STEM | ISTE 2014 Coverage

SPARKvue Adds Real-Time Collaboration for Lab Activities

• By Leila Meyer
• 06/30/14

PASCO scientific has updated its K-12 science learning application, SPARKvue. The latest version enables students and teachers to share data and collaborate on lab activities in real time, and adds an array of other new features for students and teachers.

SPARKvue aims to help science educators "produce a new type of scientist — one who understands a broad range of disciplinary approaches, is able to ask creative questions, and is trained to answer those questions with a wide range of tools," said Steven Korte, CEO of PASCO, in a prepared statement. According to the company, the SPARKvue learning environment includes rich content along with tools for data collection, visualization, analysis and assessment. The software runs on iPad and Android tablets, netbooks, Windows and Mac computers and Chromebooks.

New features in SPARKvue include:

• Ability to connect sensors and collect data on Chromebooks;
• Free SPARKvue apps for iPad, Android and Chromebook;
• Assessment and journaling features;;
• Access to more than 70 free SPARKlabs, which the company describes as discovery-based, interactive lab activities that combine content with data collection and analysis;
• Support for student sensor data analysis at school or home;
• Student journal snapshots of work as well as written observations;
• SPARKlab authoring tools for teachers; and
• Support for custom interactive lab activities and assessment questions.

The free SPARKvue apps for iPad, Android and Chromebook are available at the Apple App Store, Google Play and Chrome Web Store. USB and Bluetooth sensor ports and sensors are available from PASCO scientific.

Further information about SPARKvue can be found on PASCO scientific's site.