Translational Science of Cognitive Science in Middle School Science Curricula

There have often been complaints about the lack of implementation of basic research findings from cognitive science into curricula. We are conducting a large research study to examine whether systematic modification of middle school science curricula using general cognitive science principles can significantly improve student learning in large urban school districts. A team of cognitive scientists is collaborating to systematically modify 3 curriculum units in a common textbook for teaching science and 3 curriculum units in a common hands-on science curriculum. The modifications are based primarily on four main principles derived from cognitive science research: contrasting cases setup instruction, visualization conventions and challenges need to be explicitly addressed in instruction, instruction must build upon and address student prior knowledge, and spaced testing improves retention. We describe the foundations of these principles and provide examples of how these principles were used to modify the science curricula. This study presents an opportunity to test the cumulative benefit of basic cognitive science research applied to science education rather than just laboratory demonstrations.