ISTE 2016 Coverage

Enhanced Discovery Education Science Techbook Supports STEM Instruction

The digital solution includes significant enhancements that support phenomena-driven learning and STEM instruction, as well as professional development opportunities for educators.

• By Sri Ravipati
• 06/28/16

Discovery Education announced a new version of its Science Techbook, a digital textbook that uses multimedia resources to reinforce complex science concepts. The latest release includes enhancements to its instructional content and design that provide students an easier-to-follow experience, accessible on any device. 

The new Science Techbook is designed from pedagogical best practices, educator feedback and the latest research from Discovery Education’s instructional experts. The digital solution has standards-aligned content, in the form of video, audio, text, interactives, hands-on-activities and virtual labs.

Other enhancements include:

• Two new resources to improve student engagement in STEM instruction and provide students context for learning. One is STEM Project Starters, which assists students in connecting math, technology and engineering concepts to produce creative solutions to real problems. The other is STEM In Action, which helps students connect their work with STEM careers;
• Phenomena-driven questions before concepts in the Science Techbook. Questions will derive from real-world events to trigger curiosity, wonder and critical thinking; and
• A Core Interactive Text feature that blends text with multimedia resources and focuses on phenomena, problems and questions relevant to a range of students. The feature allows students to highlight text or add sticky notes. Text can also be modified for individual reading levels or viewed in Spanish. A collection of Technology Enhanced Items (TEIs) are embedded in the text to help teachers uncover what students know about a concept uncover gaps in learning.

In addition, the solution connects educators to professional development opportunities, such the Discovery Education Community, a global network of education professionals. Members across school systems can connect through social media, virtual conferences and in-person networking events.

“The new enhancements to Discovery Education’s Science Techbook make this breakthrough service even more intuitive and accessible,” said Jennifer Zolikoff, a teacher at Anasazi Elementary in Arizona, in a prepared statement. “The expanded content and functionality will help me even more deeply engage my students in science instruction, and help improve overall academic achievement, no matter the student’s learning style.”

Further information about the Science Techbook is available on the Discovery Education site.