Search

Robert Tinker, President of The Concord Consortium, announces that through a series of grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Education, the Concord Consortium has been able to produce amazing and innovative software packages and have incorporated them into hundreds of powerful learning activities. Whatever subject being taught, at whatever level, Tinker says that they probably have software-based learning activities that can improve teaching. Although their strengths are in science at high school and college levels, they also have algebra software and sustainable development materials that can be used across all disciplines. This article describes the models, learning activities that use them, and how you can get them. Although free, Tinker says that these are very high quality and have been extensively tested in real classrooms. By using these, providing the Consortium with feedback, and letting it monitor student progress, teachers can help the company collect research data. But that is not required--there are no strings attached.

The Technology Enhanced Elementary and Middle School Science II project (TEEMSS), funded by the National Science Foundation, produced 15 inquiry-based instructional science units for teaching in grades 3-8. Each unit uses computers and probeware to support students' investigations of real-world phenomena using probes (e.g., for temperature or pressure) or, in one case, virtual environments based on mathematical models. TEEMSS units were used in more than 100 classrooms by over 60 teachers and thousands of students. This paper reports on cases in which groups of teachers taught science topics without TEEMSS materials in school year 2004-2005 and then the same teachers taught those topics using TEEMSS materials in 2005-2006. There are eight TEEMSS units for which such comparison data are available. Students showed significant learning gains for all eight. In four cases (sound and electricity, both for grades 3-4; temperature, grades 5-6; and motion, grades 7-8) there were significant differences in science learning favoring the students who used the TEEMSS materials. The effect sizes are 0.58, 0.94, 1.54, and 0.49, respectively. For the other four units there were no significant differences in science learning between TEEMSS and non-TEEMSS students. We discuss the implications of these results for science education.

This article introduces two contrasting ways of using highly mobile information technology for educational purposes. The first example uses mobile devices and scientific probes to gather information; the second uses a combination of mobile and desktop computers to disseminate it by way of podcasts. The examples also show that mobile devices complement, rather than replace, desktop computers. (Contains 11 figures.)

This paper reports a test on the feasibility and educational value of probeware and associated instructional materials in middle school science education. We addressed feasibility through consideration of costs, teacher professional development, and instructional design. In order to test our approach, we developed 2 middle school science curriculum units, 6 low-cost probes that interface between handheld Palm computers, and CCLabBook software for the Palms that presents the curriculum, interfaces with the probes for data collection and visualization, and supports guided exploration. The materials were tested by 30 teachers in the first year, and in a follow-up study by 8 of those teachers the second year. We found that teachers were able to conduct the investigations successfully in their classrooms, and that student learning was enhanced through the use of the probes and handhelds. Specifically, students experienced the physical correlation between phenomenon and modeling, which helped them to develop understanding and to confront misconceptions.

The studies reported in this paper are an initial effort to explore the applicability of computational models in introductory science learning. Two instructional interventions are described that use a molecular dynamics model embedded in a set of online learning activities with middle and high school students in 10 classrooms. The studies indicate that middle and high schools students can acquire robust mental models of the states of matter through guided explorations of computational models of matter based on molecular dynamics. Using this approach, students accurately recall arrangements of the different states of matter, and can reason about atomic interactions. These results are independent of gender and they hold for a number of different classroom contexts. Follow-up interviews indicate that students are able to transfer their understanding of phases of matter to new contexts.

This section of "Educational Media and Technology Yearbook" profiles centers and institutes that carry out research and development in the field of instructional technology. Both the Concord Consortium and the Institute for Learning Technology at Columbia University are working hard to use media and technology to transform teaching and learning experiences for many people. (AEF)

Discusses the role of ubiquitous and handheld computers in education. Summarizes the contributions of the Center for Innovative Learning Technologies (CILT) and describes the ubiquitous computing sessions at the CILT2000 Conference. (Author/YDS)

Describes eight characteristics of the Concord model of online course instruction: Asynchronous collaboration, limited enrollment, expert facilities, trust, clear schedules, excellent materials, good pedagogy, and quality assurance. Discusses cost and benefits of implementing the Concord model of online course instruction. (Contains 16 references.) (PKP)

