Chris Quintana

A Scaffolding Design Framework for Software to Support Science Inquiry.

The notion of scaffolding learners to help them succeed in solving problems otherwise too difficult for them is an important idea that has extended into the design of scaffolded software tools for learners. However, although there is a growing body of work on scaffolded tools, scaffold design, and the impact of scaffolding, the field has not yet converged on a common theoretical framework that defines rationales and approaches to guide the design of scaffolded tools. In this article, we present a scaffolding design framework addressing scaffolded software tools for science inquiry. Developed through iterative cycles of inductive and theory-based analysis, the framework synthesizes the work of prior design efforts, theoretical arguments, and empirical work in a set of guidelines that are organized around science inquiry practices and the challenges learners face in those practices. The framework can provide a basis for developing a theory of pedagogical support and a mechanism to describe successful scaffolding approaches. It can also guide design, not in a prescriptive manner but by providing designers with heuristics and examples of possible ways to address the challenges learners face.

A Framework for Supporting Metacognitive Aspects of Online Inquiry Through Software-Based Scaffolding

Major educational policy groups call on learners to engage in inquiry-based activities. With a growing amount of information now available online, there is an increased focus on online inquiry where learners ask research questions; search digital libraries and other information sources; and read, assess, and synthesize that information. Metacognitive skills are important for engaging in complex practices like online inquiry, but those skills are weak in novice learners. In this article, we propose a framework that describes the types of metacognitive problems that learners exhibit during online inquiry and the ways that software can serve a scaffolding function to address those problems and support learners through those metacognitive issues. Specifically, we consider how three categories of metacognition relate to online inquiry—task understanding and planning, monitoring and regulation, and reflection—and the issues learners face within each. Our framework describes different types of scaffolding features from a range of software tools that can support learners with the identified metacognitive issues in different ways, such as by describing online inquiry task structures for better task understanding, making planning an explicit activity, helping learners see online inquiry task spaces and strategies to monitor and regulate work, and describing to learners the important aspects of online inquiry that they should reflect on during their work. A common thread with these scaffolding features is the fact that they make different aspects of metacognition, which tends to be implicit to learners, more explicit so learners can engage in the metacognitive activity that they otherwise tend to bypass.

Learning theory in practice: case studies of learner-centered design

The design of software for learners must be guided by educational theory. We present a framework for learner-centered design (LCD) that is theoretically motivated by sociocultural and constructivist theories of learning. LCD guides the design of software in order to support the unique needs of learners: growth, diversity, and motivation. To address these needs, we incorporate scaffolding into the context, tasks, tools, and interface of software learning environments. We demonstrate the application of our methodology by presenting two case studies of LCD in practice.

Handheld use in K-12: a descriptive account

This paper describes ways handheld computers have been used by students at four different Michigan schools. Regardless of age or environment, our experience has shown that the primary, and most powerful uses of handheld computers have not been for organizational purposes. While students do take advantage of the organizational abilities, handhelds are most often used as tools to aid in research, alternatives to paper-based tasks, group collaboration activities, and much more. In addition to describing student tasks, this paper provides a context as to how much time handheld computers are being used in each classroom. This framework of time use and task use provides a better understanding of what a classroom with handheld computers might look like.

Design guidelines for learner-centered handheld tools

Handheld computers are mobile, flexible devices that can provide real-time, one-to-one support for students from within the context of their learning activities. This paper describes the design of three learner-centered handheld tools used as part of a nine-month classroom study involving thirty-three eighth grade students. A review of related work identifies some of the challenges of building educational software within the constraints of handheld screens, and two broad design guidelines are synthesized to help address these challenges. The first design guideline focuses on decomposing the learning activity to identify salient tasks and the type of supports (or scaffolds) students need to engage in these tasks, then building separate handheld workspaces to support each task. The second guideline focuses on methods for implementing scaffolds within these task-based workspaces while preserving the usability of the overall handheld software.

