Simulations in General Chemistry
Link
Yildiz, R., et. al.. (1996)"The cognitive impact of multimedia simulations on 14 year old students". British Journal of Educational Technology v. 27, p. 106-15.
It's really hard to read articles I don't get in PDF. Not getting the graphics can be a pain.
What I've pulled from this study that I find important is that simulations are much more beneficial for high-performing students than average and below average students. While logical, it deserves some discussion. Why is it that high-performing students found more gain from a lab simulation than middle and low performing students?
Yildiz, R., et. al.. (1996)"The cognitive impact of multimedia simulations on 14 year old students". British Journal of Educational Technology v. 27, p. 106-15.
It's really hard to read articles I don't get in PDF. Not getting the graphics can be a pain.
What I've pulled from this study that I find important is that simulations are much more beneficial for high-performing students than average and below average students. While logical, it deserves some discussion. Why is it that high-performing students found more gain from a lab simulation than middle and low performing students?
- High-performing students often start with a better concept of what it is they are working with. Simulations are rarely designed for the total novice.
- As they get the hang of the environment, high-performing students are more likely to feel comfortable exploring and even playing within the system. This allows them to get more out of the system, and increases their learning gains.
- High-performing students usually need less guidance, allowing them to successfully navigate the program faster, providing them more time to work on the material.
posted by MJS at 11:10 PM
3 Comments:
High performing kids really do behave differently. They do need less guidance. In fact they don’t welcome it. High performing students generally have some independence in seeking knowledge.
Lower performing kids tend to look for what is required and don't want to explore on their own. I don't know if it is just lack of motivation or a habit they developed. It could be that they just don't feel safe making mistakes and taking risks.
Jessica
I am going to use an analogy comparing AP Stat with our "regular" Stat class. Our AP Stat class does not have to go through all the manual calculations that our regular kids do because so much is intuitive. Therefore, they can go straight to the calculator and run the numbers on various applications. With the regular kids, I have to spend more time understanding the process using paper and pencil so that they understand the why behind the how. Both groups end up answering questions at the higher levels, but the process is just different to get there. The AP kids also get there much faster. Some simulations probably don't go through the process slowly enough or in as much depth - so for the lower kids the "understanding" is not able to be developed.
Beth
"This seems to suggest to me that it may be better to use these as supplemental or extension activities than a frequent mainline part of my curriculum."
I agree with Beth, the problem with the simulations is that the designers didn't provide enough flexibility for the sim to be helpful. There should be different degrees of realism, and the sim should be viewable at different speeds and show different processes depending on the students viewing.
The flight simulator used for an airline pilot is going to be very different than the sim used for a beginner pilot.
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