Curriculum research and development
Making these curriculum innovations work needed a combination of extensive trials and research with pupils in the classroom and an engagement with professionals working in these areas. The following is a selection of papers from academic and professional journals, conference presentations and chapters from books.
Student misconceptions: development of a general-purpose computer program for presenting and analysing diagnostic questionnaires.
DIAG: a program to diagnose students’ conceptual models in science
Boohan, R (1992), Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, Vol 8, 206-220.
Quantitative modelling: overview of models involving variables and the relationships between them, and how this kind of modelling can be used with students.
Interpreting the world with numbers: introduction to quantitative modelling
Boohan R (1994) in Mellar H et al (eds) ‘Learning with artificial worlds: computer-based modelling in the curriculum’ (Falmer Press), pp 49-58.
Qualitative modelling: backround to the ideas behind the WorldMaker project and how students can be progressively introduced to concepts in modelling.
Creating worlds from objects and events
Boohan R (1994) in Mellar H et al (eds) ‘Learning with artificial worlds: computer-based modelling in the curriculum’ (Falmer Press), pp 171-179.
Students’ understanding of models: research on how young students interpret and make sense of computer models.
Computer worlds and the real world: exploring children’s understanding with WorldMaker
Boohan R and Maragoudaki E (1997), Paper presented at ESERA Conference, Rome, September 1997.
Research on students’ use of modelling tools: overview of the findings from a study looking at the nature of students’ reasoning using different kinds of model.
Modeling with Young Students – Quantitative and Qualitative
Bliss J, Ogborn J, Boohan R, Brosnan T, Mellar H and Sakonidis B (1999), Journal of Computing in Higher Education, Vol 10, No 2, 99 69-110.
Visual representations in thermodynamics: background to the development to the approach in the ‘Energy and change’ project, and how this has supported students’ reasoning.
Using a picture language to teach about processes of change
Boohan R (1996) in Welford G, Osborne J and Scott P. (eds) (1996) Research in Science Education in Europe: Current Issues and Themes (The Falmer Press, London), pp 85-99.
Thermodynamics and practical work: showing how some very simple experimental work can help to understand complex ideas about energy.
Keeping moving to stay where you are: energy flows and temperature differences
Boohan R (1996), Physics Education, Vol 31, No 1 pp 20-23.
Research on students’ understanding of energy and change: working intensively over a long period of time with students using the ‘Energy and change’ picture language.
Understanding why things happen: case-studies of pupils using an abstract picture language to represent the nature of changes
Stylianidou, F and Boohan, R (1998), Research in Science Education, 28(4), pp 447-462.
