Action Research Project The Influence of using MUVEs on My Scientific Inquiry Skills By Serdar Caglak Fall 2010 SCE 5340: Teaching and Learning Science Florida State University Dr. Nancy Davis

Introduction Since science plays a major role in our lives to understand the natural world, the need of having scientifically literate generation is continuously rising (NRC, 1996). Even though some reform documents define science literacy and scientific literacy without distinction, these two terms are slightly different (Liu, 2009). According to Liu (2009), “science literacy should refer to literacy with regard to science; scientific literacy is related to approaches to achieving science literacy” (p. 2).

Introduction Having scientifically literate citizens is directly related to the effectiveness of science curriculum and its applicability in classroom settings. To be qualified as scientifically literate person, students must be provided opportunities by which they can explore the natural world; to make observation; to collect and analyze data, and to propose explanations from their works. Even though these opportunities are the vital components of scientific inquiry, classroom settings may not provide these opportunities to interact with the natural world in order to conduct laboratory experiments (Nelson, Ketelhut, Clarke, Bowman, & Dede, 2005).

Introduction Scientific Inquiry; National Research Council (NRC, 2000) defines inquiry as: “Inquiry is a multifaceted activity that involves making observations: posing questions: examining books and other sources of information to see what is already known in light of experimental evidence; using tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data; proposing answers, explanations, and predictions; and communicating the results. (p. 23).

Introduction It can be argued that inquiry-based activities require the interaction with the real-material world. However, the most difficult part of instruction is that classroom opportunities and limitations in the curriculum can block the inquiry skills. In this case, educational virtual learning environments to learn science and its evolution over time can be a solution to the ineffectiveness of curriculum and instruction.

Introduction Educational MUVEs provides 2-D and 3-D virtual worlds where students control characters as their avatars to explore the virtual world in which they can interact with objects, communicate with other students, study in a collaboration (Nelson, & Ketelhut, 2007). Using MUVEs in educational settings is a great way to incorporate students, who are computer-game addicts, into teaching and learning process actively.

Introduction By integrating MUVEs in classroom settings, students can learn subject matter as if they play computer games. In terms of being an alternative solution to study real world and laboratories, educational MUVEs are reasonable way of simulating real world environments where students learn science as if they are real world scientists. Since the students in that school have many challenges in their lives and have unwillingness to learn, the school is supported by computer and network technologies. In order to facilitate their learning process, the instruction is depended heavily on the MUVEs to call students attentions.

Introduction The River City Project, which is founded by National Science Foundation, is an interactive computer simulation for middle grades students to learn science via scientific inquiry and to develop their skills in the process. Even though the River City looks like a computer game, its content was developed from the National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, and 21 st century skills (The River City Project Team, 2009)..

Introduction The River City is the virtual set in the late 1800s and named by the river that runs through most of the town. Even though it is a simulation program, it is well designed and equipped with shops, library, university, hospitals, etc. In other words, it reflects the actual world and students can use their avatars to explore that world as virtual scientists in order to find possible reasons of three different illnesses.

Introduction Since the River City is integrated with historical, social, and graphical concept, it allows students to react same as they do in the real world. Students are also able to communicate each other, study together as a team, and imitate the real world scientists to seek the answer of their questions (Nelson, 2007). Considering the importance of having a scientifically literate generation in this millennium and the abilities expected from the scientifically literate person, the role of scientific inquiry skills, that is required for students to be qualified as scientifically literate, is a vital component of teaching and learning science.

Purpose of the study In this regard, the purpose of this study is to explore the impact of one of the educational MUVEs, which is the River City, on my scientific inquiry skills. As an educator, I would like see how MUVE can affect my science inquiry skills during the investigations of simulated real-world cases and problems. I focused more on the process I followed during the investigations rather than the content to determine how MUVE provides opportunity to develop science inquiry skills. Specifically following research question is tried to be answered.

Purpose of the study How using MUVEs influences my scientific inquiry skills during the investigation of virtual learning environment in the River City? In the scope of this action research, it is my expectation that using MUVE for the investigation of why illnesses occurred in the River City would develop my scientific inquiry skills more than the traditional way of learning science. Experiments guide, which is required using paper and pencil, is one of the activities to identify problems outside of the River City to investigate and solve. The purpose of using the Experiment Guide is to see the differences between MUVEs and non-MUVE environments and their effects on my scientific inquiry skills.

Literature Review Nelson (2007) argues that even though MUVE provides rich interactive inquiry skills, more studies need to be conducted to see if MUVE-based science learning supports academic achievement. In addition, Nelson (2007) discusses the impact of individualized and reflective guidance used with a MUVE on learning. His study showed that there were no statistically significant differences between students who used individualized guidance and reflective guidance.

