Software for managing complex learning: Examples from an educational psychology course

Inquiry-based instruction including problem-, project-, and case-based meth ods often incorporate complex sets of learning activities. The numerous act ivities run the risk of becoming disconnected in the minds of learners and teachers. STAR. Legacy is a software shell that can help designers organize learning activities into an inquiry cycle that is easy to understand and p edagogically sound. To ensure that classroom teachers can adapt the inquiry activities according to their local resources and needs, STAR. Legacy was built upon four types of design principles: learner centered, knowledge cen tered, assessment centered, and community centered. We describe how a STAR. Legacy constructed for an educational psychology course helped preservice teachers design and learn about effective inquiry-based instruction.