Current and future Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) students m... more Current and future Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) students must grapple with one of the most pressing scientific issues of the century: climate change. Teaching about climate change with our youngest learners requires preparation, and planting roots to foster growth, innovation, and sustainability. Building a community garden with elementary students is a way to act towards climate justice as it reminds us about how all living things are part of an interconnected system. This article describes a fifthgrade climate change action project that was part of a unit that aligns with the state science standards and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), focused on how science learning can be used to protect the Earth's resources and local environments. The anchoring phenomenon and lessons of the unit highlighted the annual migration of the monarch butterflies, a local endangered species and phenomenon. By planting milkweed in the garden, students learned about migration, life cycles, greenhouse gases, and the survival of monarch butterflies. This article provides educators with ideas and practical suggestions for building a garden and an overview of how the project can be implemented within a school community.
International journal of science education, May 21, 2024
Having a negative attitude toward science plays a major factor in elementary teachers avoiding te... more Having a negative attitude toward science plays a major factor in elementary teachers avoiding teaching science in elementary school. This mixed methods study examined changes in pre-service elementary teachers' (PSETs) attitudes toward teaching science. PSETs (n=59) engaged in a semester-long university course in the Southeastern United States. The course focused on demonstrating and applying knowledge of scientific concepts and inquiry-based teaching. PSETs took a Dimension of Attitudes toward Science (DAS) questionnaire before and after the course. Six of the PSETs were interviewed in a focus group and asked how the course impacted their attitudes toward science. Data were analysed quantitatively through frequency of responses and mean values. Qualitative analysis was done through concurrent triangulation design analysis of focus group interviews and survey responses. Results show that PSETs had more positive attitudes toward science in feelings attached to teaching science and their confidence in teaching science. Follow-up focus group interviews indicated that some of the PSETs highlighted verbal persuasion, the Cognitive Pedagogical Mastery (CPM) experience of engaging in hands-on activities, and the Cognitive Content Mastery (CCM) experience of using learning technologies as factors in positive changes in self-efficacy and feelings toward teaching science. Implications for PSETs methods courses are discussed .
Current and future Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) students m... more Current and future Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) students must grapple with one of the most pressing scientific issues of the century: climate change. Teaching about climate change with our youngest learners requires preparation, and planting roots to foster growth, innovation, and sustainability. Building a community garden with elementary students is a way to act towards climate justice as it reminds us about how all living things are part of an interconnected system. This article describes a fifthgrade climate change action project that was part of a unit that aligns with the state science standards and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), focused on how science learning can be used to protect the Earth's resources and local environments. The anchoring phenomenon and lessons of the unit highlighted the annual migration of the monarch butterflies, a local endangered species and phenomenon. By planting milkweed in the garden, students learned about migration, life cycles, greenhouse gases, and the survival of monarch butterflies. This article provides educators with ideas and practical suggestions for building a garden and an overview of how the project can be implemented within a school community.
Having a negative attitude toward science plays a major factor in elementary teachers avoiding te... more Having a negative attitude toward science plays a major factor in elementary teachers avoiding teaching science in elementary school. This mixed methods study examined changes in pre-service elementary teachers' (PSETs) attitudes toward teaching science. PSETs (n=59) engaged in a semester-long university course in the Southeastern United States. The course focused on demonstrating and applying knowledge of scientific concepts and inquiry-based teaching. PSETs took a Dimension of Attitudes toward Science (DAS) questionnaire before and after the course. Six of the PSETs were interviewed in a focus group and asked how the course impacted their attitudes toward science. Data were analysed quantitatively through frequency of responses and mean values. Qualitative analysis was done through concurrent triangulation design analysis of focus group interviews and survey responses. Results show that PSETs had more positive attitudes toward science in feelings attached to teaching science and their confidence in teaching science. Follow-up focus group interviews indicated that some of the PSETs highlighted verbal persuasion, the Cognitive Pedagogical Mastery (CPM) experience of engaging in hands-on activities, and the Cognitive Content Mastery (CCM) experience of using learning technologies as factors in positive changes in self-efficacy and feelings toward teaching science. Implications for PSETs methods courses are discussed .
Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design, 2017
Wearable technologies represent a rapidly expanding category of consumer information and communic... more Wearable technologies represent a rapidly expanding category of consumer information and communications technologies. From smartwatches to activity tracking devices, wearables are finding their way into many aspects of our lives, changing the way we think about ourselves and the world around us. The rapid adoption of these tools in everyday life hints at the possibilities these devices may hold in school and other educational settings. Drawing on examples taken from a five-year study using wearable fitness tracking devices in elementary and middle school classrooms, this paper presents two examples of how wearable devices can be appropriated for use in school settings. These examples focus on instances where students turned activity trackers into objects of inquiry using data from familiar activities.
While many studies have investigated the relationship between teachers’ identity work and develop... more While many studies have investigated the relationship between teachers’ identity work and developing practice, few have examined teacher candidates’ developing practice through a storied identity lens. Drawing upon narrative inquiry methodology and a storied identity analytic framework, I examined how the storied identities of learning science, choosing to become a science teacher, and becoming a science teacher shaped teacher candidates’ learning to teach. In particular, I examined the stories of two interns by focusing on their experiences as science learners, and transitions to becoming science teachers. Also, I examined the influence and implications of their identity on their instructional practice while learning to teach. This study suggests that a storied identity lens can provide a better understanding of the different practices that teachers enact under the same teaching context. The results have implications for teacher education programs to consider providing more opportunities for beginning teachers to tell their stories of science learning and learning to teach, and to be aware of how the social cultural context plays a role in shaping teachers’ practice.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity has become a popular lens in sc... more Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity has become a popular lens in science education research. However, few studies have looked at how using the interpersonal, structural, cultural, and disciplinary domains of power sheds light on how women
Genetics has become increasingly important in everyday life, a fact that is reflected in state an... more Genetics has become increasingly important in everyday life, a fact that is reflected in state and national science education standards. This study examines the relationship between 474 fifth graders' understandings of the core ideas of inheritance of traits and variation of traits. A confirmatory factor analysis, supplemented with qualitative analyses of students' responses, revealed a relationship between these concepts and contributed evidence about the nature of students' challenges in learning these ideas. While most students demonstrated some normative ideas, many struggled to explain variation of traits as resulting from equal inheritance of genetic information from two parents. Instead, they focused on generational patterns of visible traits or on the influence of nongenetic factors. Deepening understanding of young students' heredity-related thinking can improve preparation of older students for learning advanced genetics-related ideas.
ABSTRACT Although extensive research has shown the important educational value of technology-enha... more ABSTRACT Although extensive research has shown the important educational value of technology-enhanced online units on students’ science learning, few studies have looked at upper elementary students' knowledge integration in a web-based inquiry science environment (WISE). This case study investigates how upper-elementary students responded to an online prompt, in an embedded assessment tool, to construct a scientific explanation around the variation of traits in their class and how a teacher provided feedback to encourage student discourse. Our findings show that students were able to identify which traits were more common in their class; however, they struggled with making a connection between variation of traits and inheritance of traits when analyzing data from their pie chart. Additionally, we show that an upper-elementary teacher used an embedded assessment tool to scaffold the iterative process of learning and feedback that occurs in an online platform that leverages learning technologies by engaging in high-level discourse moves. We suggest that teachers’ use of embedded assessments in a technology-enhanced environment can encourage student self-reflection and support teachers in making evidence-based instructional decisions as well as provide immediate feedback along the way, which is a key support when students are not participating in traditional face-to-face classroom environments.
We examined the sophistication of middle school students’ mechanistic explanations of genetics ph... more We examined the sophistication of middle school students’ mechanistic explanations of genetics phenomena and how they interact with a technology-based explanation tool as they articulate and organize their ideas about the phenomena. We coordinated curriculum and assessment design frameworks to develop a middle school curriculum unit that engages middle school students in the interrelated science practices of using models and constructing scientific explanations of the trait expression mechanism in rice plants. In order to more clearly distinguish between groups of students, specifically partial mechanistic and mechanistic explainers, we conducted a design-based research study that examines the relationships among the explanation tool’s design, how students use the tool, and the sophistication of their scientific explanations. This study, using a refined version of the curriculum unit and explanation tool, revealed significant differences between partial mechanistic and mechanistic explainers in their use of the explanation tool. The findings inform the design of technology-based scaffolds for scientific modeling and explanation and design principles for gathering formative evidence of students’ proficiency with these practices.
