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Peer Review

Pocket Seed Experiment

Reviewed:
Mar 16, 2019 by Biology
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Ratings

Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
Content Quality: 4.0 stars
Effectiveness: 4.8 stars
Ease of Use: 4.5 stars
Overview:

The Pocket Seed Experiment is a teaching package focused on the importance of light to plant growth. It is designed for teachers to implement in the classroom or for parents to implement at home. There is an experiment overview, tips for dealing with the data, and methods for walking students through the experiment. There is also additional information to help teachers through this lesson and a companion article about seeds, germination, and growth.

Type of Material:

Reference Material, Simulation.

Recommended Uses:

In class or at home.

This site would be wonderful for school science courses! Those who are limited by resources or space will find this online setup very useful. Additionally, the site provides a well structured environment for people outside of academic institutions to engage in scientific endeavors independently without the need of an instructor present.

Technical Requirements:

Microsoft Excel, Adobe reader, plug-ins for videos.

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Arizona Science Standards

Strand One: Inquiry process

Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses

  • PO 1. (5) Formulate a relevant question through observations that can be tested by an investigation.
  • PO 1. (7) Formulate questions based on observations that lead to the development of a hypothesis.
  • PO 2. (2) Predict the results of an investigation.

Concept 2: Scientific Testing (Investigating and Modeling)

  • PO 1. (7) Demonstrate safe behavior and appropriate procedures in all science inquiry.
  • PO 2. (4) Plan a simple investigation that identifies the variables to be controlled.
  • PO 3. (4) Conduct controlled investigations in life, physical, and Earth and space sciences.
  • PO 4. (5) Measure using appropriate tools (e.g., ruler, scale, balance) and units of measure.
  • PO 5. (5) Record data in an organized and appropriate format.

Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions

  • PO 1. (7) Analyze data obtained in a scientific investigation to identify trends.
  • PO 2. (7) Form a logical argument about a correlation between variables or sequence of events.
  • PO 3. (6) Evaluate the observations and data reported by others.

Strand 4: Life Science

Concept 1: Structure and Function in Living Systems

  • PO 1. (3) Describe the function of the following plant structures: roots, stems, leaves, flowers.

Concept 2: Life Cycles

  • PO 2. (3) Explain how growth, death, and decay are part of the plant life cycle.

Concept 3: Organisms and Environments

  • PO 5. (3) Describe how environmental factors in the ecosystem may affect a member organism's ability to grow, reproduce, and thrive.
Target Student Population:

Middle School, High School, Lower Division college for non-majors.

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

Some biology and experimental design background would be useful.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:
  • Key terms related to experimental design are defined accurately
  • Digital, interactive techniques enhance user experience
Concerns:
  • It would be great if the site included a way to do side-by-side measurements between plants in comparison mode
  • Image quality could be improved
  • Explanations within the images of biological principles could be beneficial
  • There is some inaccurate content (e.g., cotyledons are called endosperm; hypogeal seeds are not  accounted for; the embryo is described as separate from the cotyledons, etc.)
  • The material is presented at a very low level and is not comprehensive

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:
  • Students are able to run their own experiments easily and independently
  • Time becomes less of a limitation for running experiments
  • Instructions for real life setup in class are easy to follow and replicate
  • Background information included helps those with limited biology background understand what is happening in general
  • Color usage is logical
  • The photographs were from real, live specimens
  • Site provides wide variety of tools, background information, and additional resources
  • The experimental design described in this simulation can accompany a hands-on experiment or be fully virtual
  • Good quality instructions for either hands-on or virtual experiments are given
  • The animations are attractive as is the measurement tool
  • Students can design their own experiments
  • Handouts are provided with blank tables and graph paper
Concerns:
  • Amount of software needed to take advantage of the full experiment may exclude some from accessing the experiment's full potential
  • The teacher packet is presented along with the experiment (students may access this)

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:
  • No defective links or major bugs were found
  • Narrations and animations played simultaneously without problems
  • Links provided were useful and concise
  • Navigation is easy
Concerns:
  • May be difficult to navigate for those without computer experience or access to the required software
  • It would be helpful if measurements were able to be made simultaneously on multiple samples
Other Issues and Comments:

The authors have done a great job with this site.

Creative Commons:
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