Curriculum Vitae

 

David Fortus

 

Home                                                  Office

11 Mishmar Hayarden, #16                    Department of Science Teaching

Givatayim 53582                                    Weizmann Institute of Science

ISRAEL                                               Rehovot 76100

972-3-573-5789 (P)                              ISRAEL

            972-8-934-2493 (P)

 

Education

PhD (1999-2003)                       University o f Michigan, Science Education, “Design-Based Science and the Transfer of Science Knowledge and Real-World Problem-Solving Skills”, co-advisors – Joe Krajcik & Ron Marx

Teaching License (1995)            Israel Ministry of Education

MSc (1988-1991)                      Technion - Israel, Physics, “The BCS Model of Superconductivity in Thermofield Dynamics”, co-advisors – Ady Mann & Micha Revzen

BSc (1978-1983)                       Technion – Israel, Aeronautical Engineering

 

Employment History

2006 until present:                      Weizmann Institute of Science - Israel, Senior Scientist in Science Teaching

2003 until 2008:                         Michigan State University, Assistant Professor in Science Education

1993 until 1999:                         HEMDA - the Center for Science Education in Tel-Aviv - Israel, High school physics teacher

1991 until 1993:                         Israel Aircraft Industries, Project manager

1983 until 1988:                         Israel Air Force, Captain

 

Other Appointments

Editorial Appointments

2010- present    Associate editor of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching

2008                             Editor of a special issue of The Elementary School Journal dedicated to science education

2005-2008                 Editorial Board of Science Education Review

Committees

2009 - present   National MUTAV Committee – Science and Technology for All

2010 - present   National Steering Committee for 8^th Grade Science Meitzav (מיצ"ב)

 

Post-Secondary Teaching

2010-2011         (Weizmann)                  Quantitative Methods

2009-2010         (Weizmann)                  Assessment Methods in Science Education

                        (Weizmann)                  Thesis Seminar

2008-2009         (Weizmann)                  Quantitative Methods

2008                 (Weizmann)                  Introduction to Science Education

(MSU) TE861A                        Teaching Science for Understanding

2007                 (MSU) TE861A                        Teaching Science for Understanding

2006                 (MSU) TE861A                        Teaching Science for Understanding

2005                 (MSU) TE860               Inquiry & Practice in Science Teaching

2004                 (MSU) TE860               Inquiry & Practice in Science Teaching

(MSU) TE955               Contemporary Issues in Science Curriculum and Teaching

 

International Recognition

Awards

2005                 APA (American Psychological Association) Division 15 (Educational Psychology) Paul R. Pintrich Outstanding Dissertation Award

2004                 NARST (National Association for Research in Science Teaching) Outstanding Dissertation Award

1999-2003         Spencer Fellowship – University of Michigan

1993                 IAI Award – An Israeli engineering award

1988-1991         Regent’s Fellowship – Technion, Israel

Review Boards

2006                 National Science Foundation, ITEST Panel

2008 - 2009       Israel Science Foundation, Social Sciences and Humanities

Invited Presentations

1.                   Fortus, D. (2010). Adolescents’ Declining Motivation to Lean Science. Invited presentation, given at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.

2.                   Fortus, D. (2009). The interdependency of learning progressions and curriculum. Invited talk given at the Learning Progressions Assessment Workshop, Ann Arbor, MI.

3.                   Fortus, D. (2009). What can we learn from the experience of “Tomorrow 98?” Invited talk given at Education: From Vision and Policy to Implementation, an international conference at the van Leer Institute, Jerusalem, Israel.

4.                   Fortus, D. (2008). The Importance of Learning to Make Assumptions. Invited talk given at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.

5.                   Fortus, D (2006). Transfer & Social Interactions in Design-Based Science. Invited talk given at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA.

6.                   Fortus, D. (2006). A Learning-Goals Model for Developing Standards-based Middle School Science Materials. Invited talk given at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers, Syracuse, NY.

