A case study about supporting the development of thinking by means of ICT and concretisation tools

Improving learning and thinking in school has been an objective of the educational community for a long time. Computer applications and especially mind tools can be helpful in reaching this objective. Control software that operates a connected physical micro world and is used as a kind of mind tool, delivers possibilities to develop and support learning and thinking of pupils in school. We studied pupils’ thinking behaviour (thinking skills and habits of mind) by analysing the progressive discourse of pupils who solved problems using Techno-Logica control software in a hybrid micro world. We developed a first version of an observation instrument and tested its usefulness in exploring thinking behaviour. In this paper, we present the first results and prospective.