Inquiry experiences can provide valuable opportunities for students to improve their understanding of both science content and scientific practices. However, the implementation of inquiry learning in classrooms presents a number of significant challenges. We have been exploring these challenges through a program of research on the use of scientific visualization technologies to support inquiry-based learning in the geosciences. In this paper, we describe five significant challenges to implementing inquiry-based learning and present strategies for addressing them through the design of technology and curriculum. We present a design history covering four generations of software and curriculum to show how these challenges arise in classrooms and how the design strategies respond to them. Students at all grade levels and in every domain of science should have the opportunity to use scientific inquiry and develop the ability to think and act in ways associated with inquiry...(National Scie...

This thesis is dedicated to my wife Gail and my children, Mark and Lauren. They have watched me spend endless hours at the computer instead of with them. They have shared in my journey and always helped me when the road was hard. They have sacrificed as much, if not more, than I have. I hope this work justifies their support. ii This study examines the ability of online distance education courses using CMC and constructivist assessment tools to support cognitive presence and deep learning. Four online focus groups were conducted, three among graduate students and one among instructors who have respectively taken and delivered online courses in the Master of Distance Education program at Athabasca University. Transcripts of the focus groups were analyzed with the objective of developing a grounded conceptual model. The learning experiences, as described by the participants themselves, have shown that deep learning and

... this paper we present a design framework for the creation of learning activities that draw on interest as their primary source of motivation. of learning activities that draw on, framework is the embodiment of a theory that addresses two challenges to the large-scale implementation of interest-driven learning. addresses two challen coverage, the di iculty o motivating the wide range o learning objectives valued by our educational system with interest, and stakaI)l the variation over time and across learners o the motivational strength o interest in a particular topic or activity. o,RzG:A,MHbbjj,.G:,MHRTjj,. ramework is based on a novel categorization o motivational constructs into interest and context-based motivators.