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Combining Laboratory Experiments with Digital Tools to Do Scientific Inquiry

This qualitative study investigates the gap between a lab experiment and theory of science. Two groups of 4 students in 2 different classes in 11th grade (15–16 years old) are followed as they process results and experiences from a lab experiment using a digital environment. The experiment is as a part of a larger project about genes and cells, and this study concerns how the digital environment can support students' sensemaking. The study shows how the students only are left with ‘how-to' skills before they engage in collaborative processing supported by their own picture from the experiment. The picture becomes a hub for interactive sensemaking and is extensively used for annotation and discussion. Four elements in the digital support are identified as crucial: an extendable point of reference, facilitation to compare and contrast, a pointer to standard science knowledge, and a structure to guide the students to significant issues. The study identifies where the digital support succeeds and fails in this process of sensemaking from a lab experiment.