• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.271-280
• /
• 2006

In this paper, an Online Scientific Inquiry Learning System was developed with the aim of improving student's scientific literacy and scientific inquiry ability. It was determined that there should be 4 distinct principles applicable to the design of the Learning system. First, it should enrich learner's motivation. Second, it should provide students with the chance for reflecting on the inquiry process. Third, it should emphasize multi-dimensional forms of interaction. Fourth, students should be able to create new information through it. The server system including the database, equation editor, reporting tool, search engine were all utilized for developing the learning system. In addition, the authors produced 24 web-based projects which were guided inquiry activities in which various inquiry abilities (reasoning, prediction, experiment design) could be developed. An Online Scientific Inquiry Learning System is not the only program which could be utilized in improving scientific inquiry abilities, but at the very least, such a system can serve as the prototype for developing an online learning system.

• Educational Technology International
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.121-137
• /
• 2005

In today's information-rich society, the need for information literacy has urgency. Three tasks of information processing are filtering, meaning-matching, meaning-construction that could be strengthened through inquiry-based learning. The cycles of reflection and practice develop the habit of mind, or conscious information processing that allow the learners to acquire higher level of information literacy. An on-line inquiry-based learning environment designed for information literacy may help learners to perform their lifelong learning better with the ability to appreciate, locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.

• Educational Technology International
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.93-122
• /
• 2018

It is crucial to understand the characteristics of learner questioning due to the effects it has on learning. This study focuses on the effects of middle school students questioning on their academic achievement in an online inquiry learning environment. A survey of 827 middle school students was conducted; the students took part in an online math and science program offered by a center for the gifted. Throughout the survey, learner questioning was analyzed, and its correlation with academic achievement was investigated. An analysis was based on questioning categories of a low- and high-level questions from previous studies. Through the survey, it was found that the number of learner questions asked in the online environment was small, but the number of low- and high-level questions were almost equal. Secondly, the higher the academic achievement level of the student, the higher the possibility they would ask either low- or high-level questions. Lastly the group of students in both low- and high-levels of questioning earned the highest average scores on formative evaluations and inquiry tasks. This indicates that regardless of the level of questions, the act of questioning itself is highly related to the academic achievement. However, in the case of advanced learning projects, the quality of questioning and high-level questioning affected the academic achievement of students. Based on these results, implications for the encouragement of learner questioning and support for asking high-level question are suggested.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.67 no.6
• /
• pp.441-461
• /
• 2023

This study explore characteristics of teaching orientation and pck of science teachers in online-offline mixed learning environment. Data consisted of open-ended survey, semi-structured interview, class observation, field notes from 12 science teachers. We categorized teaching orientation considering both science education goals and science teaching·learning orientation. There were 8 different teaching orientations such as 'understanding science concepts-lecture centered' 'constructing science concepts-inquiry based' 'applying science concepts and inquiry-inquiry based' 'applying science concepts and inquiry-lectured centered' 'analyzing and judging science information-inquiry based' 'developing scientific attitude-inquiry based' 'developing scientific attitude-lecture centered' and 'developing perception of interrelationships among science, technology, and society-inquiry based'. Teachers with inquiry based teaching·learning orientation seemed to have knowledge of science curriculum specific to online learning environment for student inquiry. While teachers with 'understanding science concepts-lecture centered' teaching orientation appeared to have questioning strategy of checking student understanding and strategy of repeating a lecture, teachers with 'constructing science concepts-inquiry based' teaching orientation appeared to have knowledge of instructional strategies to perform online group activities targeting student construction of knowledge and to replace face-to-face group activities with virtual experiments and individual experiments. While teachers with 'understanding science concepts-lecture centered' teaching orientation did not show knowledge of student science learning, teachers with 'constructing science concepts-inquiry based' teaching orientation appeared to have knowledge of student difficulties in inquiry based learning.

• Journal of Engineering Education Research
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.3-14
• /
• 2013

The previously developed practical inquiry activity supporting tools, deduced from the design principles and implementation principles based on the study of precedent researches and theories, applicable to conceptual learning in engineering education were implemented to an on-line learning community, a web-based Windows application, to find out its effectiveness in actual classroom situation through experimental research. The On-line learning community includes the inquiry activity menu to implement learning procedure of inquiry based conceptual learning, the functions supporting the communication among participants, the information sharing function, the scheduling function of class and inquiry activity, the mentoring function, and the evaluation of on-line activities of learners. Experimental study were also conducted in order to analyze the effects of inquiry activity supporting tools on inquiry based conceptual learning in engineering education.