“It is what it is”: Using Storied-Identity and intersectionality lenses to understand the trajectory of a young Black woman's science and math identities, 2022
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity has become a popular lens in sc... more Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity has become a popular lens in science education research. However, few studies have looked at how using the interpersonal, structural, cultural, and disciplinary domains of power sheds light on how women
In this chapter, the authors cover the importance and challenges of incorporating teaching for so... more In this chapter, the authors cover the importance and challenges of incorporating teaching for social justice in science teacher education courses. The chapter starts by providing an overview of the literature on social justice, specifically in science education, and define the terms social justice, equity, and diversity. Then, the authors, who are teacher educators from under-represented groups, share their own experiences about what led them to do social justice work. In addition, the authors present examples from their courses with their preservice teachers and instructional strategies they used. The chapter concludes with recommendations of ways in which we might consider implementing social justice practices in teacher preparation courses.
Genetics is an increasingly important topic in today’s society, yet continues to be an ongoing ch... more Genetics is an increasingly important topic in today’s society, yet continues to be an ongoing challenge to the science education community and an important aspect of school student learning. This chapter examines how STEMGenetics, an inquiry-based technology-enhanced online unit, engages upper elementary students in building a better understanding of the concepts of inheritance of traits, variation of traits, and the life cycle of plants. Using pre/post measures, supplemented with qualitative analyses of students’ responses, the authors show how upper elementary students’ understanding of inheritance and variation of traits, as well as the life cycle of plants, resulted in greater learning gains. In addition, engaging in learning technologies, such as dynamic visualizations, provided the students opportunities to interact with the scientific phenomena and enhanced their reasoning about inheritance of traits and its relationship to the life cycle of plants. Learning About Genetics i...
While many studies have investigated the relationship between teachers' identity work and develop... more While many studies have investigated the relationship between teachers' identity work and developing practice, few have examined teacher candidates' developing practice through a storied identity lens. Drawing upon narrative inquiry methodology and a storied identity analytic framework, I examined how the storied identities of learning science, choosing to become a science teacher, and becoming a science teacher shaped teacher candidates' learning to teach. In particular, I examined the stories of two interns by focusing on their experiences as science learners, and transitions to becoming science teachers. Also, I examined the influence and implications of their identity on their instructional practice while learning to teach. This study suggests that a storied identity lens can provide a better understanding of the different practices that teachers enact under the same teaching context. The results have implications for teacher education programs to consider providing more opportunities for beginning teachers to tell their stories of science learning and learning to teach, and to be aware of how the social cultural context plays a role in shaping teachers' practice.
Although extensive research has shown the important educational
value of technology-enhanced onli... more Although extensive research has shown the important educational value of technology-enhanced online units on students’ science learning, few studies have looked at upper elementary students’ knowledge integration in a web-based inquiry science environment (WISE). This case study investigates how upperelementary students responded to an online prompt, in an embedded assessment tool, to construct a scientific explanation around the variation of traits in their class and how a teacher provided feedback to encourage student discourse. Our findings show that students were able to identify which traits were more common in their class; however, they struggled with making a connection between variation of traits and inheritance of traits when analyzing data from their pie chart. Additionally, we show that an upper-elementary teacher used an embedded assessment tool to scaffold the iterative process of learning and feedback that occurs in an online platform that leverages learning technologies by engaging in high-level discourse moves. We suggest that teachers’ use of embedded assessments in a technology-enhanced environment can encourage student selfreflection and support teachers in making evidence-based instructional decisions as well as provide immediate feedback along the way, which is a key support when students are not participating in traditional face-to-face classroom environments.
Current and future Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) students m... more Current and future Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) students must grapple with one of the most pressing scientific issues of the century: climate change. Teaching about climate change with our youngest learners requires preparation, and planting roots to foster growth, innovation, and sustainability. Building a community garden with elementary students is a way to act towards climate justice as it reminds us about how all living things are part of an interconnected system. This article describes a fifthgrade climate change action project that was part of a unit that aligns with the state science standards and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), focused on how science learning can be used to protect the Earth's resources and local environments. The anchoring phenomenon and lessons of the unit highlighted the annual migration of the monarch butterflies, a local endangered species and phenomenon. By planting milkweed in the garden, students learned about migration, life cycles, greenhouse gases, and the survival of monarch butterflies. This article provides educators with ideas and practical suggestions for building a garden and an overview of how the project can be implemented within a school community.
