The UES Bridge, Vol.2 Issue 7 Spring 1997

Corinne A. Seeds Elementary School, UCLA

CYBERSPACE LEARNING -- BRINGING IT DOWN TO EARTH

by Laura Weishaupt

Enter the world of astronomy through an interactive computer encyclopedia created by Devra, Krystal and Tak, fifth and sixth graders in teacher Cathie Galas’ class at Seeds University Elementary School (UES), and you might just fall into a black hole. But that would be fine with the students. In addition to a tour with guide Astron Nomy the mouse and tourist Hubert the dog, the encyclopedia offers "falling in" as a way to access information about this "mystery in space."

Part of a research study conducted by education Assistant Professor Yasmin Kafai and graduate students Sue Marshall and Cynthia Ching, the students’ project explains the nature, discovery and origin of black holes as it guides users from screen to screen. Devra, Krystal and Tak created the software for the program using Logo, a computer programming language, and incorporated graphics, such as the images of Astron Nomy and Hubert, from other applications and the Internet. The project is an example of how integrating computer programming instruction with academic subjects such as science can have dual benefits.

"Past research has shown projects integrating computers in the classroom bring about significant improvements in both subject knowledge and computer skills," Kafai said. "The question is: How do you make this integration work? All the training and materials teachers have are based on teaching one subject at a time. It’s a difficult balance."

To determine what kinds of models can be developed to help teachers bring computer-based design projects into their classrooms, the researchers are looking at children’s planning and problem-solving skills, their ability to collaborate in teams, and their approach to subject matter. Information on how the groups allocated activities and resources, how they designed research questions, and how the research questions translated into a final product, said Kafai, can help guide teachers in integrating instruction with a running project.

For Galas’ students, the process began with one week of instruction in Logo. Then students received an assignment to use their new programming skills to develop an interactive multimedia encyclopedia. The only requirement was that the software had to teach concepts about astronomy to younger children and the designers had to work in teams of three or four, assigned by the researchers to include both genders and various levels of ability. The software design task was integrated with instructional strategies that encouraged students’ self-directed inquiry into astronomy, software design and programming.

To generate project ideas, Galas’ students surfed the Internet, brought in books from home, and checked out all the UES library books on astronomy. Together they brainstormed questions such as, "What are black holes?" "What different constellations can you see from different locations on Earth?" and "What are comets and how are they formed?"

Galas said the process was meant to help students understand how professional researchers work. "We talked about the fact that when you do research sometimes you begin with one question and it evolves to another, or one question becomes many or branches off into a completely new line of inquiry," she said.

To illustrate her point, she had students write their questions on strips of paper and attach the strips to exposed ceiling beams. With questions literally hanging over their heads, students learned to think of their projects as ongoing investigations and to direct the course of their research themselves. Use of technology, especially multimedia computer applications, helps children develop these more sophisticated cognitive skills, Galas said.

"The projects students initially created were linear, with information arranged in a straight line," she explained. "As they continued to work, however, they discovered connections between the concepts they were illustrating and moved toward non-linear structures, such as hub structures or branching structures. The use of more sophisticated linking information helped students to discuss and think about their questions in new ways, with new connections and threads running through their projects.

"When they are not limited to a linear approach," she added, "students’ thinking and connections become increasingly sophisticated. The progress some children made was startling to observe."

Recently Kafai received a grant from the National Science Foundation to continue her research over the next four years. She said she will continue her work at UES and other elementary schools. In future studies she will ask students to do two design projects, since one of the points made clear at UES is that young students have little practice managing large projects over time. Furthermore, students will use new programming environments on the World Wide Web to build together and share their software programs.

Giving them practice in using computers and collaborating with peers, said Kafai, brings children closer to the world in which professionals and researchers work. In creating projects such as the astronomy encyclopedia, children are working in a manner similar to professional scientists, many of whom use computers to collect and analyze data and create simulations. Such preparation, perhaps, will help today’s students solve tomorrow’s scientific mysteries.