Abstract
BioWorld is a computer learning environmentdesigned for high school biology students. BioWorldcomplements the biology curriculum by providing ahospital simulation where students can apply what theyhave learned about body systems to problems where theycan reason about diseases. Students workcollaboratively at collecting evidence to confirm orrefute their hypotheses as they attempt to solveBioWorld cases. The present study examined students'use of BioWorld to solve problems related to thedigestive system. Analyses of student actions andverbal dialogue were conducted to pinpoint the typesof features within BioWorld that were most conduciveto learning and scientific reasoning. An exploratoryanalysis of the types of assistance provided tostudents by a teacher, researcher, and BioWorld alonewas conducted to examine how scaffolding influencedstudent actions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Association for the Advancement of Science (1989). Project 2061: Science for all Americans. D.C.: AAAS Publications.
American Association for the Advancement of Science (in prep). Resources for scientific literacy: Curriculum materials. (American Association for the Advancement of Science Project No. 2061).
Amsel, E. & Brock, S. (1996). The development of evidence evaluation skills. Cognitive Development 11: 523–550.
Anderson, J.R. (1983). The Architecture of Cognition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Anderson, J.R. (1993). Rules of the Mind. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Azevedo, R. & Bernard, R.M. (1995). A meta-analysis of the effect of feedback in computerbased instruction. Journal of Educational Computing Research 13(2): 109–125.
Barron, B.J.S., Schwartz, D.L. Vye, N.J., Moore, A., Petrosino, A., Zech, L., Bransford, J.D. & The Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1998). Doing with understanding: Lessons from research on problem and project-based learning. The Journal of the Learning Sciences 7(3&4): 271–311.
Barrows, H.S. (1986). A taxonomy of problem-based learning methods. Medical Education 20: 481–486.
Barrows, H.S. & Myers, A.C. (in prep.). Problem-based learning: A total approach to education. In H. Barrows & A. Kelson, eds, Problem-Based Learning.
Brown, A.L. (1997). Transforming schools into communities of thinking and learning about serious matters. American Psychologist 52(4): 399–413.
Bruning, R.H., Schraw, G.J. & Ronning, R.R. (1995). Cognitive Psychology and Instruction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill.
Cadigan, J.J. (1993). The making of a scientist or engineer. In R. Ruopp, S. Gal, B. Drayton & M. Pfister, eds, LabNet: Toward a Community of Practice, pp. 200–204. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Chi, M.T.H. (1997). Quantifying qualitative analyses of verbal data: A practical guide. The Journal of the Learning Sciences 6(3): 271–315.
Chi, M.T.H., Glaser, R. & Farr, M. (1988). The Nature of Expertise. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Collins, A. (1997). National science educational standards: Looking backward and forward. The Elementary School Journal 97(4): 299–313.
Collins, A., Brown, J.S. & Newman, S.E. (1989). Cognitive apprenticeship: Teaching the craft of reading, writing, and mathematics, In L.B. Resnick, ed., Knowing, Learning, and Instruction: Essays in Honor of Robert Glaser, pp. 453–494. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
de Jong, T. & van Joolingen, W. R. (1998). Scientific discovery learning with computer simulations of conceptual domains. Review of Educational Research 68(2): 179–201.
Dunlosky, J. (1998). Epilogue: Linking metacognitive theory to education. In D.J. Hacker, J. Dunlosky & A.C. Graesser, eds, Metacognition in Educational Theory and Practice, pp. 367–381. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Dweck, C. (1986). Motivational processes affecting learning. American Psychologist 41: 1040–1048.
Flavell, J.H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitivedevelopmental inquiry. American Psychologist 34: 906–911.
Frederiksen, C.H., Roy, M. & Bedard, D. (1995). Discourse processing in situated learning: Learning through tutorial dialogue in a complex domain. In J.D. Moore & J.F. Lehman, eds, Proceedings of the Seventeenth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, pp. 643–647. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Gallagher, S.A., Stepien, W.J., Sher, B.T. & Workman, D. (1995). Implementing problembased learning in science classrooms. School Science and Mathematics 95: 136–146.
Galotti, K.M. (1989). Approaches to informal and everyday reasoning. Psychological Bulletin 105(3): 331–351.
Graesser, A. & Person, N. (1994). Question asking during tutoring. American Educational Research Journal 31(1): 104–137.
Hacker, D.J. (1998). Definitions and empirical foundations. In D.J. Hacker, J. Dunlosky & A.C. Graesser, eds, Metacognition in Educational Theory and Practice, pp. 1–23. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Haury, D.L. (1993). Teaching Science Through Inquiry. Columbus, OH: Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education (ERIC Reproduction Document No. ED 359 048).
Hemple, C. (1961). Philosophy of Natural Sciences. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Hoffman, B. & Ritchie, D. (1997). Using multimedia to overcome the problems with problembased learning. Instructional Science 25: 97–115.
Johnson, D.W. & Johnson, R.T. (1989). Cooperation and Competition: Theory and Research. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.
Johnson, M.A. & Lawson, A.E. (1998). What are the relative effects of reasoning ability and prior knowledge on biology achievement in expository and inquiry classes? Journal of Research in Science Teaching 35(1): 89–103.
Jonassen, D.H. (1996). Computers in the Classroom: Mindtools for Critical Thinking. Columbus, OH: Prentice Hall.
Jonassen, D.H. & Reeves, T.C. (1996). Learning with technology: Using computers as cognitive tools. In D.H. Jonassen, ed., Handbook of Research for Educational Communications and Technology, pp. 693–719. NY: Macmillan.
Klahr, D., Fay, A.L. & Dunbar, K. (1993). Heuristics for scientific experimentation: A developmental study. Cognitive Psychology 25: 111–146.
Kommers, P., Jonassen, D.H. & Mayes T., eds (1992). Cognitive Tools for Learning. Berlin: Springer.
Koschmann, T.D., Myers, A.C., Feltovich, P.J. & Barrows, H.S. (1994). Using technology to assist in realizing effective learning and instruction: A principled approach to the use of computers in collaborative learning. The Journal of the Learning Sciences 3(3): 227–264.
Kuhn, D., Amsel, E. & O'Loughlin, M. (1988). The Development of Scientific Thinking Skills. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Kuhn, D. (1989). Children and adults as intuitive scientists. Psychological Review 36(4): 674–689.
Kuhn, D. (1991). The Skills of Argument. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Kuhn, D. (1997). Constraints or guideposts? Developmental psychology and science education. Review of Educational Research 67(1): 141–150.
Kuhn, D., Shaw, V. & Felton, M. (1997). Effects of dyadic interaction on argumentative reasoning. Cognition and Instruction 15(3): 287–315.
Lajoie, S.P. (1991). Reality testing for cognitive strategy research. Educational Researcher 20(3): 30–33.
Lajoie, S.P. (1993). Computer environments as cognitive tools for enhancing learning. In S.P. Lajoie & S.J. Derry, eds, Computers as Cognitive Tools, pp. 261–288. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Lajoie, S.P., ed. (in press). Computers as Cognitive Tools II: No More Walls: Theory Change, Paradigm Shifts and Their Influence on the Use of Computers for Instructional Purposes. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Lajoie, S.P. & Derry, S.J., eds. (1993). Computers as Cognitive Tools. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Lajoie, S.P., Greer, J.E., Munsie, S.D., Wilkie, T.V., Guerrera. C. & Aleong, P. (1995). Establishing an argumentation environment to foster scientific reasoning with Bio-World. In D. Jonassen & G. McCalla, eds, Proceedings of the International Conference on Computers in Education, pp. 89–96. Charlottesville VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education.
Lajoie, S.P., Munsie, S.D. & Lavigne, N.C. (1996, April). Examining the relationship between evidence and argumentation in Bio-World. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. New York, NY.
Leach, J. (1997, March). Students' understanding of the coordination of theory and evidence in science. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Chicago, IL.
Lepper, M.R., Woolverton, M., Mumme, D.L. & Gutner, J. (1993). Motivational techniques of expert human tutors: Lessons for the design of computer-based tutors. In S.P. Lajoie & S.J. Derry, eds, Computers as Cognitive Tools, pp. 75–106. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Lesgold, A. (1988). Problem solving. In R. Sternberg & E. Smith, eds, The Psychology of Human Thought, pp. 188–21. NY: Cambridge University Press.
Linn, M.C. (1992). Science education: Building on the research base. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 29: 821–840.
Linton, F. (1995). Intellectual skills and cognitive strategies: Can one method tutor both? In J. Greer, ed., Proceedings of the World Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education, pp. 445–452. Washington, DC: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education.
Mayer, R. (1983). Thinking, Problem Solving and Cognition. NY: W. H. Freeman and Company.
Mayer, R. (1998). Cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational aspects of problem solving. Instructional Science 26: 40–63.
McCade, J. (1995). Educational reform and technology education. The Technology Teacher 54: 31–39.
Means, M.L. & Voss, J.F. (1996). Who reasons well? Two studies of informal reasoning among children of different grade, ability, and knowledge levels. Cognition and Instruction 14(2): 139–178.
Merrill, D., Reiser, B., Merrill, S. & Landes, S. (1995). Tutoring: Guided learning by doing. Cognition and Instruction 13(3): 315–372.
Merrill, D., Reiser, B., Ranney, M. & Trafton, J.G. (1992). Effective tutoring techniques: A comparison of human tutors and Intelligent Tutoring Systems. The Journal for the Learning Sciences 2(3): 277–305.
Metz, K.E. (1995). Reassessment of developmental constraints on children's science instruction. Review of Educational Research 65: 93–127.
Metz, K.E. (1997). On the complex relation between cognitive developmental research and children's science curricula. Review of Educational Research 67(1): 151–163.
National Academy of Sciences (1994). National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
National Research Council (1995). National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
National Science Teachers Association (1996). Pathways to Science Education Standards. Arlington, VA: Author.
