Let Your Data Tell a Story: Disciplinary Expert Feedback Locates Engaging in Argumentation in a Holistic System of Practices

Abstract

Trends in science education promote engagement in authentic knowledge in practice to tackle personally consequential science problems. To better understand what authentic practice looks like in a classroom, we examine interactions between scientists and students on a social media platform during two pilot enactments of a project-based curriculum focusing on the ecological impacts of climate change. Scientists provided feedback to students on infographics meant to communicate to an audience about climate change. We conceptualize the feedback and student work as boundary objects co-created by students and scientists, and analyze the structure and content of the scientists' feedback. We found that in feedback on a particular practice scientists encouraged students to participate systemically in practices instead of isolating one practice. Engaging with scientists around established scientific texts and data sets provided students with a platform for developing expertise in other important scientific practices during argument construction.