Welcome to this session on conceptual models

Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Bruce Muller
عدد الردود: 27

Hello fellow CALMet-ers!

It has been great to see the level of interest and participation in this offering of CALMet Online. We're kicking off the 5th session, Teaching with Conceptual Models, today and we hope that some of you will find this session of interest as well. We'll be exploring how mental models, or conceptual models, help us better understand physical processes.

Inspiration for this session came via efforts by two instructional designers here at COMET, Bryan Guarente and Tsvet Ross-Lazarov. They've been teaching an annual 2-week winter weather workshop that is heavily focused on analysis and diagnosis for severe winter weather events. The course has evolved over the past couple of years to heavily focus on enhancing the complex conceptual model that experienced forecasters have of atmospheric processes. I hope that Tsvet and Bryan will have an opportunity to share their insights (the winter weather course is currently underway so they may be busy!). One of the introductory videos is from Bryan so you'll get some of his insights there. 

Please come and join us. We're looking forward to hearing and learning from you.

Bruce and Marianne

Link: Teaching with Conceptual Models

The attached image is from an exercise that Bryan and Tsvet do in their winter weather course. This is a Playdoe (clay) model made by one of the participants. Watch Bryan's video to learn more about its significance!

المرفق 06_playdoe.jpg
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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Asteria Handayani

Dear Bruce and Marianne,

I was excited to start this week, since the very first reason I enrolled myself to this online event was because one of the topic is about conceptual model :)

It has been sometimes that I wanted to know more about this term and how to build one myself. Watching the video from you and Bryan, I guessed I have joined the right forum.

So, looking forward to go through every new things to learn this week :)

 

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Bruce Muller

Great to hear from you, Asteria. I hope the introduction presentations provided some inspiration for you to share your own thoughts on conceptual models and their use in your training and teaching. Looking forwarding to hearing more.

-Bruce

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Izolda Marcinonienė

Hello,

I tried to answer to these questions from my own experience in very simple way:) I hope you could read pptx format

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Bruce Muller

Hello Izolda. Thank you for being the first person to post their thoughts to the forum. Much appreciated! I would love to hear more about about the mini course on CM and using SatRep material. Can you share a bit about that course? There have been several really good resources produced through EUMETrain and VLab and we recently added links to two of them on the MetEd website so they can be shared as widely as possible (Conceptual Models for Southern HemisphereThe Manual of Synoptic Satellite Meteorology, or SatManu). 

-Bruce

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Izolda Marcinonienė

Good afternoon, Bruce, 

the main idea of these mini courses was to introduce meteorologists about CM, to teach in basic knowledge and finally to evaluate the result.

A short description:

1.Responsible Satmanu person was looking for volunteer to test mini course (I said YES)

2.The task was to find the correct CM, using different sat. images, ECMWF model (physical parameters fields, cross sections, soundings), observations

3.Limited time-1 or 2 weeks (I don't remember)

4.Every day I could keep contacts with teacher from ZAMG (via skype) and could get his help but...

5.His answers were very professional-"please look at ...., read this..., compare that...". It means that I found the right answer myself:)

6.The more I analysed the situation, the more I was involved in CM theory and found how important and usefull it was

7.Finally, my expanded answers to all course questions have been sent to Satmanu team

8. I have got very clear explanation of my mistakes or praiseworthy words  as well

9. Signed Certificate has been sent by ordinary mail:)

10. The more I learned, the more I understood how little I knew about CM... So, I had applied for WMO fellowship for Satellite image interpretation and have got it!

 

Izolda

 

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Bernadette Connell

When I stopped to think about my interpretation of conceptual model, the words that come to mind are  visualizations of ideal processes or theory.  When Brian mentioned in his video describing vortex tubes – “this looks like a sheet blowing in the wind”, I interpret this as connecting the equation with a conceptual model AND an experience.  Last week I did a little weather session with 4th graders and part of the exercise focused on indicators of wind speed and the Beaufort scale.  That “rolling” motion is also seen in a flag gently extended in the wind (which on the beaufort scale indicates a gentle breeze at 7-10 knots).  The beaufort wind scale concept has been around for quite some time - interpreting a pattern for a wind speed!  Back to the example - of course, scale matters, so that smaller scale vortex tube on a sheet or flag is different in impact than something the scale of the atmospheric boundary layer….

