Personal InquirySupporting Inquiry Science Learning with Mobile
Technology
Mike SharplesLearning Sciences Research Institute
University of Nottingham
Health warning: exercise makes you fat
...re-programming body fat is the key to weight loss, not working outSunday Telegraph
Social websites harm children's brains
Chilling warning to parents from top neuroscientistDaily Mail
How can we help children to think, talk, and act like scientists?
Personal Inquiry project
• Three year project• University of Nottingham/ Open
University• Aim:
– To help children to engage in effective science inquiries
Inquiry learning
“Inquiry-based learning involves learners asking questions about the natural or material world, collecting data to answer those questions, making discoveries and testing those discoveries rigorously”de Jong, 2006
Elements of successful inquiry learning
• Motivation of learners• Tools for data collection, discovery,
testing• Support for the inquiry process• Sequencing activities
Motivation
• Taking science learning outside the classroom- school, playground,
home, outdoors• Supported by personal
technology
Tools
Low cost science inquiry toolkit
• Calculator• Timer• Camera• Audio recorder• Accelerometer• Location recorder• Tilt sensor• Communicator
• Anemometer
If we were starting now: iPhone?
Scripted inquiry learning– ‘dynamic lesson plans’– on a personal mobile computer
Process support
Sequencing activitiesFind my topic
Decide my inquiry question or hypothesis
Planmy methods, equipment, actions
Collectmy evidence
Analyseand represent my evidence
Respondto my question or hypothesis
Shareand discuss my inquiry
ReflectOn my progress
Cycle of engagement and reflection
Sequencing activities
Inquiry Guide to provide flexible sequencing of activities
Healthy Eating Inquiry
• Investigate daily eating• “Is my diet healthy”?• Compare with Recommended
Nutrient Intakes (RNI)
Context• Inner city school• High levels of social
deprivation• School policy of no
homework• Flexible curriculum• Year 9 class, 28 children• Healthy eating topic • Inquiry learning between
school and home
Technology
• Asus computer running the PI toolkit
• Camera to keep a food diary
Food diary
• Photograph daily eating
• Tag with food content
• Create tables of data
• Reflect on data collected by their group
Research Design
Pre-Test Intervention Post-Test Delayed Test
PI (n = 28)
Science Attitudes
Domain KnowledgeInquiry Knowledge
Personal Inquiry on Healthy Eating
Science AttitudesDomain KnowledgeInquiry Knowledge
Science Attitudes
Control (n = 25)
Science Attitudes
Domain KnowledgeInquiry Knowledge
Normal Classroom content on Healthy Eating
Science AttitudesDomain KnowledgeInquiry Knowledge
Science Attitudes
Nov 2008: Data Collected
• 70 sets of Questionnaires (pre-post)• Log files from 28 students of their use of the PI
toolkit in class and at home (e.g. summaries, graphs, presentations)
• Video capture of the 9 lessons with three cameras (2 groups and 1 overall)
• Interviews – 11 interviews with Teacher, 7 with pupils– during and post-intervention
• Researchers’ observation notes after each lesson
Critical incident analysis of video
• Breakthroughs– Observed events that indicate successful
learning or conceptual change
• Breakdowns– Observed events that indicate technical,
social or learning difficulties
Breakthroughs
• Seeing RNI graphs e.g. for crisps & cola
• Experiencing the problems of not having collected their own data
• Presenting their own investigation
Breakdowns
Navigation • Some usability problems with the software• Synchronization: Teacher showed a display on
SmartBoard but pupils saw a different display on their computers
Using the diary• Categorisation of food• Filling in the comment box of each graph
Children’s challenges:Too personal inquiry
• Children see their own food on the classroom screen
• Too embarrassed to take photos
Personal inquiry
• How can you design inquiry teaching that is personal, challenging and motivating,
• but not embarrassing or demeaning?
Not personal enough
Too personal
New investigation
• Developed with students, teacher & expert
• Effect of noise pollution on birds• Observations, naturalistic study,
experiment
Teacher’s challenges
• Managing the toolkit in class• Confidence in supporting learning
outside the classroom
Conclusions• Personal technology can support inquiry
learning inside and outside the classroom
• Important that learners should own– the inquiry question– the technology– the process of inquiry
• Balance of engagement and embarrassment
• Balance between understanding the inquiry topic and learning inquiry skills