Perspectives for Research in Science Teaching: Using the Computer as Laboratory Partner

Marcia C. Linn

Research offers important suggestions concerning science curriculum design, and real-time data collection technology offers great opportunities. This paper discusses how recent increases in understanding the nature of the learner and the process of...

Can Research on Learning and Instruction Inform Standards for Science Education?

Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Science Education and Technology Vol. 3, No. 1 (1994) pp. 7–15

Compares current science education reform efforts with those of the 1960s to enhance student learning. Discusses how an "alternative models" view of scientific explanation can contribute to reforms of course goals, social aspects of science learning,...

Designing Computer Learning Environments for Engineering and Computer Science: The Scaffolded Knowledge Integration Framework

Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Science Education and Technology Vol. 4, No. 2 (1995) pp. 103–26

Describes a framework called scaffolded knowledge integration and illustrates how it guided the design of two successful course enhancements in the field of computer science and engineering: the LISP Knowledge Integration Environment and the spatial ...

Fostering Equitable Consequences from Computer Learning Environments

Marcia C. Linn

The article discusses two interrelated aspects of computer education: the computer's potential for developing cognitive skills and ways in which the differential participation of males and females in computer experiences may lead to inequitable...

Technology and Science Education: Starting Points, Research Programs, and Trends

Marcia C. Linn

International Journal of Science Education Vol. 25, No. 6 (2003) pp. 727–58

Explores technology in science education in five paths: (1) science texts and lectures; (2) science discussions and collaboration; (3) data collection and representation; (4) science visualization; and (5) science simulation and modeling. (Contains...

Cognitive Consequences of Microcomputer-Based Laboratories: Graphing Skills Development

Marcia C. Linn

Contemporary Educational Psychology Vol. 12, No. 3 (1987) pp. 244–53

Eighth grade physical science students studied graphing with a microcomputer as the lab partner in a microcomputer based laboratory. Graph templates were used to solve problems based on previous learning. It was concluded that the Computer as Lab...

Cognition and Distance Learning

Marcia C. Linn

Journal of the American Society for Information Science Vol. 47, No. 11 (1996) pp. 826–42

Discusses cognition and distance learning, reviews recent research on instruction to help designers create courses that transform passive students into autonomous learners, and describes the scaffold knowledge integration framework and uses it to...

Establishing a Research Base for Science Education: Challenges, Trends, and Recommendations

Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Research in Science Teaching Vol. 24, No. 3 (1987) pp. 191–216

Reports on the results of a conference of leaders in science education research held at the University of California, Berkeley, January 16-20, 1986. Describes the themes that emerged from the disucssions and makes four recommendations intended to...

Ideal and Actual Outcomes from Precollege Pascal Instruction

Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Research in Science Teaching Vol. 24, No. 5 (1987) pp. 467–90

Reports on a study that investigated the effects of various instructional practices on programming proficiency focusing on characteristics of Pascal classes. States that instructional practices involve extensive on-line access, explicit instruction, ...

How Can Hypermedia Tools Help Teach Programming?

Marcia C. Linn

Learning and Instruction Vol. 2, No. 2 (1992) pp. 119–39

The development and evaluation of a series of hypermedia tools designed to help students learn to program in PASCAL or LISP are described. Classroom trials with 171 college students illustrate use of the developed tools. The use of hypermedia to...

Gender Equity in Computer Learning Environments

Marcia C. Linn

Computers and the Social Sciences Vol. 1, No. 1 (1985) pp. 19–27

Characterizes gap between potential of computers in education and their performance in classrooms; documents differential participation of males and females in computer experiences and discusses contributory factors; describes two studies of how...

Combining Learning and Assessment to Improve Science Education

Marcia C. Linn; Jennifer Chiu

Research & Practice in Assessment Vol. 6 (2011) pp. 5–14

High-stakes tests take time away from valuable learning activities, narrow the focus of instruction, and imply that science involves memorizing details rather than understanding the natural world. Current tests lead precollege instructors to...

Creating Lifelong Science Learners: What Models Form a Firm Foundation?

Marcia C. Linn; Lawrence Muilenburg

Educational Researcher Vol. 25, No. 5 (1996) pp. 18–23

Discusses research on middle school science learning and instruction that suggests how generative models of scientific phenomena can be developed. The Computer as Learning Partner curriculum is introduced as a curriculum that provides a firm...

Why and How Do Middle School Students Exchange Ideas during Science Inquiry?

Camillia Matuk; Marcia C. Linn

International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Vol. 13, No. 3 (2018) pp. 263–299

Science is increasingly characterized by participation in knowledge communities. To meaningfully engage in science inquiry, students must be able to evaluate diverse sources of information, articulate informed ideas, and share ideas with peers. This ...

