Title: The Virtual Vee Map: A Template for Internet Inquiry
1The Virtual Vee MapA Template for Internet
Inquiry
- Margaret A. Coffman
- Department of Biology
- Eastern Michigan University
2Process Skills used in Inquiry
Process Skill Thinking Level
Observation Knowledge
Predicting Comprehension
Hypothesizing Application
Identifying and controlling variables Application
Collecting data Comprehension
Interpreting data Analysis
Inferring Analysis
Making tables and graphs Analysis
Communicating Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation
3BIOL 303
- Life Science for Elementary Teachers
- Pre-service elementary teachers
- Required course
- Approximately 250 students/semester
- Hybrid course
- 3 hours/week in lab
- 2 hours/week on WebCT
4BIOL 303 Student Skills
- Most students can
- Generate question and hypothesis
- Design a sound experiment
- Collect reasonable data
- Most students cannot
- Summarize data in a table or graph
- Analyze and evaluate their results
5Process Skills used in Inquiry
Process Skill Thinking Level
Observation Knowledge
Predicting Comprehension
Hypothesizing Application
Identifying and controlling variables Application
Collecting data Comprehension
Interpreting data Analysis
Inferring Analysis
Making tables and graphs Analysis
Communicating Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation
6Objectives
- Internet Inquiry
- Strengthen student inquiry skills at the
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation levels. - Introduce students to internet resources
- BIOL 303
- Increase confidence in using technology and
online resources - Successfully implement inquiry projects in their
own elementary classrooms
7Data available on the Internet
8Gowins Vee Map
- Vee diagram or Vee heuristic
- an educational method in which learning takes
place through discoveries that result from
investigations made by the student - Student-directed constructivist inquiry-based
- Successful in face-to-face settings
- Lab report
- Deciphering primary literature
- Evaluation tool for performance assessments
- Roehrig, Luft, and Edwards (2001)
- Versatile Vee Maps
9The Virtual Vee Map Template
10WebCT Interface
11Virtual Vee Map Instructions
12Virtual Vee Map RubricConceptual Knowing Left
- Inquiry Question
- What do I want to find out? What do I need to
know? - Word List
- What do I know? What words should I use to search
for more information? - Graphic Organizer
- How are these ideas connected?
- Hypothesis
- What statement do you think the data from your
chosen website will support?
13Student Graphic Organizer Example
14Virtual Vee Map Rubricconnecting concepts
methods
- Websites
- Where did I find information to support my
hypothesis and answer my question(s)? - Website veracity?
15Virtual Vee Map RubricMethodological Doing
Right
- Data and Analysis
- What did I find out?
- Summarize and present in table or graph
- Conclusion
- What did I learn? What do my results mean? How
does my inquiry relate to a larger context or in
the real world?
16Student Data Display Examples
17Conclusion should exhibit thinking at the
analysis and evaluation levels.
- Restate your hypothesis. Was your hypothesis
supported or refuted? - Summarize important data or results.
- Suggest implications of your findings. What do
your results mean on a larger scale? - State an additional unanswered question worthy of
further investigation. - Present limitations/errors to your inquiry.
18Student Virtual Vee Map Example
19Student Conclusion Example
- Conclusion A genes dominance will have a more
direct effect than recessive genes on the traits
of students in Ohio and Washington. According to
the data in comparing the frequency of dominant
versus recessive traits on the students in Ohio
and Washington, my hypothesis was refuted. By
comparing the percentages of students who had a
certain trait in each state, it was concluded
that dominant traits were not the most frequently
expressed phenotype. Interestingly, both schools
had a majority of the students with the same
traits regardless of whether the most frequent
phenotype resulted from a recessive trait or a
dominant trait. The results of the comparison
show that both schools expressed the dominant
traits for earlobes, pinky fingers, and
colorblindness in higher frequency than the
recessive traits. The rest of the phenotypes
white forelocks, dimples, thumb shape and mid
digit hair favored the recessive phenotypes.
Because the results of these schools were so
similar, it may be safe to hypothesize that
similar traits may be expressed amongst all
populations in America, but dominant traits may
not be the more frequently expressed phenotype.
It would be interesting to compare different
communities across America to see if this
hypothesis is true. On a larger scale it would
be interesting to compare the results of an
American community to the results of communities
in other countries. Limitations to my inquiry
were not knowing the ethnicities and the amount
of students in the study. Each school only had
approximately 20 students participating, which
may have skewed the results of the test.
20WebCT Submission Page
21Students reacted positively towards the project.
22Highlights the Nature of Science
Knowledge, Comprehension, Application
Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation
questions
conclusion
word list
graphic organizer
original hypothesis modified
data
INTERNET (Web-Based Inquiry Sites)