weSPOT, a project supported by the European Commission, addresses several challenges to building personal knowledge, specifically in the area of science. It focuses on inquiry-based learning, in which the learner takes the role of a self-motivated explorer, and provides support for building these skills.
The main problem areas weSPOT tackles are the general lack of inquiry skills in students from ages 12 to 25, the dearth of technological support to bolster students’ curiosity, linking everyday world experiences to the classroom, streamlining e-learning with inquiry-based approaches, and measuring the impact of inquiry projects.
weSPOT’s main objectives are: (a) defining a reference model for inquiry-based learning skills, (b) creating a diagnostic instrument for measuring inquiry skills, and (c) implementing a working environment that allows the easy linking of inquiry activities with school curricula and legacy systems