Collaborating with WISE Scientists

Michelle Williams; Marcia C. Linn

Science and Children Vol. 41, No. 1 (September 2003) pp. 31–35

Through an interactive partnership, fifth-grade students collected data on plants and joined an active scientific community of working scientists. This Web-based Integrated Science Environment (WISE) project involved asking questions about plants,...

Evaluations of Science Laboratory Data: The Role of Computer-Presented Information

Rafi Nachmias; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Research in Science Teaching Vol. 24, No. 5 (1987) pp. 491–506

Examines (1) how students evaluate information obtained in the science laboratory; (2) the effects of use of microcomputer-based laboratory; and, (3) the effects of explicit instruction on critical evaluation skills. Discusses results in terms of...

Using Interactive Technology to Support Students' Understanding of the Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

Keisha Varma; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Science Education and Technology Vol. 21, No. 4 (August 2012) pp. 453–464

In this work, we examine middle school students' understanding of the greenhouse effect and global warming. We designed and refined a technology-enhanced curriculum module called "Global Warming: Virtual Earth". In the module activities, students...

Cognitive Consequences of Programming: Augmentations to Basic Instruction

John Dalbey; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Educational Computing Research Vol. 2, No. 1 (1986) pp. 75–93

Describes a study of junior high students which investigated academic achievement and higher cognitive skill development outcomes of a computer programming course in which two augmentations to traditional BASIC instruction were compared. A model for ...

Designing Effective Visualizations for Elementary School Science

Yael Kali; Marcia C. Linn

Elementary School Journal Vol. 109, No. 2 (November 2008) pp. 181–198

Research has shown that technology-enhanced visualizations can improve inquiry learning in science when they are designed to support knowledge integration. Visualizations play an especially important role in supporting science learning at elementary ...

Designing and Validating Assessments of Complex Thinking in Science

Kihyun Ryoo; Marcia C. Linn

Theory Into Practice Vol. 54, No. 3 (2015) pp. 238–254

Typical assessment systems often measure isolated ideas rather than the coherent understanding valued in current science classrooms. Such assessments may motivate students to memorize, rather than to use new ideas to solve complex problems. To meet...

Can Dynamic Visualizations Improve Middle School Students' Understanding of Energy in Photosynthesis?

Kihyun Ryoo; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Research in Science Teaching Vol. 49, No. 2 (February 2012) pp. 218–243

Dynamic visualizations have the potential to make abstract scientific phenomena more accessible and visible to students, but they can also be confusing and difficult to comprehend. This research investigates how dynamic visualizations, compared to...

The Demands and Requirements of Computer Programming: A Literature Review

John Dalbey; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Educational Computing Research Vol. 1, No. 3 (1985) pp. 253–74

Surveys recent literature on computer programing focusing on psychological studies of the programing task and selected instructional issues related to precollege programing. The cognitive demands and outcomes of programing, the influence of...

Designing Guidance for Interpreting Dynamic Visualizations: Generating versus Reading Explanations

Kihyun Ryoo; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Research in Science Teaching Vol. 51, No. 2 (February 2014) pp. 147–174

We compared designs of guidance to support students while interacting with dynamic visualizations of complex scientific phenomena in inquiry instruction. Three hundred thirty-two 7th-grade students were randomly assigned to either a reading or a...

Designing for Knowledge Integration: The Impact of Instructional Time

Douglas Clark; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of the Learning Sciences Vol. 12, No. 4 (2003) pp. 451–493

Science educators face constant tradeoffs between allocating time to important topics and including more topics in the curriculum. We study 3,000 students experiencing 4 increasingly streamlined versions of a computer-enhanced middle school...

How Do Students Make Sense of Science?

Marcia C. Linn; Nancy Butler Songer

Merrill-Palmer Quarterly Vol. 39, No. 1 (1993) pp. 47–73

Eighth graders' ideas about thermodynamics, and their understanding of thermodynamics principles, were assessed before and after they attended a one-semester course on thermodynamics. Results characterized students' views concerning scientific...

The Cognitive Effects of Computer Learning Environments

Ellen B. Mandinach; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Educational Computing Research Vol. 2, No. 4 (1986) pp. 411–27

In this review of the research on how current computer learning environments can foster the acquisition of complex cognitive skills, two issues emerge: (1) what cognitive accomplishments are likely in the computer environment; and (2) what factors...

