The long-term effects of learning in an isle approach classroom

Abstract

This study reports on the long-term effects of learning through the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) approach on high school physics students. Students learning physics through the ISLE approach engage in collaborative activities that mirror the practice of physicists to construct concepts and apply them to solving practical problems. Previous studies of learning in ISLE-based classrooms showed that the students develop abilities to design experiments, collect and represent data, communicate and many others. However, there were no follow up studies that demonstrate what the students remember and how they use those abilities in their future education and professional careers. We administered a survey to alumni who learned physics in an ISLE-based classroom to find out what they remember many years after taking the course as well as if they find their physics learning useful for future education and careers. We report on the findings from this study.