(Note: I completed a review of science software for a project I was working on in 2000. As I re-read the review, I remembered some of the titles that I really liked. I also remember the state of science software, still dependent on the CD-ROM. I think it is good to remember the old titles and contributions to the field, so I am reproducing this review. I deleted some sections and the WWW links that are no longer working. Prices are from the era.)

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Effective Science Software for Elementary Science Teacher Educators

I attempted to find quality science software for use in the elementary science classroom.

Probe, database, and spreadsheet software are valuable in science education and offer great possibilities for promoting inquiry. However, I did not focus on these resources because many of us are already familiar with the value of these time-tested resources. Other software continues to be developed and it is much more difficult for science educators to stay current on effective software.

 Effective and Ineffective Strategies to Identify Effective Software

1.     Searching the ERIC database was not a good avenue to find science software. They do not publish abstracts for reviews of software.

2.     Discussion with classroom teachers revealed some highly praised titles and series. 

3.     Submitting a request for effective software to the AETS listserve produced some recommended titles and series. 

4.     I found software review sites on the Internet. The best ones are: www.childrenssoftware.com and tic.cuesta.com. The latter, from the California Instructional Technology Clearinghouse, is indexed to standards.

5.     I found the best way to identify excellent software is to try them. Some programs had one or more features that made me really like them.

 

Distinguishing Characteristics for Effective Science Software

The state of science education software is far from perfect.

“There is widespread agreement that one of the principal factors now limiting the extensive and effective use of technology within American schools is the relative dearth of high-quality computer software and digital content designed specifically for that purpose….The commercial availability of software and information resources designed to support student-centered, constructivist approaches to education is even more limited, and there is little evidence to date of large-scale, well-funded efforts by either traditional educational software vendors, multimedia developers, or textbook publishers to develop such content” (President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, 1997).

I think the whole field is best thought of as a “work in progress” with some software having excellent features. Important characteristics that emerged in my search are:

1.     Fostering quality learning experience for important science content and processes.

2.     Providing an effective context for learning.

3.     Having a high degree of usability.

4.     Using a computer’s abilities to provide interactive or simulated experiences that go well beyond simply reading.

Reference

President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (1997). Report to the President on the Use of Technology.  The White House  http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/OSTP/NSTC/PCAST/k-12ed.html#4.6

A Review of Computer Software for Elementary Science Education

            I did not have a budget to purchase software, so my personal review is limited to titles that I could borrow. The software is listed from most recommended to least recommended. All titles are for both Macintosh and Windows platforms unless specified.

Zurk’s Alaskan Trek (Soleil Software, 1995)

Ages 6-10, $28.95

This is a good overall program with a fabulous ecosystem feature called Animal Theater. Children add different species of plants and animals. They click “play” and observe how the animals interact and what they eat. For example, the bear eats some cow parsnips but avoids the Labrador tea; the ground squirrel runs from the arctic fox and sometimes gets caught. Children can write their observations below the interaction and save it to their portfolio. In MovieMaker children choose sentence options and create their own movies. Relative weights (and ideas of less than, greater than, and equal to) of animals are explored through a scale activity. How many lemmings equal the weight of a bald eagle?  Also includes plant and animal field guides. Can choose from English, French, and Spanish.

Sammy’s Science House (Edmark, 1994)

Ages 3 to 6, $19.95

Brilliant sorting section, where living things and rocks are sorted in hundreds of ways (for example, sorting animals by fur, feathers, vs. scales and sorting omnivores vs. herbivores). Items must be clicked on to sort. The click causes the item name to be said, which helps children learn the names of living things.  Make Your Own Weather has children control rain, wind, and temperature and see the effects. “Seasons” presents a view of Acorn Pond where the children can click on organism to find out information and then change the seasons. Both of these sections present temperatures in Celsius and Fahrenheit scales. All the explorations have a free or guided mode.

Telling Our Stories: Women in Science (Tom Snyder, 1997)

Ages 11-15, $79.00, www.tomsnyder.com

Program goals include providing a personal introduction to real-life scientists and breaking traditional stereotypes. Good database of information about 120 women in science. In-depth multimedia focus on 8 selected women scientist with useful in-computer science experiments that reflect their work, such as on superconductivity, viruses and hormones, and animal communication. Includes a useful teacher guide and student handouts to prompt students to search the database and process learning from the experiments.

Zap: Thinking Science Series: Save the Show with Sound, Light, and Electricity (Edmark, 1998)

Ages 8-12, $29.95

Entertaining, good problem solving, appeals to older children. Excellent hands-on science simulations for light (plane and spherical mirrors, lenses, color mixing) and electrical circuit. Decent simulations for sound.