Other Presentations

7.                   Fortus, D. & Vedder Weiss, D. (accepted). Adolescents’ declining motivation to learn science: What do they say? Paper to be presented at the Biennial meeting of the European Science Education Research Association, Lyon, France.

8.                   Fortus, D. & Vedder Weiss, D. (accepted). Adolescents’ declining motivation to learn science: Inevitable or not? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Orlando, FL.

9.                   Yayon, M., Mamlok-Naaman, R., & Fortus, D. (2010). Using a knowledge-in-pieces representation to characterize chemical-bonding knowledge: The basis of a diagnostic tool. Paper presented at the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, Denton, TX.

10.               Fortus, D. (2010). Education as a Fire Extinguisher. Invited presentation, given at the National Institute for Testing and Evaluation, Israel.

11.               Krajcik, J., Fortus, D., Reiser, B., Sutherland, L., & Smith, S. (2010). Comparing student achievement across time in contexts using a coherent inquiry curriculum versus those using traditional curricula. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Philadelphia , PA.

12.               Fortus, D., Shwartz, Y., & Rosenfeld, S. (2010). High school students’ modeling knowledge. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Philadelphia, PA.

13.               Fortus, D. (2009). The interdependency of learning progressions and curriculum. Invited presentation, given at the Learning Progressions Assessment Workshop, Ann Arbor, MI.

14.               Schwarz, C., Reiser, B., Fortus, D., Shwartz, Y., Acher, A., David, B., Kenyon, L., & Hug, B. (2009). MoDeLS: Defining a Learning progression for Scientific Modeling. Paper presented at the LEAPS meeting, Iowa City, IA.

15.               Fortus, D. (2009). The Importance of Learning to Make Assumptions. Invited presentation, given at the Arab College, Haifa, Israel.

16.               Reiser, B., Schwarz, C., Kenyon, L., Fortus, D., & Acher, A. (2009). A Learning Progression for Elementary and Middle School Students’ Modeling Practices. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.

17.               Fortus, D., Vedder-Weiss, D., & Shwartz, Y. (2009). Supporting Student and Teacher Learning about Modeling Practices. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Orange County, CA.

18.               Chen, J. & Fortus, D (2009). A Study of Three Science Teachers’ Implementation of Inquiry-Based Curriculum. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Orange County, CA.

19.               Reiser, B., Schwarz, C., Fortus, D., Kenyon, L., Krajcik, J., & Davis, E. (2008). MoDeLS: Articulating a Learning Progression for Scientific Modeling. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY.

20.               Schwarz, C., Reiser, B., Fortus, D., Krajcik, J., Roseman, J.E., Willard, T., & Archer, A. (2008). Designing and Testing the MoDeLS Progression. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Baltimore, MD.

21.               Weizman, A., Shwartz, Y., Fortus, D., & Krajcik, J. (2008). Developing the Practice of Scientific Modeling through Classroom Discussions. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Baltimore, MD.

22.               Fortus, D., Weizman, A., Shwartz, Y., Merritt, J., & Schwarz, C. (2008). Towards a Learning Progression for Scientific Modeling: What we’ve learned from 6^th Grade Students and Teachers. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Baltimore, MD.

23.               Shwartz, Y., Weizman, A., Fortus, D., Krajcik, J., & Reiser, B. (2008). Middle-School Science Curriculum: Coherence as a Design Principle. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Baltimore, MD.

24.               Krajcik, J., Reiser, B.J., Schwarz, C., & Fortus, D. (2007). Supporting a Learning Progression for Scientific Modeling in Project-Based Inquiry Curricula. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.

25.               Weizman, A. & Fortus, D. (2007). Using Scientific Models to Learn about Shadows. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA.

26.               Weizman, A. & Fortus, D. (2007). The Driving Question Board: A Tool to Support Inquiry-Based Learning. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA.

