Influence of Scaffolding on Information Literacy and Argumentation Skills in Virtual Field Trips and Problem-Based Learning for Scientific Problem Solving

Success in problem-based learning requires both strong information literacy to search for, evaluate, and use information effectively, and argumentation skills to generate coherent arguments. This study investigated the positive and negative effects of computer-based scaffolding to support high-school credit recovery students’ information literacy and argumentation skills in a problem-based learning unit on air quality. Virtual field trips and the Connection Log were designed and developed to provide scaffolding that supported students in addressing conceptual, metacognitive, and strategic challenges. Results revealed that diverse students can use scaffolding in different ways on the basis of distinct goals and prior experiences. These findings imply that information literacy and argumentation skills supported by computer-based scaffolding are pivotal factors in problem-based learning for science education.