The goal of this project was to test whether a component-oriented environment designed for distance learning would support a ``constructionist'' approach to learning mathematics in a middle school context. The results were intended to refine the direction of current software development and to suggest how best to use this new technology in the classroom. As the software was not yet fully developed, the challenge was to support a ``premature adoption" process in a field trial, in this case, at a small private middle school at a remote location. The students were engaged in a ``guided collaboration"; they were encouraged to participate in the assessment and subsequently the development of the technology. They were asked to reflect on their use of the technology to aid the researchers in developing the software and predicting how effective the technology would be when completed.
The central feature of the technology under review is its use for component-based construction of interactive programs; it allows relatively inexperienced non-programmers to build their own tools for exploring mathematical concepts. However, at the time of implementation the construction tools didn't yet support use by students. Consequently, the functionality and flexibility of the planned toolset was assessed by having an experienced teacher/researcher hand-build a set of interfaces focussed on certain mathematical concepts. This defined the scope of applicability the toolset possessed and helped identify where further development was required.
A pressing question facing the developers was whether middle school students would be able to employ such a technology effectively once it reached maturity. The students would have to learn new ways of relating to software; their roles would change from passive users to thinking creators, requiring them to master concepts and tools that are not typically taught at the middle school level. In order to facilitate this process, a ``participatory design'' scenario was implemented. The main idea of participatory design is to encourage active participation of the users themselves in the design of technology [1]. Through the user of a low-tech design tool, the students thus contributed to the development of the design and functionality of the planned toolset.
Some recent studies of new educational technologies have focussed on engaging children [6,8], as well as teachers [3], in the design process. This approach affords an opportunity for researchers to gain a fresh perspective on their work and how children perceive and interact with their environment. These studies have typically involved children ages 5 to 10 and have employed approaches such as participatory design, technology immersion, and contextual inquiry. Similar ideas were adapted for use in this project.