J Sci Educ Technol DOI 10.1007/s10956-011-9339-7
Using the Cognitive Apprenticeship Web-based Argumentation System to Improve Argumentation Instruction Chun-Yen Tsai • Brady Michael Jack Tai-Chu Huang • Jin-Tan Yang
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Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011
Abstract This study investigated how the instruction of argumentation skills could be promoted by using an online argumentation system. This system entitled ‘Cognitive Apprenticeship Web-based Argumentation’ (CAWA) system was based on cognitive apprenticeship model. One hundred eighty-nine fifth grade students took part in this study. A quasi-experimental design was adopted and qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to evaluate the effectiveness of this online system in measuring students’ progress in learning argumentation. The results of this study showed that different teaching strategies had effects on students’ use of argumentation in the topics of daily life and the concept of ‘vision.’ When the CAWA system was employed during the instruction and practice of argumentation on these two topics, the students’ argumentation performance improved. Suggestions on how the CAWA system could be used to enhance the instruction of argumentation skills in science education were also discussed. Keywords Argumentation Cognitive apprenticeship Toulmin Argument Pattern Web-based system
C.-Y. Tsai (&) Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan e-mail:
[email protected] B. M. Jack Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan T.-C. Huang National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan J.-T. Yang Ming Chuan University, Taoyuan County, Taiwan
Introduction Research (Clark and Sampson 2007; Kuhn 1970) shows scientific knowledge develops through a process of decision-making and discovery. Argumentation is the genre used during this process (Clark and Sampson 2007). Therefore, the issue is that science instruction needs to go beyond more than simply detailing what we know (Osborne et al. 2004) by including instruction on how to propose, support, and defend what we believe to be true. Currently, science education requires a new focus on how evidence is presented in defense of proposed explanations for why links exist between data and scientific theories (Osborne et al. 2004; Simon et al. 2006). Kuhn and Udell (2003) found the argumentation skills were not common among adults. Researchers (Clark and Sampson 2007; Osborne et al. 2004) have encouraged teachers to look for ways to include argumentation in scientific learning for the purpose of improving argumentation skills among students. A common feature of the cognitive apprenticeship (CA) model is how it requires the learner to be active participants in learning by working along side of the teacher during the production of artifacts, such as arguments and explanations (Sandoval and Millwood 2005). As the teacher works alongside the learner, these artifacts are used as a way to demonstrate and teach the processes of implicit thinking and problem solving used in argumentation. As students learn by watching and emulating the teacher, they are shown how to articulate, reflect, and explore explicit learning objectives (Collins et al. 1989). Typically when CA is used, argumentation instruction has been done among small groups of students. When CA is used in a larger and more traditional classroom setting, teachers have difficulty individually assisting in articulating, reflecting, and exploring these learning objectives due to the lack of
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