The Conceptual Laboratory of Operative Exploration (CLOE) provides an informal context for pupils that stimulates conceptual reasoning and offers anchors for the construction of the first steps in scientific knowledge from the common sense vision. Research based CLOE labs are carried out by a researcher on a specific topic, based on a semi-structured interview protocol, which represents an open work environment through the proposal of everyday life scenarios. Phenomena in everyday situations are explored following sequences of reasonings by means of simple hands-on apparatus in different contexts. A research focused on construction of formal thinking through CLOE allows to identify students' spontaneous ideas and conceptual paths into the evolution of reasoning in the interpretation of magnetic and electromagnetic phenomena. This particular activity was carried out with primary and lower secondary school students (from 6 to 13 years old; from 1 to 8 grade). Starting from the identification and the classification of magnets, students highlighted the presence of a space property described by the orientation of a compass (magnetic field) having as sources both magnetic objects and both an electric current. The quantities involved into the Lenz induction process are individuated exploring the conditions for the generation of an electric motive force, highlighting the transient nature of the phenomena. The task to explain the functioning of an unknown artifact (induced torch) give the opportunity to apply the ideas on electromagnetic induction. Data are collected using personal worksheets and recording of the activity looking in particular to: 1) how an operative exploration may help students to identified and organize electromagnetic phenomena; 2) how the exploration and the comparison between phenomena is useful to help students in the interpretation of artifact; 3) how exploratory elements are reused by students in the interpretation of artifacts.
Pupils explore magnetic and electromagnetic phenomena in CLOE labs
MICHELINI, Marisa;
2012-01-01
Abstract
The Conceptual Laboratory of Operative Exploration (CLOE) provides an informal context for pupils that stimulates conceptual reasoning and offers anchors for the construction of the first steps in scientific knowledge from the common sense vision. Research based CLOE labs are carried out by a researcher on a specific topic, based on a semi-structured interview protocol, which represents an open work environment through the proposal of everyday life scenarios. Phenomena in everyday situations are explored following sequences of reasonings by means of simple hands-on apparatus in different contexts. A research focused on construction of formal thinking through CLOE allows to identify students' spontaneous ideas and conceptual paths into the evolution of reasoning in the interpretation of magnetic and electromagnetic phenomena. This particular activity was carried out with primary and lower secondary school students (from 6 to 13 years old; from 1 to 8 grade). Starting from the identification and the classification of magnets, students highlighted the presence of a space property described by the orientation of a compass (magnetic field) having as sources both magnetic objects and both an electric current. The quantities involved into the Lenz induction process are individuated exploring the conditions for the generation of an electric motive force, highlighting the transient nature of the phenomena. The task to explain the functioning of an unknown artifact (induced torch) give the opportunity to apply the ideas on electromagnetic induction. Data are collected using personal worksheets and recording of the activity looking in particular to: 1) how an operative exploration may help students to identified and organize electromagnetic phenomena; 2) how the exploration and the comparison between phenomena is useful to help students in the interpretation of artifact; 3) how exploratory elements are reused by students in the interpretation of artifacts.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