Gizmos and Gadgets: Super Solver Series (The Learning Company, 1995)

Ages 7-12

This was the best at combining an arcade style game (Donkey Kong) with interactive science activities and science learning. The game took some getting used to for me but children would probably pick this up quickly. As you go through doors in the game, you solve science problems and collect parts to build cars or airplanes to race the villain.

Zurk’s Rainforest Lab 2.1.3 (Soleil Software, 1995)

Ages 5-9, $36.95

Does a good job of showing the vertical layering of the tropical rain forest and promotes animal identification. Egg hunt with changing rain forest backdrop is fun for young children, but there seems to be no science objective. Photograph portfolio is a good idea. Animal sorting activity helps reinforce animal classification (mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, and insect). Text and narration are in English, French, or Spanish.

Science Sleuths Volume 1, The Mysteries of the Blob and the Exploding Lawnmowers (Videodiscovery, 1995)

Ages 11 to 14, $39.95

Very good use of interviews, science tools, print resources, and a personal notebook to solve fun and interesting problems. Like some Tom Snyder products, but can be done in far less time.

Rainforest Researchers (Tom Snyder, 1995)

Ages 11 to 14, $199.95, www.tomsnyder.com

Excellent Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Model, good use of data analysis, and excellent focus on problem solving. Created for the “one computer classroom” but the process can take a long time to complete.  Although this software is recommended for middle school students, it may be too advanced for this age level.

I Love Science (Dorling Kindersley, 1997)

Ages 7-11, $17.95

Many simple interactive science activities, questions after each activity, point reward system for certificates or hands-on science activity sheets. Matter section activities are the best. They are organized by sorting, testing, changes and separation.

My First Amazing Science Explorerr (Dorling Kindersley, 1999)

Ages 5-9, $19.95

Motivational sticker and badge system includes a tracking system for students to see their progress. Excellent open ended questions in Science Workbook including a section “What About Me?” Includes printable hands-on science activities. Limited interactive activities in the program, all 8 involve sorting. Life Cycles also involve sequencing.

Thinkin’ Things: Galactic Brain Benders (Edmark, 1999)

Ages 8-12, $29.95

I only reviewed one free download from this program, Kinetics Lab, and it was great. You have control over balls on a table and you can do millions of things to see how they move. The software was one of the highest scorers on the Children’s Software Evaluation.

Thinkin’ Things: Collection 1 (Edmark, 1999)

Ages 4 to 8, $29.95

Very motivational activities and great opportunities to develop skills in observing, comparing, pattern recognition, and combining things in creative ways. Science content does not seem to be a goal, but there are opportunities to adjust variables and make observations regarding moving objects and musical notes.

Thinkin’ Things: Collection 11 (Edmark, 1999)

Ages 6 to 12, $29.95

Advanced version of Thinkin’ Things: Collection 1 but allows for more opportunities for creativity and spatial perception.  But again science is not a major goal.

Stellaluna (Living Books/Random House, 1996)

Ages 3 to 7, $49.95, www.intellitools.com

This living book follows the journey of Stellaluna, an African fruit bat separated from her mother. After the text is read, there are excellent graphics, sounds, and animations. You have the option of making it so children can touch “hot spots” to see things happen. There is also a bat quiz. CD-ROM can be put into a stereo to listen to Stellaluna songs. Package comes with original book by Janell Cannon.

Triazzle (Berkeley Systems, 1995)

$23.95, www.dangilbert.com

Fun tropical rain forest puzzle. This is an electronic version of the triangle board puzzles sold in stores. Brilliant animation when pieces are connected, for example joining like halves of a frog causes it to move in a realistic manner. Good for observing and problem solving, but limited science content.

The Way Things Work version 2. (Dorling Kindersley, 1996), $24.95

At best an encyclopedia with stuff about principles of physics, names of inventors, and how machines work. Lots of text, very few useful animations or interactive science activities. Buy the book, not this software. Includes some graphics, sounds, and movies to use in other applications.

The Magic School Bus Explores the Ocean (Microsoft, 1996)

Ages 6 to 10, $19.99

Brings back the famous cast from the TV show, but this program was buggy and confusing.  There are some simple experiments and games. Lots of things to click on. But overall, this was not a satisfying experience.

Multimedia Bugs: The Complete Interactive Guide to Insects (Inroads Interactive, 1996).

