The New Modelling Environment Co-Lab: Design of Software and Learning Materials

Abstract

In the Co-Lab project, a European team develops a computer-based environment for collaborative inquiry learning. Learning materials have been developed for the two topics water management and greenhouse effect. Collaborative inquiry learning is a potentially fruitful but complex undertaking: A successful collaborative inquiry learning process poses requirements to the task, the software and the classroom environment. Main aspects of the Co-Lab learning environment are the graphical modelling of complex dynamic systems, real-life and comprehensive learning units as well as the software support of collaboration and cooperation 4. In this offer for a workshop we will discuss how these different aspects of the learning environment can support or inhibit collaborative discovery learning. We shall explain our solutions for the software design and for the comprehensive, environmentally oriented learning materials. First results of the evaluation will also be reported. A major part of the workshop will be hands-on activity with Co-Lab.