Share Paper: The Online Elements of Inquiry Checklist: Evaluating an Innovative Online Learning Environment Providing Opportunities for Scientific Practice and Discourse among Students, Scientists, and Teachers

  1. Cheryl Ann Peterson, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
  2. Carol Stuessy, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
Wednesday, October 19 3:25-3:45 PM Waialua

Abstract: An online, inquiry-based collaborative learning platform was developed to engage scientists as mentors, students, and teachers in authentic scientific practice and discourse. To determine the extent to which these individuals engaged in authentic inquiry practices during their online communication, we developed an evaluative checklist. Evaluations of discourse between 263 student teams, 54 teachers, and 186 scientists revealed that students typically used the platform to discuss research questions, predictions, and experimental design and rarely detailed observations, conclusions, explanations, and implications. Scientists posted less often than students, with the exception of experimental design and procedures. These results are similar to assessments of ...