As the use of online education increases, technologies to improve the quality of learning have been improving alongside it. One method of information dissemination is virtual learning environments (VLE), in which educators can tailor digital lessons according to their subject and the needs of their students. For soil science, and field-based…

Purpose: This paper aims to show how collective embodiment with physical objects (i.e. props) support young children's learning through the construction of liminal blends that merge physical, virtual and conceptual resources in a mixed-reality (MR) environment. Design/methodology/approach: Building on Science through Technology Enhanced Play…

The subject of chemistry is a cornerstone of high school science programs and a conceptual understanding of chemical equilibria and Le Chatelier's Principle continues to be both a fundamental and paradoxically difficult subject for educators and students. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a prototype immersive virtual reality environment.…

Science achievement gaps exhibit racial disparities starting in primary grades and attitudes toward science have been shown to affect academic achievement and motivation. Leveraging the immersive nature of Virtual Reality 360 videos, we present a Design-based Research iteration testing how a novel technological-learning experience influenced our…

This work reports on the use of virtual tools as means of learning process activation. A good result can be achieved by combining the classical learning with modern computer technology. By creating a virtual learning environment and using multimedia learning tools one can obtain a significant result while facilitating the development of students'…

The impact and perception of students on the use of a simple, low technology-driven version of a virtual microscope in teaching and assessments in cellular physiology and histology were studied. Its impact on the time and resources of the faculty were also assessed. Simple virtual slides and conventional microscopes were used to conduct the same…

This study investigated how the format of verbal instructions in computer simulations and prior knowledge (PK) affected 8th graders' cognitive load (CL) level and achievement in a multimedia learning environment. Although PK was not found to significantly affect student performance and CL level, instruction format was found to impact both.…

This article aims at discussing how Dynamic Decision Network (DDN) can be employed to tackle the challenges in modeling temporally variable scientific inquiry skills and provision of adaptive pedagogical interventions in INQPRO, a scientific inquiry exploratory learning environment for learning O'level Physics. We begin with an overview of INQPRO…

This article discusses the relationship between procedural and conceptual problem solving in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment designed within the field of science education. The contribution of this article, and our understanding of this phenomenon, is anchored in our socio-cultural interpretation, and that implies…

NASA research into plant-based regenerative systems for sustaining colonies in space provides the core content for the Classroom of the Future (COTF), a NASA sponsored project that transfers research on space exploration to high school biology classrooms. This article describes and evaluates BioBlast (Better Learning through Adventure, Simulations…

Discussion of computer simulations used for exploratory learning focuses on the design of a hypothesis scratchpad that students can use for hypothesis generation and testing. An experiment with college chemistry students that compared three versions of the scratchpad is described, and the effect of the scratchpads on learning environments is…

This theory-based article describes how data analysis tools, simulations, and modeling software, when used in the proper instructional contexts, provide young learners with rich intellectual environments for inquiry in science learning. Highlights include inquiry learning; abilities of learners; and the integration of technology within classroom…

A systematic study was conducted with a group of 10- to 12-year-olds using computer assisted instruction in a unit on fire which included a computer simulation of combustion. Three research questions were addressed to learn more about how the computer experience challenged the students' preconceptions: what the students thought the computer knew,…

Based on the exploratory study of a 3D multiuser virtual environment (3D MUVE), known as Quest Atlantis (QA), in a series of Primary Four (10- to 11-year-olds) Science lessons at Orchard Primary School in Singapore, this paper examines the issues of learning engagement and describes the socio-cultural context of QA's implementation. The students…

Describes software that was designed in the United Kingdom to promote conceptual change in secondary school students studying mechanics. Direct Manipulation of Mechanical Microworlds, an interactive computer simulation, and VARILAB, a computer-based language for modelling systems, are explained; and two studies that will evaluate the effectiveness…