Elementary school teachers are increasingly looking to incorporate computational thinking (CT) into their practice. Unlike middle and high school where CT is often integrated into a single subject, elementary school teachers have the... more
Elementary school teachers are increasingly looking to incorporate computational thinking (CT) into their practice. Unlike middle and high school where CT is often integrated into a single subject, elementary school teachers have the unique opportunity to integrate CT across multiple content areas. However, there is little research on the in-platform supports elementary teachers need to accomplish this integration successfully. To investigate this integration, we are iteratively developing a narrative-centered learning environment to facilitate learning outcomes in physical science via the creation of digital narratives that elicit CT. The learning environment enables students to use their science understanding to propose a solution to a problem through story creation using custom narrative-centered programming blocks that set a story’s scene, selects characters, and controls the story’s unfolding dialogue and actions. We have engaged with four upper elementary teachers to gather th...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
As human beings, we can interact with our environment through the sense of touch, which helps us to build an understanding of objects and events. The implications of touch for cognition are recognized by many educators who advocate the... more
As human beings, we can interact with our environment through the sense of touch, which helps us to build an understanding of objects and events. The implications of touch for cognition are recognized by many educators who advocate the use of “hands-on ” instruction. But is it possible to know something more completely by touching it? Does touch promote the construction of more connected and meaningful understandings? Current technology makes the addition of touch to computer-generated environments possible, but the educational implications of this innovation are still largely unknown. This article is a baseline review that examines the role of touch in cognition and learning and explores the research investigating the efficacy of the haptic augmentation of instruction.
Research Interests:
Research suggests that spatial intelligence is a central ability for science understanding and needs to be developed starting in early childhood education. Research has indicated there is a positive connection between student-generated... more
Research suggests that spatial intelligence is a central ability for science understanding and needs to be developed starting in early childhood education. Research has indicated there is a positive connection between student-generated graphics as part of science inquiry activities and conceptual learning of the relevant science topics and that the development of general spatial intelligence through these activities is a mediating factor. However, there is little evidence that studentgenerated graphics are effectively supported in existing elementary science curricula. Indeed, the observed use of the science notebook in science classes suggests that the potential of graphic production in science elementary science education has not been effectively leveraged. The initial phase of the reported project work involved extensive observations of elementary science classroom practice with particular attention to how graphics were (or were not) being used in conjunction with science noteboo...
Research Interests:
Haptic feedback, an important aspect of learning in virtual reality, has been demonstrated in contexts such as surgical training. However, deploying haptic feedback in other educational practices remains understudied. Haptically-enabled... more
Haptic feedback, an important aspect of learning in virtual reality, has been demonstrated in contexts such as surgical training. However, deploying haptic feedback in other educational practices remains understudied. Haptically-enabled science simulations enable students to experience abstract scientific concepts through concrete and observable lessons in which students can physically experience the concepts being taught through haptic feedback. The present study aims to investigate the effect of an educational simulation on the understanding of basic physics concepts related to buoyancy. Specifically, we hypothesize that a simulation with visual and haptic feedback will improve participant learning transfer.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Anthropology, Education, Ethnography, Political Science, Global Health, and 15 moreInternational Cooperation, North American archaeology, Ainu, Medicine, Austronesian Studies, Oceania archaeology, American Indians, Humans, American, Oceania, Austronesian Prehistory, Austroasiatic languages, Ainu studies, Indigenous String Figures, and Medical and Health Sciences
Research Interests:
In this article, we propose an alternative to traditional content integration that has resulted in our preservice elementary teacher candidates designing lessons centered on developing focused practices throughout a re-envisioned school... more
In this article, we propose an alternative to traditional content integration that has resulted in our preservice elementary teacher candidates designing lessons centered on developing focused practices throughout a re-envisioned school day. We first present connections among the practices outlined in mathematics, science, and reading standards; the complementary nature of the practices creates a conceptual thread that weaves through and helps unite content across disciplines. Then, we outline the project that our teacher candidates complete and describe resulting examples of their work. We conclude by presenting suggestions for educators and other leaders who are interested in utilizing this lesson planning approach in their own settings. If the targeted set of related practices are selected and leveraged thoughtfully, they lend much-needed coherence to the work that students do in a given school day.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Abstract Graphic representations (ie, visualizations) have a long history as a tool to promote learning in science. Historically, a" craft-based" approach has been the... more
Abstract Graphic representations (ie, visualizations) have a long history as a tool to promote learning in science. Historically, a" craft-based" approach has been the primary strategy used to design and evaluate visualizations for use in instruction (eg, Tufte, 1983). That is, ...
