Improving science literacy with hypermedia Essay

Methods Learning Design Architecture The four cornerstones of this Science learning and teaching design are goal-based and constructivist learning, simulation, computer-based creative learning environment, computer-based creative assessment, as well as the traditional lectures and tutorials. In the present research, the Discovery Channel â€Å"Pompeii: The Last Day† site was used as the hypermedia environment for investigating the science topic of Plate Tectonic Theory, first, and the impact of natural processes on human history (Pompeii), second. A few words need to be said about the structure of this hypermedia resource and its value for the current research. It is organized as the complex system of thematic hypermedia audio/video-packages accompanied by informational texts in written form. The structure of the site appears to be complex, so far as on the macrolevel it consists of the hypermedia sections: â€Å"What Happened Here? ,† the â€Å"Virtual Volcano† simulation, Pompeii Quiz, and Eruption Videos. Each macrounit, meanwhile, is designed as another macroentity. For example, the section â€Å"What Happened Here? † provides learners with different types of information on the theme of volcanic activity having erased ancient cities from the earth surface. The â€Å"Step Back in Time† slide-show is organized as a series (7 parts or pages) of the typed texts (â€Å"The Long, Deathly Silence,† â€Å"Herculaneum,† â€Å"Two Days in August,† â€Å"The Story of Lupercus,† â€Å"Pompeii: Part I,† â€Å"Pompeii: Part II,† and â€Å"The Story of Caius Julius Polybius† by Rossella Lorenzi). The â€Å"Ongoing Excavations,† or â€Å"Ongoing Archaeology† slide-show comprising 6 parts or pages (â€Å"Uncovering Pompeii,† â€Å"Bringing the Oldest Pompeii to Light,† â€Å"A Unique Glimpse,† â€Å"Herculaneum’s Lost Papyri,† â€Å"Lost Plays of Sophocles,† and â€Å"Multi-Spectral Imaging†) is analogous in structure to the â€Å"Step Back in Time† macrounit. Besides, within the same â€Å"What Happened Here? † macrosection, there is a â€Å"Pompeii’s Eyewitness Account† web documentary. The students listen to the text and watch the video accounting for Pliny the Younger’s story about the ancient Pompeii devastation. Whereas the aforedescribed macrounit explores the issues of human history in relating to natural catastrophes, the other macrosections concentrate on Plate Tectonics theory and scientific description of volcanoes as natural pressure valves. Under the umbrella of Volcanology, there are the hypermedia macrounits â€Å"Virtual Volcano† and of â€Å"Eruption Video. † The section â€Å"Virtual Volcano† consists in its turn of the Overview and the â€Å"Virtual volcano† simulation sections. The theme of the section is â€Å"Tectonic Plates and Volcanoes. † The Overview dwells on the Earth’s tectonic structure, volcano types (three subsections) and structure. The information is presented through both visual and textual form (typed text). In the macrounits of â€Å"Global Perspective† and â€Å"Virtual volcano† a specific type of hypermedia – symbolic simulation or microworld – introduces students to the details of tectonic structure and volcanic activity. Simulation is â€Å"a computer-based simulation of a work or decision-making environment† as a system (Sauer, Wastell, & Hockey, 2000, p. 46, qtd. in Gredler, 2004, p. 577). Whereas a â€Å"Global Perspective† is a genuine symbolic simulation of Earth with delineated plate boundaries and active volcanoes, the â€Å"Virtual volcano† section is an experiential simulation. This is an alliance of hypermedia and video images â€Å"to create a virtual experience for students who are fulfilling roles as researchers† (ibid. ). The macrounit seems to be designed to improve students’ comprehension of the theme by projecting the concepts from short-term to long-term memory, training topical vocabulary and operating knowledge in the goal-based settings. Six informational video packages within the section of â€Å"Eruption Video† train audition as well as visual comprehension. It also broadens students’ vocabulary with useful terms and present visual information on useful concepts (e. g. pyroclastic flow, lava flow, underwater volcano, etc. ). The informational section â€Å"Volcano news† provides learners with interesting facts on ancient and modern volcanic activity (as well as other scientific facts; there are 13 news pieces, 2 of which are corrupted). The hypermedia assessment tool is given in the form of the Pompeii Quiz. This is an interactive multiple-choice test â€Å"Would you survive after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius?. † To accomplish the test, a student must use knowledge having been gained during the research of the site. The Discovery Channel â€Å"Pompeii: The Last Day† site seems to be a useful hypermedia environment for investigating the topics of Plate Tectonic Theory and its impact on human history. First, students pick up useful concepts