CHILDRENS CONCEPTIONS OF LIGHT IN THE CONTEXT OF A TECHNOLOGY-BASED CURRICULUM

Third graders in an urban classroom participated in an 8-week unit in which they studied the behavior of light. At the core of the curriculum was a light-sensing probe interfaced with a computer. This case study describes the investigation of this technology, commonly referred to as microcomputer-based labs (MBLs), for its appropriateness for elementary school students. One finding of this study was that the children expanded their repertoire of graph making and interpreting skills with line graphs becoming a useful means for representing light intensity. The other assertion was that the MBL became a tool that supported scientific inquiry for and by the children. The author cautions that technology itself should not be regarded as the source of knowledge for learners, but that computers have the potential for reshaping how teachers approach science instruction. (C) 1995 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.