Building an interactive system to explore socio-scientific issues

SSI refers to scientific issues related to human life and involving different disciplines (e.g. I&T, environment, society). SSI usually does not have clear solutions, and different stakeholders may have different point of views.

Allowing students to discuss and explore SSI can provide learning opportunities for them to use scientific knowledge to distinguish facts, myths and ideas, make evidence-based scientific arguments and make informed decisions. Through the process of inquiry, students critically examine science-related issues, understand the impact of human activities on the environment, and take responsible actions to promote environmental sustainability.

Teachers can support students in exploring SSI by using concept maps and online interactive systems. SSI often involves interconnected domains with various variables and factors that have different relationships (e.g., positive or negative correlations). By using online interactive systems such as SageModeler, variables can be visualised, and students can conduct simulations and predictions. These features help students understand the interactions among components, describe and explain scientific phenomena, and develop systems thinking during their exploration of SSI.

Explore the teacher guides and resources below to learn how to effectively use online platforms in science classrooms to help students explore SSI.

• Teacher's Guide

• Reference materials (Chinese version only)
• Sample lesson worksheet (Chi / Eng)

Mr. LEUNG Pui-Hong, Wilfred (Sacred Heart Canossian College)