The New Modelling Environment Co-Lab: Survey on the 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 addition to an offered workshop 5, this paper gives a survey on the software design and the comprehensive, environmentally oriented learning materials. First results of the evaluation will also be reported shortly.