At the invitation of the Center for Learning Science Research, Marcia C. Linn, academician of the National Institute of Education and professor in cognitive and developmental psychology of the Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley, visited our university and attended a series of academic activities. As an internationally renowned scholar in the field of learning science and science education, Professor Linn proposed the concept of “Knowledge Integration” of science learning and teaching, and led the development of Internet-based scientific inquiry environment. As a basic reading of the science curriculum reform, advocated by Standards for the Next Generation of Science Education in the United States, her book Learning Science and Teaching Science: Using Technology to Promote Knowledge Integration was recommended by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), and has been translated by teachers and students of the Center for Learning Science Research and published by East China Normal University Press.
In the morning of December 15, Professor Linn attended seminar of the Center for Learning Science Research and listened to research reports of our researchers in the fields of science learning and teachers’ development. We reviewed years of mutual exchanges and cooperation, and gave specific guidance to joint teaching and research in the future. Vice president Ren Youqun met with Professor Linn and exchanged views on the implementation of the agenda for deep cooperation between the two teams.
In the afternoon, Professor Linn attended the “Workshop for Excellent Science Teachers” which was presided by Dr. Zhen Tainian, and had a face-to-face discussion with more than ten representatives of high school teachers from Minhang and other regions. Professor Linn answered various questions about teaching innovation in the application of network science inquiry platforms.
Later in the report hall of Yifu Building, Professor Linn gave an excellent report named “New Progress In The Study of Knowledge Integration: How to Instruct Students to Integrate Scientific Concepts” for teachers and students of the Faculty of Education, with Pr. Pei Xinning as the presider and Dr. Xiao Sihan as the translator. Zhao Jian, dean of the Department of Basic Education and Lifelong Education, and Yun Minxia, director of the Institute of Education of Minhang District attended the report and gave their speeches. Professor Linn answered questions raised by teachers and students from the College of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences and the Faculty of Education in warm atmosphere.
