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Six-phase controversy mapping project sequence for science classrooms

Design · All designs
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 qualitative), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description

A project-level design pattern in which students work through six phases: (1) surfing and scraping the internet on a controversial issue with Navicrawler logging visited URLs, (2) selecting and importing data to Gephi, (3) re-presenting data as a map of actors, (4) sharing and discussing maps with peers, (5) participating in a debate enacting an identified actor, and (6) a reflective seminar. The map serves as "an aid in explaining and discussing their controversy."

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

  • Teachers, researchers, and IT pedagogical developers collaborate on project design; the mapping activity is embedded in a multi-week science-in-society project with curriculum-aligned grading criteria

Constraints

  • Tools were originally developed for university research on sociotechnical debates, not schools; students need guidance since studies indicate the need for more support when searching for SSIs online

Target Learners

  • upper secondary science students (year 12, age 18)

Learning Goals

  • evaluating source types, distinguishing scientific from non-scientific claims, understanding science-society relations, ethical discussion of science's role in society

Claims

Examples

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Key Sources

  • Solli, A., Mäkitalo, Å., & Hillman, T. (2018). Rendering controversial socioscientific issues legible through digital mapping tools. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11412-018-9286-x
Page metadata
Field Value
type design
id controversy-mapping-project-sequence
title Six-phase controversy mapping project sequence for science classrooms
description A project-level design pattern in which students work through six phases: (1) surfing and scraping the internet on a controversial issue with Navicrawler logging visited URLs, (2) selecting and importing data to Gephi...
status review
generated by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-18
trust unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources 1 — solli-2018

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