Translating textbooks: Russian, German, and the language of chemistry

Using the cases of three Russian chemistry textbooks from the 1860s--authored by Freidrich Beilstein, A. M. Butlerov, and D. I. Mendeleev--this essay analyzes their contemporary translation into German and the implications of their divergent histories for scholars' understanding of the processes of credit accrual and the choices of languages of science.     

Addressing the Challenges of Inquiry-Based Learning Through Technology and Curriculum Design

Inquiry experiences can provide valuable opportunities for students to improve their understanding of both science content and scientific practices. However, the implementation of inquiry learning in classrooms presents a number of significant challenges. We have been exploring these challenges through a program of research on the use of scientific visualization technologies to support inquiry-based learning in the geosciences. In this article, we describe 5 significant challenges to implementing inquiry-based learning and present strategies for addressing them through the design of technology and curriculum. We present a design history covering 4 generations of software and curriculum to show how these challenges arise in classrooms and how the design strategies respond to them.     

The climate visualizer: Sense-making through scientific visualization

Journal of Science Education and Technology - This paper describes the design of a learning environment, called the Climate Visualizer, intended to facilitate scientific sense-making in high school...