Achievement of Student Cognitive Growth: Results of Integrating Interactive Museum Videoconferencing

Patricia Barbanell, Schenectady City Schools, USA
John Falco, Schenectady City School District, USA
Dianna Newman, State University of New York at Albany, USA
http://www.projectview.org

Mini-Workshop: Distance Education

Museums throughout the world are struggling to design strategies that will allow for interface with new technologies. At the same time, research-based outcomes in K-12 education have become increasingly important. This paper overviews the process designed by Project VIEW to develop and implement interactive videoconferencing experiences and summarizes methodologies and outcomes related to student learning. For the past five years, Project VIEW staff have collaborated with over 45 museums and over 500 school districts to develop, validate, and implement a template for creating and using interactive standards-based videoconferencing programs for use in K-12 classrooms. The core of the VIEW model is the role of collaborative partnerships between museum providers and teachers in selecting and developing curricula and supporting materials that stress inquiry-based learning, higher-level thinking, and application of skills. Validation of the outcomes has utilized a multi-prong approach involving input from multiple stakeholders across multiple settings and times. Findings indicate that students who are involved in interactive, inquiry-based videoconferencing with external providers evidence improved inquiry, application skills, and higher levels of cognition.