Abstract
Sensemaking is seen as a perspective on science education. However, due to insufficient opportunities and a lack of supportive environments, undergraduate science students struggle to make sense of the world and lack the abilities necessary to make macro-micro connections. Implicit sensemaking is one of the essential talents for undergraduates studying biology. Nevertheless, sensemaking ability needs to be explicitly taught in addition to the fundamental ideas. As a result, we must employ a strategy that helps students develop sensemaking skills concurrently with these fundamental biosciences competencies. Learners have great sensemaking chances with case-based interactive learning exercises in real-life problem contexts. We present the results of our study with undergraduate bioscience students (N=11). We conducted a one-day workshop where students engaged with Karyotype, a technology-enhanced learning environment (TELE) designed to facilitate sensemaking in the context of clinical diagnosis of genetic disorders. Survey responses, semi-structured interviews, student artifacts, and the log data of their interaction with Karyotype were collected. We used these data sources to analyze and understand students’ sensemaking process during their interaction with Karyotype. Our results from quantitative analysis suggest different strategies and patterns of students’ interaction that support or hinder their sensemaking during clinical diagnosis. Qualitative analysis of student interviews also provides insights about the cognitive-affective nature of the sensemaking process and the role of Karyotype TELE in facilitating the same.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Technology-enhanced learning environment, Sensemaking, Genetics, Clinical diagnosis, Undergraduate Bioscience Education
