A digital path to environmental education

Abstract

Digital technology has become completely engrained in the process of scientific research. Grade schools are beginning to incorporate computers and other digital devices into the learning process as tools for learning other subjects, including science. Educators have experimented with a variety of programs that incorporate computers, such as digital tutors, simulations of natural systems, and interactive simulations. This study aimed to demonstrate that handheld computers are a useful resource in problem-based learning environments. A "mini-curriculum", focused on making handheld computer-aided measurements of the key environmental parameters in marine estuaries, was designed and taught to eleven students from the Palmetto Ridge High School in Naples, Florida over a two week period. Students' reactions to both the curriculum and the computers were overwhelmingly positive. This proof-of-concept trial indicates that handheld computers have the potential to be a very useful tool in problem-based learning.