Inquiry Science Environment Research Articles

Knowledge Integration in Science Learning: Tracking Students' Knowledge Development and Skill Acquisition with Cognitive Diagnosis Models

AbstractIn scientific literacy, knowledge integration (KI) is a scaffolding‐based theory to assist students' scientific inquiry learning. To drive students to be self‐directed, many courses have been developed based on KI framework. However, few efforts have been made to evaluate the outcome of students' learning under KI instruction. Moreover, finer‐grained information has been pursued to better understand students' learning and how it progresses over time. In this article, a normative procedure of building and choosing cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs) and attribute hierarchies was formulated under KI theory. We examined the utility of CDMs for evaluating students' knowledge status in KI learning. The results of the data analysis confirmed an intuitive assumption of the hierarchical structure of KI components. Furthermore, analysis of pre‐ and posttests using a higher‐order, hidden Markov model tracked students' skill acquisition while integrating knowledge. Results showed that students make significant progress after using the web‐based inquiry science environment (WISE) platform.

Improving students' inquiry learning in web‐based environments by providing structure: Does the teacher matter or platform matter?

AbstractWeb‐based scientific inquiry learning is characterized as providing an autonomy‐supportive environment for students to solve scientific problems. However, as a complementary approach for improving students' learning, structure‐supportive strategies in a web‐based learning environment deserve further exploration. Whilst both teachers and platforms could make essential contributions in providing structure support, research findings concerning how teachers could successfully interact with the platform in such an environment are scarce. Grounded on self‐determination theory, two quasi‐experimental studies with pre and post measurements were conducted to address two questions. First, whether structure support could improve students' inquiry learning in an autonomous web‐based inquiry learning environment? Second, what is the relationship between teachers and platforms in doing this? As hypothesized, study 1 provides empirical evidence on the effectiveness of applying structure‐supportive instructional strategies in autonomous web‐based scientific inquiry. Study 2 confirmed that students performed best in the class with high structure support provided by both teachers and platforms. The results shed light on the positive impacts of integrating both autonomy and structure support and emphasize the critical role of teachers in a web‐based inquiry learning environment. Additionally, they infer a possible causal link between the efficient application of structure strategies and students' learning outcomes. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic A web‐based scientific inquiry learning environment is helpful in assisting science inquiry learning. However, appropriate scaffolding is critical for students in regulating their learning. The autonomy‐ and structure‐supportive strategies could positively influence students' academic performance in the traditional face‐to‐face environment. However, how to integrate both strategies in web‐based learning environments deserves more exploration. Both teachers and platforms should make important contributions in providing structure support, but empirical evidence on how to integrate both are highly needed. What this paper adds The findings of the current study contribute to the growing body of literature by highlighting the potential importance of self‐determination theory (SDT) in designing instructional strategies from an integrated perspective, particularly in a web‐based scientific learning environment. The results shed light on the positive impacts of integrating both autonomy and structure support, but also provide more implications inferring a possible causal link between the efficient application of structure strategies and students' learning outcomes. The results further indicated the essential role of teachers in a web‐based inquiry science environment. Implications for practice and/or policy As we recognize the significance of autonomy‐supportive web‐based learning environments, its weaknesses should not be ignored. In designing such a platform, appropriate structure‐supportive strategies should be integrated to assist Chinese students in self‐regulating their learning. It is of practical significance for teachers to explore how to better cope with the use of platforms in the classroom and provide meaningful guidance for their students.

Scaffolding learning from molecular visualizations

AbstractPowerful online visualizations can make unobservable scientific phenomena visible and improve student understanding. Instead, they often confuse or mislead students. To clarify the impact of molecular visualizations for middle school students we explored three design variations implemented in a Web‐based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) unit on thermodynamics: Observation, Research Guidance, or Critique. We tested these variations in an inquiry unit designed following the knowledge integration framework to promote coherent understanding. Seven middle school classes (205 students) and their two teachers participated in the study. Students studying each version of the unit made significant gains on knowledge integration items designed to measure coherent understanding of thermodynamics. Compared to Research Guidance, the Critique condition was more successful, especially in helping students conduct consequential experiments. Embedded assessments revealed that students who critiqued a confounded experiment were more successful in conducting valid experiments than students who did not critique. In addition, the combination of critique and virtual experimentation increased student ability to connect molecular and observable phenomena. These results suggest design guidelines to help future designers. Specifically, preceding experimentation with critique activities helps students distinguish among existing and new ideas. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 50: 858–886, 2013

Role of the Teacher in Computer‐supported Collaborative Inquiry Learning

The article presents an analysis of practices in teaching with computer‐supported collaborative inquiry learning environments. We describe the role of the teacher in computer‐supported collaborative inquiry learning by five principles that span the whole instructional process, from the preparation of the lesson up to the assessment of learning achievement. For successful implementation of computer‐supported projects, the teacher has to (1) envision the lesson, (2) enable collaboration, (3) encourage students, (4) ensure learning, and (5) evaluate achievement. We analyse classroom scenarios provided by eight teachers or mentors who implemented one of four different approaches developed by multimedia researchers: Web‐based Inquiry Science Environment, Modeling Across the Curriculum, Collaborative Laboratories across Europe, or Resources for Collaborative Inquiry Learning. Teachers or mentors responded to a semi‐structured questionnaire about their experiences in implementing the inquiry lesson. A comparison of different classroom scenarios according to the mentioned five principles informed our analysis of teacher activities that contribute to the success of student inquiry while using such technology‐enhanced approaches. We conclude with a discussion of the often neglected role of the teacher in computer‐supported learning.

Towards interoperability: a wrapper model for integrating remote laboratories in a collaborative discovery learning environment

AbstractCollaborative theories in learning are playing a vital role in the way learners interact with each other. More concretely, in collaborative learning the communication between learners is considered the most important element in their knowledge building. Regarding experimental subjects, the discovery learning discipline has emerged, in which students construct their knowledge through experimentation. In this sense, platforms such as Pedagogica, Web‐based inquiry science environment, SimQuest, Interactive Physics, Working Models and Co‐Lab provide support of this kind of learning. Regarding experimentation, one of the resources that may enrich the learning of students is the use of remote laboratories. However, the majority of these learning systems lack interfaces and models to provide interoperability with remote laboratories. Regarding interoperability issues, service‐oriented architecture (SOA) is the most well‐known paradigm for this issue. In this paper, we describe a wrapper model based on SOA for interoperability between Co‐Lab and existing remote laboratories. Moreover, we explain how we have integrated the existing remote laboratories in Co‐Lab using this model and we show the general pattern for including external experiments. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Computer literacy and inquiry learning: when geeks learn less

Abstract A low level of computer literacy has often been hypothesized as constituting a disadvantage in knowledge acquisition. However, within the field of computer‐supported inquiry learning systematic investigations of these purported relations have not been conducted. This classroom study investigates the role of computer literacy (procedural computer‐related knowledge, self‐confidence in using the computer, and familiarity with computers) as a learning prerequisite for knowledge acquisition, and analyses the learners' patterns of media use as processes that might explain this role. Thirty‐seven students from two final classes of a secondary school worked in pairs on the project ‘How far does light go?’ in the Web‐based Inquiry Science Environment. Findings did indicate significant relations of neither procedural computer‐related knowledge nor self‐confidence in using the computer to knowledge acquisition. However, students with greater familiarity with computers acquired significantly less knowledge. In the light of the patterns of media use, these findings might be explained by different navigation styles adopted by students with high and low familiarity with computers: students with high familiarity with computers exhibit more shallow processing strategies (‘browsing’) which are less functional for learning.