• Educational Technology International
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.229-251
• /
• 2016

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between middle school students' smart media competency and online learning outcomes. The context of this study was on online inquiry-based mathematics and science learning environment, and four-hundred and fifty-five (455) 7^th to 9^th grade students in Korea participated in this research. To assess students' smart device competency, Smart Media Literacy Quotient (SMLQ) which consisted of 18 items regarding the operation ability of smart media and its application (14 items) and positive beliefs of smart media (4 items) was administered to each student. The findings of this study first showed that students' smart media literacy varied according to their characteristics such as gender, grade, class (subject), and socio-economic status. Female students' scores were higher in overall smart media literacy operation and learning ability of smart media than male students. 7^th grade middle school students represented lower smart media literacy scores, compared to 8^th and 9^th graders. Also, minority students were significantly lower in smart media literacy, operation and learning ability of smart media, and positive belief of smart media than the non-minority students. Second, overall smart media literacy and operation and learning ability of smart media varied among high, medium, and low score achievers in inquiry tasks. Low scored students in inquiry tasks were significantly lower in overall smart media literacy and operation and learning ability of smart media than medium scored students. Lastly, smart media literacy also varied by students' dropout/completion. Students who dropped out reported significantly lower scores in overall smart media literacy, operation and learning ability of smart media, and positive belief of smart media.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.857-879
• /
• 2015

This study investigated the relationships among middle school students' perceptions on the roles of online tutor, their deep learning, achievement, and overall evaluation of learning experiences in the context of inquiry based online gifted mathematics and science learning. For this purpose, 249 middle school students who took online course were surveyed about their perceptions on the degree to which their tutor performed the roles as an online tutor. The students were also asked about the activities which indicate deep learning approaches and overall course experiences such as the level of satisfaction, understanding and engagement in the course. The regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships of students' perceptions on the roles of online tutor, deep learning, achievement, and overall course experiences. The results first showed that the roles of online tutor which affects students' deep learning approach such as high-order learning, integrative learning, reflective learning were the role as a subject matter and evaluation expert. Among the sub variables of deep learning approach the variable that was related to students' overall achievement was the use of high-order learning strategy. Second, the achievement in inquiry task was related to the role of tutor as a guide of learning process and method. Third, students' overall course evaluations such as the level of satisfaction, understanding and engagement were not related to any role of tutor.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.460-479
• /
• 2021

The crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant changes in education systems worldwide, including in Korea. Due to COVID-19's social distancing policies, the education system was suddenly switched to distance learning, resulting in many problems in primary schools without preparation. The purpose of this study was to investigate a teacher's awareness of science education techniques, responses to issues in science classes, including inquiry activities, advantages and disadvantages, and roles after experiencing distance learning. Survey and focus interviews were conducted for primary school teachers who had previously participated in distance learning, such as online content classes and real-time interactive classes. The study findings showed three conclusions: 1) Primary school teachers conducted one-way and interactive lectures in online classes. It is vital to improve a teacher's digital literacy to improve other teaching methods such as investigation and discussion in online classes. 2) Primary school teachers acknowledged the challenges of field feedback, inquiry item preparations, and safety in inquiry activities of science classes, by providing individual experimental packages and videos and using online discussion and feedback among teacher - student and student - student interactions. 3) Primary school teachers recognized that various types of classes using IT devices and individualized learning were possible as advantages of distance learning. As for disadvantages, it was acknowledged that inquiry activities, cooperative learning, immediate feedback, and interaction among students were challenging. Furthermore, learning gaps were wider in distance learning.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.177-184
• /
• 2022

This article aims to explain the concept and characteristics of the 'Intelligent Science Lab', which is being promoted nationwide in Korea since 2021. The Korean Ministry of Education creates a master plan containing a vision for science education every five years. The most recently announced '4th Master plan for science education (2020-2024)' emphasizes the policy of setting up an 'intelligent science lab' in all elementary and secondary schools as an online and offline space for scientific inquiry using advanced technologies, such as Internet of Things and Augmented and Virtual Reality. The 'Intelligent Science Lab' project is being pursued in two main directions: (1) developing an online platform named 'Intelligent Science Lab-ON' that supports science inquiry classes, and (2) building a science lab space in schools that encourages active student participation while utilizing the online platform. This article presents the key features of the 'Intelligent Science Lab-ON' and the characteristics of intelligent science lab spaces newly built in schools. Furthermore, it introduces inquiry-based science learning programs developed for intelligent science labs. These programs include scientific inquiry activities in which students generate and collect data ('data generation' type), utilize datasets provided by the online platform ('data utilization' type), or utilize open and public data sources ('open data source' type). The Intelligent Science Lab project is expected to not only encourage students to engage in scientific inquiry that solves individual and social problems based on real data, but also contribute to presenting a model of online and offline linked scientific inquiry lessons required in the post-COVID-19 era.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.8 no.12
• /
• pp.457-464
• /
• 2008

This study is to design, develope, and deploy of e-learning inquiry based content in elementary science class. First, this study analyzed related literature review, case studies, and inquiry based class models for seeking better applicable design and development modes. From focus group meeting, experts discussed the inquiry content design ideas for elementary students for science class. This study finally established its own inquiry design mode for online science class with the flow of understanding of problem, sep up hypothesis, problem solving, and solution analysis. The developed content was deployed in real classroom setting to see how students received the contents and how well they processed the learning activities. We found that inquiry based online content, especially when applied to science subject, can be effective in students interests and their motivations. We also observed that there were a few managerial errors such as detailed lesson guidance and tutor support for students activities. This study concluded that inquiry based online contents should be designed considering students interests based on learning subjects and also developed in terms of students interests and strong motivation as well. We suggest that related research should be expanded toward to other subject than science and various students age groups.