Inquiry-Based Science Instruction and Virtual Learning Objects

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Inquiry-Based Science Instruction and Virtual
Learning Objects
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What just happened here?
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What happened here awhile ago?
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What happened here?
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What happened here?
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Virtual Learning Objects--Resources from the
Internet

• Becoming increasingly important in instruction
• Little research has been done
• Preliminary findings are that current uses are
  primarily to illustrate lectures
• What role can virtual learning objects play in
  inquiry-based science instruction?

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Goals

• Describe Inquiry-Based Science Instruction
• Display several Virtual Learning Objects
• Demonstrate a range of uses of Virtual Learning
  Objects (VLOs)
• Discuss the relationship between those uses and
  elements of Inquiry-Based science instruction
• Explore ways to assess/frame uses of VLOs

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A Few Thoughts First

• The audience is a mix in terms of
• subject area
• teaching experience
• experience with ICT and other technologies
• familiarity with inquiry-based science teaching
• I can do some modeling, with your help
• This is informal, we can all share ideas
• Im still learning, so please raise questions

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What is meant by Inquiry-Based Science
Instruction?
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That leads to a question

• How is it possible for something to rest on top
  of water without sinking?

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What do you think?

• Which of these things could float on top of
  water?
• A small piece of paper
• A wooden toothpick
• A coin
• A paperclip
• Grains of black pepper
• Think of one more small thing that you could try.

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Try It!

• Using a fork, hold a paperclip above a cup of
  water.
• Hold the paperclip on the fork so the paperclip
  is parallel with the waters surface.
• Lower the fork into the water slowly.
• Can you make the paperclip float?

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Water Molecules
1.
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Dipole

• 1
• 2

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Dipoles align and pull on each other
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So

• How is it possible for something to rest on top
  of water without sinking?

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Explain the role of surface tension in what you
see.

• 1

Pepper activity Re-float the paperclip
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Break the Tension
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How is this like/unlike a mosquito?
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Lets Talk About Inquiry

• What does the term science inquiry mean to you?
• How much emphasis should inquiry-based science
  teaching get?
• What is the relationship between science
  inquiry as an approach to instruction and as
  something that scientists do?

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Virtual Learning Objects
Photos (Rainbow, Tree, Heat, Clouds) Hurricane
Video Water Molecule Model Dipole
Animations Surface Tension Force Animation
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Virtual Learning Objects

• Small interactive programs that are available
  online and are focused on specific content
  topics (Gadanidis Schindler, 2006)

• Small
• Interactive
• Programs
• Specific Content

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What is important?

• Control
• Exploration
• Transformation
• Science Processes

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Consider the Attributes of Virtual Learning
Objects
More Generative Allows Transformation Based on
Science Processes
More Learning
More Teacher Controlled
More Student Exploration
Pre-set Results
Less Learning
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Photos (Rainbow, Tree, Heat, Clouds) Hurricane
Video Water Molecule Model Dipole
Animation Surface Tension Force Animation
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Virtual Learning Objects

• How can VLOs be effectively used in science
  instructionespecially inquiry-based
  instructionto enhance learning?

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Do we believe this photo is real?

• What would we look to for clues?

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Watch Closely

• Group 1 Water temperature under each storm
• Group 2 Water temperature everywhere,
  especially along gulf stream
• Group 3 Clouds as storm moves
• Group 4 Notice where each storm stops
• Group 5 Describe the change in the number of
  storms over time

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A Key PointIn Two Parts

• Learning that takes place with the use of virtual
  learning objects is NOT primarily a matter of the
  qualities of the virtual learning object itself.
• What matters for learning is the way that the
  virtual learning object is used in instructionit
  is reasonable to think that more inquiry-based
  approaches will increase learning.

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Mt. Pinatubo
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What were the events
16th July 1990 Large earthquake 100 km northeast
of Mt Pinatubo. 3rd August 1990 Loud rumbling
heard, a landslide near the summit, and steaming
ground. First volcanic activity in 500 years.
August 1990 Five earthquakes near Pinatubo.
15th March 1991 Rumbling and earth tremors.
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• 1
• 2
• 3

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What might be some effects far away?
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What happened here?
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This can lead to many questions

• How do we know whats inside Earth
• Sound waves (loud rumbling tremors)
• medium
• In gas
• In solid
• Waves inside Earth
• P-waves
• S-waves
• Seismology
• Volcanology
• Exploring waves and energy

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Virtual Learning Objects

• Photos
• Simulations
• Videos
• Archived Remote
• Sensing Data
• Models
• GIS Products
• Activities
• Generative
• Tools

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Virtual Learning Objects

• Libraries, Galleries Catalogs
• Earth Science World Image Bank
• http//www.earthscienceworld.org/images/
• USGS Photo Library
• http//libraryphoto.cr.usgs.gov/
• NOAA Photo Library
• http//www.photolib.noaa.gov/
• NASA Space Science Data Center Photo Library
• http//nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/

