Project WISEWiki Integration in Science Education

Goals of Project WISE“We Learn By Teaching” James Howell

• Increase the level of mastery of science content.

• Allow students to use their natural desire to collaborate using 21st Century tools.

Goals of Project WISE“We Learn By Teaching” James Howell

• Enhance writing skills through content creation.

• Encourage greater creativity and relevance in the tasks students are asked to carry out.

• Nurture a relationship between students and student teachers at the University level that will be beneficial to both.

Who’s Involved?

60 Sixth Graders at SanLee Middle School in Sanford, NC

So What Was Purchased with the NCTIES Grant ?

2 Sets of Digital Explorer Cameras (12 in all)

AND

2 Sony Digital Video Cameras

EXC

HA

NG

ED F

OR

5 Flip Digital Video

Cameras

But Is It Supported By Research?

But Is It Supported By Research?•Creating content comes naturally to today’s middle grade students.

•64% of online teens have participated in one or more content-creating activity.

•They are comfortable with commenting on each other’s work. 76% of teens who use social networks comment on other’s blogs.

•Teens feel that writing is important. 86% of teens believe good writing is important to success in life

The Pew Internet & American Life Project on Teens and Social Media (2007)

Wikis support all of these research components!

Wikis and Constructivist TheoryWikis offer a unique opportunity for students to create

content of their own.

According to the constructivist theory, learners are continually imposing order and meaning, and “creating” the

world in which they live (Windschitl, 2000).

“I didn’t know that the chipmunks and the squirrels could not get together because they have to fight over their nuts. And that the from of conflict may arise when organisms occupy a similar niche.”

Wikis and Constructivist TheoryIf kids and teens build their own information spaces rather than having educators build it for them, they

acquire management, information gathering, writing, and planning skills (Loertscher, 2007).

From the Green Science Wiki:

Click here to see my earthquake video.

Constructing meaning with pictures, words, and video!

Wikis and the Importance of Reflective Thinking

To John Dewey reflective thinking was the focal point of the student-centered, activity-

oriented classroom. (Jacobsen, 2003)

Wikis as a Cohesive Web 2.0 Tool

Three factors that have initially been found to prompt reflective thinking in a science learning environment at the middle school level include teaching methods, learning environments,

and scaffolding tools.

WIKIS WIKIS WIKIS(Song et al., 2006)

First Things First!Teaching them to use

PRACTICING with the equipment!

Digital Cameras Assignment

Ashley and Joshua’s Photo Shoot!

Creating the Wikis

1. Created 6 new wikis using Wikispaces, named using colors for each of the six groups.

2. Groups of students were assigned by the teacher in the Fall (Student chosen in the Spring).

3. Each student registered on Wikispaces using a “wiki-name” and their NC Wise # preceded by their first and last initials. (Keep this in a spreadsheet that is handy – they’ll forget!!)

4. Each student requested membership to their group’s wiki, which was approved by the teacher.

Teaching Wiki Tools• Editing the Navigation Panel• “Edit Page” button and importance of SAVE!

– And as a result of the “oops I forgot to save!” a quick lesson in the all-important “Load Previous Draft” prompt

• Inserting Picture/Video Icon• Inserting Hyperlink Icon• History, Discussion, and Revert tools

Fall 2008 Research Study Questions

1. How do students who are required to maintain a collaborative wiki of their science content knowledge compare to students without that requirement, as measured using specific performance criteria?

2. Do students required to maintain a collaborative science wiki demonstrate greater motivation to learn science compared to students who do not share that requirement?

Fall 2008 Project WISE Research Study

CONTROL GROUP

TREATMENT GROUP

The Study Components

• Identical pre and post-tests were constructed using database questions taken from the current science textbook adoption materials.

• 5-point Likert-type Student Science Attitude Survey.– students’ perception and interest in STEM areas– preference for hands-on learning– relevance of STEM areas– preference for creating Web 2.0 content– difficulty and personal motivation in STEM areas.

The Study Components

• Likert-type survey given to parents to determine– students’ use of technology in the home– motivation to discuss and complete science activities– students’ motivation for science after school.