International journal of science education, May 21, 2024
Having a negative attitude toward science plays a major factor in elementary teachers avoiding te... more Having a negative attitude toward science plays a major factor in elementary teachers avoiding teaching science in elementary school. This mixed methods study examined changes in pre-service elementary teachers' (PSETs) attitudes toward teaching science. PSETs (n=59) engaged in a semester-long university course in the Southeastern United States. The course focused on demonstrating and applying knowledge of scientific concepts and inquiry-based teaching. PSETs took a Dimension of Attitudes toward Science (DAS) questionnaire before and after the course. Six of the PSETs were interviewed in a focus group and asked how the course impacted their attitudes toward science. Data were analysed quantitatively through frequency of responses and mean values. Qualitative analysis was done through concurrent triangulation design analysis of focus group interviews and survey responses. Results show that PSETs had more positive attitudes toward science in feelings attached to teaching science and their confidence in teaching science. Follow-up focus group interviews indicated that some of the PSETs highlighted verbal persuasion, the Cognitive Pedagogical Mastery (CPM) experience of engaging in hands-on activities, and the Cognitive Content Mastery (CCM) experience of using learning technologies as factors in positive changes in self-efficacy and feelings toward teaching science. Implications for PSETs methods courses are discussed .
Current and future Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) students m... more Current and future Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) students must grapple with one of the most pressing scientific issues of the century: climate change. Teaching about climate change with our youngest learners requires preparation, and planting roots to foster growth, innovation, and sustainability. Building a community garden with elementary students is a way to act towards climate justice as it reminds us about how all living things are part of an interconnected system. This article describes a fifthgrade climate change action project that was part of a unit that aligns with the state science standards and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), focused on how science learning can be used to protect the Earth's resources and local environments. The anchoring phenomenon and lessons of the unit highlighted the annual migration of the monarch butterflies, a local endangered species and phenomenon. By planting milkweed in the garden, students learned about migration, life cycles, greenhouse gases, and the survival of monarch butterflies. This article provides educators with ideas and practical suggestions for building a garden and an overview of how the project can be implemented within a school community.
Having a negative attitude toward science plays a major factor in elementary teachers avoiding te... more Having a negative attitude toward science plays a major factor in elementary teachers avoiding teaching science in elementary school. This mixed methods study examined changes in pre-service elementary teachers' (PSETs) attitudes toward teaching science. PSETs (n=59) engaged in a semester-long university course in the Southeastern United States. The course focused on demonstrating and applying knowledge of scientific concepts and inquiry-based teaching. PSETs took a Dimension of Attitudes toward Science (DAS) questionnaire before and after the course. Six of the PSETs were interviewed in a focus group and asked how the course impacted their attitudes toward science. Data were analysed quantitatively through frequency of responses and mean values. Qualitative analysis was done through concurrent triangulation design analysis of focus group interviews and survey responses. Results show that PSETs had more positive attitudes toward science in feelings attached to teaching science and their confidence in teaching science. Follow-up focus group interviews indicated that some of the PSETs highlighted verbal persuasion, the Cognitive Pedagogical Mastery (CPM) experience of engaging in hands-on activities, and the Cognitive Content Mastery (CCM) experience of using learning technologies as factors in positive changes in self-efficacy and feelings toward teaching science. Implications for PSETs methods courses are discussed .
Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design, 2017
Wearable technologies represent a rapidly expanding category of consumer information and communic... more Wearable technologies represent a rapidly expanding category of consumer information and communications technologies. From smartwatches to activity tracking devices, wearables are finding their way into many aspects of our lives, changing the way we think about ourselves and the world around us. The rapid adoption of these tools in everyday life hints at the possibilities these devices may hold in school and other educational settings. Drawing on examples taken from a five-year study using wearable fitness tracking devices in elementary and middle school classrooms, this paper presents two examples of how wearable devices can be appropriated for use in school settings. These examples focus on instances where students turned activity trackers into objects of inquiry using data from familiar activities.
