Title
WallCology: designing interaction affordances for learner engagement in authentic science inquiry
Abstract
The broadening array of technologies available to support the design of classroom activity has the potential to reshape science learning in schools. This paper presents a ubiquitous computing application, WallCology, which situates a virtual ecosystem within the unseen space of classroom walls, presenting affordances for science learners to engage in investigations of ecological phenomena. Motivated by a desire to foster authenticity in classroom science inquiry, WallCology extends the "embedded phenomena" framework in three ways: by enabling collaborative investigations among distributed work teams, by increasing the physicality of investigation activities, and by expanding the loci of activity sites. Pilot studies in two urban classrooms provide qualified support for the effectiveness of WallCology in promoting more authentic inquiry practices, content learning, and attitudes regarding scientific investigations.
Year
DOI
Venue
2008
10.1145/1357054.1357082
CHI
Keywords
Field
DocType
authentic science inquiry,urban classroom,investigation activity,authentic inquiry practice,classroom wall,activity site,classroom activity,collaborative investigation,science learner,learner engagement,interaction affordances,content learning,classroom science inquiry,ubiquitous computing,active site
Work teams,Computer science,Human–computer interaction,Learner engagement,Ubiquitous computing,Science learning,Multimedia,Affordance
Conference
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
5
0.65
14
Authors
5
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Tom Moher111318.08
Brian Uphoff271.03
Darshan Bhatt371.03
Brenda Lopez Silva4245.49
Peter Malcolm571.03