Constructionist pedagogies, emphasizing the hands-on creation of physical or virtual artifacts, have gained prominence in K-12 AI literacy education. Despite its growing importance, current empirical efforts remain fragmented across diverse settings, hindering a cohesive understanding of effective practices and theoretical foundations. This…

A considerable interest in using three-dimensional multi-user virtual worlds for different educational disciplines has been widely observed. Despite the potential benefits of this technology, many questions still remain open, as far as the design of appropriate activities in well-defined instructional design frameworks and their effectiveness on…

The reported exploratory study consisted primarily of classroom visits, videotaped sessions, and post-treatment interviews whereby second graders (n = 12) worked on problems in planar geometry, individually and in triads, using physical and virtual manipulatives. The goal of the study was to: 1) characterize the nature of geometric thinking found…

The number of games, simulations, and multi-user virtual environments designed to promote learning, engagement with subject matter, or intended to contextualize learning has been steadily increasing over the past decade. While the use of these digital designs in educational settings has begun to show promise for improving learning, motivation, and…

Describes design considerations that were made for a software prototype called the Virtual Library that were framed by cognitive research and learning theory. When completed, the software will assist preservice teachers in learning about educational psychology and instructional design. Topics include constructivism, exploratory learning, authentic…