Literature Review Moreover, Ketelhut (2007) conducted a study to examine the impact of self-efficacy on scientific inquiry skills. She founded that students with high self-efficacy engaged in more data collecting than the students with low self-efficacy skills. Dede, Ketelhut, & Ruess (2002) founded that MUVEs were motivating for students who have lower-ability to learn and low-performing. Dede et al. (2005) conducted a study to explore effects of using MUVEs on students’ motivation and learning about science and society.

Literature Review Their findings show that students highly engaged in the learning process, attendance improved, and also drop the disruptive behaviors. Ketelhut & Dede (2006) found that students captured the complexity of scientific inquiry in process of investigation in the River City. Limited number of studies made to explore the effectiveness of using MUVEs on teaching and learning science, and scientific inquiry skills. In terms of exploring impact of using a MUVE on my inquiry skills, this study can be important to encourage the researchers, policy makers, and science teachers to conduct more research about the River City Project with regard to the importance of scientific inquiry and its role in growing scientifically literate generation.

Method According to Esbjörn-Hargens (2005), Integral theory has four main and irreducible perspectives. These perspectives (subjective, intersubjective, objective, and interobjective) are required to fully understand any issue and its reality. Since scientific inquiry is a multi-faced activity including communication with others and learning what is already known in the context, individual and collective learning are vital components of developing scientific inquiry skills (NRC, 1996).

Method In philosophical basis, constructivism and social- constructivism, more specifically intersubjectivity and interobjectivity, build the nature of individual and collective learning (Davis, 2004; Davis et al., 2008). Since individual meaning making gets its validation in collective understanding of subject matter, I shared my understanding of scientific inquiry skills with the students to verify my and their understanding of the process of scientific inquiry.

Method During the investigation I conducted to explore the possible reasons of illnesses in the River City, the procedure I followed as a scientist for the investigation was used as data source because inquiry skills must be measured in the process, not at the end of the learning. In addition, the procedures I also followed to explore the problem cases given in Experimental Guide were used as data source of this study. Since I explored the influences of using MUVE on scientific inquiry skills, the procedures followed during the investigations were used data and analyzed by considering the following statements in the rubric.

Method

For given each statement in the rubric, three levels were considered (Most cases, Sometime, and Never) while investigating the reasons of one illness factor which is called “insect-borne” in the River City. The other one is an experimental design on a given variables such as water, sun, plant growth, and fertilizer. One of the three illnesses in the River city was selected because experimental guide offers only one experimental design to be investigated.

Findings In most of cases during investigation in the River City, I had opportunity to work as real-world scientist. However, there was not an option to conduct an experiment in the River City, but there was a virtual tool to collect data which is called “bug-catcher”. In addition, I had opportunity making observation and collecting data. For example, people in the city were getting sick. I was investigating the possible reasons of why they were getting sick. When I observe what was going on in the city, I saw much trash in the river as shown in screen capture I.

Findings Moreover, I had opportunity to communicate with many people to get their ideas and explanations about the epidemic as shown above screen capture II. However, when I was conducting with an experiment in Experimental Guide which I called “The effect of fertilizer on plant growth”, I could not have any opportunity to communicate with people to get their ideas. In addition, I could not have any opportunity to make observation and collect data.

Findings Since this was just and paper-pencil activity to do experiment which is similar to taking paper-based tests. Since scientific inquiry is a process that would be accurate when the all conditions are met, I considered the each statement as an additive to the development of scientific inquiry skills and also created this graph I in order to show how those additives worked in my skills during the investigations.

Findings Graph 1. Contribution to scientific inquiry skills

Conclusion Considering the importance of scientifically literate generation in this millennium, I conducted this action research to see how MUVEs can influence my scientific inquiry skills. My focus was on the scientific skills because it is one of the key characteristics of being scientifically literate. I investigated my own skills during experiments because meaning making starts from individual and interior world and expand to the collective and external world.

Conclusion Another purpose of this study was to create common educational moments with students in order to share our understanding. Based on the results of this study and previous research, MUVEs influence students learning process and provide opportunity to work as a real scientist in order to develop scientific inquiry skills. Using MUVEs can be a solution to the limitations of school curriculums because it can reduce the cost of providing actual laboratory environments. In addition, instead of assessing learning outcomes of student with standardized tests, the MUVEs provide opportunity to both teachers to see students progress in educational settings.

Conclusion In addition, instead of assessing learning outcomes of student with standardized tests, the MUVEs provide opportunity to both teachers to see students progress in educational settings. In addition, students can realize their own learning process by using educational software. For future research, science teachers can consider different factors which affect students learning process as they use MUVEs in their classroom to see how those factors influence students’ skills and learning outcomes in classroom settings. For example, interpersonal relationships in the River City can be considered to conduct a research in order to explore its effects on learning outcomes and inquiry skills of students.

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