My research is conducted collaboratively with PhD students and colleagues from several disciplines. We are trying to develop a new model of scaffolded collaborative inquiry that is blended within a knowledge community. The model is grounded in learning theory and has implications for the design and implementation of engaging curriculum experiences (n our case, for secondary science classrooms). One exciting new direction of work is the development of an open source smart classroom. Using the NSF-funded Scalable Architecture for Interactive Learning (SAIL), we have launched a new open source project to support the development of highly interactive, community-oriented activities that specify roles, goals and materials for all members of the learning community. There are implications for incorporating new devices and new forms of human computer interaction, as well as for continued research of the model.
