Integrating Mobile, Web and Sensory Technologies to Support Inquiry-Based Science Learning

Recent advances in mobile, wireless, and sensor technologies provide new possibilities for supporting learning activities that can be spatially distributed and incorporate different physical and environmental sensory data. In this paper, we present our technical efforts in relation to the design and implementation of mobile and web applications that integrate sensory data used to support inquiry-based science learning. In order to test the validity of our solution and its functionality and novelty, we conducted a prototype experiment with high school students in the field of environmental sciences. The initial outcomes presented in this paper point towards the potential benefits of using sensor and mobile technologies with real-time geo-positioned data and visualizations, which may increase students’ engagement, enabling them to conduct scientific inquiries and analyses in new ways.

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