Excellent high level information about bugs with clear graphics and great photographs. Too advanced for elementary or middle school students. Interactive activities are not thrilling; they consist of moving a mouse over a field to reveal an insect name, photo, or sound.

Earth Quest (Dorling Kindersley, 1997)

Ages 10+, $49.95

Well-done graphics, but you need strong Earth science knowledge to get moving. Far too advanced for middle school.

Cosmic Osmo and the Worlds Beyond the Mackerel (Cyan, 1989, 1990, 1994)

Ages 5 and up, Macintosh only

$49.95

Old style software put on a CD-ROM and packaged in a modern wrapper. Its black and white, no moving graphics, but it is a fun and clever exploration of a different solar system. Most time seems to be spent in buildings, so there is limited science learning. Yet some consider this HyperCard program a classic.

 

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(FINAL NOTE: Remember the above is a reproduction from a work I completed in 2000. I was judging based upon the context of other software and my experience. I respect the contributions of all, even those that I did not judge as highly.–PR)

Most Americans know the story of the powerful John Henry, the man who drove steel into rock. There are many versions of the story and songs that have been passed from generation to generation. For example, listen to a version sung by Van Morrison. With a huge sledgehammer, John Henry drove steel spikes into rocks, as his partner turned them in ¼ rotations with each strike, to help make way for the westward moving railway lines. A salesman had a steam-powered drill that he said could do it faster than a human. John Henry challenged the machine, and with a fantastic display of energy, John Henry beat that machine. We could probably find scores of John Henry teachers in schools, those who, if pitted against a computer for helping students to learn, would handily win. John Henry won the competition but sadly died of exhaustion in the process. I don’t think the experienced teacher would suffer from exhaustion, but I do know many new teachers who are exhausted and overwhelmed by the demands of teaching. 

Today, railway workers use powerful drills to make holes in rocks; someday, teachers will make computers a powerful core tool in student-centered learning.  But it hasn’t happened yet.

While most of us can adduce examples of great things happening in schools with technology, and while students certainly do use computers as tools, such as in writing, presenting, and researching, there is a sense that we haven’t pushed the envelope.

The fault doesn’t lie with the teachers. A recent National Education Association (2008)/American Federation of Teachers survey indicated that (a) there were not enough computes in classrooms “to use computers effectively for classroom instruction;” and (b) training in technology focused more on non-instructional uses of computers. Teachers in the survey were not technophobes, they almost all had internet access at home and 95% answered that technology improved student learning, 89.1% indicated it made student learning more enjoyable, 86.4% said it saves time on the job, and 87.5% said it improves job effectiveness. These results suggest that if computers for student use were provided and better training in using computers for instruction was presented, teachers would make greater use of computers to support student learning.

As schools try to do so many things for so many different children, effectiveness and efficiency are not as easily discerned as they are for drilling a hole in rock. Even as the effectiveness and efficiencies are developed and revealed, the traditions and culture of “the school,” will not change easily. I predict that virtual schools will be the catalyst to transform schools and let teachers drop their “sledgehammers.”

Virtual schools will demonstrate the efficiencies of the extensive use of computers to support student learning. When today’s students show a great proclivity for learning with computers, when parents and students want more and more online classes, when more and more students start attending virtual schools, and when student learning is discovered and efficiencies are dramatically demonstrated, then finally physical schools will have to start rethinking the role of computers in student learning.

Of course, traditional public schools may be the last to change their ways. Charter schools and private schools will be in the vanguard, because if they don’t, many will fail and close their doors. In Arizona, a state that is second to California in the number of publicly supported charter schools (Center for Educational Reform, 2008), charter schools are struggling to compete primarily because they are trying to do the same things with less money. When I see charter schools with untrained teachers and inexperienced teachers, and large class sizes that resemble traditional classrooms, I wonder why anyone would send their children to these schools. I also read about closures of private schools (i.e. Goodman, 2008), most particularly Roman Catholic schools, because the expenses are growing faster than the tuition.

Look to see the charter and private schools emulating the successes of the virtual schools. We will see some charter schools go completely virtual and we will see many more online classes, especially in areas where it is difficult to get qualified teachers (such as Advanced Placement Chemistry, Physics, or Calculus).

The revolution I am most interested in will eventually happen in the “bricks and mortar” classrooms. Parents, teachers, students, and administrators will continue to value the physical presence and great influence of a teacher, but at the same time will also seek the learning gains and efficiencies of computer-based learning. As virtual experiences become a significant part of the classroom enterprise, teachers will increasingly assume the role of the “guide on the side” (rather than the “sage on the stage”), students will have enhanced motivation, and the work of the teacher will be easier. All this will encourage many more teachers to remain engaged in the profession.  In a similar way to railway workers using mechanical drills to make their work easier, computers will be core tools in student learning, and virtual schools will start the revolution.