Research Interests:
This chapter will provide concrete examples of how a research group at North Carolina State University is using case studies as the narrative/backstory for video game design and development. The chapter will begin with a background on... more
This chapter will provide concrete examples of how a research group at North Carolina State University is using case studies as the narrative/backstory for video game design and development. The chapter will begin with a background on video games for learning, ...
Current research and reports on classroom practice indicate an ongoing need for professional development in elementary science education. The purpose of this research is to investigate the efficacy of science notebook analysis as a... more
Current research and reports on classroom practice indicate an ongoing need for professional development in elementary science education. The purpose of this research is to investigate the efficacy of science notebook analysis as a vehicle for informing this professional development, with a particular emphasis on guiding teachers in using student-produced graphics more effectively. A purposeful sample of 32 science notebooks
Research Interests:
Abstract: A common mode of communication in the elementary classroom is the science notebook. In this article, the authors outline the ways in which" graphically enhanced science notebooks" can help engage students in complete... more
Abstract: A common mode of communication in the elementary classroom is the science notebook. In this article, the authors outline the ways in which" graphically enhanced science notebooks" can help engage students in complete and robust inquiry. Central to ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
As human beings, we can interact with our environment through the sense of touch, which helps us to build an understanding of objects and events. The implications of touch for cognition are recognized by many educators who advocate the... more
As human beings, we can interact with our environment through the sense of touch, which helps us to build an understanding of objects and events. The implications of touch for cognition are recognized by many educators who advocate the use of “hands-on” instruction. But is it possible to know something more completely by touching it? Does touch promote the construction of more connected and meaningful understandings? Current technology makes the addition of touch to computer-generated environments possible, but the educational implications of this innovation are still largely unknown. This article is a baseline review that examines the role of touch in cognition and learning and explores the research investigating the efficacy of the haptic augmentation of instruction.
Research Interests:
Science instruction is typically highly dependent on visual representations of scientific concepts that are communicated through textbooks, teacher presentations, and computer-based mul-timedia materials. Little is known about how... more
Science instruction is typically highly dependent on visual representations of scientific concepts that are communicated through textbooks, teacher presentations, and computer-based mul-timedia materials. Little is known about how students with visual impairments access and interpret ...
Research Interests:
The classic film ''Powers of Ten'' is often employed to catalyze the building of more accurate conceptions of scale, yet its effectiveness is largely unknown. This study examines the impact of the film... more
The classic film ''Powers of Ten'' is often employed to catalyze the building of more accurate conceptions of scale, yet its effectiveness is largely unknown. This study examines the impact of the film on students' concepts of size and scale. Twenty-two middle school students and six science ...
Research Interests:
Abstract: The use of unifying themes that span the various branches of science is recommended to enhance curricular coherence in science instruction. Conceptions of spatial scale are one such unifying theme. This research explored the... more
Abstract: The use of unifying themes that span the various branches of science is recommended to enhance curricular coherence in science instruction. Conceptions of spatial scale are one such unifying theme. This research explored the accuracy of spatial scale conceptions of ...
Research Interests:
Page 1. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING VOL. 43, NO. 3, PP. 282319 (2006) Conceptual Boundaries and Distances: Students' and Experts' Concepts of the Scale of Scientific Phenomena Thomas R. Tretter ...
Research Interests:
The application of Biggs' and Collis' Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes taxonomy in the evaluation of student learning about cell membrane transport via a computer-based learning environment is described in this... more
The application of Biggs' and Collis' Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes taxonomy in the evaluation of student learning about cell membrane transport via a computer-based learning environment is described in this study. Pre-testpost-test comparisons of student outcome ...
