The Concept Of Scientific Discovery Learning Environment Design Research

The aim of science education is to enhance the scientific attainment of learners. In order to achieve the goal, we shall change the method of learning, make learners the central role of learning process and let them use constructivist learning style as learning method. Scientific discovery learning is one of the constructivist learning methods. With the development of information technology, the researchers begin to focus on the scientific discovery learning enviornments. Because of the ignore of conceptual design, learners can’t use the enviornments well and can’t experience the positive role of scaffold.Therefore, this thesis intends to conceptual design the scientific discovery learning enviornment with learner-centered design method. Firstly, the chapter two gives the general description of scientific discovery learning and the scientific discovery learning enviornment, including the essence, the cognitive mechanism and the procedure of scientific discovery learning. Chapter two also analysis some typical scientific discovery learning environments. Secondly, the chapter three introduces the learner-centered design method, which points out that the the basic principle of it is to provide scaffold for learners and three cent-principles is to scaffold the learning readiness, the learning process and the reflection of learners. The chapter also make a sweeping generalization that the conceptual design of scientific discovery learning enviornment with learner-centered design method should follow the four steps:(1) describing and characterizing the target learner audience, the practices they would engage in, and their learning goals;(2) identifying the areas where those learners would need support to engage in the specified practices;(3) developing the scaffolding approaches that would be conceptualized and implemented in the software to address the support needs identified earlier;(4) summrizing the conceptual model of scientific discovery learning environment. Following the four steps, chapter four analysis the establishment of the student model, the areas where learners need support, the scaffolding approaches under the restriction of scientific discovery learning and draw a conclusion that the total conceptual model should include three element models:the task model, the tool model and the interface model.