A multi-user virtual environment for building higher order inquiry skills in science.

This National Science Foundation funded study is investigating novel pedagogies for helping teachers infuse inquiry into a standards-based science curriculum. Using a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) as a pedagogical vehicle, teams of middle school students are asked to collaboratively solve a simulated 19th century city's problems with illness, through interaction with each others' “avatars”, digital artifacts, tacit clues, and computer-based “agents” acting as mentors and colleagues in a virtual community of practice. This paper describes the results from the three implementations in 2004 with approximately 2000 students from geographical diverse urban areas. Results indicate that students do conduct inquiry and are motivated by that process. However, results from assessments vary depending on assessment strategy employed.