A Collaborative Environment for Engaging Students in Scientific Inquiry

How can interactive surface technologies be used to help college students learn complex

concepts through collaborative inquiry?

Design Strategy

Outline • GreenTouch

• Evaluation Methodology

• Findings

• Implications for design

Learning through scientific inquiry

Design Goals Learning Goals • L1 Developing observation and data collection skills • L2 Interpreting field data through critical examination • L3 Forming hypotheses based on exploratory analysis

Design Goals • G1 Allowing novices to collect, curate, and explore scientific

phenology data. • G2 Reducing the mental workload associated with accessing and

manipulating large amounts of heterogeneous data. • G3 Providing fluid transition between data collection, data

exploration, and hypothesis forming. • G4 Fostering learning through discussion and reflection.

Design Principles

• Reduce complexity

• Support reflection

• Designing for large amounts of data

• Utilize ecology of devices

Green Touch

Invoke conversation through prompts

Heterogeneous data collection

Contextual Information

Movie

3-Tier Evaluation Study Metrics & indicators Methods Iteration

Sp

rin

g ’1

1 (n

=4

3)

Usa

bil

ity

Accuracy Completion rates Errors Satisfaction Time on task

Logging Observations Questionnaires Debrief

Mobile: Navigation Situated reference Comments Summary Surface: Cloud metaphor Lenses

Fa

ll ‘1

1 (n

=35

) U

sefu

lne

ss

Accuracy Number and quality

of hypotheses Participation Satisfaction Time on task

(all of the above) Video analysis Interviews

Mobile: Ruler Sample data Data checks Surface: Drawer Visualization

Sp

rin

g ‘1

2

(n=

54)

Imp

act

(all of the above) Talk categories User actions Information artifacts

(all of the above) Discourse analysis

Surface: Advanced

statistics tools

Evaluating Impact 54 Students in a college Botany course

Data Collection 25 Pairs, 4 Singletons

Exploratory Analysis 24 groups

Mobile Evaluation Question

Mean (SD)

Using the app made my observations better.

4.19 (0.96)

Using the app made me consider the relationship between climate and phenology.

3.66 (0.82)

Using the app let me collect data faster than without the app.

4.52 (0.95)

Using the app made it easier to collect heterogeneous data.

4.37 (1.06)

I enjoyed using this app to collect data.

3.49 (1.05)

I was confident in the accuracy of the data I gathered.

3.39 (1.03)

Turn-Takers

52%

Driver-Navigator

32%

Driver Passenger

16%

Collaboration Satisfaction

User Feedback

It allowed me to observe the plants in ways that I normally wouldn’t

I would like to collect data on Emerald Ash Borers and this app may be very helpful for that.

I liked the definitions and examples of the information

we were collecting

It is easier to deal with than a notebook, especially because it

was always rainy or overcast

I really liked manipulating the data and exploring the ways in which it

was possible to visually compare it. It made the analysis much less time

consuming and probably more accurate

I would love to use it for my independent study. If I could

use it instead of other current methods I always would

It’s super appealing for people like me teaching the same class year after year,

and a lot of the questions we’re asking you can’t start to address them until you got 10 years of data, this will enable me to

build a really cool dataset.

Mobile Findings • Effective co-located

collaboration motivated through opportunities for discussion.

• Consistent and accurate data collection guided through situated reference.

• There is a need for striking balance between structured guidance and free form data collection

Tabletop Evaluation

Turn-Takers

43%

Driver-Navigator

48%

Driver-Passenger

9%

Collaboration

Insight 8%

Syntax 8%

Brief Response

15%

Coordination 29%

Problem Solving

31%

Other 4%

Reflection 5%

Peer Teaching

0%

Nature of Discussion

Problem Solving & Insight Scores

Score Percentage

5 5%

4 36%

3 27%

2 27%

1 0%

Vertical 9/24

Horizontal 15/24

Tabletop Findings • Reality-based metaphors effective for

mediating complexity

• Side-by-side comparison and spatial interaction were essential mechanisms for problem-solving

• Pairs collaborated effectively through turn taking and role switching mediated by large surface and established through continouos coordination

Implications for design • Reducing complexity

– Incremental addition of complexity – Seamless integration of quantitative and qualitative data – Fluid transition between data sets

• Providing space for reflection – Drawers moderately effective – Formal articulation through note taking – not effective – Alternative modalities: pen and voice

• Designing for large amounts of data – Supporting spatial interaction

• Using ecology of devices – Careful use of metaphors

Contributions • Our findings provide empirical evidence for the

feasibility and value of utilizing ecology of devices for helping college students learn complex concepts through collaborative inquiry

• Highlight mechanisms for collaborative learning

– Spatial interaction

– Side by side comparison

– Opportunities for discussion

– Coordination talk

– Role switching

• Implication for design of collaborative inquiry

Thank you! Consuelo Valdes, cvaldes@wellesley.edu

Orit Shaer, oshaer@wellesley.edu

Acknowledgements: Kristina Jones, Marcy Thomas, Janet McDonough, and Alden Griffith HHMI and Wellesley College Science Center.

Questions?