Environmental literacy related to the utilization of medicinal plants in the community provides a foundation for the younger generation to take an active role and form an attitude of care and responsibility for environmental sustainability. The current research aims to introduce the Inquiry-Etnobotany (IEb) learning model to enhance students'…

The current research aims to establish several theoretical frameworks and educational implications for a new web-based learning model "SOSE". Additionally, it also aims to compare and contrast the new model to a well-known web-based learning model, WebQuest, which was developed by Dodge of San Diego State University (1995b). WebQuest is…

Guiding inquiry learning has been shown to increase knowledge gains. Yet, little is known about the effect of guidance on attitudes and behaviours, its interaction with student attributes, and transfer of impact once guidance is removed. We address these gaps in the context of an interactive Physics simulation on electric circuits…

Designing learning environments to incorporate active learning pedagogies is difficult as definitions are often contested and intertwined. This article seeks to determine whether classification of active learning pedagogies (i.e., project-based, problem-based, inquiry-based, case-based, and discovery-based), through theoretical and practical…

Discovery-based learning designs incorporating active exploration are common within instructional software. However, researchers have highlighted empirical evidence showing that "pure" discovery learning is of limited value and strategies which reduce complexity and provide guidance to learners are important if potential learning…

Studies comparing virtual and physical manipulative environments (VME and PME) in inquiry-based science learning have mostly focused on students' learning outcomes but not on the actual processes they engage in during the learning activities. In this paper, we examined experimentation strategies in an inquiry activity and their relation to…

Using a computer-based scientific discovery learning environment on buoyancy in fluids we investigated the "effects of goal specificity" (nonspecific goals vs. specific goals) for two goal types (problem solving goals vs. learning goals) on "strategy use" and "instructional efficiency". Our empirical findings close an important research gap,…

Mr. Smith and Ms. D'Amico are two veteran science teachers in a well-performing school district. Both teachers use weekly lab exercises and experiments as formative assessments. In their middle school classrooms, children are engaged and eager to learn. As students walk into Mr. Smith's classroom, a prescribed, step-by-step procedure of the day's…

Dynamic inquiry learning emphasizes aspects of change, intellectual flexibility, and critical thinking. Dynamic inquiry learning is characterized by the following criteria: learning as a process, changes during the inquiry, procedural understanding, and affective points of view. This study compared the influence of open versus guided inquiry…

This paper compares two protocols for web-based instruction using simulations in an introductory physics class. The Inquiry protocol allowed students to control input parameters while the Worked Example protocol did not. Students in the Worked Example group performed significantly higher on a common assessment. The ramifications of this study are…

Inquiry teaching requires students to engage in hypothesis formation, collection and evaluation of evidence, and the drawing of logical conclusions. Prerequisite skills for inquiry learning are discussed, and examples of inquiry learning in a college level general psychology course are presented. (RM)

This study examined technological literacy patterns and the process of inquiry in a student-centered summer program designed around inquiry and Internet utilization. Five case studies consisted of various configurations of fifth grade students from a variety of educational backgrounds. A qualitative approach to research was implemented using…

This research paper seeks to address new theories of learning and instructional practices that will be needed to meet the demands of 21st century education. A brief review of the literature on the topics of constructivism, reflective inquiry, and multicultural education, which form the major elements of a computer-based system called HyperCAP, are…

This study examined gender differences and the process of Internet-assisted inquiry in a single-sex, technology-enhanced environment as female students pursued research topics within a math and science framework. Five group case studies consisted of various configurations selected from a cohort group of students and teachers representing two city…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…