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This paper aims to further unpack the notion of mobile inquiry-based learning with a focus on the relationship between levels of inquiry, learners’ autonomy and environmental interaction in outdoor learning. Specifically, it provides a literature review and a retrospective analysis of the empirical studies on mobile inquiry-based learning at two institutions in two countries. The goal of this paper is two-fold: i) To review the effect of the different levels of inquiry, task types and technological mediation on learners’ autonomy and learners’ interaction with the environment in mobile learning and ii) To revisit the notion of environment interaction in outdoor learning spaces (open and enclosed spaces). An initial retrospective analysis of our empirical studies on mobile inquiry-based learning reiterated two core findings: 1. Different levels of inquiry not only shaped learners’ interaction with the physical affordances of the rich real world platform but also learners’ environmental interaction in enclosed- and open-outdoor learning spaces; 2. Technological mediation plays a crucial role in enabling learners to overcome the constraints of time, space and location interaction. In this after-action-review, we identify and discuss the intricate relationship between levels of inquiry, the constituting contextual elements of the outdoor learning environment, learners’ autonomy and learners’ interaction with the outdoor environment. How learners leverage the physical, material and social resources in the outdoor learning context to construct and to negotiate meaning (individually or with learning peers).

To learn complex generic (21st century) skills students need to form a mental model of a skill. If students know their current and strived-for mastery level, they can better determine subsequent learning activities towards skills mastery. Rubrics support students in self-assessment of their skills as they provide textual descriptions of skills’ mastery levels with performance indicators for all constituent subskills. However, text-based rubrics have a limited capacity to support the formation of mental models of a complex skill. Video-enhanced rubrics (VER) with video modeling examples have the potential to improve and enrich mental model formation. VER can also be used to improve feedback quality a student receives from teachers, experts and peers while practicing a skill. Both affordances of VER can thus improve students’ performance.In the Viewbrics-project we therefore develop, through design-based research, a methodology for the formative assessment of complex skills with Video-Enhanced Rubrics (VER), precipitated in an online tool. We implemented this methodology in the online tool for three skills: collaborating, presenting and becoming information literate. This paper describes the features of the first prototype of the online tool and the results of a stakeholder evaluation of its perceived usefulness and usability, by means of a questionnaire and card-sorting exercise, with 7 teachers and 21 students of two secondary schools.The evaluation of this first prototype showed that both teachers and students evaluated the online tool and formative assessment methodology as handy, usable, helpful and feasible for learning complex skills, although some recommendations were made to further improve the design of the tool.

This paper describes the learning design and the first phase evaluation results of a pilot with a technology-enhanced inquiry based approach (weSPOT) to Science learning in a secondary school. By piloting this learning design, the school strives to increase students’ motivation for the Science domain, in combination with developing several 21st century skills and applying domain knowledge to real world problems. This paper reports the first experiences with and effects on motivation of the pilot.

This paper describes the learning design and the first phase evaluation results of a pilot with a technology-enhanced inquiry based approach (weSPOT) to Science learning in a secondary school. By piloting this learning design, the school strives to increase students’ motivation for the Science domain, in combination with developing several 21st century skills and applying domain knowledge to real world problems. This paper reports the first experiences with and effects on motivation of the pilot.

Comunicação publicada nas atas da conferência EADTU 2015 This paper proposes a framework to support science education through blended learning, based on a participatory and interactive approach supported by ICT-based tools, called Science Learning Activities Model (SLAM). The study constitutes a work in progress and started as a response to complex societal developments such as a changing labour market, high turnover rate of knowledge, and use of technology as a natural part of daily life activities. Another concern was the emergence of new challenges in education, like learning in various authentic contexts and in collaboration with others, in ways that influence the circumstances learners live in. Many of these challenges are related to science and it would be expected that students were interested in science, however the contrary is the case. So, after reviewing the relevant literature and the current trend towards a learner-centred approach, we contend that there is a need to provide a model with which teachers can design science courses with high motivational impact on students. By using today’s flexible, interactive and immersive technologies (mobile, AR, VR) combined with the appropriate pedagogies, we believe it is possible to have students more motivated in science areas (STEM), and expect a more creative response to the world problems that surround them.

Classroom Response Systems (CRS or “clickers”) enable teachers and learners to get an insight in how well learners have understood and learnt from learning activities that they carried out, and to what degree they achieved certain learning objectives. With a CRS system, a teacher can pose a question and receive an answer for every student in the classroom. More “traditional” systems like Socrative build on students voting or responding to questions with their mobile device. The Elena pilot differs from this traditional approach and builds on context. Rather than having students sitting on a bench, listening to and interacting with the teacher, the objective was to have students to interact with objects they encounter in their classroom or in the school environment. This is a description of the CRS pilot and the results, which is a part of the ELENA project final report.

