criteria, including their collaborative
efforts, the quality and content of their
presentations, and completion of the
virtual nuclear power plant inspection.
When asked what they thought of
the project, the students’ overwhelming response was positive. They felt
touring the Scarboro South virtual
nuclear power plant added a valuable
dimension to their learning.
Almost all of the students survey-
ed felt that the collaboration portal
enabled them to communicate with
other team members more effectively
and helped them to keep organized
throughout the project. Overall,
students said they preferred using
the PBL approach to learning about
nuclear reactions because it was “more
fun,” “hands on,” and “interactive.”
Some students expressed concerns
that they did not learn to balance
chemical equations during the pro-
ject and felt that this method might
not be appropriate for introductory
classes. Others felt that the project
would be difficult for students
without previous collaboration
experience.
The Next Frontier
As teachers learn about Scarboro
South and other virtual learning environments within New Worlds, they
generally respond with enthusiasm
and creativity.
When Laura Kowalski, a science
teacher at Parkland High School, first
saw New Worlds at the Keystone Technology Summit at Bucknell University in
July 2010, she immediately recognized
the potential of the virtual environment
to enhance her students’ learning.
Kowalski had already used tech-
nology to create simulations for her
classroom.
John Branson is the director of educational research, develop- ment, and technology services for the Chester County Inter- mediate Unit in Pennsylvania, USA. He also serves as project director for the statewide
K– 12 education network, PAIUnet.
Diane Thomson is the program development coordinator of educational research, develop- ment, and technology services for the Chester County Inter- mediate Unit.