27.               Fortus, D., Hug, B., Krajcik, J. S., Kuhn, L., McNeill, K. L., Reiser, B., et al. (2006). Sequencing and supporting complex scientific inquiry practices in instructional materials for middle school students. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, San Francisco, CA.

28.               Fortus, D. (2006).  Understanding the big ideas: Preparing for breadth by going into depth.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, San Francisco, CA.

29.               Nordine, J., Fortus, D., & Krajcik, J. (2006).  Development of Middle School Students’ Conception of Energy During a Qualitative Unit in Which Energy is Not Defined.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, San Francisco, CA.

30.               Fortus, D. (2005). Restructuring school physics around real-world problems: A cognitive justification. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada.

31.               Gunckel, K., Fortus, D. & Smith, E. (2005).  An exploration of the role of curriculum materials in teaching science and learning to teach science.  Presented at the annual meeting of AETS, Colorado Springs CO.

32.               Fortus, D. & Kanter, D. (2005).  Curriculum driven practice-based professional development.  Presented at the annual meeting of AETS, Colorado Springs CO.

33.               Roseman, J., Gunckel, K., Krajcik, J., Fortus, D., Smith, E. (2004). The importance of high quality curriculum materials: Supporting teachers analyze, select and modify curriculum materials. Presented at the annual meeting of AETS, Nashville TN.

34.               Fortus, D., Dershimer, R.C., Mamlok-Naaman, R., Marx, R.W., & Krajcik, J. (2003). Design-Based Science and the transfer of scientific knowledge and ‘designerly’ skills.  Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.

35.               Dershimer, R.C., Fortus, D., Krajcik, J., & Marx, R.W. (2003). A description of the teacher questioning patterns used in the critique sessions of a Design-Based Science Curriculum.  Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.

36.               Fortus, D., Krajcik, J., & Marx, R.W. (2003). Well and Ill-Defined Science Problems. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Philadelphia, PA.

37.               Fortus, D., Dershimer, R.C., Mamlok, R., Krajcik, J., & Marx, R.W. (2002). Design-Based Science and real-world problem-solving. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.

38.               Fortus, D., Dershimer, R.C., Mamlok, R., Marx, R.W., & Krajcik, J. (2002). Design-Based Science and student learning. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA.

39.               Dershimer, R.C., Fortus, D., Mamlok, R., Krajcik, J., & Marx, R.W. (2002). An examination of the discourse patterns used in a Design-Based Science classroom. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA.

40.               Mamlok-Naaman, R., Fortus, D., Dershimer, R.C., Marx, R.W., & Krajcik, J. (2002). Adapting Innovative Curriculum to Local Needs ? An International Perspective. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA.

41.               Mamlok-Naaman, R., Dershimer, R.C., Fortus, D., Krajcik, J., & Marx, R.W. (2002). "How Do I Design a Cellular Phone that is Safer to Use?" Adaptation of an Innovative Curriculum to Local Needs -An International Perspective.  Paper presented at the 2^nd International IPN – YSEG Symposium, Kiel, Germany.

42.               Fortus, D., Dershimer, R.C., Krajcik, J., & Marx, R.W. (2002). Design-Based Science. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Science Teacher’s Association, San Diego, CA.

43.               Mamlok, R., Dershimer, R.C., Fortus, D., Krajcik, J., & Marx, R.W. (2002). Learning Science by Designing Artifacts (LSDA): A case study of the development of a Design-Based Science curriculum. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, St. Louis, MO.

