Network Symposium 2013
The symposium was held on May 13th-14th 2013 in Copenhagen. With this symposium we invited network scientists and education researchers to discuss networks as they have been used in education research. Our idea of a symposium was somewhere between the formal and the informal gathering to exchange ideas.
Ideas about using network science in education research have popped up independently in various research environments during the last couple of years. Examples of networks in science education include social-like networks, conceptual networks, and networks of student/learner actions during teaching sequences.
To this end, science educational researchers borrow ideas from fields like sociology, physics, and linguistics. This leads to a diversity in theoretical ideas and interpretation of data and analyses. The research is scattered between different areas within science education: learning games, cognitive development, assessment, socio-cultural themes, textbook analysis, and many other.
The idea with this symposium was that participants discussed ideas and projects in a semi-structured and semi-free way. Hopefully, this would initiate contacts between researchers to enable constructive feedback on work in progress and joint research projects.
The two main goals of the symposium were:
- to establish a forum for discussing what could broadly be called "education networks" and
- to discuss how researchers working with networks assign meaning to different network theoretical concepts.
Generally, we expected education researchers who already could see potentials of networks in education to find this symposium helpful.
Also, we suspected that scientists investigating the properties of real networks would find some of our data intriguing. The unifying theme was networks in an educational context.
The format was somewhere in between a social gathering with free exchange of ideas and a formal meeting.
First and foremost, we expected all participants to engage in the group work, discussions, and social events at the symposium. We aimed for a playful and at the same time serious atmosphere throughout the event.
While we did not require specific readings beforehand, we prefered participants with some knowledge of network science or networks in education.
We did welcome written contributions from participants on research in networks in science education. With the authors’ permission we will place them on our website.
Finally, we would like a few short presentations for our first day. Focusing on some aspect of using networks in science education research, presentations should be short and facilitate further discussion.
During dinners, group work, and discussion, we hoped that participants would benefit from each other in numerous ways. We worked on facilitating:
- New research initiatives between different institutions
- Paper proposals using existing data
- Discussions about establishing networks in science education as a field of research
Pre-workshop
As preparation all participants and organizers should complete the Network Symposium Survey. We used the answers to find out what our interests were and tryed out different ways of matching based on that. Also, we encouraged the participants to upload "their favorite network". We used those in the exhibition on Tuesday.
Program Monday
9-12 Matching Expectations
Introduction
Break into groups
Group discussion: Important questions
Plenary: Presentation of questions
Plenary discussion: Important questions
Plenary activity: Possible outcomes of the symposium
12-13:30 Lunch (Organizers: 13:00-13:30 Set up groups for later item)
13:30-18 Cross Pollination: Possibilities for future collaborations
Introduction to session
Group work: Brainstorm on how to for address questions/methodological issues
Pairs: Walk and talk
Plenary activity: Grouping the brainstorm
Individual: Pick and write
20-?? Dinner
Program Tuesday
9-12 Finding future initiatives
Introduction to session
Break into groups
Group work: Clustering of written work
Plenary: Present clusters
Group work: Align clusters with ideas for outcomes
Plenary: Present alignments
Networking session: Discuss future inititatives
12-13 Lunch
13:30-?? What does it all mean
An exhibition of the networks provided by the participants. The idea is to discuss what these networks can help us understand.
Possible dinner initiative among participants
Date and time
May 13th - May 14th, 2013
From 9am-6pm each day including lunch and breaks.
Dinner at 8pm on May 13th
Place and address
Department of Science Education
Faculty of Science
Øster Voldgade 3
DK-1350 København K
Denmark
How to get here
See map and journey planner to the right for finding your way to the observatory at Oester Voldgade 3, DK-1350 Copenhagen K.
For further information about the content and activities please write to Jesper Bruun.
Free of charge
The symposium is free of charge, and the Department of Science Education provides dinner on Monday and lunch Monday and Tuesday.
Definitions of symposium
Sym•po•sium noun \ sim-’pó-zé-em
plural sym•po•sia or sym•po•siums
1 a: a convivial party (as after banquet in ancient Greece) with music and conversation
b: a social gathering at which there is a free interchange of ideas
2 a: a formal meeting at which several several specialists deliver short addresses on a topic or on related topics - compare COLLOQUIUM
b: a collection of opinions about a subject; especially: one published by a periodical
c: DISCUSSION
This symposium aims at being somewhere in between all these meanings.
Organising Partners
Ismo T. Koponen, University of Helsinki, Physics Teacher Education
Eric Brewe, Florida International University, PER Group
Jonas Forsman and Cedric Linder, University of Uppsala, Division of Physics Education
Jesper Bruun, University of Copenhagen, Department of Science Education