Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com) Hands-On Virtual Courseware for Inquiry-Based Science Education Robert Desharnais Dave Mayo David Risner

Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)

Hands-On Virtual Courseware forInquiry-Based Science Education

Robert Desharnais

Dave Mayo

David Risner

California State University, Los Angeles

Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the California State University.


Project Philosophy

Students Learn by Doing!

“Virtual Courseware” activities are interactive simulations that emphasize the scientific method:

making observations, proposing hypotheses, designing experiments, collecting and analyzing

data, synthesizing results.


Virtual Courseware activities are:

• Web-based, easily-accessible

• Aimed at introductory science majors

• Vertically scalable (HS, GE, upper division)

• Designed to reinforce scientific methodology

• Interactive, intuitive, inquiry-based

• Modular and self-contained


Virtual Courseware activities are NOT:

• Designed to replace traditional labs

• Declarative multimedia presentations

• Standalone tutorials

• On-line courses


Historical Development ofVirtual Courseware Project

• NextStep application development

• Web-based CGI (Virtual FlyLab & Earthquake)

• Biology Labs On-Line (commercial partnership)

• Geology Labs On-Line

• Earth & Environmental Science Courseware

• Inquiry-Based Courseware for Secondary School Science Education


Early Virtual Courseware was CGI-Based

Form-based input

WWW server

HTML output

• CGI scripts are simple and reliable

• Limited GUI; places load on server


Virtual FlyLab• Mate fruit flies to determine the principles

of genetic inheritance

• Students could choose from 30 mutations in any combinations (1000’s of possibilities)

• Students design their own experiments

• Students enter and test hypotheses

• Iterative “trial and error” learning process

• Can range from simple monohybrid crosses to complex mapping experiments


Screen Images of Virtual FlyLab


Virtual FlyLab Usage

• Over 665,000 users

• Over 5,000,000 fruit-fly matings

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

Stu

de

nts

Su95

F 95

W96

Sp96

Su96

F 96

W97

Sp97

Su97

F 97

W98

Sp98

Su98

F98

W99

Sp99

Su99

F99

W00

Sp00

Su00

Quarter


Virtual Earthquake• Students analyze seismograms to determine

location of earthquake’s epicenter

• Students analyze seismograms to determine earthquake’s Richter magnitude

• Demonstrates principle of triangulation and use of nomograms

• Linear learning activity

• Feedback provided when errors are made; only correct responses allow students to complete the activity


Screen Images of Virtual Earthquake


Virtual Earthquake Usage

• Over 1,000,000 certificates

• One day record is 4,210 certificates

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

Stu

de

nts

Su96

F96

W97

Sp97

Su97

F97

W98

Sp98

Su98

F98

W99

Sp99

Su99

F99

W00

Sp00

Su00

F00

W01

Sp01

Su01

F01

W02

Sp02

Su02

Quarter


Biology Labs On-Line(1999 – 2002)

• Commercial partnership between CSU and publisher Benjamin Cummings

• Twelve Java-based applets were developed for introductory biology

• Subscription web-site: $5.25 / year / applet; site licensing also available ($100 / year)

• Over 250,000 applets downloaded in 03/04

• Adopted by 600+ U.S. colleges & universities


Applets of Biology Labs On-Line

CardioLab DemographyLab EnzymeLab EvolutionLab

FlyLab HemoglobinLab LeafLab MitochondriaLab

PedigreeLab PopEcoLab PopGenLab TranslationLab


Geology Labs On-Line(1999 – 2001)

• Linear interactive Web-based exercises

• Use a combination of CGI, Perl, PHP, Javascript, Java applets, Flash

• Four activities are available:–Virtual Dating – Isochron

–Virtual Dating – Radiocarbon

–Virtual River – Discharge

–Virtual River – Flooding

• Approximately 150,000 users to date


Earth & Environmental Science Courseware(2000–2004)

• New Earthquake activity is the prototype

• Two activities and 7 tutorials:– Energy Budget

– Future Climate Change

– Albedo, Carbon Cycle, Greenhouse Effects, Greenhouse Gasses, Hydrological Cycle, Milankovitch Cycles, Seasons

• Released in August 2004


Prototype: New Earthquake Activity


Usage of New Earthquake• Approximately 64,000 users since Spring 2002

• Currently 4000 class accounts

• Breakdown by type of institution:–25% Middle Schools

–41% High Schools

–9% Two-year Colleges

–11% Four-year Colleges

–5% Universities with MS Programs

–9% Doctoral Universities


Future Plans• Develop activities for secondary school science

education

• Recent $1.3M (3 year) NSF ESIE-IMD award

• Develop 36 activities in life and earth sciences

• Project Team:–PI & CoPI (Desharnais & Mayo)

–Science Ed faculty associate (Narguizian)

–Science Ed postdoc (Limson)

–Programmer and graphic artist (Risner, Berberyan)

–Graduate assistant (Kwong)


Lessons Learned

• It takes lots of resources to do the job right– Time of the developers

– Content expertise

– Programming assistance

– Graphics design

– All of the above costs money ($1.5M so far)

• Team effort is needed (not too many!)

• There should be a single vision

• Listen to users (solicit feedback) and act on it


More Lessons Learned

• In the sciences, simulations rule!

• Emphasize the scientific method

• Allow for “vertical scalability”

• Instructors prefer modularity

• Virtual courseware has the potential for reaching many students (our combined total exceeds 2,000,000)

• Virtual courseware can enhance learning

Documents

Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com) Hands-On Virtual Courseware for Inquiry-Based Science Education Robert Desharnais Dave Mayo David Risner