 

Scientific Productivity

Grants

2010-2011         Supplement to IQWST (described below), NSF, sub-contract to the University of Michigan, 700k$

2008-2009         Reform in Israeli Middle School Science, Rothschild Foundation, $80k$

2006-2010         MoDeLS (Modeling Designs for Learning Science), NSF, subcontract to Northwestern University, 700k$/yr

2004-2010         IQWST (Investigating and Questioning the World through Science and Technology), NSF, sub-contract to the University of Michigan, 1.25M$/yr

Students & Postdoctoral fellows

Rachela Alfasi              PhD student, 2009-continues

Hend Basheer               MSc student, 2008-2010, presently PhD student at Technion, Israel

Jing Chen                      PhD student, 2004-2006, presently assistant professor at Ohio State University

Jeffrey Rozelle              PhD student, 2004-2006, presently assistant professor at Syracuse University

Yael Shwartz                Postdoctoral fellow, 2007-2009, presently senior scientist at Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

Dana Vedder Weiss      PhD student, 2007-continues

Malka Yayon                PhD student, 2006-continues

Ayelet Weizman            Postdoctoral fellow, 2005-2008, developer at Davidson Institute, Israel

Collaborators

Betsy Davis, Associate Professor, University of Michigan

Ravit Golan-Duncan, Assistant Professor, Rutgers University

Yael Kali, Associate Professor, Haifa University, Israel

Lisa Kenyon, Assistant Professor, Wright State University

Joe Krajcik, Professor, University of Michigan

Kate McNeill-Lynch, Assistant Professor, Boston College

Julia Plummer, Assistant Professor,

Brian Reiser, Professor, Northwestern University

Jo Ellen Roseman, Director, Project 2061, AAAS

Christina Shwartz, Associate Professor, Michigan State University

LeeAnn Sutherland, Research Scientist, University of Michigan

 

Publications

Refereed Articles

1.           Fortus, D., Reddy, S., & Dershimer, R.C. (2003). Comparing different brands of batteries.  The Science Teacher 70(3), pp. 38-41.

2.           Fortus, D., Dershimer, R.C., Marx, R.W., Krajcik, J., & Mamlok-Naaman, R. (2004). Design-Based Science (DBS) and Student Learning.  Journal of Research in Science Teaching 41(10). Cited 15 times.

3.           Avraham, R., Fortus, D., & Logue, K. (2004). Revisiting the roles of legal rules and tax rules in income redistribution: A response to Kaplow & Shavell. Iowa Law Review 89(4). Cited 4 times.

4.           Fortus, D. (2005). Design-Based Science.  Review of Science Education 4(2), pp. 40-47.

5.           Fortus, D., Dershimer, R.C., Krajcik, J., Marx, R.W., & Mamlok-Naaman, R. (2005). Design-Based Science (DBS) and Real-World Problem-Solving.  International Journal of Science Education 27(7), pp. 855-879. Cited 6 times.

6.           Shwartz, Y., Weizman, A., Fortus, D., Krajcik, J., & Reiser, B. (2008). The IQWST experience: Using coherence as a design principle for a middle school science curriculum. The Elementary School Journal 109 (2), pp. 199-219. Cited 4 times.

7.           Weizman, A., Shwartz, Y., & Fortus, D. (2008). The Driving Question Board: A visual organizer in Project-Based Learning. The Science Teacher 75(7), pp. 33-37.

8.           Fortus, D. (2009). The Importance of Learning to Make Assumptions.  Science Education 93(1), pp. 86-108. Cited once.

9.           Schwarz, C. V., Reiser, B. J., Davis, E. A., Kenyon, L. O., Acher, A., Fortus, D., Hug, B., & Krajcik, J. (2009).  Developing a learning progression of scientific modeling: Making scientific modeling accessible and meaningful for learners. The Journal of Research in Science Teaching 46(6), pp. 632-654. Cited 7 times.

10.       Shwartz, Y., Weizman, A., Fortus, D., Sutherland, L., Merritt, J., & Krajcik, J. (2009). Classroom discussions and their role in inquiry-based learning environments. The Science Teacher 76(5), pp. 44-47.

11.       Nordine, J., Fortus, D., & Krajcik, J. (2010, online). Transforming Energy Instruction in Middle School to Support Conceptual Change and Future Learning. Science Education.

12.       Vedder Weiss, D. & Fortus, D. (2011). Adolescents’ Declining Motivation to Learn Science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 48(2), pp. 199-216.