Symphony: a case study in extending learner-centered design through process space analysis

We are exploring a new class of tools for learners: scaffoldedintegrated tool environments (or SITES), which address the needs oflearners trying to engage in new, complex work processes. A crucialphase within a learner-centered design approach for SITE designinvolves analyzing the work process to identify areas wherelearners need support to engage in the process. Here we discuss thedesign of Symphony, a SITE for high-school science students.Specifically, we discuss how the process-space model helped usanalyze the science inquiry process to help us identify a detailedset of learner needs, leading to a full set of process scaffoldingstrategies for Symphony.

Issues and Approaches for Developing Learner-Centered Technology

Abstract As computing technology has evolved, there has been significant research and a range of approaches exploring the use of computers for learning. Traditionally, the prevalent approach when developing software has been a user-centered approach that focuses on software usability to help experts in some practice effectively engage in their work. However, in recent years, researchers have come to understand that a different approach—a learner-centered approach—is needed to design tools that help novices in some practice do and learn the work involved in that practice. Rather than solely focusing on the conceptual gulfs that lie between tool users and their tools, learner-centered tools primarily focus on addressing the conceptual gulf between a learners novice expertise in some practice and the expertise of an expert in that practice. In this chapter, we discuss some major approaches that have been considered for learner-centered technologies by describing software based on behaviorist, information processing, and social constructivist approaches. Expanding on the latter two approaches, we will focus on two types of learner-centered software. We will look at intelligent tutoring systems and how they oversee a learners work to provide assistance when learners encounter problems as they are working on certain tasks. We will also look at scaffolded software that incorporates specific functionalities and user interface features to support learners as they use the tool to engage in new activity. For each type of software, we will discuss the issues, approaches, and tradeoffs involved in designing, implementing, and evaluating the software given its learner-centered focus. Finally, we will consider emerging wireless, handheld technologies, to discuss the new kinds of functionalities offered by these technologies, their possible impact on learning, and the challenges that developers face in creating educationally effective software given the constraints of these technologies.

Mobile learning in museums: how mobile supports for learning influence student behavior

Nomadic scientific inquiry -- technology-supported authentic inquiry done on-the-go, across settings -- has the potential to engage students in learning new concepts and practicing essential science skills. We developed the Zydeco system to support nomadic inquiry in part through enabling the collection and annotation of multimodal data (photographs and audio notes). The system was designed to bridge school and museum contexts through project-based science inquiry. In this study, we explore how Zydeco influences student behavior and sensemaking in the museum. We compared the behaviors of middle-school students who used either Zydeco or paper worksheets to perform inquiry in a museum, and found that, while both the worksheets and the system engendered heads-down behavior, the Zydeco system increased active sociocultural engagement.

Supporting learning in context: extending learner-centered design to the development of handheld educational software

The emerging family of mobile devices presents new opportunities to design handheld tools that can support students within the context of their learning activities. In this paper we discuss the challenges of building handheld educational software and describe the design of Pocket PiCoMap, a learner-centered tool that supports concept mapping activities on handheld computers. By combining available research on the design of small interfaces with existing guidelines for developing learner-centered desktop software, we describe some of the design considerations and tradeoffs of developing learner-centered handheld software. We present initial design guidelines for balancing these constraints, describe their application to the development of Pocket PiCoMap, and discuss ongoing classroom tests of this software.

Zydeco: using mobile and web technologies to support seamless inquiry between museum and school contexts

Museums and other out-of-school settings, are ideal contexts for children to engage in authentic scientific inquiry. However, students need support to successfully do inquiry outside of the classroom, and to make connections between what they are learning in and outside of school. Zydeco is a new system that aims to support students in seamlessly conducting inquiry across contexts. Zydeco includes an online web component that allows students to define goals, questions, and categorical information for their science investigations. This information is uploaded to a handheld device, which allows students to photograph, tag, and annotate information in a museum. Students can then access their museum work in the classroom to complete their investigations. Here we describe the Zydeco system, highlighting strategies for addressing challenges of mediating inquiry across class and museum contexts.