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Lorem Ipsum Dolor Spring 2016
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Students' camp experiences with investigation ranged from closely
guided through open inquiry (Branchi & Bell, 2008). Students' interactions
with adults during camp were based upon perceived need. The goal was for
students to be as independent as possible with the adults acting as facilitators
rather than authorities. Mentors asked probing questions whenever possible
and allowed students to make and correct their own mistakes. However, the
complexities and safety concerns of some projects necessitated closer adult
supervision than others. For example, the use of power tools to cut the
wooden base for the hover craft was restricted to sighted adults. On the other
hand, mixing ingredients to make ice cream or painting Styrofoam balls was
messy, but perfectly safe for the students to do independently.
The structure of the camp day was loosely divided among independent
work periods and opportunities to engage in planned demonstrations. It was a
challenge for the researchers to obtain uninterrupted 30 minute observation
blocks of some students because they were free to move around the
laboratory space to observe each other, socialize, participate in planned
demonstrations or to work on their own project. Future research in observing
students engaged in open inquiry may wish to address the issue of how and
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