A multi-user virtual environment for building and assessing higher order inquiry skills in science
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TLDR
The results indicated that students were able to conduct inquiry in virtual worlds and were motivated by that process, however, the results from the assessments varied depending on the assessment strategy employed.Abstract:
This study investigated novel pedagogies for helping teachers infuse inquiry into a standards-based science curriculum. Using a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) as a pedagogical vehicle, teams of middle-school students collaboratively solved problems around disease in a virtual town called River City. The students interacted with ‘avatars’ of other students, digital artefacts and computer-based ‘agents’ acting as mentors and colleagues in a virtual community of practice set during the time period when bacteria were just being discovered. This paper describes the results from three implementations of the River City virtual environment in 2004–05 with approximately 2000 students from geographically diverse urban areas. The results indicated that students were able to conduct inquiry in virtual worlds and were motivated by that process. However, the results from the assessments varied depending on the assessment strategy employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]read more
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References
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Journal ArticleDOI
The Impact of Student Self-efficacy on Scientific Inquiry Skills: An Exploratory Investigation in River City, a Multi-user Virtual Environment
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated data-gathering behaviors exhibited by 100 seventh-grade students as they participated in a scientific inquiry-based curriculum project delivered by a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE).
Journal ArticleDOI
Exploring the Use of Individualized, Reflective Guidance In an Educational Multi-User Virtual Environment
TL;DR: In this article, a guidance system embedded within a MUVE-based scientific inquiry curriculum was implemented with a sample of middle school students in an exploratory study investigating (a) whether access to the guidance system was associated with improved learning, (b) whether students viewing more guidance messages saw greater improvement on content tests than those viewing less, and (c) whether there were any differences in guidance use among boys and girls.
Journal ArticleDOI
Test of the Integrated Science Process Skills for Secondary Science Students.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed a valid and reliable test of integrating science process ski for teachers, researchers, and evaluators in primary and secondary schools, with a reliability of.39 across ability levels, socioeconomic, levels, gender, and race.
Journal ArticleDOI
Design for Scalability: A Case Study of the River City Curriculum
Jody Clarke,Chris Dede +1 more
TL;DR: The River City multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) as discussed by the authors was designed to enhance engagement and learning in middle school science, and over 250 teachers and 15,000 students participated in the River City curriculum.
Journal Article
Design-based Research Strategies for Developing a Scientific Inquiry Curriculum in a Multi-User Virtual Environment
TL;DR: The River City curriculum as discussed by the authors was designed for middle school students to collaboratively solve a digital 19th century city's problems with illness through interaction with digital artifacts, tacit clues, and computer-based 'agents' acting as mentors and colleagues in a virtual community of practice.