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Article Excerpt
Computer data collection technology is commonplace in commercial and research laboratories, and this technology is becoming increasingly available in the secondary classroom. While a number of studies have been conducted comparing computer probeware laboratories to other laboratory methods, these studies have not addressed the larger question of how computer probeware impacts learning. This study investigated computer probeware's impact on student understanding of the phenomenon, the student's understanding of the discourse of science and his or her ability to participate in the process of science. This study was conducted in five 10th-grade biology classes. Students were divided into two groups: one group conducted the laboratory using traditional methods that rendered qualitative data and the other group conducted the laboratory experiment using the computer probeware technology which produced quantitative data. Student understanding was measured with a wide variety of data sources that included: a pre and posttest, student designed laboratory procedures, lab reports, and student interviews. Students' ability to use the discourse of science as well as their proficiency in engaging in the process of science was investigated through the analysis of videos of students performing the laboratory exercise as well as student interviews. The study showed that students who used the probeware scored slightly higher on the posttests, lab designs, and reports. The laboratory videos and student interviews revealed that in both groups students experienced trouble with the discourse of science and the process of science regardless of the method used. The computer probeware's greatest benefit was its ability to bridge the disconnection that exists between the laboratory process and the conclusions draw from laboratory data. The computer probeware graphically displayed the data in a manner that enabled students to form a connection between the process and the phenomenon. As a result, students who used the probeware were better able to interpret the data they obtained, drawing stronger connections between the data and the phenomenon.
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Science is accepting of and even driven by new technology. The invention of the light microscope radically changed biology by exposing the microscopic world to the realm of investigation. The current explosion in biotechnology is dependent on the use of complex, high tech equipment not available 30 years ago. So the answer to the question of whether new technology, that allows scientists to collect more accurate quantitative data, should be used in the professional scientific laboratory is a nondebatable, yes. The answer to this question, however, is not as apparent in the realm of secondary science education. In a secondary biology classroom, the goal is not merely the pursuit of more precise quantifiable data, but the goal is to illuminate biological principles and processes in a manner that promotes broad student understanding. This goal is not as dependent on cutting-edge technology. In fact, student understanding can be hindered by complicated processes and equipment. Thus, it is the educator's responsib ility to balance the competing goals of instructing students in the basic principals of biology in a way simple enough to promote student understanding while still representing the processes of biology and biological research, in a manner that is true to the discipline.
It is this dual responsibility that is central to this investigation. This article asserts that the inclusion of probeware in the secondary classroom is appropriate because it is an authentic "real-world" reflection of scientific research as long as it does not hinder student understanding. Thus the goal of this article is to assess the impact of probeware on student learning and ability to engage in the discourse and process of science. The study included 109 students from five 10th-grade biology classes engaged in the study of enzyme action. The students' study of enzyme action included a variety of instructional techniques including traditional lectures, computer graphics, small group activities, and laboratory experimentation. The particular biological topic used in the laboratory activity is not central to the design of the study; rather the study focuses more generally on students' use of the discourse of science, their ability to engage in the process of science, and most importantly, their ability to connect their laboratory experience to the greater phenomenon.
COMPUTERS IN THE LABORATORY
While the foremost goal of secondary science education is to provide students with a firm understanding of scientific phenomenon, another complementary goal is to provide students with an opportunity to experience, however artificially, the world of real science. To accomplish this goal, teachers attempt to replicate some of the day-to-day activities of "real" scientists within the classroom laboratory (Jensen, 1998). When visiting the laboratories of working biologists, including geneticists, molecular biologists and botanists, a reliance on computers is quickly apparent. Research biologists use computers daily in their laboratories to collect, store, process, analyze, and communicate research data (Jensen, 1998). Computers are even connected to traditional scientific apparatus such as spectrophotometers and microscopes to capture data and images for further analysis.
For the secondary classroom to correctly reflect the research experience of working scientists, it is necessary for teachers to incorporate computers into the classroom in a manner reflective of true scientific research. Through the development of interface tools and a vast array of probeware that allows students to gather...
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