Synthetic biology is a field that leverages design, biology, engineering, and computation to genetically engineer organisms to make usable products such as sustainably manufactured textiles, biodegradable chemicals, and personalized medicine. Despite increases in access, we know little about what younger learners know and think about these modern…

In order to characterize students' risk assessment explanations based on the Geohazard Risk Framework, which describes four key elements of risk for high school science education, we investigate whether student explanations include the following risk elements: scientific factors, impacts, human influences, and likelihood. This study uses the…

In this research, it was aimed to determine the effect of Simulation-Supported Prediction Observation Explanation (SSPOE) activities related to solid and liquid pressure on the conceptions of learning physics of 10th grade students. In the research, a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group, which is one of the quantitative…

The microscopic composition of substances is a piece of essential but abstract knowledge in chemistry. Junior high school students may experience difficulty in mental representation when learning micro concepts, which leads to problems such as unsatisfactory academic performance and low learning motivation. Augmented reality (AR) is an optimal…

Utilizing an inquiry-learning space (ILS) via the Go-Lab platform, we investigated students' technology acceptance, knowledge integration [KI] process, and learning outcomes of both the high-achiever KI student and low-achiever KI student. This study aimed to understand how students engage in knowledge integration tasks using an inquiry-learning…

This study investigated high school students' conceptions of technology-assisted science learning via drawing analysis, and explored how students with different degrees of computer experience and science learning self-efficacy may show different conceptions via their drawings. The participants included 335 senior high school students in Taiwan…

Web-based learning is a growing field in education, yet empirical research into the design of high quality Web-based university science instruction is scarce. A one-week asynchronous online module on the Bohr Model of the atom was developed and implemented guided by the knowledge integration framework. The unit design aligned with three identified…

This study examined the role of formative and summative assessment in instructional video games on student learning and engagement. A 2 (formative feedback: present vs absent) × 2 (summative feedback: present vs absent) factorial design with an offset control (recorded lecture) was conducted to explore the impacts of assessment in video games. A…

Despite attempts to generate interest in science and technology careers, US students continue to show reduced interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors at the collegiate level. If girls are not engaged in STEM learning by the middle school level, studies show that they are even less likely to choose a science- or…

The use of technology in schools is now ubiquitous, but the effectiveness on the learning environment has mixed results. This paper describes the development and validation of an instrument to measure students' attitudes toward and knowledge of technology with the aim of investigating any differences based on gender after a course where the…

The purpose of this study is to examine the manner in which the features of a constructivist learning environment, and the mechanisms at its base, are expressed in junior high school students' conceptions. Our research is based on an integration of quantitative and qualitative approaches, deigned to provide a wider ranging and deeper…

Students' attitudes and anxieties about science were measured by responses to two self-report questionnaires. The cohorts were Danish and American students at the upper secondary- and university-levels. Relationships between and among science attitudes, science anxiety, gender, and nationality were examined. Particular attention was paid to…

The purpose of the study was to review the efficacy of online chemistry simulations in a high school chemistry class and provide discussion of the factors that may affect student learning. The sample consisted of 351 high school students exposed to online simulations. Researchers administered a pretest, intermediate test and posttest to measure…

Our work investigates the annual outbreak of Whypox, a virtual epidemic in Whyville.net, a virtual world with over 1.2 million registered players ages 8-16. We examined online and classroom participants' understanding of a computer virus using surveys and design activities. Our analyses reveal that students have a mostly naive understanding of a…