Browsing by Author "John E. Penick, Committee Member"

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    Middle School Students' Learning of the Impact of Methamphetamine Abuse on the Brain
    (2009-07-07) Cheng, Meng-Tzu; Leonard A. Annetta, Committee Chair; John E. Penick, Committee Member; Glenda S. Carter, Committee Member; Christopher B. Mayhorn, Committee Member
    In respond to the solicitation of National Institute on Drug Use (NIDA) (NIDA, 2006) for the “Development of a Virtual Reality Environment for Teaching about the Impact of Drug Abuse on the Brain†, a virtual brain exhibit was developed by the joint venture of Entertainment Science, Inc. and Virtual Heroes, Inc.. This exhibit included a virtual reality learning environment combined with a video game, aiming at improving the neuroscience literacy of the general public, conveying knowledge about the impacts of methamphetamine abuse on the brain to the population, and establishing a stronger concept of drug use prevention amongst children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of this interactive exhibit on middle school students’ understanding and attitudes toward drug use. Three main research questions are addressed: 1) What do students learn about basic concepts of neuroscience and the impact of methamphetamine abuse on the brain via the exhibit? 2) How are students’ attitudes toward methamphetamine use changed after exposure to the exhibit? 3) What are students’ experiences and perceptions of using the exhibit to learn the impact of methamphetamine abuse on the brain? A mixed-method design, including pre/post/delayed-post test instruments, interviews, and video recordings, were conducted for 98 middle school students ranging from sixth to eighth grades to investigate these questions. The results show that students’ understanding of the impact of methamphetamine abuse on the brain significantly improved after exposure to the exhibit regardless of grade or gender. Their pre-existing knowledge and their understanding after the exhibit indicated a progressive tendency. Most of the students consistently expressed negative attitudes toward general methamphetamine use regardless of whether it was before or after exposure to the exhibit. However, this exhibit gave them a better reason and made them feel more confident to refuse drugs. Finally, student learning experiences through using the exhibit was a self-regulated learning process. This exhibit possessed several intrinsic values that motivated students to participate and persist in the activity, whereby students performed several cognitive and metacognitive strategies to help the learning activity to best fit individual learning styles and to make the cognitive processes more efficient.
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    A Philosophical Examination of Mead's Pragmatist Constructivism as a Referent for Adult Science Education
    (2005-06-01) Furbish, Dean Russel; Carol E. Kasworm, Committee Chair; John E. Penick, Committee Member; Robert M. Hambourger, Committee Member; John Pettitt, Committee Member
    The purpose of this study is to examine pragmatist constructivism as a science education referent for adult learners. Specifically, this study seeks to determine whether George Herbert Mead's doctrine, which conflates pragmatist learning theory and philosophy of natural science, might facilitate (a) scientific concept acquisition, (b) learning scientific methods, and (c) preparation of learners for careers in science and science-related areas. A philosophical examination of Mead's doctrine in light of these three criteria has determined that pragmatist constructivism is not a viable science education referent for adult learners. Mead's pragmatist constructivism does not portray scientific knowledge or scientific methods as they are understood by practicing scientists themselves, that is, according to scientific realism. Thus, employment of Mead's doctrine does not adequately prepare future practitioners for careers in science-related areas. Mead's metaphysics does not allow him to commit to the existence of the unobservable objects of science such as molecular cellulose or mosquito-borne malarial parasites. Mead's anti-realist metaphysics also affects his conception of scientific methods. Because Mead does not commit existentially to the unobservable objects of realist science, Mead's science does not seek to determine what causal role if any the hypothetical objects that scientists routinely posit while theorizing might play in observable phenomena. Instead, constructivist pragmatism promotes subjective epistemology and instrumental methods. The implication for learning science is that students are encouraged to derive scientific concepts based on a combination of personal experience and personal meaningfulness. Contrary to pragmatist constructivism, however, scientific concepts do not arise inductively from subjective experience driven by consummatory activity. The broader implication of this study for adult education is that the philosophically laden claims of constructivist learning theories need to be identified and assessed independently of any empirical support that these learning theories might enjoy. This in turn calls for educational experiences for graduate students of education that incorporate philosophical understanding such that future educators might be able to recognize and weigh the philosophically laden claims of adult learning theories.