 

About these images:

The first image is from the Library of Congress. it shows Fred Dapp in a rock-drilling competition between 1880 and 1900 probably in Colorado.

The second image is from Adaptive Curriculum‘s Activity Object “Nuclear Energy: Fission” showing a scene from an activity with a nuclear submarine.

References:

Center for Educational Reform (2008). National Charter School Data.

Available at http://www.edreform.com/charter_directory/data2.cfm?CFID=3853032&CFTOKEN=44663510

Goodman, J. (2008). Catholic schools’ decline here among worst in U.S. Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Available at http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/NEWS01/804250368

National Education Association (2008). Access, Adequacy, and Equity in Education Technology.

Available at http://www.nea.org/research/images/08gainsandgapsedtech.pdf

Hear also:

Joe Brown and Lonnie Thomas (1939). “John Henry.” Available at

http://memory.loc.gov/afc/afcss39/271/2710b1.mp3

 

 

 

Adaptive Curriculum, describes its core learning segments as “Activity Objects.” This is, as far as I know, a new term that has evolved from other terms including “Learning Objects.” In case you are not familiar with the term Learning Object, I will describe this, touching briefly on its origins, and then explain why I think Activity Objects is a well-chosen term.

What is a Learning Object?

The term Learning Object grew from computer object-oriented programming, a paradigm of creating reusable and cooperating “objects.” As with programming objects, the generally accepted criteria for Learning Objects are that they are digital, cooperating, and reusable. Unfortunately, as so often happens in education, terms are used in so many different ways, they start being less useful.

From a broad perspective, a Learning Object is any instructional resource that can be combined with other resources. This is formally presented as “independent pieces of instruction that may be reused in multiple learning contexts” (Fernandez-Manjon & Sancho, 2002). To many of us, that is too wide a definition as almost anything can be considered a learning object.

Wiley’s (2000) definition—more useful because it is narrower—is as follows: “Any digital resource that can be reused to facilitate learning.” According to Wiley, “Learning objects are generally understood to be digital entities deliverable over the Internet, meaning that any number of people can access and use them simultaneously (as opposed to traditional instructional media, such as an overhead or video tape, which can only exist in one place at a time). Moreover, those who incorporate learning objects can collaborate on and benefit immediately from new versions.”

Friesen (2003) describes problems with terminology involving Learning Objects and makes a call for clarity: “Using a term that make sense only in abstruse technical discussions, and that is opaque and confusing to practitioners does not make its potential benefits clear to teachers…. It is simply that innovations must be presented in terms that are meaningful for teaching practice.”

I think teachers need to be able to easily differentiate between online resources that are relatively passive (such as text based web pages) and those that have strong elements of student interactions. I believe that the term Activity Object is a term that will make sense to practitioners and will help differentiate online resources with strong elements of interactivity. There is a big difference between some current science articles versus cool science experiments online.

What is an Activity Object?

An Activity Object, as the name describes, is a learning module that puts the emphasis on active learning rather than just passively reading text or viewing images or movies. It is designed to compliment other instructional approaches.

I propose the following definition of an Activity Object: An Activity Object is an online digital learning module featuring high-quality student interactions that help to achieve narrow learner outcomes.

To be sure, the Activity Objects of Adaptive Curriculum feature engagements, animations, closures, activity sheets, and assessments, but these are supportive of the high-quality interactions. Of course, some may take the definition I propose and say that many online materials are Activity Objects. To me the question resides in whether or not it is a high-quality interaction. If students mainly read text or watch movies, even if they are answering some questions as they go, this just doesn’t rise to the level of being a high-quality interaction and should not be considered an Activity Object. I propose that we use the term Learning Object for those online materials that support learning but that don’t have high-quality interactions, and that the term Activity Object be judiciously used for learning experiences with high-quality interactions. Therefore, the resource with current events in Earth science can be considered to be a Learning Object but the science project, science activity, and interactions would be considered Activity Objects.

 

References

Fernandez-Manjon, B. and Sancho, P. (2002) Creating Cost-effective Adaptative Educational Hypermedia Based on Markup Technologies and E-Learning Standards. Interactive Educational Multimedia, No. 4, April, 1-11 

Friesen, N. (2003). Three objections to Learning Objects and E-learning Standards

Wiley, D.(2000). The Instructional Use of Learning Objects. Agency for Instructional Technology and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. Available at Reusability.