Integrating Science and Writing in Multimedia Science Fictions: Investigating Student Interactions in Role-taking

Abstract

Abstract: We explore characteristics of group interactions in an afterschool program designed for middle school students to practice integrated STEM learning and digital literacies. In the program, students self-selected roles (e.g., writers, scientists, artists, and engineers) and worked in small groups to create multimedia science fictions. In order to understand the high integration level between science and writing in one focus group’s final product, this study examines students’ collaborative learning processes, the characteristics of their interactions, and their role-changing patterns. We found that the high integration level between science and writing may be explained by (a) the interactions between the writer and the scientist during discussion and multimodal composing, and (b) the catalyst role of the artist in the group discussion.