Technology Enhanced Learning Environment – WISE
Motivation for WISE
The motivation for the creation and development of WISE was the desire to use the power of easy to use, affordable and accessible technology to support a structured curriculum of science education using theories of inquiry-based learning and scaffolding knowledge integration in order to achieve literacy in science(Slotta & Linn, 2009). Literacy being understood as: i) understanding content, ii) knowledge and development of skills within the course and iii) understanding the nature of the course (Gobert, Snyder &Houghton, 2002) and as such WISE was created to integrate knowledge on these three levels in one learning environment: science content, scientific inquiry skills, and epistemic knowledge is WISE (Snyder et al., 2002).
As such using informed research on how students learn and how instruction is successful the power of the internet and communication tools such as reflection and discussion through distributed cognition fueled the design of WISE in a no software approach, with embedded tools for cognition and metacognition organized in a step by step process (Slotta & Linn, 2009).
Four pedagogical principles which motivated the development of WISE Linn (1998):
- Make science accessible for all students
- Make thinking visible – representation of students’ learning processes.
- Provide social support so that students can learn from each other – collective knowledge of the classroom and get students to consider their own and others’ ideas
- Promote autonomy and lifelong learning, – develop science process skills, and encourage revisit and refinement
Developing a WISE project and comparison with the Jasper Adventures
A typical process for developing a WISE project
A WISE project is developed incorporating internet materials to deliver content and activities and for the completion of and discussion of tasks (Lynn, Clark & Slotta, 2003). The problem/task is designed to enable students to discuss current controversies in science and to design solutions to scientific problems. Web resources are provided to give content background. Hints and notes are a feature of the WISE software and are included in the design to help students to focus on what was learnt and use that knowledge in making predictions based on such integrations. Simulation and data visualisation tools are included to show results of students’ experiments and/or in making and testing predictions. Reflection notes are included in the design and is incdued in the step ny step design to support metacognintion, critical thinking and provide material for online discussions, which are mediated also through WISE software tools. The model also scaffolds student learning and guides process through questioning and providing hints (also included in the step-by-step process using WISE software tools). All content, tasks, problem definition, simulations, reflection, hints and discussions are input online in the WISE software in the sequence desired for students to complete. The teacher’s role during students’ use of WISE is to facilitate the process (walk around) encourage/ guide discussions and bring groups into small discussion groups.
Comparing TELE: WISE vs Jasper Adventures
The Jasper series is a collection of videos that present a number of real world problems to be solved. Factual and historical situations are presented and students are required to provide solutions. Like WISE, the Jasper series presents instruction with a problem solving approach. However, the Jasper Series focuses even more on the concept of anchored instruction in that the problem is presented in a compact presentation and students’ learning is anchored on that specific problem, only the problem is presented. Jasper requires the learner to seek solutions that may require the teacher to use supported environments that simulate/ aid scaffolding activities. WISE is more comprehensive in creating the one learning environment experience.
A lesson from WISE is the inclusion of reflection and metacognitive elements within the tasks themselves. A lesson from Jasper is to use multimedia and presentation tools that motivate and present anchored problem solving using real experiences but also to give students enough motivation to seek out additional information.
Perceived limitations, hindrances or constraints related to WISE
WISE has a number of limitations that have to do with infrastructure, access, training and pedagogy. The internet is the base of the technology and without internet and/or computer access cannot be facilitated.
The knowledge of how to use and navigate the software and environment as well as how to facilitate and/or provide support to students may be not be intuitive for many teachers, which would mean increased time and pressure for training, creation and use. Even for ‘experienced’ teachers development time can be a challenge however teachers are able to change/share or modify lessons
From a pedagogical perspective, while I support the use use of hints, reflections et al. in the scaffold nature of the WISE environment I do think that the structured step-by-step process may limit divergent thinking and the process of discovery and inquiry desired. The Jasper series to this end, in its deliver and structure, would create more independent learner-directed approaches to problem solving and embodies discovery learning more so than WISE. That being said, there is great value in the WISE approach but I see it more beneficial to at-risk-learners and younger students in primary levels and lower graded within secondary levels of education.
Using a WISE project and adding customisations in WISE
A WISE project can be designed and delivered to target different outcomes. To show how to use a WISE project the example of Plate Tectonics lesson by Snyder et al. (2002) will be used as reference. The “What’s on your plate?” unit was used to investigate students’ understanding of models and to explore this understanding on model-based reasoning. Activities in WISE were designed to facilitate the outcome. There were two groups of students who would later discuss their results in collaborative and distributed cognition structures:
1. Students’ Model Building & Explanation of their Models.
One group of students constructed, in WISE visual models of plate tectonic-related phenomena while the other drew models of earthquake or volcanic eruption.
Using prompts embedded in WISE in iterative steps each group wrote, in WISE a short explanation for their models. Students then posted their models and explanations to be viewed across groups.
2. Students’ Evaluation and Critique of the Learning Partners’ Models.
Students authored responses, based on set criteria of elements to be included, designated by prompts. Two texts were provided to support students’ knowledge of how to evaluate models and elements to be included in the critique. Evaluations were discussed in class and posted online facilitating a two way discussion.
3. Students’Model Revision&Justification.
Students read evaluations and were asked to revise their models based on the critique given and content knowledge and write a revised explanation for their new models.
They were asked to justify changes to their models in WISE. Prompts also guided this activity.
4. Geology Websites.
On-line field trip exploring phenomena was conducted and students were guided to other websites. They were asked to write a reflection on “site visit”, about what they have learned. The reflection was guided by prompt notes.
5. Dynamic-runnable models.
Models enabling visualizations were included.
Customising WISE
I would like to include elements to enable modification/sharing of lessons to facilitate cultural and global collaborative learning and sharing.
Currently teachers are able to take lessons et al. and remodel for culturally specific and reflective content. In the sharing platform at WISE then teachers should be able to see and analyse and perhaps present lessons from different perspectives for their students.
WISE could create a space/category for culturally adjusted lesson (or a tagging system). Here teachers know where to go and compare and/or use lessons for cultural, globally diverse learning experience.
References
Gobert, J., Snyder, J., & Houghton, C. (2002, April). The influence of students’ understanding of models on model-based reasoning. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), New Orleans, Louisiana.
Retrieved Saturday, October 29, 2005 from: http://mtv.concord.org/publications/epistimology_paper.pdf
Linn, M., Clark, D., & Slotta, J. (2003). Wise design for knowledge integration. Science Education, 87(4), 517-538.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sce.10086/abstract