Describes a model of instructional simulation design where designers create models in a system dynamics package and then transfer them into a general instructional authoring system for the addition of instructional support features. Topics include building versus using simulations; procedural versus conceptual simulations; and discovery versus…

Describes a simulation that can be used to give concrete analogies of collision theory and the factors that affect reaction rates including temperature, concentration, catalyst, and molecular orientation. The simulation works best if done as an introduction to the concepts to help prevent misconceptions about reaction rates and collision theory.…

Inquiry-based instruction teaching helps students to think independently and scientifically, which in turn enables problem solving ability in them. Different approaches to encourage inquiry-based instructions like verification approach, and discovery approach are discussed by matching the background knowledge and reasoning skills among the…

The author's thesis is that there is sufficient research evidence to make any reasonable person skeptical about the benefits of discovery learning--practiced under the guise of cognitive constructivism or social constructivism--as a preferred instructional method. The author reviews research on discovery of problem-solving rules culminating in the…

We explore the immediate and longer term consequences of different types of instruction about a central topic in middle school science: the "Control of Variables Strategy" (CVS). CVS represents the procedural and conceptual basis for designing simple, unconfounded experiments, such that unambiguous causal inferences can be made. CVS…

This article describes a study into the role of heuristic support in facilitating discovery learning through simulation-based learning. The study compares the use of two such learning environments in the physics domain of collisions. In one learning environment (implicit heuristics) heuristics are only used to provide the learner with guidance…

As work organizations restructure to remain competitive, problem solving is being pushed down to frontline workers, and emphasis is increasingly placed on workplace learning. In this exploratory, qualitative study, we focus on workers' experiences of problems within the context of their work and how these contexts foster their learning and…

In this paper, we give a detailed account of the design principles and construction of activities designed for learning about the relationships between position, velocity and acceleration, and corresponding kinematics graphs. Our approach is model-based, that is, it focuses attention on the idea that students constructed their own models--in the…

This article describes a group students in an elementary gifted class used discovery to learn about life in industrial New England. Taking multiple days to analyze this topic, students used artifacts (chairs), discussion, and primary sources to explore the politics of the 1830s. They examined the workings of Hitchcockville, CT, and a Massachusetts…

A schema based view of addition development is compared with Siegler's latest strategy-choice model, which includes an addition goal sketch (a basic understanding of "the goals and causal relations" of addition; Siegler & Crowley, 1994, p. 196). This metacognitive component in the latter model is presumed to develop as a child practices a basic…

Selections of liquid aldehydes and ketones are proposed for students to determine what property is the best predictor of the color (yellow to red) of their 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone derivative. Students may use a computer (spreadsheet or word processor) to analyze results. (Contains 1 table and 3 notes.)

This document presents the proceedings of 16th Annual Research Forum held June 15, 2011, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Included herein are the following 25 action research papers: (1) The Effects of Prompted Math Journaling on Algebra 1 Students' Achievement and Attitudes (Heidi I. Arnold); (2) Group Work and Attitude…

In this study, a desktop virtual reality earth motion system (DVREMS) is designed and developed to be applied in the classroom. The system is implemented to assist elementary school students to clarify earth motion concepts using virtual reality principles. A study was conducted to observe the influences of the proposed system in learning.…

Children possess a genuine curiosity for exploring the natural world around them. One third grade teacher capitalized on this inherent trait by leading her students on "A Geometric Scavenger Hunt." The four-lesson inquiry investigation described in this article integrates mathematics and science. Among the students' discoveries was the fact that…

Designed as a follow-up activity for gifted and talented classes that have been using learning centers, this contract directs students in building their own learning centers. Six sections cover choosing a subject, researching, setting objectives for the learning center, developing activities for the center, writing directions and collecting…