My World GIS is the technological side of the LfU-model, which seeks to support the design of learning activities that develop both content and inquiry learning. This model draws upon ideas from constructivism, situated cognition, and meaningful learning theory. Edelson (2001) favours the use of technology-mediated science inquiry, as the execution of modern science routinely uses technology to collect, organize, analyze, model, and communicate scientific discoveries and results. Thus, authentic practices and learning environments for science must also include these tools. This approach is also in line with Beyers (2009) observations that today’s youth expect to actively participate and engage through media. The fact that computers provide opportunities to store and present information through a number of modalities, and that they are now common place with in schools, but with little thought to how they are being used also provide further reasoning for technology-mediate science inquiry.
The LfU-model embodies three steps in designing technology-mediated inquiry
- motivation-a need for new knowledge
- Knowledge construction – the develop of new knowledge
- Knowledge refinement – connection and re-organization
Through the explicit identification of misconceptions, holes, or weakness in ones understanding of particular concepts, a need or motivation to learn new conceptual information can be developed intrinsically. Technology mediated models, demonstrations, and activities can allow students to "see" phenomena which might otherwise be too difficult or dangerous to observe such as car-crashes, explosions, or massive distances (still a bit tricky to fly to the sun). In the "Create-a-World"” project students were able to make use of topographic map functions of My World to see the effects of geological features on temperature. This was only after they had created there own temperature distributions and provided explanations for their reasoning; recorded in learning portfolio component. Authentic practice occurred as students used real world maps, with real topographic data to see the impacts on temperatures and distributions. Discussions with peers aided discovery learning and re-organization of learned concepts. Constructivist principles were seen in the hands on learning aspects of labs examining temperature as a function of light direction and intensity. Knowledge construction and refinement occurs as slowly as more layers and expectations are added to the "Create-a-World". Students initially drew land masses, then added other features as they were discussed with the teacher. As students progress they can keep track of different ideas and conceptual revisions in the portfolio, which one could say acts as a form of advanced organizer and allows students to supplant older knowledge with newer knowledge as they undergo the process of discovery learning.
Conceptual Science and inquiry is further developed as students apply their knowledge about the factors affecting temperature and climate on Earth to their own unique world which they had initially created in My World.
References
Edelson, D. C., Salierno, C., Matese, G., Pitts, V., & Sherin, B. (2002, April). Learning-for-Use in Earth science: Kids as climate modelers. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA.