• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.813-824
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• 2017

In the previous studies on co-constructing scientific models, students have had various difficulties in constructing their models. As an alternative to compensate for these problems, we introduced smart devices in the modeling process and examined its roles. 60 students from two classes in the fifth grade of an elementary school in Seoul had classes to make up the solar system model in a small group using the smart devices and we examined the roles of smart devices in their classes. The result is as follows; First, students were able to generate their scientific model through various functions of smart devices throughout the modeling process. In particular, smart devices provide highly descriptive and authoritative information that meets the needs of students as well as the opportunity to observe the planets from various perspectives. Moreover, they were not only able to express their models easily as they wanted to express them, but also were able to receive feedbacks from various agents. In order for these smart devices to function properly in the co-construction of scientific models, it is necessary to improve the related environment as well as students' technological literacy.