There is increasing recognition of the importance of learning contexts in science education. However, learning contexts are rarely articulated in terms of what they constitute and are often framed by educators and textbooks with limited inputs from students. Unless properly articulated, contexts become anything and everything, thereby losing their…

This study explored five Life Sciences teachers' practices of formative assessment when enacting an inquiry-based pedagogy. The ESRU cycle (teacher "Elicits" a response; the Student responds; the teacher "Recognises" the student's response; and then "Uses" the information collected to support student learning) was…

Student outcomes of inquiry-based teaching and learning were explored through student-report. Participants were six teachers and their 181 students in grades 9 through 12. Classes were categorized by level of inquiry (least, middle, and most). A student-administered questionnaire assessed the extent to which the three groups experienced 23…

This study compared the affordances of 4 multimedia learning environments for specific learning processes. The environments covered the same domain but used different instructional approaches: (a) hypermedia learning, (b) observational learning, (c) self-explanation-based learning, and (d) inquiry learning. Although they all promote an active…

Principles of networked learning, constructivism, and connectivism inform the design of a test case through which secondary students construct personal learning environments for the purpose of independent inquiry. Emerging web applications and open educational resources are integrated to support a "Networked Student Model" that promotes…

In this study, the authors compared four multimedia learning arrangements differing in instructional approach on effectiveness and efficiency for learning: (a) hypermedia learning, (b) observational learning, (c) self-explanation-based learning, and (d) inquiry learning. The approaches all advocate learners' active attitude toward the learning…