While many studies have investigated the relationship between teachers’ identity work and develop... more While many studies have investigated the relationship between teachers’ identity work and developing practice, few have examined teacher candidates’ developing practice through a storied identity lens. Drawing upon narrative inquiry methodology and a storied identity analytic framework, I examined how the storied identities of learning science, choosing to become a science teacher, and becoming a science teacher shaped teacher candidates’ learning to teach. In particular, I examined the stories of two interns by focusing on their experiences as science learners, and transitions to becoming science teachers. Also, I examined the influence and implications of their identity on their instructional practice while learning to teach. This study suggests that a storied identity lens can provide a better understanding of the different practices that teachers enact under the same teaching context. The results have implications for teacher education programs to consider providing more opportunities for beginning teachers to tell their stories of science learning and learning to teach, and to be aware of how the social cultural context plays a role in shaping teachers’ practice.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity has become a popular lens in sc... more Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity has become a popular lens in science education research. However, few studies have looked at how using the interpersonal, structural, cultural, and disciplinary domains of power sheds light on how women
Genetics has become increasingly important in everyday life, a fact that is reflected in state an... more Genetics has become increasingly important in everyday life, a fact that is reflected in state and national science education standards. This study examines the relationship between 474 fifth graders' understandings of the core ideas of inheritance of traits and variation of traits. A confirmatory factor analysis, supplemented with qualitative analyses of students' responses, revealed a relationship between these concepts and contributed evidence about the nature of students' challenges in learning these ideas. While most students demonstrated some normative ideas, many struggled to explain variation of traits as resulting from equal inheritance of genetic information from two parents. Instead, they focused on generational patterns of visible traits or on the influence of nongenetic factors. Deepening understanding of young students' heredity-related thinking can improve preparation of older students for learning advanced genetics-related ideas.
ABSTRACT Although extensive research has shown the important educational value of technology-enha... more ABSTRACT Although extensive research has shown the important educational value of technology-enhanced online units on students’ science learning, few studies have looked at upper elementary students' knowledge integration in a web-based inquiry science environment (WISE). This case study investigates how upper-elementary students responded to an online prompt, in an embedded assessment tool, to construct a scientific explanation around the variation of traits in their class and how a teacher provided feedback to encourage student discourse. Our findings show that students were able to identify which traits were more common in their class; however, they struggled with making a connection between variation of traits and inheritance of traits when analyzing data from their pie chart. Additionally, we show that an upper-elementary teacher used an embedded assessment tool to scaffold the iterative process of learning and feedback that occurs in an online platform that leverages learning technologies by engaging in high-level discourse moves. We suggest that teachers’ use of embedded assessments in a technology-enhanced environment can encourage student self-reflection and support teachers in making evidence-based instructional decisions as well as provide immediate feedback along the way, which is a key support when students are not participating in traditional face-to-face classroom environments.
We examined the sophistication of middle school students’ mechanistic explanations of genetics ph... more We examined the sophistication of middle school students’ mechanistic explanations of genetics phenomena and how they interact with a technology-based explanation tool as they articulate and organize their ideas about the phenomena. We coordinated curriculum and assessment design frameworks to develop a middle school curriculum unit that engages middle school students in the interrelated science practices of using models and constructing scientific explanations of the trait expression mechanism in rice plants. In order to more clearly distinguish between groups of students, specifically partial mechanistic and mechanistic explainers, we conducted a design-based research study that examines the relationships among the explanation tool’s design, how students use the tool, and the sophistication of their scientific explanations. This study, using a refined version of the curriculum unit and explanation tool, revealed significant differences between partial mechanistic and mechanistic explainers in their use of the explanation tool. The findings inform the design of technology-based scaffolds for scientific modeling and explanation and design principles for gathering formative evidence of students’ proficiency with these practices.
“It is what it is”: Using Storied-Identity and intersectionality lenses to understand the trajectory of a young Black woman's science and math identities, 2022
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity has become a popular lens in sc... more Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity has become a popular lens in science education research. However, few studies have looked at how using the interpersonal, structural, cultural, and disciplinary domains of power sheds light on how women
In this chapter, the authors cover the importance and challenges of incorporating teaching for so... more In this chapter, the authors cover the importance and challenges of incorporating teaching for social justice in science teacher education courses. The chapter starts by providing an overview of the literature on social justice, specifically in science education, and define the terms social justice, equity, and diversity. Then, the authors, who are teacher educators from under-represented groups, share their own experiences about what led them to do social justice work. In addition, the authors present examples from their courses with their preservice teachers and instructional strategies they used. The chapter concludes with recommendations of ways in which we might consider implementing social justice practices in teacher preparation courses.
