Research On Inquiry Learning In Virtual Experiment

Experiment is the important composing content of science curriculum, and also one of the most important approaches to carry out science education. Experiment performs functions of cultivating students' scientific attainments, making them master skills of scientific experiments, improving their scientific inquiry ability and independent innovation ability. But in our country, experiment does not take roles that it should take in science education because of the reality of laggard education thought, worn teaching content, simplex teaching manners, deficient teaching resource, disqualifyied teachers, low level learning motivation etc. To resolve the above questions, this paper takes virtual reality technology aided experiment instruction(Virtual Experiment, VE) as research object, starts from educational theory, studies VE's learning mode, and instruction design and implementation tactics. The specific content includes:Firstly, the feasibility and advantages of virtual reality aided experiment are analyzed based on cognitivism, constructivism and curriculum integration theory。As to cognitivism, its support and inspiration to VE are discussed on sides of individual cognition and distributed cognition: individual cognition indicates learning subjective apperception such as vision, hearing and touch, especially vision is important to learning in VE; while distributed cognition emphasizes both subjective cognition and the media function of computer and virtual learning situation. Constructivism theoretically supports VE because its four basic elements, situation, cooperation, dialogue, meaning construction, are consistent to VR's main characteristics. Curriculum Integration of information technology and science curriculum admits VR promotes the effect of science curriculum instruction.Secondly, inquiry learning in VE is studied in detail. In this paper, VE is classified demonstrative VE (DVE), experimental VE (EVE), and inquiry VE (IVE) bottom up. The relationships among the three types of VEs are discussed. IVE is set as the emphasis of this paper. The intension and learning mode of inquiry learning in IVE are deeply dissected, and the three basic elements of problem, experience and introspection are especially discussed. A problem driven learning mode in IVE is proposed, and the relationship among the elements in this learning mode is analyzed. The characteristics and regular patterns of inquiry learning provide theoretic foundation to IVE.Then, learning strategies are studied based on above research. The common process of IVE is presented derived from traditional experiment implementation, which reflects the thinking of problem driven. Six principles of IVE are proposed to maximize the learning effect. The basic requirements and corresponding strategies are studied based on its theoretic foundation, cognitivism, constructivism, and curriculum integration in separate.Lastly, the research is applied in experimental education, and the learning effects are evaluated.