WBL Design Meg VanDyke

Science Fair How can we create a knowledge database to make science fair as painless as possible in the middle school setting.

Audience Middle school students struggle with topic ideas for science fair. They will benefit from a web site that not only informs but guides their project. The web site will have to be easy to use in order for them to return.

Goals & Objectives The goal of the Science Fair database will be to develop a collaborative knowledge database of science topics, resources and evaluations. The database archives the materials produced by the students and is evidence of the students advancing knowledge and expertise.

Task/Content Analysis All of the information needed by students regarding science fair: Including how-to instructions and due dates. A searchable database of papers, topics and suggestions from students An area for students to submit their papers and have other students critique it and give feedback. An area for student questions that can be answered by teachers via . A chat room for students to get feedback from other students. A spreadsheet of student task completion to self-monitor their progress. Links to web sites that students can search for scientific information to support their paper. Link to the Illinois Junior Academy of Science Web site.

Instructional Strategies and Methods According to Lebow, Wager, Marks, and Gilbert (1996), “a key principle guiding the design of knowledge-building communities is that the artifacts or objects produced by the learners are not simply passed in for a grade, but become public materials that support the goals of the community and its individual members. The resulting database of information archives the materials produced by the learners and is evidence of the community’s advancing knowledge and expertise.”

Knowledge-building communities arouse from the idea that schools should be restructured as communities in which knowledge is constructed as a collective goal. The main focus of activities within these environments is on developing the collective knowledge base of the community and improving the problem-solving expertise of the learners. Gilbert and Driscoll (2002)

Creative/Interactivity Treatment This will be a new web site for the school. The reason that it is attached to the school website is to allow easy access for the students and parents. The parents can check on all the deadlines- something they love to know.