iScience: a computer-supported collaborative inquiry learning project for science students in secondary and tertiary science education.

Abstract

Pre-service teachers come to teacher education programs with a range of experiences and understandings about inquiry in Science. The iScience project aims to assist pre-service teachers develop their understanding of the issues and skills required to guide students through an open inquiry process. In addition, the project provides opportunities for pre-service teachers at the beginning of their teacher training to develop their skills in mentoring high school science students in an open-ended inquiry process. Wikis were used to support the interactions among the pre-service teachers and school students from several different geographical locations to enable collaboration on an open inquiry project. The impact of the project on the pre-service teachers’ understanding of how to teach science by inquiry will be discussed.