This study examines how different roles and background knowledge transform players' dyadic conversations into spatial dialogues in a virtual cellular biology game. Cellverse is a collaborative virtual reality (VR) game designed to teach cell biology. Players work in pairs, assuming the role of either a Navigator, with reference material and a…

Communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity are regarded as core skills of the twenty-first century required to succeed in life and working frameworks. Meanwhile, new technologies have entered educational settings to facilitate children's development of competencies. During the last decade, several studies have been conducted…

With the advancement of informational and portable technologies, virtual manipulatives based on tablets are applied to support students' learning in science education. However, research on the impact of tablet-student ratios on individual knowledge acquisition and cognitive load in collaborative inquiry learning has not been addressed in detail…

Engineering design thinking is hard to teach and still harder to learn by novices primarily due to the undetermined nature of engineering problems that often results in multiple solutions. In this paper, we investigate the effect of teaching engineering design thinking to freshmen students by using a computer-aided Design (CAD) simulation…

In scientific inquiry learning, manipulatives have been widely utilized as learning resources. Studies have explored the advantages of virtual manipulative (VM) for conceptual understanding and knowledge construction in science education. However, research on the mental engagement and perception of students during collaborative learning under…

This study measures the success of using a collaborative and competitive video game, named Space Race, to teach computing to first year engineering students. Space Race is played by teams of four, each with their own tablet, collaborating to compete against the other teams in the class. The impact of the game on student learning was studied…

This exploratory study examines the impact of a collaborative inquiry- and design-based afterschool program on urban high school students' IT/STEM learning--using information technology (IT) within the context of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The study used a mixed methods design, involving 77 participants within…

The paper traces a research process in the design and development of a science learning environment called WiMVT (web-based inquirer with modeling and visualization technology). The WiMVT system is designed to help secondary school students build a sophisticated understanding of scientific conceptions, and the science inquiry process, as well as…

Investigates the effect of cooperative learning on student achievement in an Educational Technology course in an Initial Teacher Training Program. A cooperative learning strategy was compared with the traditional whole-class direct-instruction approach. Results indicated that the cooperative learning strategy had a positive effect. (Author/DKM)

Explains the work of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program which is an international science and environmental education curriculum program that enables school children to learn about the environment by taking scientific measurements of their natural surroundings and sharing their data with scientists via…

Presents samples of game-display board activities designed for junior high science classes. Employs ideas from traditional seatwork and end-of-chapter exercises such as matching, multiple choice, word puzzles, and summary tables. Activities require a vertical magnetic white board and magnetic word and picture cards. Facilitates classroom…

This study was designed to contribute to a small but growing body of knowledge on the influence of gender in technology-rich collaborative learning environments. The study examined middle school students attitudes towards using computers and working in groups during scientific inquiry. Students attitudes towards technology and group work were…

Collaborative summer workshops between the Omaha (Nebraska) Public Schools and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln were held to improve the learning environment in multicultural science classrooms. Workshop themes included multicultural understanding, cooperative learning, and problem solving. Discusses attitude changes in student/teacher…