"Collaborative Inquiry in Networked Communities: Lessons From the Alice Testbed" Table of Contents Background Network Science Model Scalability The Software Innovation Testbed Projects: Developing a Model What Have We Learned About Network Science? What Have We Learned About Scalability? Summary Appendix: Description of Testbed Projects Bibliography

Summary

The conjectures that underlie the Alice Testbed are now being tested. Network Science projects are being developed by curriculum developers and teachers, and students are collaborating in their investigations of real-world science problems. As we are learning about the issues and obstacles encountered by various testbed projects, we are creating solutions that strengthen the model. Through its work with publishers and others, we are developing an understanding of what will be needed to support widespread implementation of Network Science. In particular, we are designing services including those for project automation and for helping teachers find collaboration partners and initiate their own units; and we are working to define the commercial market for published curriculum and services.

The literature­as well as the experience of most practitioners­says over and over again: the process of educational change is slow. Given the experiences of large number of Alice Testbed teachers who are the pioneers in the application of network technology to science learning, we are optimistic that a new and effective paradigm for science teaching might realistically be the outcome for a large proportion of teachers who adopt Network Science.