Virtual Courseware for Inquiry-based Science Education

这个为期33个月的项目将为6-12年级的学生开发教学材料，并在成功的虚拟课件项目的基础上，在生物和地球科学领域增加35个额外的在线活动，其中包括20个活动的生物在线实验室。这些材料的设计将支持科学教师在课堂上实施基于探究的学习活动。这些产品将包括基于网络的模拟和支持材料，涵盖许多生命和地球科学主题，并与国家科学内容标准密切相关。每项活动都包括一个提供概述的分步指南，一个开放式模拟，让学生可以根据自己的假设设计和开展实验，一个基于表现的评估测验，电子作品集，学生手册和教师指南。教师材料包括在线访问学生的定量结果，按全班平均水平、个别学生、具体问题和学习目标分列。教师可以访问学生的电子作品集，并提供作品集评估规则。提供了教师指导、内容和背景以及实施个人和小组作业的建议。来自洛杉矶学校的教师参与了教学材料的设计和现场测试。商业出版商将推销这些材料。

This thirty-three month project will develop instructional materials for grade 6-12 students and will result in thirty-five additional online activities in the areas of biology and Earth science building on the successful Virtual Courseware Project, which resulted in a biology online lab with 20 activities. The materials will be designed to support science teachers in their efforts to implement inquiry-based learning activities in their classrooms. The products will include web-based simulations and supporting materials covering many life and Earth sciences topics and closely tied to the National Science Content Standards. Each activity includes a step-by-step guide that provides an overview, an open-ended simulation so students can design and carry out experiments based on their own hypotheses, a performance-based assessment quiz, electronic portfolios, student manuals and teacher guides. The teacher materials include online access to quantitative results for their students by overall class average, by individual student, by specific question and by learning objective. Teachers can access the students' electronic portfolios and are provided portfolio assessment rubrics. Teacher guides, content and context background and suggestions for implementing for individual and group-based work are provided. Teachers from Los Angeles schools are involved in the design of the instructional materials and in the field testing. A commercial publisher will market the materials.