Eliciting Learner Knowledge: Enabling Focused Practice through an Open-Source Online Tool

Abstract

Eliciting and interpreting students’ ideas are essential skills in teaching, yet pre-service teachers (PSTs) rarely have adequate opportunities to develop these skills. In this study, we examine PSTs’ patterns of discourse and perceived learning through engaging in an interactive digital simulation called Eliciting Learner Knowledge (ELK). ELK is a seven-minute, chat-based virtual role play between a PST playing a “teacher” and a PST playing a “student” where the goal is for the teacher to find out what the student knows about a topic. ELK is designed to be a practice space where pre-service and in-service teachers can learn strategies for effectively eliciting their students’ knowledge. We review the implementation of ELK in eight teacher education courses in math or science methods at six different universities and assess (a) patterns of interaction during ELK and (b) PSTs’ perceptions of ELK and their learning from the simulation. Our findings suggest that PSTs engage in effective practices such as eliciting and probing more often than less effective practices such as evaluating and telling. Results suggest that PSTs gain experience in practicing talk moves and having empathy for students’ perspectives through using ELK.

Elementary preservice teachers' responsiveness while eliciting students' initial arguments and encouraging critique in online simulated argumentation discussions

“…Given the current vision for science teaching and learning emphasizes students developing their own understanding of scientific phenomena by engaging in collaborate sense‐making discussions, such as argumentation, there is a greater need for teacher education programs to prepare PSTs to implement this high leverage and ambitious teaching practice in the classroom (Berland & Reiser, 2009; NRC, 2012). To support PSTs in learning how to facilitate argumentation‐focused discussions, researchers have explored the use of online simulated teaching experiences and found that this form of approximation of practice does give PSTs the opportunity to engage in this form of discourse in a less complex environment (Levin et al, 2019; Mikeska et al, 2023, Thompson et al, 2022). While previous research shows that elementary PSTs can be responsive to students' ideas (Estapa & Davis, 2023; Levin et al, 2009), it is unclear how they are responding to students' ideas while facilitating an argumentation‐focused discussion (Mikeska et al, 2023).…”

“…The ELK online simulated environment involves pairs of PSTs engaging in a 7‐min typed chat on the online Teacher Moments platform (Thompson et al, 2022; Wang et al, 2021). Although this online simulated environment requires one PST to play the role of a teacher and the other to play the role of a student, the ELK platform provides each PST with specific information pertinent to their role before starting the chat.…”

“…PST Isaac's turns were coded as low responsiveness largely because of the way in which they were funneling or leading questions to elicit claims and evidence, used teacher evaluation in statements such as “perfect,” or involved teacher telling for reasoning. Research suggests that evaluating students' responses can shape their subsequent responses towards seeking “the correct answer” rather than sharing their own ideas (Thompson et al, 2022). Although most of PST Isaac's turns in his discussion with student Charlie were also coded as low responsiveness, he used one high exploring (individual) turn to probe for reasoning, “What makes you think that?” after student Charlie shared that “I think when we crumpled up the paper we got more [matter].”…”