• Student-created content on each of the wikis was analyzed for

– level of complexity of content

– type of media uploaded

– amount of editing that was done

Results

Following the conclusion of the Population Dynamics Unit which incorporated many inquiry activities:

• The average gain for the control group was found to be just over 17 points, while the average gain for the treatment group was just over 19 points.

• HOWEVER, twenty-three of the treatment group students were responsible for adding the majority of the content to the wikis. The average gain for these twenty-three students from pretest to posttest was almost 22 points.

• Some students in this group made as many as 40 and 50 point gains

Wiki Coding Results

The majority of the content contributed to the wikis fell into the Knowledge and Understanding category – factual information.

Multimedia was uploaded – mainly photos and PowerPoints.

Eleven evidences of Creativity and Enjoyment – leading to the hope that using wikis in the science classroom can evoke greater interest and inventiveness in middle school students.

And the Survey Says…The use of the wikis positively correlated to greater interest in and motivation for science!

“I think being a scientist would be exciting.”

Control GroupTreatment Group

48% Strongly Agree37% Strongly Agree

And the Survey Says…The use of the wikis positively correlated to greater interest in and motivation for science!

“Science is fun.”

Control GroupTreatment Group

77% Strongly Agree57% Strongly Agree

And the Survey Says…The use of the wikis positively correlated to greater interest in and motivation for science!

“I like to figure something out without the teacher telling me how to do it.”

Control GroupTreatment Group

22% Strongly Agree13% Strongly Agree

And the Survey Says…The use of the wikis positively correlated to greater interest in and motivation for science!

“We learn about important things in science class .”

Control GroupTreatment Group

74% Strongly Agree41% Strongly Agree

And the Parent Survey Says…The use of the wikis positively correlated to greater interest in and motivation for science!

“At home my child talks about what he/she did in science class.”

Control GroupTreatment Group

17% Almost Always5% Almost Always

And the Parent Survey Says…The use of the wikis positively correlated to greater interest in and motivation for science!

“At home my child is very focused while completing science homework.”

Control GroupTreatment Group

52% A lot or Almost Always33% A lot or Almost Always

Lessons Learned“Lamb (2004) contends that the beauty of

wikis is that their structure is ‘shaped from within – not imposed from above’ (p. 40)”

Photo Credit: Flickr Masrour’s Photostream

Local testing decisions meant laptops and

labs were unavailable much of the time.

Use of our Writers and beaming to our 5

classroom computers.

HURDLES REMODELS

Multiple students making edits on the

wikis tended to cancel out each other’s edits.

Provide additional Web 2.0 assignments so not all students are working on

the wikis at once.

See Vicki Davis’s great post on these “Wiki Wars” and solutions to avoid this problem.

Lack of structure led to

“not so organized”

wikis.

More guidance in posting.

Some organizing by the teacher.

HURDLES REMODELS

Writing did not improve to the extent hoped for as wiki use went on.

Collaborate further with Language Arts teacher, and do more classroom

modeling!

Student photos inadvertently replaced

others on their own and other wikis.

Teach students how to name individual photos

with unique names.

HURDLES REMODELS

Students constantly want to update their

wikis!!

Find time to let them!

Most Promising Component Award Goes To….

Collaboration

Project WISE – Future Plans

• Continue integrating wikis with inquiry science.• Continue collaborating with pre-service teachers at NC

State on the project.• Incorporate Skype sessions with virtual mentors.• Involve more Web 2.0 tools – VoiceThread, Animoto,

Glogster, with greater use of the cameras and videocameras.

• Continue to conduct wiki research and submit to the growing collection of support literature.

• Use as support for the STELLAR Project (1:1 Laptop Initiative)

And the Final Word….

Links To Explore

• Official Site of Project Wise

http://projectwise.wikispaces.com• Official Site of The STELLAR Project (Sharing Technology with

Everyone using Laptops for Learning, Accountability, and Relevance)

http://stellarproject.wikispaces.com• Collazo Cove (Our class website)

http://collazocove0809.wikispaces.com• Web Wizards Website – Don’t reinvent the wheel!

http://webwizards.wikispaces.com• Wikispaces – Ad-free wikis for Educators!

www.wikispaces.com