Culturally Relevant Science Curriculum Efforts In A Secondary School Uganda

This paper describes the design of a simulated science laboratory experiment which has been customized to meet the needs of St. Denis Secondary School in Uganda, Africa. The on-line program was developed by two master level graduate students in computer science attending Colorado School of Mines. Both students were enrolled in an independent study which was designed to support the acquisition of advanced computing and design skills while exploring humanitarian applications in another country. The targeted high school students have had limited laboratory and computer experience. This paper describes the resultant online experiment which adheres to the curriculum while appealing to students‟ cultural experiences. The user interface is designed to support a comfortable learning experience while facilitating the acquisition of scientific knowledge and hands-on experience with computers. The methodology employed to develop this software was a hybrid of learner-centered design.