Reflectively prototyping a tool for exchanging ideas

We describe our approach to prototyping an iteration of the Idea Manager, a tool integrated into an online science inquiry environment. Students use the Idea Manager to track ideas as they encounter new information, and reflect upon, sort, and distinguish ideas toward integrating their understanding. To explore the value of collaborative features, we designed a hybrid online/offline activity to facilitate students exchanging ideas with the Idea Manager. Based on student interviews and case studies, we identify aspects of collaboration to inform design features for enabling the meaningful exchange of ideas. Whereas most design accounts focus on the evaluative role of prototyping, this study highlights its reflective use, and its role in involving multiple stakeholders in rapid iterative cycles of establishing requirements, building alternatives, and testing. By documenting these iterative design activities, this study informs both the theory and practice of designing collaborative educational technologies.