Deepen learning and motivate students
A Multi-user Virtual Environment for Building Higher Order Inquiry Skills in Science
K-12 - Quantitative Research; Diane Jass Ketelhut, Chris Dede, Jody Clarke, Harvard University Graduate School of Education; Brian Nelson, Arizona State University
This study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) analyzed the use of a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) to enhance science content knowledge and inquiry skills. Preliminary findings show that: students learned biology content; students and teachers were highly engaged; student attendance improved; disruptive behavior dropped; students were building 21st century skills in virtual communication and expression; and importantly, using this type of technology in the classroom can facilitate good inquiry learning. In the study, middle school students were asked as teams to solve the problems of a simulated 19th century city through avatar interaction, digital artifacts, and tacit clues in a virtual community. This paper describes the results from three implementations of this program in 2004 with roughly 2,000 students from geographically diverse urban areas.
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