Genetics is an increasingly important topic in today’s society, yet continues to be an ongoing ch... more Genetics is an increasingly important topic in today’s society, yet continues to be an ongoing challenge to the science education community and an important aspect of school student learning. This chapter examines how STEMGenetics, an inquiry-based technology-enhanced online unit, engages upper elementary students in building a better understanding of the concepts of inheritance of traits, variation of traits, and the life cycle of plants. Using pre/post measures, supplemented with qualitative analyses of students’ responses, the authors show how upper elementary students’ understanding of inheritance and variation of traits, as well as the life cycle of plants, resulted in greater learning gains. In addition, engaging in learning technologies, such as dynamic visualizations, provided the students opportunities to interact with the scientific phenomena and enhanced their reasoning about inheritance of traits and its relationship to the life cycle of plants. Learning About Genetics i...
While many studies have investigated the relationship between teachers' identity work and develop... more While many studies have investigated the relationship between teachers' identity work and developing practice, few have examined teacher candidates' developing practice through a storied identity lens. Drawing upon narrative inquiry methodology and a storied identity analytic framework, I examined how the storied identities of learning science, choosing to become a science teacher, and becoming a science teacher shaped teacher candidates' learning to teach. In particular, I examined the stories of two interns by focusing on their experiences as science learners, and transitions to becoming science teachers. Also, I examined the influence and implications of their identity on their instructional practice while learning to teach. This study suggests that a storied identity lens can provide a better understanding of the different practices that teachers enact under the same teaching context. The results have implications for teacher education programs to consider providing more opportunities for beginning teachers to tell their stories of science learning and learning to teach, and to be aware of how the social cultural context plays a role in shaping teachers' practice.
Although extensive research has shown the important educational
value of technology-enhanced onli... more Although extensive research has shown the important educational value of technology-enhanced online units on students’ science learning, few studies have looked at upper elementary students’ knowledge integration in a web-based inquiry science environment (WISE). This case study investigates how upperelementary students responded to an online prompt, in an embedded assessment tool, to construct a scientific explanation around the variation of traits in their class and how a teacher provided feedback to encourage student discourse. Our findings show that students were able to identify which traits were more common in their class; however, they struggled with making a connection between variation of traits and inheritance of traits when analyzing data from their pie chart. Additionally, we show that an upper-elementary teacher used an embedded assessment tool to scaffold the iterative process of learning and feedback that occurs in an online platform that leverages learning technologies by engaging in high-level discourse moves. We suggest that teachers’ use of embedded assessments in a technology-enhanced environment can encourage student selfreflection and support teachers in making evidence-based instructional decisions as well as provide immediate feedback along the way, which is a key support when students are not participating in traditional face-to-face classroom environments.
Uploads
Papers by Amal Ibourk
value of technology-enhanced online units on students’ science
learning, few studies have looked at upper elementary students’
knowledge integration in a web-based inquiry science
environment (WISE). This case study investigates how upperelementary
students responded to an online prompt, in an
embedded assessment tool, to construct a scientific explanation
around the variation of traits in their class and how a teacher
provided feedback to encourage student discourse. Our findings
show that students were able to identify which traits were more
common in their class; however, they struggled with making a
connection between variation of traits and inheritance of traits
when analyzing data from their pie chart. Additionally, we show
that an upper-elementary teacher used an embedded assessment
tool to scaffold the iterative process of learning and feedback
that occurs in an online platform that leverages learning
technologies by engaging in high-level discourse moves. We
suggest that teachers’ use of embedded assessments in a
technology-enhanced environment can encourage student selfreflection
and support teachers in making evidence-based
instructional decisions as well as provide immediate feedback
along the way, which is a key support when students are not
participating in traditional face-to-face classroom environments.
value of technology-enhanced online units on students’ science
learning, few studies have looked at upper elementary students’
knowledge integration in a web-based inquiry science
environment (WISE). This case study investigates how upperelementary
students responded to an online prompt, in an
embedded assessment tool, to construct a scientific explanation
around the variation of traits in their class and how a teacher
provided feedback to encourage student discourse. Our findings
show that students were able to identify which traits were more
common in their class; however, they struggled with making a
connection between variation of traits and inheritance of traits
when analyzing data from their pie chart. Additionally, we show
that an upper-elementary teacher used an embedded assessment
tool to scaffold the iterative process of learning and feedback
that occurs in an online platform that leverages learning
technologies by engaging in high-level discourse moves. We
suggest that teachers’ use of embedded assessments in a
technology-enhanced environment can encourage student selfreflection
and support teachers in making evidence-based
instructional decisions as well as provide immediate feedback
along the way, which is a key support when students are not
participating in traditional face-to-face classroom environments.