Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) is built on the Scaffolded Knowledge Integration (SKI) framework. WISE offers a platform for curriculum designers to build a series of activities as well as a library of projects that can be taken and altered to suit the needs of the students or used as is. When it comes to scaffolding knowledge and creating a successful learning environment Linn et al. (2003) state that “If inquiry steps are too precise, resembling a recipe, then students will fail to engage in inquiry. If steps are too broad, then students will flounder and become distracted” (p. 522). The real concern then is finding the balance between the two. The benefit of WISE is that it is relatively flexible and adaptable and therefore it is possible to attain the right amount of “steps” given some time to practice in the classroom.
This might sound a bit too experimental for some but using any new approach in the classroom, be it technology or not, is a bit risky. Being open to refining something rather than throwing it out completely seems like a better idea. Professional development is a focus of WISE to ensure that teachers have the knowledge necessary to use the site and its tools effectively.
The goal of WISE, according to Linn et al. (2003), is to provide a learning environment that:
- Makes student thinking visible
- Makes science accessible
- Helps students learn from one another
- Promotes learning that continues throughout a student’s lifetime
WISE appears to be successful in achieving its goals and promoting “deep learning of subject-matter material” (Gobert, Snyder & Houghton, 2002, p. 17) through its constructivist design.
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.
Linn, M., Clark, D., & Slotta, J. (2003). Wise design for knowledge integration. Science Education, 87(4), 517-538.