Technology Enhanced Learning in Science (TELS)

Our Work
Knowledge Integration
When teachers and instructional materials guide learners as they articulate their repertoire of ideas, add new ones, sort out their ideas in a variety of contexts, and make connections at multiple levels of analysis, they develop more nuanced evaluation criteria and formulate a linked set of views about scientific phenomena. We characterize this as the Knowledge Integration framework and it forms the basis of WISE projects and assessments.

Proven Learning Gains
Research has shown that WISE curriculum units improve student learning of difficult standards-based science topics and that students continue to integrate their ideas and strengthen their understanding even after the units have been completed.
Research Goals
1. Curriculum Development
2. Professional Development
3. Graduate Education
4. Science Education Research
5. Effective Use of Technology

Funded Research Projects
The WISE Community has operated many different funded research projects over the past 25+ years. Current projects include:
- Personalizing Open Web-based Educational Resources (POWER), which supports the personalization of instruction and self-directed learning
- Supporting Teachers in Responsive Instruction for Developing Expertise in Science (STRIDES), which helps teachers design evidence-based responsive instruction
- Project Learning with Automated, Networked Supports (PLANS), which combines investigation and analytic technologies to guide students’ design projects
- Graphing Research on Inquiry with Data in Science (GRIDS), which undertakes a comprehensive program to address the need for improved graph comprehension