A Framework for Explanatory Thinking

Led by Lisa Kenyon, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, Ben Penry, Digital Technology Analyst, CTL and Jonathan Zemmer, Instructional Designer, CTL.  This workshop takes a forward approach that shifts student classroom learning experiences from traditional lecture-based instruction toward innovative and meaningful approaches using technology. This hands-on workshop will highlight insights from activities designed for one of our large, general education science courses to include explanatory thinking. Using the Explain Everything app on iPads, we revised this course to support science learning, peer teaching, and creativity through the construction of explanatory models. Students worked in small groups creating explanatory models to answer six specific questions, such as, "How and why does food travel to my cells?” In this session, attendees will participate in small groups using provided iPads to construct an explanatory model using the Explain Everything app. We will share our explanatory thinking framework, student examples, and how these activities parallel our course along with the insights we have gained. We will help participants apply what they have learned to their own discipline.