About
The e-Labs differ from other collaborative education environments because they build on the power of distributed computing and the Virtual Data System to add exciting education components not available with other models. Students contribute to and access shared data, most derived from professional research databases. They use common analysis tools, store their work and use metadata to discover, replicate and confirm the research of others. This is where real scientific collaboration begins. Using online tools, students correspond with other research groups, post comments and questions, prepare summary reports, and in general participate in the part of scientific research that is often left out of classroom experiments.
Teaching tools such as student and teacher logbooks, pre-tests and post-tests and an assessment rubric aligned with learner outcomes help teachers guide student work. Constraints on interface designs and administrative tools such as registration databases give teachers the "one-stop-shopping" they seek for multiple e-Labs. Teaching and administrative tools also allow us to track usage and assess the impact on student learning.
The e-Labs address ALL science practices in the Next Generation Science Standards.
The Cosmic Ray e-Lab also addresses ALL engineering practices.
- 1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
- 2. Developing and using models
- 3. Planning and carrying out investigations
- 4. Analyzing and interpreting data
- 5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
- 6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
- 7. Engaging in argument from evidence
If you have any questions or comments, contact us at e-labs@fnal.gov.