Understanding teacher design practices for digital inquiry-based science learning: the case of Go-Lab

Area of Science:

• Educational Technology
• Digital Learning Environments

Background:

• Designing digital learning material for inquiry learning is challenging for educators.
• The Go-Lab ecosystem provides tools and resources for teachers to create Inquiry Learning Spaces (ILSs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the design process and characteristics of 2414 Inquiry Learning Spaces (ILSs) created within the Go-Lab ecosystem.
• To understand how teacher collaboration and sharing preferences influence ILS design.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of design process data and structural characteristics of 2414 ILSs.
• Categorization of ILSs based on design team composition (single teacher, collaborating teachers, mixed teams) and sharing status (public vs. private).

Main Results:

• Teachers predominantly utilize empty templates over domain-specific ones for ILS creation.
• The composition of the design team significantly impacts the time and effort invested in ILS development.
• Characteristics of ILSs differ based on the design team type and whether they are publicly shared or kept private.

Conclusions:

• The Go-Lab ecosystem supports diverse teacher approaches to creating effective digital inquiry learning environments.
• Understanding team dynamics and sharing practices can optimize the development and dissemination of digital learning resources.