When I started out in meteorology, I was fortunate to be able to participate in field measurement campaigns of collecting and analyzing surface observations and hourly radiosonde releases.  I essentially got to watch the clouds form and dissipate throughout the day and then compare that information mentally with surface and upper air observations and later then put them into a simple diagnostic model.  (I didn’t know about the imagery on the GOES satellites back then, it would have been an important piece!)  You gain an appreciation for how mathematical formulations or the conceptual model represent or sometimes miss the real world happenings.  Over time you gather more experience by “practicing” and “fine tuning” the “observations” you use to interpret the weather that develops.

So, I don’t know that I can specifically point to a conceptual model that changed my understanding.  What usually changes my understanding more significantly is looking at something in more detail or from a different perspective.  Looking in more detail is often driven by curiosity or investigating some piece of information that doesn’t quite make sense.  I came across this phrase attributed to Isaac Asimov “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'

How do I use the conceptual model in teaching?  For satellite imagery - I usually present the concept and show image examples of the how the concept works.  I highlight the words “in general, this is what happens” and then depending on the audience and goal of the particular session present a general example and another example where a general assumption breaks down.

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Patrick Parrish

Hi Bruce and Marianne,

I wanted to share an example to show that conceptual models are useful not only in the physical sciences.

I have been involved in the WMO Seminars for Trainers for some years now, and it is sometimes difficult to get across the concept of learner-centered instruction. Even if we think we have a good grasp, it is slippery nonetheless. Admitted, it is a flexible concept, but I was sure that it could be modelled. So this week I developed the attached graphics to show what I thought was the difference between a traditional conceptual model of instruction and a learner-centered model. I am sure it could use a bit more refinement, but it is a start. It is missing things like motivation and personal goals and intentions, but for the sake of simplicity, those are just assumed in the circle called, "Students, with all their unique qualities." Does "Learning Environment" actually include all the other elements, or is it a unique element that describes the context but not the components? Oh well.

I would be interested if it matches the model others hold in their minds. What might make this more useful?

Patrick

المرفق Slide1.jpg
المرفق Slide2.jpg
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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Larissa Timofeyeva

Dear Patrick

Thank you for slides with pedagogical CMs. I have searched the Internet and there are a lot of videos and other information on the topic, on using CMs in different areas. Here is one thing you might be interested in:

Maximizing Training: A Simple Conceptual Model

It doesn't seem so simple in comparison with yours )

Your CMs have reminded me of three cultural states: postfigurative, cofigurative, and prefigurative. Margareth Mead's theory, you know.

In terms of Pedagogy - 3 different teaching/learning environment.

Slide  1  - postfigurative, when students are mainly taught by the teacher. Many teachers still believe this is the only way )

Slide 2 - cofigurative, when students and teachers become more educated while collaborative teaching/learning. 

CMs should be aimed at certain audiences, and your explanations at Slides clearly show this! And I would like to add, that a problem might occur if the CM provided doesn't match Mental Models of the audience 

Best wishes

Larissa

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Tsvetomir Ross-Lazarov

Hi all,

A conceptual model is a mental construct that we create in our minds based on what we see in reality.  We use previous patterns, conceptual models, and observations to construct our models.  The models cover every aspect of our lives from using a telephone to communicating with our spouse, from landing an airplane to forecasting the weather.

In a recent lecture, neuroscientist Beau Lotto mentioned that only 10% of the information we see comes from our eyes.  The other 90% comes from our brain.  The brain interprets what the eyes see based on our past knowledge, experiences, assumptions, and immediate context.  I’d like to think about this as the brain coming up with mental constructs the helps us function in a situation, use tools, etc.

A conceptual model that changed my understanding: A few years back I came across research into the cognitive mental processes of weather forecasters.  My previous conceptual model of how forecasters make forecasts suggested that they combine their knowledge of meteorological processes with the output of numerical models (NWP).  The research presented a different conceptual model, one in which forecasters who consistently do well create detailed 3D mental models of the atmosphere based on current observations.  Then they evolve their 3D mental model forward in time to the appropriate forecast period.  It is only then that they look at NWP output and evaluate how well the output matches their 3D mental model.  In areas of disagreement, they interrogate the NWP data in order to understand the reasons for it.  Then they combine their 3D mental model with NWP output and monitor the evolution of the atmosphere.  For example, they predict what the winds will be doing at a location and actively watch the incoming wind observations.  They constantly adjust their model to match the evolution of the real atmosphere.