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT STIMULATE (Science Training Immersive Modules for University Learning Around Teacher Education) is a Serious Educational Game (SEG) designed to advance science teacher preparation and development, by creating a laboratory safety... more
ABSTRACT STIMULATE (Science Training Immersive Modules for University Learning Around Teacher Education) is a Serious Educational Game (SEG) designed to advance science teacher preparation and development, by creating a laboratory safety module that immerse teachers in scenarios previously taught using only hypothetical case studies. This study employed a two-phase design based methodology. The first phase was a cognitive task analysis of a convenience sample (n = 10) of preservice and in-service science teachers in which they described their key issues and concerns regarding chemical laboratory safety planning, response, management plan, and assessment. Phase 2 examined the usability and effectiveness of STIMULATE’s initial build on 31 preservice teachers. The t-test for equality of means demonstrates that there is a statistically significant difference between pretest and posttest scores, t(30) = 14.79, p < .001, d = 2.56 (large) Overall, results suggest positive learning gains from the preservice science teachers who engaged in STIMULATE program.
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT Game-based learning environments hold significant promise for STEM education, yet they are enormously complex. Crystal Island: Uncharted Discovery, is a game-based learning environment designed for upper elementary science... more
ABSTRACT Game-based learning environments hold significant promise for STEM education, yet they are enormously complex. Crystal Island: Uncharted Discovery, is a game-based learning environment designed for upper elementary science education that has been under development in our laboratory for the past four years. This article discusses curricular and narrative interaction design requirements, presents the design of the Crystal Island learning environment, and describes its evolution through a series of pilots and field tests. Additionally, a classroom integration study was conducted to initiate a shift towards ecological validity. Results indicated that Crystal Island produced significant learning gains on both science content and problem-solving measures. Importantly, gains were consistent for gender across studies. This finding is key in light of past studies that revealed disproportionate participation by boys within game-based learning environments.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Eye tracking, Visual attention, Visual perception, and 15 moreAttention, Haptic Perception, Experimental Research, Cognitive Architecture, Elementary Education, Video Analysis, Virtual Reality, Computers, Teaching Methods, Eye Movements, Cognitive processes, Interactive Learning Environment, Visual Feedback, Human Computer Interface, and Haptic Feedback
Wiebe, EN, et al. (June, 2008). Improving Early Spatial Intelligence Through Science Notebook Graphic Production: Effective Elementary Classroom Practices. Presented at the Conference on Research and Training in Spatial Intelligence,... more
Wiebe, EN, et al. (June, 2008). Improving Early Spatial Intelligence Through Science Notebook Graphic Production: Effective Elementary Classroom Practices. Presented at the Conference on Research and Training in Spatial Intelligence, Evanston, IL ... Improving Early Spatial ...
Research Interests:
What do you think the National Science Education Standards are referring to when they talk about science and technology?" The authors posed this question to a group of undergraduate education majors during a science teaching methods... more
What do you think the National Science Education Standards are referring to when they talk about science and technology?" The authors posed this question to a group of undergraduate education majors during a science teaching methods course. The students' somewhat ...
Research Interests:
After the first observation of life under the microscope, it took two centuries of research before the "cell theory" was established. Luckily, today's teachers can take advantage of computer technology and speed up the... more
After the first observation of life under the microscope, it took two centuries of research before the "cell theory" was established. Luckily, today's teachers can take advantage of computer technology and speed up the discovery process in their classrooms. This article describes how ...
Research Interests:
Abstract. Given the growing number of game-based learning environments (GBLEs), it is important to examine their efficacy to produce learning across genders. This study focused on girls' performance and self-regulation within CRYSTAL... more
Abstract. Given the growing number of game-based learning environments (GBLEs), it is important to examine their efficacy to produce learning across genders. This study focused on girls' performance and self-regulation within CRYSTAL ISLAND–UNCHARTED DISCOVERY, a science-based GBLE for 5th grade students. Results revealed that girls made significant learning gains for content knowledge and also performed as well as boys on a measure of game efficiency despite having less experience with digital games. ...
Abstract Of the five sensory channelssight, sound, taste, smell, and touch, it is only our sense of touch that enables us to modify and manipulate the world around us. This article reports the preliminary findings of a systematic study... more
Abstract Of the five sensory channelssight, sound, taste, smell, and touch, it is only our sense of touch that enables us to modify and manipulate the world around us. This article reports the preliminary findings of a systematic study investigating the efficacy of adding haptic ...