DSSS enabled students at different achievement levels to set up systematic comparisons, and construct empirically-based explanations. Prior knowledge and inquiry experience influenced spontaneous strategy use. Teacher guidance compensated for lack of experience, and enabled regular level students to employ strategies as frequently as honor students. I extend earlier research by proposing a taxonomy of both general and domain-specific reflective inquiry strategies. I argue that software, teacher and curriculum work in concert to sustain a climate of inquiry.
Teachers help realize the potential that technological tools invite.
Teachers reinforce software supports by encouraging students to utilize technological tools, and by modeling their use. They also establish classroom norms that reflect scientific values. Whole class discussions afford sharing insights across groups, and relating findings to normative knowledge. Pretest to posttest improvements in both conceptual and strategic knowledge suggest that DSSS helps reconcile the tension that can exist between content and process goals in inquiry settings.