Courseware Summary
A major thrust of my professional work has been focused on using technology to enhance learning and instruction. I am the founder and director of the Virtual Courseware Project (ScienceCourseware.org) which is devoted to the creation of interactive web-based software that allows students to use an inquiry-based approach to learning. I have led the development efforts of the four virtual courseware suites listed below. Over 8 million students have used these applications. This work has been supported by grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).
FlyLab JS
Recently, conversion to javascript has started for some of the older science education courseware developed using java and Flash. The first result of these efforts is the popular program FlyLab JS. Students can use this application to understand how genetic traits are inherited by designing and analyzing experiments involving fruit flies with visible mutations. Flies can be designed and mated and the offspring data can be examined and analyzed. It supports tests of hypotheses using chi-squared statistical analyses. Results and comments can be exported to an online lab notebook. This application will run on any device, including tablets and smart phones, and in any modern browser.
Views from the FlyLab JS activity. From top left to bottom right, (1) the Design View where traits can be selected, (2) the Mate View where two flies can be crossed, (3) the Magnify View of a single fly, (4) the Analyze View where cross data are tabulated and hypotheses can be tested, (5) the Crosses View showing the parents and offspring of each cross, and (6) the Lab Notes View where results can be exported as a web page.
Virtual Courseware for Inquiry-based Science Education
The VCISE Project, which was funded by a $1.3M grant from NSF, produced open-ended activities that are designed for high school and college classrooms. Students can investigate and analyze scientific questions by making measurements, designing experiments, recording data, and testing hypotheses. For example, the Drosophila activity allows students to simulate laboratory experiments where they cross fruit flies to determine the rules governing genetic inheritance. This activity was featured in the journal Science.
Views from the Drosophila activity. From left to right, (1) the laboratory bench showing the microscope, incubator and computer, (2) the “fly store” where students custom order flies for experiments, (3) a view within the microscope of an offspring fly, (4) a data table showing the results of an experiment, (5) the report view showing a student’s laboratory notes on the left side and the report they are writing on the right side, and (6) one of the questions in the interactive assessment quiz.
Virtual Courseware for Earth and Environmental Sciences
The EES Courseware Project is a suite of interactive simulations and tutorials on seismology and climate. In the Earthquake activity, students learn how to use seismograms to locate the epicenter of earthquake and measure the Richter magnitude. A spanish version of the earthquake activity, Terremoto, was also developed. Global Warming is a suite of two simulation activities and seven interactive tutorials where students explore the factors that determine the Earth's surface temperatures and hypothesize how various emissions scenarios will affect future climate and sea levels. This activity was featured in the journal Science.
Two views from the Global Warming activity. Students propose scenarios for carbon emissions and use a climate model to evaluate the future impact on global temperatures and sea levels. The activity also includes an energy balance module for solar radiation reaching the earth’s surface and tutorials on albedo, the carbon cycle, the greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases, the hydrological cycle, Milankovitch cycles, and seasons.
Geology Labs Online
Geology Labs On-Line consists of web-based activities which enhance the learning and teaching of earth science. There are modules on seismology, determining the ages of rocks and minterals, and the radiocarbon dating of fossils and archeological artifacts. Students complete a sequence of tasks that require observation, measurement, and data analysis. Upon successful completion, they receive a personalized certificate. These activites have been used at a variety of educational levels, from middle schools through college.
Four of the activities from Geology Labs Online. The isochron activity teaches students how the ages of rocks and minerals are determined. The radiocarbon activity explores how fossils and artifacts are dated. The discharge and flooding activities demonstrate the methods used to measure flows in rivers and streams and factors that determine the frequency of flooding.
Biology Labs Online
Biology Labs Online is a collection of 12 web-based simulations for biology education. These activites were originally created in collaboration with the California State University and marketed as a commercial product by Pearson Education. These activites can now be used for free. They deal with a variety of topics that are typically covered in an college-level introductory course sequence on general biology for majors. Each of the applets involves the design of experiments, collection of data, and analysis and interpretation of results.
Screen shots from each of the 12 applets that make up the Biology Labs Online suite.