These days, in several training efforts our team helps learners to create 3D mental models of the atmosphere based on idealized academic models and real-life observations.  We learn how to imagine in 3D, and how to adapt the models that we learned in school to match the real atmosphere and create forecasts.

3d model with modeling clay

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Ian Bell
Hi Calmeters,
 
To me conceptual models aren't just a good idea, they are the only way we interpret the world! For example, if I asked you what a leopard is you might tell me that it is a big, dangerous cat with 4 legs, a tail, sharp teeth and claws and spots on the skin.
 
 
If we had to tick all the criteria we would be eaten by the leopard.We apply our conceptual model - it has bits of a leopard so let's assume it is one.
 
It's the same in meteorology. We never have complete observations so we can only interpret what we see in the observations, satellite and radar images.
 
I liked the playdough example. You could also draw streamlines into it which would nicely portray the deformation zones and boundaries associated with cloud mass edges and moist/dry air. For years I used 2 painted papier mache models of the moist isentropic surfaces for cold and warm conveyor belt flows (the comma cloud and baroclinic leaf), They were painted to depict the relative flows and cloud/clear areas.
 
I also developed the 3D flow structure with groups by using red and blue streamers to depict the warm and cold conveyor belt flows in a mature extratropical cyclone. This involve the group standing on chairs and tables to achieve the relevant heights and the whole group cooperating. It always worked well and consolidated the theory.
 
Below is an example of a 3D composite analysis of a severe storm environment from a Train the thunderstorm trainer course Aurora and I ran in Romania. When the group showed their results from the charts on the data projector it was clear that they had the correct answers but didn't really have a strong feeling of how it all fitted together. The hat stand represents the slope of the low with height, the rolled up chart is the jet stream, glasses of water can represent the moisture sources, a line of books for the convergence zone, low level jets can be more rolled up charts or a pointer, etc, etc. This was a great success and suddenlty they "got it". They all commented at the end of the course that this was something that helped them with their understanding.
 
 
 
I'm currently in Morocco at this year's WMO train the trainer course. I'll post some PowerPoint examples of conceptual models later.
 
Ian Bell
 
 
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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Ian Bell
Hi Calmeters,
 
This is a resend of my post with the images as attachments. Moodle stripped the embedded images from my initial post.
 
To me conceptual models aren't just a good idea, they are the only way we interpret the world! For example, if I asked you what a leopard is you might tell me that it is a big, dangerous cat with 4 legs, a tail, sharp teeth and claws and spots on the skin.
 
 
If we had to tick all the criteria we would be eaten by the leopard.We apply our conceptual model - it has bits of a leopard so let's assume it is one.
 
It's the same in meteorology. We never have complete observations so we can only interpret what we see in the observations, satellite and radar images.
 
I liked the playdough example. You could also draw streamlines into it which would nicely portray the deformation zones and boundaries associated with cloud mass edges and moist/dry air. For years I used 2 painted papier mache models of the moist isentropic surfaces for cold and warm conveyor belt flows (the comma cloud and baroclinic leaf), They were painted to depict the relative flows and cloud/clear areas.
 
I also developed the 3D flow structure with groups by using red and blue streamers to depict the warm and cold conveyor belt flows in a mature extratropical cyclone. This involve the group standing on chairs and tables to achieve the relevant heights and the whole group cooperating. It always worked well and consolidated the theory.
 
Below is an example of a 3D composite analysis of a severe storm environment from a Train the thunderstorm trainer course Aurora and I ran in Romania. When the group showed their results from the charts on the data projector it was clear that they had the correct answers but didn't really have a strong feeling of how it all fitted together. The hat stand represents the slope of the low with height, the rolled up chart is the jet stream, glasses of water can represent the moisture sources, a line of books for the convergence zone, low level jets can be more rolled up charts or a pointer, etc, etc. This was a great success and suddenlty they "got it". They all commented at the end of the course that this was something that helped them with their understanding.
 