Invited Reviews

1.          Fortus, D. (2008). Science Education. In T.L. Good, C. Ames, Berliner, D., Brophy, J., Corno, L., & McCaslin, M. (Eds.), 21st Century Education: A Reference Handbook. Thousand Oaks, (pp. 352-359). CA: Sage Publications.

Book Chapters

1.          Fortus, D., Mann, A., & Revzen, M. (1995). The Hartree-Fock Bogoliubov approximation in thermo field dynamics and temperature-like correlations. In Y.X. Gui, F.C. Khanna, & Z.B. Su (Eds.), Thermal field theories and their applications (pp. 399-405). River Edge, NJ: World Scientific.

2.          Mamlok-Naaman, R., Fortus, D., Dershimer, R.C., Krajcik, J., & Marx, R.W. (2006).  How Do I Design a Cellular Phone that is Safer to Use? In P. Nentwig & D. Waddington (Eds.), Setting into Perspective: Context-based science education, (pp. 215-241). Munster: Waxmann.

3.          Kali, Y., Fortus, D, & Ronen-Fuhrmann, T. (2008). Synthesizing Design Knowledge.  In Y. Kali, M.C. Linn, & J.E. Roseman (Eds.), Designing Coherent Science Education, pp. 185-200. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

4.          Weizman, A., Shwartz, Y., & Fortus, D. (2010). Developing Students' Sense of Purpose with a Driving Question Board. In R. Yager (Ed.), Exemplary Science for Resolving Societal Challenges, Washington DC: National Science Teachers Association.

5.          Fortus, D. & Krajcik, J. (in press). Curriculum Coherence and Learning Progressions. In B.J. Fraser, K.G. Tobin , & C.J. McRobbie  (Eds.), The International Handbook of Research in Science Education (2^nd ed.), Dordrecht: Springer Verlag.

6.          Schwarz, C., Reiser, B., Fortus, D., Kenyon, L., & Acher, A. (in press). MoDeLS: Issues and Challenges in Defining a Learning progression for Scientific Modeling. In A. Alonzo & A. Gotwals (Eds.), Learning Progressions in Science.

Curricula

1.           Fortus, D. (in print). How will it move? In J. Krajcik, B. Reiser, D. Fortus, & L. Sutherland (Eds.), Investigating and Questioning Our World through Science and Technology (IQWST).

2.           Fortus, D., Abdel-Kareem, H.A., Chen, J., Forsyth, B., Nordine, J., & Weizman, A. (in print). Why do Some Things Stop and Others Continue Going? In J. Krajcik, B. Reiser, D. Fortus, & L. Sutherland (Eds.), Investigating and Questioning Our World through Science and Technology (IQWST).

3.           Fortus, D., Grueber, D., Nordine, J., Rozelle, J., Schwarz, C., & Weizman, A. Seeing the Light: Can I Believe My Eyes? (in print) In J. Krajcik, B. Reiser, D. Fortus, & L. Sutherland (Eds.), Investigating and Questioning Our World through Science and Technology (IQWST).

Submitted

1.           Yayon, M., Mamlok-Na’aman, R., & Fortus, D. (submitted). Characterizing and Representing Students’ Knowledge of Chemical Bonding. Chemistry Education: Research and Practice.

2.           Fortus, D. (submitted). Is Science Literacy a Tenable Goal? Science Education.

3.           Fortus, D., Shwartz, Y., & Rosenfeld, S. (submitted). High School Students' Modeling Knowledge. Journal of Research in Science Teaching.

Others

1.           Fortus, D., Mualem, R., & Levy Nahum, T. (June, 2009). What can we learn from the experience of “Tomorrow 98”? הד החינוך, pp. 80-85.

2.           Fortus, D., Levy Nahum, T., & Mualem, R. (2009). What can we learn from the experience of “Tomorrow 98”? Report commissioned by Yad Hanadiv, Jerusalem.