If you are looking for a tool to use in the classroom that will promote critical thinking, reasoning and problem solving skills, then the InspireData Database software program is the one! This activity was a fun way to plot and anlayze data. I was impressed with the program design and how much reasoning and problem solving is necessary to establish relationships and compare data.
My group chose to find out if the track type (wood or steel) of a roller coaster would affect the speed of the roller coaster. When we plotted the data of track type, drop, and speed, we found that steel roller coasters had the fastest speed and the highest drop. Our explanation was that steel roller coasters are stronger and can be built taller and that advantage of a higher drop assures speed.
I found it interesting that I was better at analyzing the data when it was converted from a venn diagram to a graph. I like the visual organization that a graph offers using a "X" and a "Y" axis, and it was easier for me to make comparisons on the graph than it was on the venn diagram. Because everyone has a different style of learning and processing, this program is excellent in allowing for this differentiation. I am making it a goal this year to implement this software into my advanced content classes.
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