Components of FLEXE
The FLEXE project explores innovative pedagogical approaches to engage learners in understanding the process and nature of science.
Inquiry-based Learning Activities
- Energy Unit: examines energy transfer between components of the Earth system using various temperature datasets, and explores similarities and differences in energy transfer in local and deep-sea extreme environments.
- Ecology Unit: uses examples from deep-sea environments to introduce ecological concepts, and guides students to formulate their own research questions on their local environment.
Deep-sea dataset
Comparison of data from different environments
- Local/Schoolyard data (primary data)
- Partner school data from the GLOBE database (secondary data)
- Deep-Sea data (‘extreme’ data)
Links to the Extreme Environment
- Facilitated interaction with scientists (FLEXE Forums)
- Live Research Cruises featured via interactive web site
Community of Learning
- Student-Student (Partner school exchange*, Peer Review*)
- Student-Scientist (FLEXE Forums, Q&A during Research Cruises)
* online tool not currently available
Educational Research
FLEXE aims to develop and evaluate effective ways to partner students, scientists and educators using web-based tools. FLEXE learning activities were designed around online tools such as class-to-class partnering, peer review and student-scientist forums.
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Publications:
Kerlin S, Goehring E, Carlsen W, Larsen J, and Fisher C, (2009) Design of an Online Global Learning Community: International Collaboration of Grades 7-9 Science Students. In International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL Practices, Rhodes, Greece.
- Current research: The FLEXE team is evaluating the effectiveness of student peer review, and the impact of student-scientist forums on student learning.