• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.305-317
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• 2018

In this study, we investigated the characteristics of participant students' modeling with the blackbox simulation program and epistemic criteria. For this research, we developed a blackbox simulation program, which is an ill-structured problem situation reflecting the scientific practice. This simulation program is applied in the activities. 23 groups, 89 second year students of an education college participated in this activity. They visualized, modeled, modified, and evaluated their thoughts on internal structure in the blackbox. All of students' activities were recorded and analyzed. As a result, the students' models in blackbox activities were categorized into four types considering their form and function. Model evaluation occurred in group model selection. Epistemic criteria such as empirical coherence, comprehensiveness, analogy, simplicity, and implementation were adapted in model evaluation. The educational implications discussed above are as follows: First, the blackbox simulation activities in which the students participated in this study have educational implications in that they provide a context in which the nature of scientific practice can be experienced explicitly and implicitly by constructing and testing models. Second, from the beginning of the activity, epistemic criteria such as empirical coherence, comprehensiveness, analogy, simplicity, and implementation were not strictly adapted and dynamically flexibly adapted according to the context. Third, the study of epistemic criteria in various contexts as well as in the context of this study will broaden the horizon of understanding the nature of scientific practice. Simulation activity, which is the context of this study, can lead to research related to computational thinking that will be more important in future society. We expect to be able to lead more discussions by furthering this study by elaborating and systematizing its context and method.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.495-507
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• 2023

Teachers often encounter challenges in supporting students with question generation and the development of investigation plans in sensemaking activities. A primary challenge stems from the ambiguity surrounding how students apply their conceptual understandings in this process. This study aims to explore how students apply their conceptual understandings to generate questions and design investigation processes in a sensemaking activity. Two types of student group activities were identified and examined for comparison: One focused on designing a process to achieve the goal of sensemaking, and the other focused on following the step-by-step scientific inquiry procedures. The design of investigation process in each group was concretized with epistemic criteria used for evaluating the designs. The students' use of conceptual understandings in discussions around each was then examined. The findings reveal three epistemic criteria employed in generating questions and designing investigation processes. First, the students examined the interestingness of natural phenomena, using their conceptual understandings of the structure and function of entities within natural phenomena to identify a target phenomenon. This process involved verifying their existing knowledge to determine the need for new understanding. The second criterion was the feasibility of investigating specific variables with the given resources. Here, the students relied on their conceptual understandings of the structure and function of entities corresponding to each variable to assess whether each variable could be investigated. The third epistemic criterion involved examining whether the factors of target phenomena expressed in everyday terms could be translated into observable variables capable of explaining the phenomena. Conceptual understandings related to the function of entities were used to translate everyday expressions into observable variables and vice versa. The students' conceptual understanding of a comprehensive mechanism was used to connect the elements of the phenomenon and use the elements as potential factors to explain the target phenomenon. In the case where the students focused on carrying out step-by-step procedures, data collection feasibility was the sole epistemic criterion guiding the design. This study contributes to elucidating how the process of a sensemaking activity can be developed in the science classroom and developing conceptual supports for designing sensemaking activities that align with students' perspectives.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.125-130
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• 2008

To optimize the selected reinforcing method for application to PSC Beam bridges, the reliability analysis was performed with consideration for the increase and decrease of the member section based on the standard design section, and the minimum life-cycle cost(LCC) was calculated from this analysis with consideration for the aleatory uncertainty. Moreover, the mean, 50%, 75%, and 90% distributions of the analysis results were re-evaluated quantitatively by considering the effect of the epistemic uncertainty. The reliability results gained from the application of the reinforcing method, as well as the optimal design method based on the minimum LCC, will provide more reasonable design criteria for the PSC Beam bridges.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.210-223
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• 2022

This study explores the criteria of climate change model evaluation by preservice Earth science teachers. The participants in this study were 25 preservice Earth science teachers who attended lectures on modeling-based science learning for 3 weeks in an Earth science education major course. The evaluation criteria of climate change models were categorized inductively using reports written by preservice Earth science teachers and post-interviews. The results showed that preservice Earth science teachers used various epistemic and communicative criteria to evaluate climate change models. Implications for modeling-based climate-change learning were suggested based on these results.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.389-403
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• 2019

This study aims to analyze criteria and characteristics for preservice elementary teachers' critiques of their peers' inquiry-based instruction. This study reviews critiques written by 31 preservice elementary teachers enrolled in an elementary school science inquiry methods course wherein the teachers designed and implemented inquiry-based instruction. These preservice teachers participated in inquiry-based instruction as if they were elementary students and then evaluated their peers' instruction. Analysis of the critiques reveals that preservice teachers evaluated their peers' instruction on the following criteria: instruction context, science content, teaching strategies, students, instructional goals, non-verbal attitude, and assessment. Their beliefs about teaching science inquiry were reflected in the critiques. Additionally, it was found that four orientation for teaching inquiry-didactic, academic rigor, activity-driven, inquiry orientation-reflected in critiques; some of critiques held more than one of these orientations. And they did not merely criticize but suggested alternatives to general teaching strategies; furthermore, of inquiry-instruction specific teaching strategies. They showed higher epistemic understanding of inquiry-based instruction after mid-term demonstrations. The evidence demonstrated that the proportion of critiques specifically about inquiry-based instruction increased after the mid-term demonstrations. Moreover, the post mid-term critiques emphasized interaction between students as well as understanding of the nature of science. These findings could provide implication for teaching inquiry and criticizing others' instruction as part of elementary school science courses in preservice elementary teacher education.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.27-37
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• 2020

The Fukushima Daiichi accident in 2011 revealed some vulnerabilities of existing Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) under extended Station Blackout (SBO) accident conditions. One of the key Severe Accident Management (SAM) strategies developed post Fukushima accident is the In-Vessel Retention (IVR) Strategy which aims to retain the structural integrity of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV). RELAP/SCDAPSIM/MOD3.4 is selected to predict the thermal-hydraulic response of APR1400 undergoing an extended SBO. To assess the effectiveness of the IVR strategy, it is essential to quantify the underlying uncertainties. In this work, both the epistemic and aleatory uncertainties are considered to identify the success window of the IVR strategy. A set of in-vessel relevant phenomena were identified based on Phenomena Identification and Ranking Tables (PIRT) developed for severe accidents and propagated through the thermal-hydraulic model using Wilk's sampling method. For this work, a Systems Engineering (SE) approach is applied to facilitate the development process of assessing the reliability and robustness of the APR1400 IVR strategy. Specifically, the Kossiakoff SE method is used to identify the requirements, functions and physical architecture, and to develop a design verification and validation plan. Using the SE approach provides a systematic tool to successfully achieve the research goal by linking each requirement to a verification or validation test with predefined success criteria at each stage of the model development. The developed model identified the conditions necessary for successful implementation of the IVR strategy which maintains the vessel integrity and prevents a melt-through.