Innovations in STEM education: the Go-Lab federation of online labs
Résumé
The Go-Lab federation of online labs opens up virtual laboratories (simulation),
remote laboratories (real equipment accessible at distance) and data sets from
physical laboratory experiments (together called “online labs”) for large-scale use in
education. In this way, Go-Lab enables inquiry-based learning that promotes
acquisition of deep conceptual domain knowledge and inquiry skills, with the further
intent of interesting students in careers in science. For students, Go-Lab offers the
opportunity to perform scientific experiments with online labs in pedagogically
structured learning spaces. Go-Lab’s inquiry learning spaces (ILSs) structure the
students’ inquiry process through an inquiry cycle and provide students with guidance
in which dedicated (and connected) scaffolds for inquiry processes play a pivotal role.
Teachers can create and adapt inquiry learning phases and the associated guidance in
an ILS through a simple wiki-like interface and can add scaffolds and tools to an ILS
using a straightforward drag and drop feature. Teachers can also adapt scaffolds and
tools (e.g., change the language or the concepts available in a concept mapper)
through an “app composer”. In creating ILSs, teachers are supported by scenarios and
associated defaults ILSs that can be used as a starting point for development. In
addition, teachers are offered a community framework to disseminate best practices
and find mutual support. For lab-owners, Go-Lab provides open interfacing solutions
for easily plugging in their online labs and sharing them in the Go-Lab federation of
online labs. In its first year, Go-Lab created ILSs for thirteen online labs from different lab
providers, including renowned research organizations (e.g., CERN, ESA) that participate in
the consortium. The design of these inquiry learning spaces has been evaluated through
mock-ups and prototypes with students and teachers. More advanced and later versions
will be evaluated and validated in large scale pilots. The sustainability of Go-Lab will
come from the opportunity for the larger science education community to add new
online labs and share ILSs. An open and Web-based community will capitalize on the
“collective intelligence” of students, teachers, and scientists.
Domaines
Education
Origine : Accord explicite pour ce dépôt
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