This paper outlines the potential gains for Constructionist research and praxis in modelling that might be obtained by recognising the power of the Patch--a humble computational being in the NetLogo modelling environment that has been overshadowed by its more popular fellow agent, the Turtle. To contextualise this opportunity, I describe how…

The article deals with the role and impact of advanced technologies on literary education. In the beginning, the author emphasizes fundamentally different cognitive objectives of empirical science and humanities. In the authors' opinion, the current scientification of the humanities leads to the domination of a single type of knowledge based on…

This article outlines how Virtual Reality (VR) technologies, software and content can be used as a resource for teaching and learning in Geography. Drawing on the authors' first-hand experiences of using VR for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, we explore firstly how VR can enhance the development of fieldwork observational techniques,…

Although there is wide rhetoric that programming should be learnt by all as an element of computational thinking (CT), in practice, it is mostly implemented narrowly as an end in itself consisting of routine practice and traditional testing of the ability to code. This paper discusses a way in which programming could be seen through a wider…

Intelligent learning environments can be designed to support the development of learners' cognitive skills, strategies, and metacognitive processes as they work on complex decision-making and problem-solving tasks. However, the complexity of the tasks may impede the progress of novice learners. Providing adaptive feedback to learners who face…

This article presents a fundamental advance in the theory of mental models as an explanation of reasoning about facts, possibilities, and probabilities. It postulates that the meanings of compound assertions, such as conditionals ("if") and disjunctions ("or"), unlike those in logic, refer to conjunctions of epistemic…

This article describes the development and assessment of a Nutritional Genomics course, designed to be held in a regular classroom during normal class periods, with few extra costs to the students or the department. The course was run as an upper-level undergraduate and lower-level graduate student course. Student taking the course spent 11 weeks…

Getting individuals to invest in reason is often an uphill battle for Community of Philosophical Inquiry (CPI) practitioners, especially when the CPI experience does not straightforwardly model decision-making outside the classroom. Intermittently using roleplaying games (RPG's) to conduct CPI's may help in this regard, as it provides individuals…

Scientific reasoning is particularly pertinent to science education since it is closely related to the content and methodologies of science and contributes to scientific literacy. Much of the research in science education investigates the appropriate framework and teaching methods and tools needed to promote students' ability to reason and…

Computer science (CS) and computational thinking (a problem-solving process used by computer scientists) teach students design, logical reasoning, and problem solving--skills that are valuable in life and in any career. Computational thinking (CT) concepts such as decomposition teach students how to break down and tackle a large complex problem.…

Latest research suggests that the most effective methods on education are those which utilize technological tools that provide an interactive approach to learning. Exploratory technology which involves augmented reality applications in the regular school program, gives the opportunity to young learners to become autonomous and active in their…

Building physical models is a natural activity for children and provides a context for lessons on two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) shapes. However, children do not think of their models as prisms, cylinders, and pyramids. Their creations are spaceships, tunnels, castles, and nets on the floor. Creating these types of shapes with…

simSchool is a game-based, virtual, and interactive tool that allows pre-service teachers to acquire new skills while constructing knowledge through experimentation with learning situations. Pre-service teachers develop know-how--or heuristic knowledge--through repeated practice in the "Personality Plus Higher-Order Thinking" module to…

Computational thinking is a component of the Science and Engineering Practices in the Next Generation Science Standards, which were adopted by some states. We describe the activities in a high school chemistry course that may develop students' computational thinking skills by primarily using Excel, a widely available spreadsheet software. These…

To help teachers engage students in discussions about sustainability, the authors designed Fields of Fuel, a multiplayer, web-based simulation game that allows players to explore the environmental and economic trade-offs of a realistic sustainable system. Computer-based simulations of real-world phenomena engage students and have been shown to…