Investigations of a Complex, Realistic Task: Intentional, Unsystematic, and Exhaustive Experimenters

Kevin W. McElhaney; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Research in Science Teaching Vol. 48, No. 7 (September 2011) pp. 745–770

This study examines how students' experimentation with a virtual environment contributes to their understanding of a complex, realistic inquiry problem. We designed a week-long, technology-enhanced inquiry unit on car collisions. The unit uses new...

Learning to Learn Revisited: Computers and the Development of Self-Directed Learning Skills

Debra A. Lieberman; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Research on Computing in Education Vol. 23, No. 3 (1991) pp. 373–95

Considers three main components of self-directed learning: (1) topic knowledge; (2) procedural skills; and (3) self-monitoring. The role of computer-assisted instruction in autonomous learning is discussed, software that fosters independent problem...

Supporting Knowledge Integration in Chemistry with a Visualization-Enhanced Inquiry Unit

Jennifer L. Chiu; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Science Education and Technology Vol. 23, No. 1 (February 2014) pp. 37–58

This paper describes the design and impact of an inquiry-oriented online curriculum that takes advantage of dynamic molecular visualizations to improve students' understanding of chemical reactions. The visualization-enhanced unit uses research-...

Scaffolding Learning from Molecular Visualizations

Hsin-Yi Chang; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Research in Science Teaching Vol. 50, No. 7 (September 2013) pp. 858–886

Powerful online visualizations can make unobservable scientific phenomena visible and improve student understanding. Instead, they often confuse or mislead students. To clarify the impact of molecular visualizations for middle school students we...

How Do Openers Contribute to Student Learning?

Amber Zertuche; Libby Gerard; Marcia C. Linn

International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education Vol. 5, No. 1 (2012) pp. 79–92

Openers, or brief activities that initiate a class, routinely take up classroom time each day yet little is known about how to design these activities so they contribute to student learning. This study uses technology-enhanced learning environments...

Learning from Chemical Visualizations: Comparing Generation and Selection

Zhihui Helen Zhang; Marcia C. Linn

International Journal of Science Education Vol. 35, No. 13 (2013) pp. 2174–2197

Dynamic visualizations can make unseen phenomena such as chemical reactions visible but students need guidance to benefit from them. This study explores the value of generating drawings versus selecting among alternatives to guide students to learn...

Knowledge Integration and Displaced Volume

Marcia C. Linn; Bat-Sheva Eylon

Journal of Science Education and Technology Vol. 9, No. 4 (2000) pp. 287–310

Contrasts spontaneous and reflective knowledge integration instruction delivered using a computer learning environment to enhance understanding of displaced volume. Distinguishes the impact of instruction on students who believed scientific...

Curriculum Reformulation: Incorporating Technology into Science Instruction

Marcia C. Linn; Nancy Butler Songer

To increase the connection between educational research and educational practice, a process called "curriculum reformulation" was used to incorporate recent advances in research on learning and instruction into science classroom experiences. The...

Targeted Support for Using Technology-Enhanced Science Inquiry Modules

Keisha Varma; Freda Husic; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Science Education and Technology Vol. 17, No. 4 (August 2008) pp. 341–356

Designing effective professional development experiences for technology-enhanced inquiry instruction is the goal of the Technology Enhanced Learning in Science (TELS) NSF funded Center for Learning and Teaching. In order to provide this type of...

WISE Science

Marcia C. Linn; James D. Slotta

Educational Leadership Vol. 58, No. 2 (2000) pp. 29–32

Groups of teachers and schools can bridge the theory-practice gap by using the Web-based Integrated Science Environment (WISE) project library. The WISE learning environment promotes lifelong learning along with language and technology literacy by...

How Do Students' Views of Science Influence Knowledge Integration?

Nancy Butler Songer; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Research in Science Teaching Vol. 28, No. 9 (1991) pp. 761–84

Students' views of science as static, mixed, and dynamic are characterized. The relationship between views of science and acquisition of integrated understanding of thermodynamics is examined. Students with dynamic views acquired more integrated...

How Does Identity Shape the Experiences of Women of Color Engineering Students?

Erika D. Tate; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Science Education and Technology Vol. 14, No. 5 (December 2005) pp. 483–493

This study seeks to understand the experiences of women of color engineering students who persist and identify some of the dilemmas they face. Evidence emerged that students formulate multiple identities to help them persist in their engineering...

Teaching Thermodynamics to Middle School Students: What Are Appropriate Cognitive Demands?

Marcia C. Linn; Nancy Butler Songer

Journal of Research in Science Teaching Vol. 28, No. 10 (1991) pp. 885–918

When comparing performances across four versions of Computer as Lab Partner curriculum, increases in understanding were found when students predicted outcomes and reconciled results, and students used a heat-flow model of thermodynamics to integrate ...

