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The National Science Foundation funded the development of CASES to provide a model of a technology-integrated science course. Technology is used in two ways in CASES:
- To support authentic scientific investigations with data
- To present concepts to students through dynamic, interactive representations
Students use visualization and analysis tools to analyze real world environmental data. These tools include WorldWatcher and one of two GIS softwares (ArcView™ or MyWorld™).
| Technology |
Description |
Frequency of Use |
| WorldWatcher |
A visualization tool for Earth science data devevloped by the authors of CASES specifically to meet the needs of students and teachers. |
Used on 6 occasions during the year for a total of 11 days |
GIS Software:
ArcView™
- or -
MyWorld™ |
The industry standard Geographic Information System. |
Used on 7 occasions for a total of 17 days |
| A Geographic Information System devevloped by the authors of CASES specifically to meet the needs of students and teachers. |
These tools are used at frequent intervals to give students the opportunity to use real world data to investigate the phenomena they are studying. These tools are used for lessons that range from 2-5 days. The early technology activities are highly structured, but they become more open-ended and more sophisticated as the students gain experience with the tools. Data analysis in GIS plays a substantial role in the culminating projects for Units 2 and 3.
What do we mean by technology-integrated?
Technology-integrated does not mean technology-dominated. The development team worked very closely with teachers throughout the development and field-testing process to understand what an appropriate and practical balance of computer and non-computer activities is. Overall, computer activities comprise approximately 20% of the total class time over the course of the year (34 days). In comparison, more than 30% of class time is devoted to laboratory and other hands-on activities.
Technology Requirements
The use of computers to analyze data and interact with simulations and
multimedia is an integral component of Investigations in Environmental
Science. The required software, data, and, multimedia files are available
for purchase from It's About Time. They are distributed on CD-ROM.
Computer activities comprise approximately 20% of the total class time
over the course of the year (34 days for schools that follow the pacing
guide in the Teacher Edition). Computer activities are scheduled less than
once a week. The activities range from one to four class periods to
complete.
The technologies in Invesitgations in Environmental Science fall into three categories:
| Technology |
Description |
Frequency of Use |
GIS Software:
WorldWatcher
- and -
MyWorld™
- or -
ArcView™ |
A visualization tool for Earth science data devevloped by the authors of CASES specifically to meet the needs of students and teachers. |
Used on 6 occasions during the year for a total of 11 days |
| A Geographic Information System devevloped by the authors of CASES specifically to meet the needs of students and teachers. |
Used on 7 occasions for a total of 17 days |
| The industry standard Geographic Information System. |
| Models |
Need description |
Used on 6 occasions during the year for a total of 15 days |
| Interactive Multimedia |
Need description |
Used on 2 occasions during the year for a total of 3 days |
All software runs on both Mac OS and Windows computers. No Internet or
local area network connection is required.
| Technology |
Hardware/Software Requirements |
ArcView and
My World GIS |
- Macintosh computers should be G4 processors or newer running OS X
version 10.3 or newer, with at least 256 MB RAM and 100 MB of free hard
drive space.
- Windows computers should be Pentium III or newer running Windows 2000
or newer with at least 256MB of RAM and 100 MB of available hard drive
space.
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| WorldWatcher, interactive models and
multimedia |
- Macintosh computers should be PowerPC or newer running OS X 10.2 or
newer with at least 128 MB RAM and 10MB of free hard drive space.
- Windows computers should be Pentium II or newer, running Windows 98
or newer, with at least 128 MB RAM and 10MB of free space.
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| Interactive models and
multimedia |
- A web browser (Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, Mozilla, Opera)
with a Flash plug-in installed.
- Microsoft Excel.
- All the software in the course is compatible with security software and
functions within networked client/server environments.
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Recommended technology configurations are:
- Computer lab outside the classroom with 15-30 computers
- Small numbers of computers (4-6) within the classroom
- Laptop carts with 10-15 computers that are wheeled to classrooms on an as-needed basis
Full technical support for installation, administration, and use of software is provided by It's About Time.
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