The information era is evident in the implementation of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in schools. ICT may be used to collect information, organize it, store and share it, thereby mediating between students and world phenomena. On the verge of the 21st century we are witnessing the emergence of paperless schools, e.g. schools that utilize digital books, notebooks and virtual labs as a substitute for paper books, notebooks and physical labs. Accordingly, students deal mostly, not with the physical world, but rather with its representation. This creates a parallel world, rather than a merging of the two worlds: the virtual and the physical. This may be linked to the core notion of Vygotsky's cultural-historical activity theory, which states that individuals do not act directly within the environment, but rather artifacts mediate relationships with objects in the physical world [1]. Hence, tools, as well as ICT applications and the Internet itself, may serve as artifacts, which facilitate higher order skills and thus mediate learning in schools and beyond. Engestrom [2] argues against the separation between schooling and other learning experiences; he refers to it as the encapsulation of school learning. To overcome this encapsulation, he offers emphasis on the role of mediating artifacts in human cognition and learning. Environmental programs, being international in nature, may combine real-world experiences with ICT. According to Vygotsky's cultural-historical activity theory, educational design and evaluation, whether in-class or with relation to the virtual environment, should reflect cultural-historical aspects of human activity. Effects of these programs should include indicators measuring sustainable changes [3]. The project described herewith, "Outdoors Virtual Museum" was designed in the spirit of the cultural-historical activity theory. A section of the Tel Aviv coast (Israel), where Levinsky College of Education and Alterman High School are both located, includes a natural wild area with a sandstone ridge and a wetland with some vernal ponds. It is the habitat of several species of plants and animals, some rare and endangered. This region is planned to undergo massive development as part of the city plan high-rise buildings for housing, roads, shopping malls and entertainment quarters. The project goals are to promote an activist-ecological agenda and to facilitate authentic learning in a technology-rich environment. Hence, by highlighting the natural value of the area, we achieve enhanced awareness among students, all of which are Tel-Aviv residents. The project involves 7th grade students and college education students documenting the nature life of the environment and changes due to the development process planned by the municipality. College and High school students, together with an ecologist and their science and science education teachers, toured the area several times and designed 7 stations representing diverse ecological niches. The exact locations were pinpointed using Google Earth. Each stop was then visited once a month by a group of students, measuring temperature and shadowing, and taking photos of the area, and documenting animals and plants. Each location was accompanied by a website constructed for displaying information, including photos. Websites were constructed using Google Sites by the students and updated on a monthly basis. In each physical location a QR code was incorporated, allowing visitors to access information on the websites. This project tackles the encapsulation of school learning by using ICT tools to mediate between the environment and the students. The added value of the product is the exposure of data and information within the community, as the QR-codes in the real world are in open spaces. Allowing their scanning and entering the web pages by all community members.