 
 
I'm currently in Morocco at this year's WMO train the trainer course. I'll post some PowerPoint examples of conceptual models later.
 
Ian Bell
المرفق 3D composite analysis exercise (1).JPG
المرفق leopard.png
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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Jonah Kazora

Dear, CALMets_2014
To me conceptual models aren't just a good idea, they are the only way we interpret the world in the simple way.the diagram below indicate an example of  the follow patterns of winds and moisture. this results shows us where there is more activities by looking on it.

المرفق ARP7001.gif
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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Izolda Marcinonienė
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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Ian Bell

Thanks Izolda.

 

I've attached an example of a thunderstorm image, linking the visual features to our conceptual models in thermodynamics. Although the conceptual model (main PPT) is nice in itself it becomes a much more powerful learning tool when people perform the tasks in the exercise first.

 

Feel free to use or adapt these resources.

 

Ian

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Ian Bell

Hi All,

 

Here's a PPT showing a a plan view of up and downdrafts in an idealised supercell model. (Sorry it's only northern hemisphere but I could convert it if anyone wants it.) It's just the standard model but the reason I've included it here is that it uses a number of techniques to make the model more understandable.

 

1. Use of colour to highlight different flows and boundaries

 

2. Building the model one feature at a time instead of overwhelming with all the details.

 

3. Animations to reinforce the flow directions, and

 

4. Use of triggers to be able to control the sequence.

 

It's all done in PowerPoint.

 

cheers

 

Ian

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Asteria Handayani

Dear Ian,

what a nice presentation of supercell you made :)

thank you for those tips you listed. you made it looked simple, yet I guess it would need a lot of creative works :)

please correct me if I am wrong. to my opinion, in order to be able to develop a model of atmospheric phenomena, one should understand the meteorological phenomena first. so, the first step in developing the conceptual model must be to learn the physical attribute of the phenomena, then visualize it in mind, then try to draw or build the model with any kind of tools like you explained. do I miss something here? 

thank you..

 

 

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Ian Bell

Dear Asteria,

 

In general you are correct. However, creating the visuals of the conceptual model can help you to learn too. For example, in the case of the supercell I talked with some of the experts to find out whether there should be a set sequence - should the forward or read downdraft occur first? The answer was that it can be either and so I created the model diagram to allow for that and learnt in the process.

 

If I don't understand something I will struggle with it until I have a conceptual model that helps me to be clear. In training terns this is often called a mental model. Our understanding or knowledge of a topic can be considered to consist of a mental model plus details.

 

My mental model of mental models is a tree. The roots are the foundations, things we know well and can apply across other topics. Then the trunk and branches are the mental model of what we are learning or teaching. The leaves are the details. Unless we have the branches (framework) in place no matter how many details we give our students, they won't retain them. But once they have a  clear mental model it is easy to add the details.

 

Sometime, of course, we have to prune (cut off) a branch if it has false information. This is more difficult then adding new ones.
 
I have attached a PowerPoint about mental models. It includes an NWP example. If we teach all the details without the framework it is very difficult to assimilate but if the students understand how it all fits together it is much easier to learn.
 
I would welcome any comments or other people's experiences in using mental models for training.
 
 
cheers
 

Ian

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Asteria Handayani

Dear Ian,

 

Thank you for your sharing your mental model of mental model. to be honest, I was a bit confuse on the difference between a mental model and conceptual model.

I guess  a mental model is the basis of what we are doing whilst a conceptual model describe the thing we observe. therefore, ideally we should build a mental model first then a conceptual model afterward. please CMIIW. 

thanks

 

best,

Tya

 

 

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Ian Bell

Hi Tya,

 

Good question.

 

There can be a lot of overlap between the terms. Depending on the context they may be interchangeable. It's not crucial.

 

One approach in our training context would be that the conceptual model is what we as a group agree on and the mental model is our personal understanding of it.

 

So, for example, there could be a generally agreed conceptual model of the 3D flow in an extratropical cyclone but individuals may differ in their understanding or the way they visualise it. This would be their mental models of the flow. In Bruce's example the mental model may be of a playdough surface or the original diagrams it was based on but the conceptual model (how we agree the flows are) remains the same. Some people may have a mental model of the streamlines in different colours for up and down motion or for dry and moist air.