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Virtual Learning Objects

• Libraries, Galleries Catalogs
• National Science Digital Library
• http//nsdl.org/
• Digital Library for Earth Science Education
  (DLESE)
• http//www.dlese.com
• Goddard Space Flight Center Sci. Visualization
  Studio
• http//svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/
• Visible Earth
• http//visibleearth.nasa.gov/
• Earth Observatory
• http//earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

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Virtual Learning Objects

• Simulations
• Science Courseware.org
• http//www.sciencecourseware.org/
• National Geographic Forces of Nature
• http//www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/

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Generative Products

• NASA WorldWind
• http//worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/download.html
• National Atlas
• http//www-atlas.usgs.gov/mld/geology.html
• National Geospacial Data Center Interactive Map
  Services
• http//www.ngdc.noaa.gov/maps/whatisthis

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Consider the Attributes of Virtual Learning
Objects
Allows Transformation Based on Sci Processes
More Learning
Less Learning
Pre-set Results
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Principles that seem important

• Teacher Agency Curriculum Interpretation
• Identifying Curriculum Potential
• Types of knowledge available
• Declarative Knowledge
• (episodic, semantic? conceptual, conventional)
• Procedural Knowledge
• Types of teaching promoted by a specific learning
  object
• Receptive, Directive, Guided Discovery,
  Exploratory
• Pedagogical Content Knowledge
• Knowledge of the relationship between content and
  learner

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Think Web 2.0

• Go to http//www.wikispaces.com
• here you can set up a website to store and share
  resources
• see also http//robeckukm.wikispaces.com
• see also http//virtuallabs.wikispaces.com/
• Go to http//del.icio.us/
• This is a social bookmarking site
• see also http//del.icio.us/ecrobeck
• Go to http//zaidlearn.blogspot.com
• This is the blog of a guy REALLY committed to
  getting the word out about Web 2.0 tools and how
  they can be used in education
• see also http//zaidlearn.blogspot.com/2008/04/fr
  ee-learning-tool-for-every-learning.html

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What to do to get started

• Begin collecting resources and saving them
• Learn about webquests
• Learn how to take and load your own photos
  movies
• Learn how to cut and paste photos from other
  places
• Learn how to download players and plug-ins
• Learn how to save Flash-9 objectse.g.,
  Saveflash
• Get access to Quicktime Pro so you can save
  movies
• Commit to using the VLOs in inquiry-based ways

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Watch for Generative VLOs in your subject matter
area(and learn how to operate them)

• Google Earth/Microsoft Virtual Earth
• LeoCrystal
• Scratch
• Phun
• Data Sets analyzed with IT applications such as
  Excel, Access, and GIS

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Virtual Learning Objects

• Libraries, Galleries Catalogs
• Earth Science World Image Bank
• http//www.earthscienceworld.org/images/
• USGS Photo Library
• http//libraryphoto.cr.usgs.gov/
• NOAA Photo Library
• http//www.photolib.noaa.gov/
• NASA Space Science Data Center Photo Library
• http//nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/

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Virtual Learning Objects

• Libraries, Galleries Catalogs
• National Science Digital Library
• http//nsdl.org/
• Digital Library for Earth Science Education
  (DLESE)
• http//www.dlese.com
• Goddard Space Flight Center Sci. Visualization
  Studio
• http//svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/
• Visible Earth
• http//visibleearth.nasa.gov/
• Earth Observatory
• http//earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

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Generative Products

• NASA WorldWind
• http//worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/download.html
• National Atlas
• http//www-atlas.usgs.gov/mld/geology.html
• National Geospacial Data Center Interactive Map
  Services
• http//www.ngdc.noaa.gov/maps/whatisthis

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Virtual Learning Objects

• Real Time Data Sources--USGS
• USGS Real-Time Water Data for the Nation
• http//waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt
• USGS Earthquake Hazards Record
• http//earthquake.usgs.gov/
• USGS Real Time Data Search Assistance
• http//www.usgs.gov/search/time.html

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Virtual Learning Objects

• Real Time Data Sources--NOAA
• National Buoy Data Center
• http//www.ndbc.noaa.gov/
• Tropical Atmospheric Ocean Project
• http//www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/
• NOAA nowCOAST
• http//nowcoast.noaa.gov/

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Virtual Learning Objects

• Real Time Data Sources--NASA
• Satellite Tracking
• http//science.nasa.gov/realtime/
• Human Space Flight Real Time Data
• http//spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/
• Near-Real-Time Image Distribution Server
• http//nereids.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/nereids.cgi

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Virtual Learning Objects

• How can VLOs be effectively used in science
  instructionespecially inquiry-based
  instructionto enhance learning?

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Consider the Attributes of Virtual Learning
Objects
Allows Transformation Based on Sci Processes
More Learning
More Teacher Controlled
More Student Exploration
Less Learning
Pre-set Results
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But

• Sometimes for discussion
• Sometimes for fun