Bottge, B. A., Heinrichs, M., Mehta, Z. D., & Hung, Y. (2002). Weighing the Benefits Of
Jasper Series / Jasper is aimed at “helping students…learn to become independent thinkers and learners rather than simply become able to perform basic computations and retrieve knowledge facts” (CTGV, 1992, p. 66). The increase of students’ performance on achievement tests is not a direct goal of this TELE.
The role of technology is the Jasper series is to create “powerful mental models” (Bottge, Heinrichs, Mehta, & Hung, 2002, p. 187) for students who struggle to comprehend and engage with traditional text-based problem solving. / Teacher must decide how to present the Jasper series within their own classroom. The most effective approach is for teachers to utilize a Guided Generation Model (CTGV, 1992) as this helps to create a community of inquiry between teachers and students.
Within Jasper, the teacher should act as a catalyst for learning by providing needed scaffolding. / Each student must be willing and able to work in a constructivist setting prior to Jasper. This may require some pre-teaching by the teacher to ensure each students knows what is expected of them in this type of environment.
Students must persist through what might seem like difficult problems to solve. Since Jasper is “designed to be complex yet ultimately manageable” (CTGV, 1992, p. 77) it is important for students to remain motivated and engaged throughout the process, even when they feel like the problem is unsolvable. / Constructivism: the Jasper series assumes the importance of students engaging in the learning process alongside peers. “…students need to engage in argumentation and reflection as they try to use and then refine their existing knowledge…” (CTGV, 1992, p. 67)
Anchored Instruction: by immersing students in realistic, problem-rich settings the Jasper Series attempts to create a generative learning environment where students are able to problem solve using methods that are anchored to real world situations. / While the idea of anchored instruction could be used across grade levels, the actual scenarios and problems posed by the Jasper Series are most appropriate for late-elementary and middle school students.
The video format of Jasper does not allow individual teachers to make modifications based on their classroom needs.
WISE / WISE desires to bridge the gap between what national standards require of teachers in terms of teaching inquiry and what is actually being done in classrooms (Linn, Clark, & Slotta, 2003).
WISE technology allows for the integration of science content with science inquiry. / Teachers are encouraged to customize WISE projects for use in their own classrooms.
The intent is for WISE to “transform the teacher from a director of inquiry to a facilitator of inquiry” (Linn, et al., 2003, p. 534). This role encourages teachers to identify the needs of their students as they arise and to point students back to the WISE project to determine appropriate answers. Teachers can also build in “hints” as required when they customize the project. / Throughout WISE, students are encouraged to problem solve as they interact with the technology and their peers. Students must be encouraged to not view the teacher as “having all the answers” but instead view themselves as being capable of asking appropriate questions in order to understand content.
Students must also reflect, critique, revise, compare, and review their conceptual understanding as they engage with a WISE project. / SKI Framework:
1. making science accessible (connect to students’ prior instruction and experience)
2. making thinking visible (through simulations, models, students reporting on their ideas, teachers responding to students)
3. helping students learn from each other (using tenets of Constructivism to promote students learning from each other)
4. promote lifelong learning (a sense of scientific inquiry is promoted throughout)
(Linn, et al., 2003). / WISE projects present a wide-range of topics that are most appropriate for students in grades 4 and up.
WISE promotes individual use of their projects by allowing teachers to modify each project based on classroom needs. Allowing teachers to tailor projects increases the compatibility of this TELE to a wider range of students.
MyWorld / MyWorld is a software program designed to merge content and process teaching in the area of Science.
Researchers in this area see the need to:
1. engage students in technology use in the Science classroom since computers are becoming increasingly used in the practice of science,
2. implement technology as it offers students dynamic and interactive formats to build and present understanding.
(Edelson, 2001) / The Learning for Use (LfU) model requires students to come up against a “limitation or gap in one’s knowledge” (Edelson, 2001, p. 358). As such, teachers must intentionally design activities that will cause this gap to be recognized. Teachers must then develop activities that give experiences and cause the student to construct knowledge. Lastly, teachers must design activities that allow learners to refine their knowledge. Application of and reflection upon the new knowledge are key elements. / Learners must participate in two critical processes. First of all, they must be observers throughout the activities designed by the teachers. This observation should occur during direct experiences that the learner immerses him or herself in. Secondly, learners must be willing to communicate with others throughout the learning process. This communication refers not only to collaboration, but also to learners demonstrating understanding via a variety of formats (text, audio, modeling, etc…). / The Learning for Use (LfU) framework underlies the theory behind MyWorld. This framework has four principles:
1. learning occurs through constructing and modifying existing knowledge (Constructivism),
2. learning must be initiated by the learner,
3. the circumstances surrounding knowledge construction determine its accessibility for the future, and
4. learner must have procedural knowledge to apply declarative knowledge.
(Edelson, 2001). / Depending on the context, MyWorld could be used with any age of student. With younger students, however, the teacher would best use MyWorld as a demonstration as the TELE itself would be difficult for younger children to navigate around.
The very nature of MyWorld permits teacher and student modification as is required by any given task. As such, MyWorld would be compatible with a variety of subject areas.
ChemLab / The role of technology in ChemLab is to enhance science exploration by offering students “greater choice over the selection of variables and design of tests compared to other forms of media” (Kahn, 2011, p. 226). Through simulations, students are able to push and alter variables that would otherwise be unachievable in a regular science classroom. The purpose is not to replace hands-on labs, but instead to offer large data sets so that hypotheses can be drawn and tested in a more efficient manner. / The teacher’s role is to guide students toward examining relationships “using computer simulations until students grasp the complexity of the science” (Kahn, 2011, p. 225). / Students must not only be able to draw conclusions and hypothesis from large sets of data, but also be able to tweek and work with the simulation software. Students are also required to work collaboratively with peers and teachers in order to create, test, and refine hypotheses. / ChemLab can be used with a variety of theoretical frameworks. For instance, a teacher who employs a very traditional teaching method could use the simulations available via ChemLab. However, the T-GEM framework embodies an effective and proven method for building student knowledge through ChemLab.
In the T-GEM framework, students generate relationships by analyzing data sets. Next they evaluate the relationships they feel exist within the data, hopefully building conceptual understanding through this process. Lastly, students modify the relationships they built by applying them to a novel case. (Kahn, 2007). / The simulations that ChemLab presents relate to concepts and ideas that are typically presented in high school or undergraduate studies. While students are able to manipulate the simulations, the teacher is limited as they cannot modify the simulations to meet their classroom requirements.
References
Bottge, B. A., Heinrichs, M., Mehta, Z. D., & Hung, Y. (2002). Weighing the benefits of anchored math instruction for students with disabilities in general education classes. Journal of Special Education, 35, 186-200. DOI 10.1177/002246690203500401
Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbuilt. (1992). The Jasper experiment: An exploration of issues in learning and instructional design. Educational Technology Research and Development, 40(1), 65-80. Retrieved online February 2, 2013 from
Edelson, D. C. (2001). Learning for use: A framework for the design of technology-supported inquiry activities. Journal of Research in Science Technology, 38(3), 355-385. DOI: 10.1002/1098-2736(200103)38:3<355::AID-TEA1010>3.0.CO;2-M
Kahn, S. (2010). New pedagogies for teaching with computer simulations. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 20(3), 215-232. DOI 10.1007/s10956-010-9247-2
Khan, S. (2007). Model-based inquiries in chemistry. Science Education, 91(6), 877-905. DOI 10.1002/sce.20226
Linn, M., Clark, D., & Slotta, J. (2003). Wise design for knowledge integrations. Science Education, 87(4), 517-538. DOI: 10.1002/sce/10086