 

I hope this clarifies rather than confuses. Let me know.

 

Ian

 

رداً على Asteria Handayani

Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Tsvetomir Ross-Lazarov

Hi Asteria,

I'd like to share with you another way to distinguish between conceptual and mental models.

Conceptual models are the theoretical constructs that we learn in our educational experience.  Many of them have been derived from careful study of empirical data about the atmosphere.  The researchers idealized the interactions of various processes in the atmosphere in order to come up with a testable hypothesis.  

As Ian mentioned, a mental model is what each of us constructs out of the real life data before us and the conceptual models that we are familiar with.  We take the idealized conceptual model and make modifications to it in order to take into account the complexities of the real atmosphere that is before us.

Take Jet streaks for example, we have the conceptual model that tells us where the fastest winds and rising and sinking regions are.  In reality, other processes come into play and those regions are shifted.  We can use the real-life observations, our understanding of meteorological processes, and the conceptual model to create a mental model of what is actually going on.

I hope this is helpful,

Tsvet

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Asteria Handayani

Dear Tsvet,

 

Yes, thank you for adding another example of mental model and conceptual model. 

Your explanation and Ian's help me to distinguish between those terms :)

 

cheers,

Tya

 

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Bruce Muller

Hi Ian,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and including those pics. Bryan and Tsvet's workshops were the first time I had seen meteorology taught in such a hands-on, demonstrative manner. It's great to hear that other folks do so as well. When I first heard of them doing this, my initial thought was that these adult learners are going to think this is a middle school exercise and be taken aback, if not feel insulted. Boy, was I wrong. First off, I didn't think that experienced forecasters would be struggling so much with interpreting the 3- and 4-dimensional aspects of the atmosphere from planview data and satellite imagery. And secondly, adult learners just don't get many opportunities to express their thoughts using clay or themselves and simple props, and might feel inhibited to do so. Instead, from what I've seen, such activities are deeply engaging, powerful learning experiences that challenge preconceptions. Great stuff! 

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Amos Asalu

Hi Bell

I salute you once again on Conceptual models. Today i imagine that to do something great one needs to imagine first ( in the brain) then later put that imagination into practical situation, i.e. stage of developing concepts and models. Finally developing live tasks/competences necessary for a learner.  In it I seem to see four important lessons for a trainer: 1.brain thinking 2. concept development 3. model development  and 4. Competence/task development. Is this correct ?

Best regard,

Amos

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Simon Ageet

Hullo Bruce and all Calmeters,

I had been left behind, tight schedule.

I agree all the post, conceptual models is really a powerful tool since the picture you draw in your mind about a process never goes. Its like remembering someones face versus remembering the name. You can not easily forget a face.

I remember a model my lecture made us demonstrate on effect of Coriolis force; a piece of paper rotating on a table while drawing a straight line. In that way, I have never forgotten  the effect of Coriolis force on either hemispheres.

 

Cheers all

Simon

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Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Larissa Timofeyeva

Hi All

I would like to thank everybody for such amazing forum, for sharing thoughts and experiences )

I am a little bit late, but I can name the most impressive CM  now - from school, a visualisation of Earth system:

a lamp as Sun, a Globe as Earth and something moving between them as the Moon. 

It was a CM, wasn't it? But children had their own Mental Models based on their understanding. 

I still remember some CMs from COMET Modules, and of course, I use some while teaching: hydrological cycle, rainfall-runoff or my colleague's MultiLayers CM. It is time and force consuming to create a computer multi dimensional model, but they can even be "hand made", as  posts say )

For me, the best thing with this Course and this session  is the possibility to learn new things and listen to experts. 

Here is a video, might be interesting (hope, there is no ad)

Developing and Using Models

 
Thanks to this event I have found some great visualisations on Ground Water and will use them, they are the only means to realise what might happen in the depth )
 
Marianne and Bruce, thanks a lot!
 
 
 
رداً على Larissa Timofeyeva

Re: Welcome to this session on conceptual models

بواسطة - Jonah Kazora

am grant to know how to bullied a model and now days modeling is very good phenomena to use and it helps to understand simulations.

thank u for this example.