Nelson, T.O. (1999). Cognition versus metacognition. In R.J. Sternberg, ed., The Nature of Cognition, pp. 625–641. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Norman, D.A. (1983). Some observations on mental models. In D. Gentner and A.L. Stevens, eds, Mental Models, pp. 7–14. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Okada, T. & Simon, H.A. (1997). Collaborative discovery in a scientific domain. Cognitive Science 21(2): 109–146.
Pea, R.D. (1985). Beyond amplification: Using the computer to reorganize mental functioning. Educational Psychologist,20: 167–182.
Perkins, D.N. (1985). The fingertip effect: How information processing technology shapes thinking. Educational Researcher 14: 11–17.
Polman, J. & Pea, R.D. (1997, March). Transformative communication in project science learning discourse. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Educational Research Association. Chicago, IL.
Resnick, L.B. (1987). Learning in school and out. Educational Researcher 16: 13–20.
Resnick, L.B., Salmon, M., Zeitz, C.M., Wathen, S.H. & Holowchak, M. (1993). Reasoning in conversation. Cognition and Instruction 11(3&4): 347–364.
Roth, W.-M. & McGinn, M.K. (1997). Graphing: Cognitive ability or practice? Science Education 81(1): 91–106.
Roth, W.M., McGinn, M.K. & Bowen, B.M. (1996). Applications of science and technology studies: Effecting change in science education. Science Technology and Human Values 21: 454–484.
Rysavy, D.M. & Sales, G.C. (1991). Cooperative learning in computer-based instruction. Educational Technology Research amd Development 39(2): 70–79.
Salomon, G., Perkins, D.N. & Globerson, T. (1991). Partners in cognition: Extending human intelligence with intelligent technologies. Educational Researcher 20: 10–16.
Schauble, L., Glaser, R., Duschl, R.A., Schulze, S. & John, J. (1995). Students' understanding of the objectives and procedures of experimentation in the science classroom. The Journal of the Learning Sciences 4(2): 131–166.
Schoenfeld, A.H. (1999). Looking toward the 21st century: Challenges of educational theory and practice. Educational Researcher 28(7): 4–14.
Schraw, G. (1998). Promoting general metacognitive awareness. Instructional Science 26: 113–125.
Sharan, S. (1980). Cooperative learning in small groups: Recent methods and effects on achievement, attitudes, and ethnic relations. Review of Educational Research 50: 241–271.
Short, E.J. & Weissberg-Benchell, J.A. (1989). The triple alliance for learning: Cognition, metacognition, and motivation. In C.B. McCormick, G. E. Miller, M. Pressley, eds, Cognitive Strategy Research, pp. 33–63. NY: Springer-Verlag.
Shute, V.J. (1993). A comparison of learning environments: All that glitters. In S.P. Lajoie & S.J. Derry, eds, Computers as Cognitive Tools, pp. 47–74. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Shute, V.J. & Glaser, R. (1990). A large-scale evaluation of an intelligent discovery world: Smithtown. Interactive Learning Environments 1: 51–77.
Shute, V.J., Lajoie, S.P. & Gluck, K. (in press). Individual and group approaches to training. In S. Tobias & H. O'Neill, eds, Handbook on Training. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Slavin, R.E. (1990a). Cooperative Learning: Theory, Research, and Practice. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Slavin, R.E. (1990b). Research on cooperative learning: Consensus and controversy. Educational Leadership (December 1989/January 1990) 47: 52–54.
Sodian, B. (1997, March). Young children's ability to test their own causal beliefs. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Chicago, IL.
Snow, R.E. (1989). Toward assessment of cognitive and conative structures in learning. Educational Researcher 18(9): 8–14.
Sternberg, R. (1998). Metacognition, abilities, and developing expertise: What makes an expert student? Instructional Science 26: 127–140.
Suthers, D., Weiner, A., Connolly, J. & Paolucci, M. (1995). Belvedere: Engaging students in critical discussion of science and public policy issues. In J. Greer, ed., Proceedings of the World Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education, pp. 266–273. Washington, DC: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education.
Tobin, K., Kahle, J.B. & Fraser, B.J., eds (1990). Windows into Science Classrooms: Problems Associated with Higher-Level Cognitive Learning. Philadelphia, PA: The Falmer Press.
Toulmin, S.E. (1958). The Uses of Argument. Cambridge University Press.
van Joolingen, W.R. & de Jong, T. (1997). An extended dual search space model of scientific discovery learning. Instructional Science 25: 307–346.
van Joolingen, W.R. & de Jong, T. (1991). Supporting hypothesis generation by learners exploring an interactive computer simulation. Instructional Science 20: 359–404.
Williams, J. (1997, March). Scientific dialogue as evidence of learning. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Chicago, IL.
Winne, P.H. (1997). Experimenting to bootstrap self-regulated learning. Journal of Educational Psychology 89(3): 397–410.
Wolters, C.A. & Pintrich, P.R. (1998). Contextual differences in student motivation and self-regulated learning in mathematics, English, and social studies classrooms. Instructional Science 26: 27–47.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lajoie, S.P., Guerrera, C., Munsie, S.D. et al. Constructing knowledge in the context of BioWorld. Instructional Science 29, 155–186 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003996000775
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003996000775