Architecture for the development of educational exploratory software


Components of exploratory software for education


Educational Software: “Microwords” for exploratory learning


Activity Plans (“scenarios”) for exploratory learning






Architecture for the development of educational exploratory software

ETL was the basic pedagogical contributor in the collaboration for the development of E-Slate software by the Research Team 3 of the Greek Institute for Research and Technology (1993-2002). E-Slate is a platform of secondary software development (authoring) for education. Its development is based on component architecture. The components are pieces of software which are the structural elements for constructing composite functionality software. The contribution of ETL is related to the documentation and functional specifications of basic characteristics of E-slate, which make it original. Τhese are:

- the fact that it is exploratory software

- scriptability, as a means for secondary development

- its cross-disciplinary character and the potential for composite functionality

Furthermore, ETL contributed by continuously improving and refining prototype versions of E-Slate, drawing from implementation experience in school communities and graduate and post graduate University courses, carried out at the lab.




Components of exploratory software for education

In collaboration with the Research Team 3 of the Greek Institute for Research and Technology, ETL conceived, documented and described the functional specifications of components for mathematical explorations. These components were:

- Programming language

- Turtle,

- Camvas,

- Variation Slider,

- Two-dimensional variation slider,

- Total,

- Query,

- Data base.

ETL also configured already developed components, in order to be usable for mathematical exploration, such as the "map" and "agent" components (for map-construction activities). The components are described and are available at the E-Slate web site.




Educational Software: "Microwords" for exploratory learning

ETL is a specialization site in secondary development (authoring) of exploratory software in a variety of cross-disciplinary combinations of subjects, such as mathematics, physics, geography, history, language and ICT.

- Tools for creating microworlds for wide use.

- Microworlds for primary school, implemented in real classroom settings.

- Microworlds for secondary school, implemented in real classroom settings.

- Microworlds developed at ETL for the needs of teacher and teacher-student training in secondary development of educational software (“half baked” microworlds).

- Microworlds developed by teachers.

- Microworlds in an experimental – research state of development, at ETL.

- Microworlds developed during research and development projects.




Activity Plans ("scenarios") for exploratory learning

ETL was the birthplace of the idea of “Exploratory Activity Plan based on ICT tools”, later termed as “scenario”, and widely used and accepted. The special value of “scenarios” lies on the fact that they comprise the documentation of all aspects of the educational activity which is being designed, in a way, that it constitutes educational innovation. These aspects are described in the “Scenario development guide”, developed as part of the work on the YDEES and ODYSSEAS projects. The scenarios of ETL are classified in the following categories and were developed during projects ΥDΕΕS, IMEL, THRANIO, NETLogo, DΕΚΑ, C CUBE, E56, E42.

- Scenarios for primary school, implemented in real classroom settings.

- Scenarios for secondary school, implemented in real classroom settings.

- Scenarios developed during R&D projects.

- Scenarios developed by teachers.