Iris Tabak

In this chapter, we explore the move from didactic instruction to a more constructivist, project-oriented learning model. At the heart of project-oriented learning is the notion that one learns through the process of constructing some type of artifact. The Highly-Interactive Computing Environments Group has been exploring technology that can support students as they engage in project-oriented learning as well as technology that can support teachers in making the transition to the new roles that such a project-oriented model entails. In this chapter we focus on the kinds of supports needed by students learning and doing design. The group has built and classroom tested a range of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems that were designed expressly to support students in both the learning and the doing of design in a variety of domains. In this chapter, we step back from the individual systems and identify key issues in the design of CAD systems to support project-oriented science curriculum.