Blog

Exploring rocks and tectonics: Introducing feedback on the TecRocks Explorer data table

TecRocks Explorer showing four rock types in the data table.

We’re thrilled to announce an updated release of the Rocks & Tectonics module! This module revolutionizes the teaching of the traditional rock cycle by connecting rock formation to plate motion and the tectonic conditions under which rocks form. The new version of the Rocks & Tectonics module incorporates new interactive feedback mechanisms designed to support […]

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Aloha from the Pelehonuamea Project

Mauna Loa eruption, 2022, NPS

Hawaiʻi’s iconic volcanoes have shaped its islands, culture, and communities for centuries. From the breathtaking eruptions of Mauna Loa to the challenges of living with air pollution caused by the eruptions (known as “vog”), volcanic activity is an intrinsic part of life in Hawaiʻi. What if students could harness computational tools to better understand volcanic […]

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Publications in 2024 that advance research in STEM educational technology

In 2024, we published nine journal articles and four book chapters. Through these publications and our @Concord newsletter, our goal is to share relevant knowledge between the education researcher and practitioner communities. Read all Concord Consortium articles and book chapters. Using Multiple, Dynamically Linked Representations to Develop Representational Competency and Conceptual Understanding of the Earthquake […]

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Using multiple visual representations to understand the earthquake cycle

The GeoCoder model displays block code (procedural representation, left), the Deformation Simulation (geometric representation, upper right), and the deformation over time graph (graphical representation, bottom right).

Symbols, objects, maps, graphs, and simulations are all powerful tools for conveying information. However, some complex ideas just can’t be captured in a single representation. In these cases, multiple visualizations can be used together to convey and connect several pieces of related information. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, news organizations used a combination of […]

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Understanding floods: A look inside a classroom

Flood Explorer showing area after it has been urbanized

Stephanie Harmon is a Science Consultant with the Partnership Institute for Math and Science Education Reform (PIMSER) in Kentucky. Previously, she taught Earth science and physics at Rockcastle County High School in Mount Vernon, Kentucky, and has consulted on several Concord Consortium projects. For my students in rural Kentucky, floods are personal. In July 2022, […]

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Explore extreme weather in your area

Graph of tMax in Palmdale, CA, in CODAP showing mean of 102.98 degrees F.

Leticia Perez is a Senior Professional Learning Specialist at WestEd. Frieda Reichsman is a Senior Research Scientist at the Concord Consortium. Headlines make the news all the time warning of warmer winters, changing seasonal patterns, life-threatening heat, or alternately dangerous freezing conditions. Whether you’re in Massachusetts or California, or somewhere in between, nearly everyone has […]

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