The Motivation for WISE
WISE was developed to create inquiry-based science projects for middle school and high school students to work collaboratively using evidence and resources from the Web. My understanding is that the motivation for WISE and most STEM projects is at the root, initiated by the lower percentage of graduates in science, math, computer science, and engineering (Conference Board of Canada, 2010).
How SKI Promotes knowledge integration
SKI promotes knowledge integration using 4 major tenants:
- Making Science Accessible
- Making Thinking Visible
- Learning From Others
- Promoting Autonomy and Lifelong Learning
The design of WISE using scaffolding promotes these activities in a inquiry based pedagogy.
WISE vrs. Jasper
A WISE project is developed within a customizable and interactive learning management system or LMS. With the advent of easy-to-program web scripting languages and simplified digital authoring software, teachers are playing a greater role in the creation of learning materials and designs. Furthermore, the popularity of open source course management systems with pluggable modules and point-and-click configuration has allowed teachers to experience unprecedented freedom of design (Berggren et al., 2005) Jasper on the other hand is a professionally produced product to be used as a resource along side a proven form of pedagogy. The technology behind Jasper does little to promote any specific pedagogy rather the videos can become effective when employed with anchored instruction.
Using WISE
WISE has proven to be an effective framework for inquiry curriculum in a broad range of science topics and student age groups as well as showing it can accommodate teachers with diverse perspectives and styles, while still preserving the desired inquiry experience for students (Slotta, 2004). I have used WISE as a tool for engaging students in the inquiry process. I found that there wasn’t a need for me to develop a completely new lesson since here were so many options to choose from. What I did was chose a lesson I felt fit the needs of what my students were learning and added as much relevant information by customizing the lesson to suit the needs of my class.
References:
Berggren, A., Burgos, D., Fontana, J. M., Hinkelman, D., Hung, V., Hursh, A., & Tielemans, G. (2005). Practical and pedagogical issues for teacher adoption of IMS learning design standards in Moodle LMS. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2005(1).
Conference Board of Canada (2010). Percentage of Graduates in Science, Math, Computer Science, and Engineering. Graduates in science, math, computer science, and engineering. Retrieved from http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/details/education/graduates-science-math-computer-science-engineerin.aspx
Slotta, J. D. (2004). The web-based inquiry science environment (WISE): Scaffolding knowledge integration in the science classroom. Internet environments for science education, 203-232.