color reusable putty-like adhesive to form and overlay muscles on bones and joints, followed by mock peer‐to‐peer presentations. The 3DP bones were used to augment the loss of laboratory time, with a heavy focus on preparing students for their final oral anatomy assessment.
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