Explore our free STEM learning resources

Amy Pallant

Amy Pallant currently directs several Earth and environmental science projects focused on Earth systems modeling and the development of uncertainty-infused argumentation. She is leading the High-Adventure Science (HAS) projects and the Geological Models for Explorations of the Dynamic Earth (GEODE). HAS curricula has been used by students in all 50 states and in several countries around the world. She likes the challenge of developing models to help students learn about complex, interacting Earth systems that are too big to see in a lab. Ironically, when Amy first arrived at the Concord Consortium, she worked on several Molecular Workbench projects that were focused on making the microscopic world visible. These problems have similar but not identical challenges. Prior to working at the Concord Consortium she developed curriculum and managed projects at Turnstone Publishing Company, which focused on bringing the work of scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Smithsonian Institution to elementary and middle school students; she also developed curriculum at Education Development Center. Amy holds a Master’s in Science Education from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in Geology from Oberlin College.

Publications

Presentations

  • Pallant, A. & Bateman, K., (2019, Sept 22) Transforming geoscience education with interactive models for exploring plate tectonics. Annual conference of the Geological Society of America, Phoenix, AZ
  • Bateman, K., Pallant A., McDonald, S. & Lord, T. (2019, Sept 24) Exploring plate tectonics with models and an online curriculum. Annual conference of the Geological Society of America, Phoenix, AZ
  • Bateman, K., McDonald, S., Pallant, A. & Lee, H. –S. (2019, Dec 10) Guiding students’ developing understandings in Geosciences: The use of summary tables as a formative assessment tool. American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
  • Pallant, A. (2019, April 3) Learn about plate tectonics visualizations tools with GEODE. Out2Lunch Webinar presented by Earth Science Information Partnership (ESIP)
  • Pallant, A. (2018, October 11) Transforming geoscience education with interactive models for exploring plate tectonics. Presented at Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Science Education Department Seminar Series. Cambridge, MA. (Abstract)
  • Wright, K., Pallant, A. And Lee, H. –S. (2017, July). Appropriating a climate science discourse about uncertainty in online lessons. Paper presented at Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) conference. Philadelphia, PA.
  • Pallant, A. (2017, March). Powerful and Free Online Simulations and Curriculum for Earth Science. Presentation at the National Science Teacher Association Conference (NSTA). Los Angeles, CA.
  • Stephens, A. L., & Pallant, A. (2016, April). Inquiry Space: Using graphs as a tool to understand experiments. Paper presented at the annual meeting of American Education Research Association (AERA), Washington DC.
  • Zhu, M. Liu, O.L., Mao, L. & Pallant, A., (2016) Use of Automated Scoring and Feedback in Online Interactive Earth Science Tasks. Paper presented at IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC). Princeton, NJ.
  • Xing, W., Lee, H. –S., & Pallant, A. (2016). Text mining in written scientific argumentation using Latent Dirichlet Allocation. Paper submitted for the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Washington, D.C.
  • Bell, K.L.C., Raineault, N., Carey, S., Eberli, G.P., John, B. E., Cheadle, M.J., German, C. R., Mirmalek, Z., & Pallant, A. (2016). Increasing Shore-based Participation of Scientists & Students in Telepresence-enabled Nautilus Expeditions. Abstract #91482, Ocean Sciences meeting, New Orleans, LA.
  • Lee, H. -S., Pallant, A., Tinker, R., & Horwitz, P. (in press). High school students’ parameter space navigation and reasoning during simulation-based experimentation. In (Eds.), Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS 2014) (pp.). Boulder, CO: International Society of the Learning Sciences.
  • Lee, H-S., & Pallant, A. (2015). Building an intelligent online curriculum system: High-Adventure Science example. Paper presented at the Learning Analytics Summer Institute ’15. Poughkeepsie, NY.
  • Lee, H-S., Pallant, A., & Pryputniewicz, S. (2015). Articulating uncertainty as part of scientific argumentation during model-based exoplanet detection tasks. Paper presented at thebiennial meeting of the 29th International Astronomical Union General Assembly. Honolulu, HI.
  • Zhu, M., Mao, L., Liu, O.L., & Pallant A. (2015). Impact of automated scoring and feedback on scientific argumentation in earth science; Through the log data analysis. In the Data Mining for Educational Assessment and Feedback Workshop (ASSESS 2015) at the IEEE International Conference on Data Mining (ICDM) 2015, Atlantic City, NJ.
  • Pallant, A. (2014, April). High-Adventure Science–Free simulations exploring Earth’s systems and sustainability. Presentation at the National Science Teacher Association Conference (NSTA). Boston, MA.
  • Lee, H. -S., Pallant, A., Tinker, R., & Horwitz, P. (in press). High school students’ parameter space navigation and reasoning during simulation-based experimentation. In (Eds.), Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS ’2014) (pp.). Boulder, CO: International Society of the Learning Sciences.
  • Pallant, A. (2013, November). High-Adventure Science–Free simulations exploring Earth’s systems and sustainability. Presentation at the New England Environmental Education Alliance Conference (NEEEA). Newport, RI.
  • Pallant, A., Lee, H-S, & Pryputniewicz, S. (2013, April). Promoting Scientific Argumentation with Computational Models. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), Puerto Rico.
  • Lee, H-S, Pallant, A., Pryputniewicz, S. & Liu, O.L, (2013, April). Measuring Students’ Scientific Argumentation Associated with Uncertain Current Science. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), Puerto Rico.
  • Pallant, A., & Pryputniewicz, S. (2013, February). High-Adventure Science: Making and Defending Scientific Claims in the Face of Uncertainty. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Massachussetts Environmental Education Society (MEES), Worcester MA.
  • Pallant A, (2012, October). Scientific Seminar-Looking at the Evidence: How Certain Are We?. Invited Presentation at the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY.
  • Pallant, A., (2012, February). Developing Integrated Understanding of Global Climate Using Dynamic Visualizations. Symposium Presentation at AAAS Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC.
  • Pallant, A., & Lee, H-S, (2011, April). Characterizing uncertainty associated with middle school students’ scientific arguments. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), Orlando, FL.
  • Tinker, R., Pallant, A. Xie, Q., & O’Sullivan, E. (2008, March). Using enhanced molecular dynamics models to understand light-matter interactions. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
  • Zalles, D., Gobert, J., Pallant, A., Quellmalz, E. (2007, July). Building data literacy, visualization, and inquiry in geoscience education. In the Proceedings of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Education User Conference. Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. San Diego, CA.
  • Zalles, D., Quellmalz, E., Gobert, J., Pallant, A. (2007, April). Assessing student learning in the data sets and inquiry in geoscience education project. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
  • Zalles, D., Quellmalz, E., Gobert, J., Pallant, A. (2006, December).Building data literacy, visualization, and inquiry in geoscience education. Paper delivered at Annual Meeting of the American Geophysical Union. San Francisco, CA.
  • Berenfeld, B., Pallant, A., Tinker, B., Tinker, R., & Xie, Q., (2004, April). From genetic code to protein shape using dynamic modeling. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • Gobert, J. Slotta, J. & Pallant, A., Nagy, S. & Targum, E. (2002, April). A WISE inquiry project for students’ east-west coast collaboration. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.

Funded Proposals