WISE Science: Web-Based Inquiry in the Classroom (Technology, Education--Connections)

This book shares the lessons learned by a large community of educational researchers and science teachers as they designed, developed, and investigated a new technology-enhanced learning environment known as WISE: The Web-Based Inquiry Science Environment. WISE offers a collection of free, customizable curriculum projects on topics central to the science standards as well as guidance for teachers on how these Internet-based projects can be used to improve learning and instruction in their science classrooms (grades 6–12). Hundreds of teachers and over 100,000 students have learned from WISE projects taught in English, Norwegian, Dutch, German, Hebrew, Chinese, and Korean. Highlights of WISE include:

• A wealth of findings about the WISE curriculum and assessments from 10 years of research funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
• A collection of classroom-tested, inquiry-based curriculum projects that are available to every classroom via the Internet, free of charge.
• An accumulation of successful practices, patterns, and principles to guide classroom teachers and curriculum designers.
• Effective models of professional development and school partnerships that support teachers in integrating inquiry-based methods in their own curriculum.
• Key strategies and recommendations for policymakers.

James D. Slotta is an associate professor of education in the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at The University of Toronto, where he holds the Canada Research Chair in education and technology. Marcia C. Linn is professor of development and cognition, specializing in education in mathematics, science, and technology in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley.