Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) is increasingly essential in both scientific practice and modern education, yet remains difficult to embed authentically in classrooms. This study addressed that gap by integrating CPS into a ninth-grade biology lesson using a smartphone-based asymmetric simulation. The innovative three-phase instructional…

Development of scientific explanation abilities in students is an important aspect in science education. However, traditional learning methods such as textbooks and PowerPoint presentations are often less effective in improving skills due to lack of student interactivity and involvement in the learning process. This study aimed to analyze the…

This study examines how different roles and background knowledge transform players' dyadic conversations into spatial dialogues in a virtual cellular biology game. Cellverse is a collaborative virtual reality (VR) game designed to teach cell biology. Players work in pairs, assuming the role of either a Navigator, with reference material and a…

The compound microscope is an important tool in biology, and mastering it requires repetition. Unfortunately, introductory activities for students can be formulaic, and consequently, students are often unengaged and fail to develop the required experience to become proficient in microscopy. To engage students, increase repetition, and develop…

Involving two or more academic subjects, interdisciplinary studies aim to blend together broad perspectives, knowledge, skills, and epistemology in an educational setting. By focusing on topics or questions too broad for a single discipline to cover, these studies strive to draw connections between seemingly different fields. Cases on…

Advocates using computer-simulated learning environments to allow students to develop their own problem-solving rules when it comes to collecting and evaluating scientific data. Describes the use of "Identibacter interactus" to simulate identification of an unknown microorganism. (WRM)

Computerized science simulations were employed by high school biology students in an attempt to enhance their problem-solving skills. The simulations were administered under unguided (discovery learning) and guided (guided discovery learning) conditions while a control group received no simulations. To ascertain the effectiveness of the…

An integral part of the curriculum in introductory biology courses is the study of Mendelian genetics. Results from genetics learning studies and needs assessments demonstrated the need for additional intensive research in biology education and genetics learning. There exists a lack of detailed information describing reasoning patterns and…

The purpose of this study was to determine the procedural knowledge brought to, and created within, a pond ecology simulation by students. Environmental Decision Making (EDM) is an ecosystems modeling tool that allows users to pose their own problems and seek satisfying solutions. Of specific interest was the performance of biology majors who had…

BioWorld is a computer-based environment for the high school biology curriculum that provides a hospital simulation where students can apply what they have learned to solve problems about diseases. Analyses of student actions and verbal dialogue were conducted to pinpoint within BioWorld that were most conducive to learning and scientific…

Discusses the advantages of using content specific problem solving as a vehicle for undergraduate instruction in biology, and describes different software tools used to implement this model. The areas discussed include simulated laboratories, the construction of binary classification schemes using computer programs, and scientific writing using…

This article discusses the relationship between procedural and conceptual problem solving in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment designed within the field of science education. The contribution of this article, and our understanding of this phenomenon, is anchored in our socio-cultural interpretation, and that implies…

The problem-solving behaviors and genetics concepts employed by experts and novices during interaction with the computer simulation CATLAB, were examined. Thirteen subjects (3 experts and 10 novices) investigated a common hypothesis on a specific genetic trait during the computer activity. Using naturalistic research methods, general patterns of…

This study investigated the effectiveness of computer simulations for enhancing the problem solving skills of high school students. Summaries of three related studies are presented. Results indicate that the computerized simulations enabled students to master the objectives of a biology course as effectively as traditional methods. (ML)

Presents results of a study that examines the development and use of computer simulations for high school science instruction and for integrated laboratory and computerized tests that are part of the biology matriculation examination in Israel. Eleven implications for teaching are presented. (MDH)