Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Hands-On Virtual Courseware for
Inquiry-Based Science Education
Robert Desharnais
Dave Mayo
David Risner
California State University, Los Angeles
Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the
California State University.
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Project Philosophy
Students Learn by Doing!
“Virtual Courseware” activities are interactive
simulations that emphasize the scientific method:
making observations, proposing hypotheses,
designing experiments, collecting and analyzing
data, synthesizing results.
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Virtual Courseware activities are:
• Web-based, easily-accessible
• Aimed at introductory science majors
• Vertically scalable (HS, GE, upper division)
• Designed to reinforce scientific methodology
• Interactive, intuitive, inquiry-based
• Modular and self-contained
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Virtual Courseware activities are NOT:
• Designed to replace traditional labs
• Declarative multimedia presentations
• Standalone tutorials
• On-line courses
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Historical Development of
Virtual Courseware Project
• NextStep application development
• Web-based CGI (Virtual FlyLab & Earthquake)
• Biology Labs On-Line (commercial partnership)
• Geology Labs On-Line
• Earth & Environmental Science Courseware
• Inquiry-Based Courseware for Secondary School
Science Education
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Early Virtual Courseware was CGI-Based
WWW
server
Form-based input
HTML output
• CGI scripts are simple and reliable
• Limited GUI; places load on server
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Virtual FlyLab
• Mate fruit flies to determine the principles
of genetic inheritance
• Students could choose from 30 mutations in
any combinations (1000’s of possibilities)
• Students design their own experiments
• Students enter and test hypotheses
• Iterative “trial and error” learning process
• Can range from simple monohybrid crosses
to complex mapping experiments
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Screen Images of Virtual FlyLab
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Virtual FlyLab Usage
100000
90000
80000
Students
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Su F W Sp Su F W Sp Su F W Sp Su F W Sp Su F W Sp Su
95 95 96 96 96 96 97 97 97 97 98 98 98 98 99 99 99 99 00 00 00
Quarter
• Over 665,000 users
• Over 5,000,000 fruit-fly matings
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Virtual Earthquake
• Students analyze seismograms to determine
location of earthquake’s epicenter
• Students analyze seismograms to determine
earthquake’s Richter magnitude
• Demonstrates principle of triangulation and
use of nomograms
• Linear learning activity
• Feedback provided when errors are made;
only correct responses allow students to
complete the activity
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Screen Images of Virtual Earthquake
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Virtual Earthquake Usage
100000
90000
80000
Students
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Su F W Sp Su F W Sp Su F W Sp Su F W Sp Su F W Sp Su F W Sp Su
96 96 97 97 97 97 98 98 98 98 99 99 99 99 00 00 00 00 01 01 01 01 02 02 02
Quarter
• Over 1,000,000 certificates
• One day record is 4,210 certificates
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Biology Labs On-Line
(1999 – 2002)
• Commercial partnership between CSU and
publisher Benjamin Cummings
• Twelve Java-based applets were developed
for introductory biology
• Subscription web-site: $5.25 / year / applet;
site licensing also available ($100 / year)
• Over 250,000 applets downloaded in 03/04
• Adopted by 600+ U.S. colleges & universities
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Applets of Biology Labs On-Line
CardioLab
DemographyLab
EnzymeLab
EvolutionLab
FlyLab
HemoglobinLab
LeafLab
MitochondriaLab
PedigreeLab
PopEcoLab
PopGenLab
TranslationLab
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Geology Labs On-Line
(1999 – 2001)
• Linear interactive Web-based exercises
• Use a combination of CGI, Perl, PHP,
Javascript, Java applets, Flash
• Four activities are available:
–
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Virtual Dating – Isochron
Virtual Dating – Radiocarbon
–
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Virtual River – Discharge
Virtual River – Flooding
• Approximately 150,000 users to date
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Earth & Environmental Science Courseware
(2000–2004)
• New Earthquake activity is the prototype
• Two activities and 7 tutorials:
–
–
Energy Budget
Future Climate Change
–
Albedo, Carbon Cycle, Greenhouse Effects,
Greenhouse Gasses, Hydrological Cycle,
Milankovitch Cycles, Seasons
• Released in August 2004
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Prototype: New Earthquake Activity
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Usage of New Earthquake
• Approximately 64,000 users since Spring 2002
• Currently 4000 class accounts
• Breakdown by type of institution:
–
–
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25% Middle Schools
41% High Schools
9% Two-year Colleges
–
–
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11% Four-year Colleges
5% Universities with MS Programs
9% Doctoral Universities
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Future Plans
• Develop activities for secondary school science
education
• Recent $1.3M (3 year) NSF ESIE-IMD award
• Develop 36 activities in life and earth sciences
• Project Team:
–
–
–
PI & CoPI (Desharnais & Mayo)
Science Ed faculty associate (Narguizian)
Science Ed postdoc (Limson)
–
Programmer and graphic artist (Risner, Berberyan)
–
Graduate assistant (Kwong)
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
Lessons Learned
• It takes lots of resources to do the job right
–
–
Time of the developers
Content expertise
–
–
–
Programming assistance
Graphics design
All of the above costs money ($1.5M so far)
• Team effort is needed (not too many!)
• There should be a single vision
• Listen to users (solicit feedback) and act on it
Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.com)
More Lessons Learned
• In the sciences, simulations rule!
• Emphasize the scientific method
• Allow for “vertical scalability”
• Instructors prefer modularity
• Virtual courseware has the potential for
reaching many students (our combined total
exceeds 2,000,000)
• Virtual courseware can enhance learning