Introducing a representational tool of the trade in middle school

  • Authors:

  • Erica De Vries;Alix Geronimi;Jacques Baillé

  • Affiliations:

  • Laboratory of Educational Sciences, University of Grenoble, Grenoble cedex 9, France;Laboratory of Educational Sciences, University of Grenoble, Grenoble cedex 9, France;Laboratory of Educational Sciences, University of Grenoble, Grenoble cedex 9, France

  • Venue:
  • ICLS'08 Proceedings of the 8th international conference on International conference for the learning sciences - Volume 2
  • Year:
  • 2008

Quantified Score

Hi-index 0.00

Visualization

Abstract

How to introduce computer-assisted design (CAD) as a representational tool of the trade in the classroom? This paper deals with the tension between the authenticity of design-based learning situations that is often strived at and the inherent complexity of the design process and CAD as a representational tool of the trade. We describe a three-dimensional framework for comparing innovative project-like scenarios in technology curricula to more traditional instructional sequences for science learning. We subsequently developed a dissociated geometry-oriented and an integrated technology-oriented CAD training and studied their influence on the way pupils engaged in a design task. Although the results show evidence of the complementary roles of different types of representations, no effect of type of CAD training is found. In the discussion, we propose potential explanations for these findings, by relating back to our framework, and make a suggestion for future research.