This study examined the effects of manipulating the modality (text-only, voice-only, voice+text) of a tutorial and restriction (restricted vs. unrestricted) of a simulation's interface on retention and transfer of tutorial content. The tutorial prepared novice students to use Packet Tracer, a simulation developed by Cisco that teaches network…

This study is concerned with different forms of assessment of pupils' skills in experimentation. The findings of three studies are reported. Study 1 investigates whether it is possible to develop reliable multiple-choice tests for the skills of forming hypotheses, designing experiments and analysing experimental data. Study 2 compares scores from…

Since the publication of the Standards for Technological Literacy in 2000 (ITEA), there have been a number of new programs developed that are designed to teach pre-engineering. Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is one such program. Project Lead the Way boasts serving over 1250 schools in 44 states and teaching over 160,000 students. Another program is…

In this paper, we present data related to how a Portuguese teacher developed the module "A big problem for Magellan: Food preservation." Students were asked to plan an investigation in order to identify which were the best food preservation methods in the XV and XVI centuries of Portuguese overseas navigation, and then establish a…

The PARSEL project was initiated to disseminate teaching modules, based on a philosophical model, which was in line with a need to promote scientific literacy, in a manner considered to be both popular and relevant for students. The project was based on the belief that this approach would allow students to better realize that science was for all,…

The Playful Invention and Exploration (PIE) Institute project was funded in 2005 by the National Science Foundation (NSF). For the past three years, Inverness Research has served as the external evaluator for the PIE project. The authors' evaluation efforts have included extensive observation and documentation of PIE project activities; ongoing…

The Danish PARSEL team included 5 teachers from the region of Southern Denmark, of whom two enjoyed special status. These two teachers have been trained to develop, implement, and evaluate interventional modules similar to those of PARSEL, through a one year full-time equivalent master's degree program in science and mathematics education. This…

Purdue University recently received $1.2M in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the development of educational programs for high school teachers, high school counselors, and high school students. The purpose of these intervention programs is to show that women (and men) can have interesting, useful, and society-impacting…

The study describes the process of adopting new curriculum materials, which had been developed in the PARSEL project in several European countries, into the local educational science classroom of another country. The goal of the PARSEL project was to raise the popularity and relevance of science teaching by enhancing students scientific and…

Science educators are well-positioned to incorporate civic engagement into the classroom by the natural suitability of the subject matter. Civic engagement, or civic education, is a fairly new, multidisciplinary concept that is becoming a requisite for institutions of higher education; it enables students to become actively involved in the…

In this paper we describe a model for a science fair, within the context of an elementary science methods course. We first describe the theoretical perspectives from which the idea of science fairs derives and we provide definitions as we sketch the characteristics of commonly used science fairs. We then describe the context and processes of a…

Earthlearningidea will use the opportunity of the International Year of Planet Earth (2008) to publish on the internet a new Earthlearningidea each week for use in classrooms that have few resources. The International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) was proclaimed by the United Nations for 2008, with the activities extending from 2007-2009. IYPE has a…

Four historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Howard University, Jackson State University, Talladega College, and Xavier University of Louisiana, participated in a project titled, Learning Communities for STEM Academic Achievement (LCSAA), whose goal was to increase the participation of African American students in the fields of…

Seven current elementary science programs were compared on the basis of curriculum and instructional characteristics and practicality. The Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) was found to rank highest. (CP)