related to several branches of science (tectonics, Volcanology, history, archeology, etc. ). Second, they learn important vocabulary on the topics in the flow of constructivist and creative learning process. Due to the fact that the hypermedia environment is used for achieving the learning goals, the body of information is presented through various media (typed text, oral speech, graphics, videoimages, photographs, simulations) and organized flexibly. A learner is free to step from one macrounit to another being led by his/her personal background and motivation, return to the sections which are of most interest for him/her essentially and train comprehension skills in the Quiz as many times as (s)he needs. Finally, it refines students’ ICT skills while they use the World Wide Web to reach the site and proceed from page to page. Instruments To evaluate the effect of the hypermedia learning environment on students’ comprehension of Science (Plate Tectonics, Volcanology, History, Archeology), the researcher investigated each of the four â€Å"Pompeii: The Last Day† sections for the most significant scientific concepts to be utilized by students in the learning process. The search was done by qualitative linguistic analysis of the informational texts. The concepts were grouped into three main sections: geographical names, personal names and scientific terms and concepts (see Table 1 for the list). The students were assumed to learn those terms in the constructivist educational process through the hypermedia tools to incorporate them into their evaluation assignments as the evidence for their improved science reading and visual comprehension. Second, an end-of the week questionnaire was administered to the eight-graders in the Science Hypermedia class to find out feedback on their learning experience from using the hypermedia learning environment including time spent on independent research in the hypermedia environment (â€Å"Pompeii: The Last Day†) (see Tables 3, 4 and Figure 1). Third, Power Point presentations were used as creative evaluation instrument to check the learning outcomes of students’ comprehension. All the students were trained to create computer-based presentations by the given program. In an effort to guide and improve the learning of science concepts in the realms of Geology, History and Archeology with eight-graders in the middle school, a week study of the Topic â€Å"Plate Tectonic Theory and the Impact of Volcanic Activity on Human History† was designed as an action research experiment. From the point of view of settings and partly qualitative assessment of the outcomes of research on specific stages (e. g. students’ feedbacks), this study may also be called a case study, since only one science topic was investigated in regard to students’ comprehension and motivation. Two classes of eight-graders relatively equal in achievements and learning potential were invited to participate in educational experiment. However, there was no internal sampling conducted within each of the classes. All the students participated voluntarily and for no reward in grades or other. The goals of the present research were clarified to all the participants (N = 40). The total number of participants (N = 40) was invited to study the topic of Plate Tectonics and its impact on human history through different learning resources. The students of experiment group (n = 20) studied the topic in the hypermedia environment (a school computer laboratory equipped with Windows-based microcomputers and, optionally, at home), whereas the other group of students (control group, n = 20) did not use any hypermedia resources learning solely from printed textbooks and handouts as well as teacher’s oral instructions. To comment, the student of the experiment group received small portions of a teacher’s instruction while researching the hypermedia context. They were also assisted by a teacher in proceeding from one structural part of the site to the other in order to investigate the topic on each other’s individual pace. However, the general framework of scientific topic was introduced to a group of students. Thus, both group and individual types of instruction tool place in the research. One more thing to note, the studies in both the experiment and the control groups were conducted by one and the same teacher of a teaching style being familiar to the students from previous experience. After a week of studies, the students from both the groups designed Power Point presentations on the topic within the Hypermedia Evaluation Project in lieu of a formal examination. The assessment comprised: 45% on the subject comprehension (major concepts and direct conceptual links), 45% on utilizing Power Point hypermedia resources, and 10% on creativity. All the students (n = 40) were trained in using the Power Point program. Presentations were evaluated by three examiners. The point of degree between the evaluators was high (r = . 088).