In this paper, we investigate an approach to supporting students' learning in science through a combination of physical experimentation and virtual modeling. We present a study that utilizes a scientific inquiry framework, which we call ''bifocal modeling,'' to link student-designed experiments and computer models in real time. In this study, a group of high school students designed computer models of bacterial growth with reference to a simultaneous physical experiment they were conducting, and were able to validate the correctness of their model against the results of their experiment. Our findings suggest that as the students compared their virtual models with physical experiments, they encountered ''discrepant events'' that contradicted their existing conceptions and elicited a state of cognitive disequilibrium. This experience of conflict encouraged students to further examine their ideas and to seek more accurate explanations of the observed natural phenomena, improving the design of their computer models. IntroductionThe nature and role of school science laboratories have been subject to widespread controversy in the research community (NRC 1996), especially regarding the benefits of physical, virtual, and combined laboratories (Olympiou and Zacharia 2012;Triona and Klahr 2003;Zacharia 2007). The popularity of simulation environments such as PhET (Perkins et al. 2006) has led policy-makers and scholars to question the real value of physical laboratories-especially in the face of the associated costs and logistics. A wave of research studies within the past 10 years has explored: (a) What are the advantages of physical laboratories relative to virtual laboratories and manipulatives, (b) whether the latter can replace the former (Triona and Klahr 2003), and (c) in what ways virtual models can simulate complex phenomena and permit student experimentation in domains that might otherwise be costly, impractical, or dangerous (Finkelstein et al. 2005;Jaakkola and Nurmi 2008;Jaakkola et al. 2011;Klahr et al. 2007; Perkins et al. 2006;Resnick and Wilensky 1998).The literature comparing hands-on or physical models (PM) with virtual models (VM) for science learning has sought to establish rules for choosing one modality over the other or for ordering them as distinct phases in a sequential process (de Jong et al. 2013). Zacharia and Anderson (2003) found that combining physical and virtual models increased teachers' learning of content knowledge in physics. Zacharia and Constantinou (2008) virtual laboratories led to greater conceptual understandings than did either type singly. For example, Liu (2006) compared groups of female high school students utilizing computer simulations and/or hands-on laboratory activities in chemistry. Controlling for time-on-task, the combination of both PM and VM was more effective than either option alone. But interesting interactions between content learning and epistemology were observed for this composite approach: There was a correlation between students' understanding o...

Automation has played a key role in improving the safety, accuracy, and efficiency of manufacturing and industrial processes and has the potential to greatly increase throughput in the life sciences. However, the lack of accessible entry-point automation hardware in life science research and STEM education hinders its widespread adoption and development for life science applications. Here we investigate the design of a low-cost (~$150) open-source DIY Arduino-controlled liquid handling robot (LHR) featuring plastic laser-cut parts. The robot moves in three axes with 0.5 mm accuracy and reliably dispenses liquid down to 20 μL. The open source, modular design allows for flexibility and easy modification. A block-based programming interface (Snap4Arduino) further extends the accessibility of this robot, encouraging adaptation and use by educators, hobbyists and beginner programmers. This robot was co-designed with teachers, and we detail the teachers’ feedback in the context of a qualitative study. We conclude that affordable and accessible LHRs similar to this one could provide a useful educational tool to be deployed in classrooms, and LHR-based curricula may encourage interest in STEM and effectively introduce automation technology to life science enthusiasts.

No abstract

No abstract

A central challenge of developing learning technologies for K-12 classrooms is designing for sustainable use -ensuring that the technology has a lifespan in the classroom beyond the term of a research project or implementation period. This half-day workshop aims to bring together designers, researchers, and educators creating K-12 learning technologies to share and reflect on the challenges and opportunities of designing for sustainable use in classrooms. In the workshop, we seek to develop a set of heuristics to guide designers and provide a context for designing for sustainable use. By sharing the outcomes of this workshop we hope to develop a common language, design goals, and examples of successes and challenges in designing for sustainable use. CCS CONCEPTS• Social and professional topics → Children; • Human-centered computing → HCI theory, concepts and models.

No abstract

No abstract

In this paper we will examine students' meta-modeling knowledge in the context of their participation in a Bifocal Modeling activity. Bifocal Modeling is an inquiry-based approach for science learning, which incorporates both physical experimentation and virtual modeling. The current study combines three separate case studies of students participating in different implementation modes of the Bifocal Modeling process. Different implementation methods require different modeling practices, and we will examine the consequences of these practices for students' meta-modeling knowledge. The concern of our investigation will be the ways that students critically evaluate scientific models and their understanding of the limitations of those models. Data suggest that model construction (as opposed to simple interaction) lead to deeper meta-modeling knowledge.