Technology to Support Teachers Using Evidence from Student Work to Customize Technology-Enhanced Inquiry Units

Camillia F. Matuk; Marcia C. Linn; Bat-Sheva Eylon

Instructional Science: An International Journal of the Learning Sciences Vol. 43, No. 2 (March 2015) pp. 229–257

Teachers' involvement in curriculum design is essential for sustaining the relevance of technology-enhanced learning materials. Customizing--making small adjustments to tailor given materials to particular situations and settings--is one design ...

Design of Web-based Learning Environments: Integrating curriculum, technology, and professional development approaches

James D. Slotta; Marcia C. Linn; Philip Bell

EdMedia + Innovate Learning 1999 (1999) pp. 1860–1863

An increasing number of learning environments are successfully engaging students in authentic inquiry while also promoting meaningful learning about central concepts in a discipline. These efforts are characterized by some common characteristics: ...

Topics: Computers, Teachers, Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Professional Development

Organizing Principals for Science Education Partnerships: Case Studies of Students' Learning about "Rats in Space" and "Deformed Frogs."

Marcia C. Linn; Linda Shear; Philip Bell; James D. Slotta

Educational Technology Research and Development Vol. 47, No. 2 (1999) pp. 61–84

Describes how science education partnerships composed of educational researchers, technologists, classroom teachers, natural scientists, and pedagogy experts can create effective instructional innovations using Internet technologies. Illustrates how ...

WISE Design for Knowledge Integration

Marcia C. Linn; Douglas Clark; James D. Slotta

Science Education Vol. 87, No. 4 (2003) pp. 517–38

Examines the implementation of Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE), which can incorporate modeling tools and hand-held devices. Describes WISE design team practices, features of the WISE learning environment, and patterns of feature use in...

Automated, adaptive guidance for K-12 education

Libby Gerard; Camillia Matuk; Kevin McElhaney; Marcia C. Linn

Educational Research Review Vol. 15, No. 1 (June 2015) pp. 41–58

This paper distinguishes features of automated adaptive guidance used in K-12 instructional settings and recommends directions for design. We use meta-analysis to synthesize 24 independent comparisons between automated adaptive guidance and guidance ...

Language: English

Making Mitosis Visible

Michelle Williams; Marcia C. Linn; Gail P. Hollowell

Science Scope Vol. 31, No. 7 (March 2008) pp. 42–49

The Technology-Enhanced Learning in Science (TELS) center, a National Science Foundation-funded Center for Learning and Teaching, offers research-tested science modules for students in grades 6-12 (Linn et al. 2006). These free, online modules...

Measuring Knowledge Integration: Validation of Four-Year Assessments

Ou Lydia Liu; Hee-Sun Lee; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Research in Science Teaching Vol. 48, No. 9 (November 2011) pp. 1079–1107

Science education needs valid, authentic, and efficient assessments. Many typical science assessments primarily measure recall of isolated information. This paper reports on the validation of assessments that measure knowledge integration ability...

Automated Guidance for Thermodynamics Essays: Critiquing versus Revisiting

Dermot F. Donnelly; Jonathan M. Vitale; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Science Education and Technology Vol. 24, No. 6 (2015) pp. 861–874

Middle school students struggle to explain thermodynamics concepts. In this study, to help students succeed, we use a natural language processing program to analyze their essays explaining the aspects of thermodynamics and provide guidance based on...

Principal Leadership for Technology-Enhanced Learning in Science

Libby F. Gerard; Jane B. Bowyer; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Science Education and Technology Vol. 17, No. 1 (February 2008) pp. 1–18

Reforms such as technology-enhanced instruction require principal leadership. Yet, many principals report that they need help to guide implementation of science and technology reforms. We identify strategies for helping principals provide this...

Distributed Practice in Classroom Inquiry Science Learning

Vanessa Svihla; Michael J. Wester; Marcia C. Linn

Learning: Research and Practice Vol. 4, No. 2 (2018) pp. 180–202

This study is inspired by laboratory studies demonstrating that distributing study sessions over time better supports learning and retention than clustering sessions. We compare two implementations of a multi-day inquiry science unit: in the...

Measuring Graph Comprehension, Critique, and Construction in Science

Kevin Lai; Julio Cabrera; Jonathan M. Vitale; Jacquie Madhok; Robert Tinker; Marcia C. Linn

Journal of Science Education and Technology Vol. 25, No. 4 (2016) pp. 665–681

Interpreting and creating graphs plays a critical role in scientific practice. The K-12 Next Generation Science Standards call for students to use graphs for scientific modeling, reasoning, and communication. To measure progress on this dimension,...