Abstract
This research addresses the effectiveness of an interactive learning environment, Inquiry Island, as a general-purpose framework for the design of inquiry-based science curricula. We introduce the software as a scaffold designed to support the creation and assessment of inquiry projects, and describe its use in a middle-school genetics unit. Students in the intervention showed significant gains in inquiry skills. We also illustrate the power of the software to gather and analyze qualitative data about student learning.
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Acknowledgments
The development of Inquiry Island was funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF Grant REC-0087583). The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the National Science Foundation.
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Eslinger, E., White, B., Frederiksen, J. et al. Supporting Inquiry Processes with an Interactive Learning Environment: Inquiry Island. J Sci Educ Technol 17, 610–617 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-008-9130-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-008-9130-6