Several trends in society have led to a request towards schools to integrate 21st Century Skills and technology enhanced formative assessment (TEFA) in their curricula. Although there are frameworks defined at an international level, implementation of technology enhanced formative assessment of 21st century skills at school level is seldom. This paper explores the underlying reasons for this hampered implementation by consulting and collaborating with teachers. It provides an overview of these reasons and proposes a collaborative professionalization approach to overcome detected implementation barriers and challenges.

Several trends in society have led to a request towards schools to integrate 21st Century Skills and technology enhanced formative assessment (TEFA) in their curricula. Although there are frameworks defined at an international level, implementation of technology enhanced formative assessment of 21st century skills at school level is seldom. This paper explores the underlying reasons for this hampered implementation by consulting and collaborating with teachers. It provides an overview of these reasons and proposes a collaborative professionalization approach to overcome detected implementation barriers and challenges.

The paper discusses the design, implementation and evaluation of a pilot project that integrated inquiry-based learning with mobile game design and introduced mobile devices and sensors into classroom learning. A 5-week classroom inquiry learning project on energy consumption was designed and implemented as a mobile serious game. While engaging in the game and training inquiry skills, students were introduced to basic concepts in the energy domain and to everyday practices of energy consumption in their direct environment. The design was based on a model of inquiry-based science learning with social and open mobile tools developed in the European research project weSPOT. The pilot indicated that using an ubiquitous tool does not necessarily help sustain student motivation. There are indications of gender differences in motivation related to use of mobile devices for learning. These differences should be taken into account in the design of activities. Implementation of the inquiry-based learning model in conjunction with a mobile game scenario into the school practice confirmed the importance of good design with sufficient testing and teacher ownership.

Schools are in the process of reorienting their curricula to the development of 21st century skills and competences; however, their assessment methods have not yet been updated. The PREATY project aims to make teachers in primary and secondary schools aware of the use and benefits of modern e-assessment methods and tools. This paper presents the preliminary work developed in the project.

weweSPOT is a new European initiative proposing a novel approach for personal and social inquiry-based learning in secondary and higher education. weSPOT aims at enabling students to create their mash-ups out of cloud-based tools and services in order to perform scientific investigations. Students will also be able to share their inquiry accomplishments in social networks and receive feedback from the learning environment and their peers. This paper presents the research framework of the weSPOT project, as well as the initial inquiry-based learning scenarios that will be piloted by the project in real-life educational settings.SPOT is a new European initiative proposing a novel approach for personal and social inquiry-based learning in secondary and higher education. weSPOT aims at enabling students to create their mash-ups out of cloud-based tools and services in order to perform scientific investigations. Students will also be able to share their inquiry accomplishments in social networks and receive feedback from the learning environment and their peers. This paper presents the research framework of the weSPOT project, as well as the initial inquiry-based learning scenarios that will be piloted by the project in real-life educational settings.

Scientific inquiry is at the core of the curricula of schools and universities across Europe. weSPOT is a new European initiative proposing a cloud-based approach for personal and social inquiry. weSPOT aims at enabling students to create their mashups out of cloud-based tools in order to perform scientific investigations. Students will also be able to share their inquiry accomplishments in social networks and receive feedback from the learning environment and their peers. published in: Sun SITE Central Europe, 2012, pp. 7-11, Ref: http://ceur-ws.org/Vol-945/ The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’ s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement N° 318499-weSPOT project.

We compare three open universities the Open Universities in the UK (OUUK), the Netherlands (OUNL) and Japan (OUJ). Originating in the modern idea of an Open University each university has developed its own pedagogical model. The OUUK developed Supported Open Learning based on: 1. Distance open learning: allowing ‘learning in your own time’ working on set activities and assignments. 2. Quality resources: printed materials, set books, audio and video and home experiments. 3. Systematic support: provided by course tutors, a regional network of centers, central library and technical support. The OUNL offers ‘supported independent open learning’. Students study at their own time, pace and place. There are no semesters, academic years or student cohorts. Courses are small and most support is built into the materials. OUJ has used television and radio broadcasting for instruction. In addition OUJ uses textbooks, guidance by correspondence, and classes at one of 50 local study centres. Tutor support is not part of the pedagogic model though individualized tutorials are given at the final stage of the student's course of study. Having describe and compare these we examine how these models have responded to the emergence of Internet technologies including Web 2.0 and national circumstances.

This article argues that the provision of lifelong learning opportunities needs to be based on well-thought-through integrated models. These models should merge pedagogical, organisational and technological perspectives and meet requirements for the provision of lifelong learning opportunities. This article also claims that these requirements cannot be met by existing educational models and tools. The Learning Networks model is offered as an alternative, feasible model for ICT-network supported lifelong learning. A Learning Network is defined as an ensemble of actors, institutions and learning resources which are mutually connected through and supported by information and communication technologies in such a way that the network self-organises and thus gives rise to effective lifelong learning.