Innovative Technologies for Learning in Science Laboratories

This paper summarizes results from two educational research Ph.D. theses carried out in recent years at the "Laboratoire de Robotique Pedagogique" of the Universite de Montreal. Both theses focus on innovative educational software and technology for use in science laboratories. The first is the work of Riopel and concerns the combination of computer-simulated experimentation software and microcomputer-based laboratories to provide learners with complete computerized assistance in carrying out both inductive and deductive reasoning. The second, the work of Fournier, concerns a microcomputer- based laboratory environment that allows students to design and construct a measuring system from start to finish, in order to better understand the concepts of measurement and of physical variables. In both of these technological applications, the software is used to automatically record and identify learners\´ actions.