Elementary teacher perspectives on a blended computational modeling and ecosystem science curriculum
Abstract: Computational thinking and scientific modeling are essential STEM education practices in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Integrating modeling into the elementary science curriculum offers the potential to meet important 21st century learning goals, including understanding causal relationships in complex systems and infusing computational thinking into disciplinary contexts. With NSF funding, we have developed a curriculum for 3rd grade science, EcoMOD, that blends a 3D virtual ecosystem with a 2D visual programming and modeling environment to support student learning of ecosystem science concepts and computational modeling. In this paper, we will describe our research with teachers who implemented the 14-day EcoMOD curriculum in their classrooms, their reported experiences in teaching EcoMOD, and their perspectives on the feasibility and effectiveness of the curriculum for student engagement and learning.