The National Science Foundation-funded Center for Innovative Learning Technologies (CILT) is designed to be a national resource for stimulating research and development of technology-enabled solutions to critical problems in K-14 science, math, engineering, and technology learning. The rationale and operations of the Center and first-year progress in defining a set of CILT partnership projects with other institutions are described. Contains 67 references. (Author/AEF)

Textbooks are resources for learning that provide the structure, content, assessments, and teacher guidance for an entire course. Technology can provide a far better resource that provides the same functions, but takes full advantage of computers. This resource would be much more than text on a screen. It would use the best technology; it would be student oriented, utilizing highly interactive, vivid, inquiry-based activities embedded in intelligent electronic lessons. It would track student use and provide feedback to teachers, giving detailed analysis of student progress. It would be research-based, tied to standards, well tested--and free. Educators need a similar paradigm for creating outstanding educational materials: a curriculum collaboratively developed and shared instead of created by publishers or researchers. How can this be developed? Using the current top-down textbook development cycle, a large, skilled team would be needed: classroom savvy content experts, software wizards, assessment statisticians, curriculum designers, and university researchers. Developing comprehensive electronic materials for even a single course would be time consuming and expensive. And after several years and tens of millions of dollars, a team might produce a great design, but it might be too advanced or unfamiliar for most teachers to use. Envision a completely different, bottom-up development strategy: creating materials collaboratively through a community of educators who share knowledge, critique each other, and shepherd the evolution of a cluster of good materials. The result would not be a single, inflexible textbook handed down from on high, but a collection of malleable resources. This strategy is ambitious, but not impossible. The traditional encyclopedia is also expensive and time-consuming to create. But Wikipedia broke the traditional development mold. It has mobilized an international community of volunteers to generate an encyclopedia that has over 11 million articles in 265 languages, used by 275 million people a month. It is far larger than any text-based encyclopedia, easier to use, continually evolving, up to date, and free. Its sophisticated quality assurance system keeps most junk and errors out. Educators need a similar paradigm for creating outstanding educational materials. In this new paradigm, an instructor who creates an activity could submit it online and have it reviewed. Another can adapt the activity or materials for his own students. The result would be community-generated materials that are far more practical than any text. The collection could be almost completely self-supporting, with users generating new materials and serving as reviewers and promoters.

Assisted by a U.S. Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant, the Hudson (Massachusetts) Public Schools, the Concord Consortium Educational Technology Lab, and 30 collaborating high schools across the nation have developed a virtual high school over the Internet. Through Internet-based courses, Virtual High School significantly enhances each school's curricular offerings and integrates "best" technologies. (MLH)

One of the simulation engines of an open-source program called the Molecular Workbench, which can simulate thermodynamics of chemical reactions, is described. This type of real-time, interactive simulation and visualization of chemical reactions at the atomic scale could help students understand the connections between chemical reaction equations and atomic interactions.

Equipped with simple sensors and software, a microcomputer can become a microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL). Discusses the value of MBL's and provides three programs which preview the new MBL kits available for science classes. A list of commercially available MBL's (with product names, current prices, and other information) is also included. (JN)

Reports the results of an in-depth examination of middle school children's graphing skills and misconceptions. Also discusses a study in which students learned graphing skills through microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL). (ML)

The revolution in electronics is discussed as it applies to instructional potential in the school science laboratory. Electronic instruction (instrumentation) is included. (SA)

Seven styles of software which may significantly improve mathematics and science learning are discussed. These include microworlds, educational games, microcomputer-based instrumentation, databases, tools, languages, and simulations. Opportunities and need for new software are also discussed, suggesting such items as a scientific text processing program. Includes listing of exemplary science/mathematics software. (JN)

Discusses the use of microcomputers as a universal instrument to replace more expensive instrumentation in many traditional labs. Describes the availability of microcomputers as inexpensive educational tools which can be used successfully in labs with minimal requirements on the computer. (SK)

Defines netcourses as studies that are offered via digital electronic communications and discusses how new technologies grow to reach their potential. Highlights include asynchronous communication; the seminar model; technology-rich opportunities; the lack of face-to-face communication and hands-on activities; and freedom from time and place that reaches new student audiences. (LRW)