Raeside, Luke and Busschots, Bart and Waddington, Shelagh B. and Keating, John (2008) An online image analysis tool for science education. Computers and Education, 50 (2). pp. 547-558. ISSN 0360-1315

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Abstract

This paper describes an online image analysis tool developed as part of an iterative, user-centered development of an online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called the Education through Virtual Experience (EVE) Portal. The VLE provides a Web portal through which schoolchildren and their teachers create scientific proposals, retrieve images and other resources, and produce collaborative scientific papers summarizing their learning experiences. The VLE underwent substantive formative testing involving over 200 schoolchildren producing over 50 collaboratively written research papers. Detailed analysis of these research papers identified some shortfalls toward the goal of producing authentic scientific engagement. The absence of data collection and data analysis within these research papers was disappointing despite having scheduled time for this activity and having several professional imaging tools available. The post-evaluation analyses have enabled the development team to identify specific design flaws in the previous VLE and have shaped the design of the new custom-built tool. The success of the tool will be born out through content analysis of future collaboratively written student papers.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Cooperative/collaborative learning; Interactive learning environments; Secondary education; Applications in subject areas;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Computer Science Faculty of Social Sciences > Geography
Item ID:	4167
Depositing User:	Shelagh Waddington
Date Deposited:	31 Jan 2013 15:03
Journal or Publication Title:	Computers and Education
Publisher:	Elsevier
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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