Computer Simulations and Scientific Knowledge Construction (original) (raw)
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Jimoyiannis A. (2008). Computer simulations and scientific knowledge construction
Encyclopedia of Information Communication Technology (pp. 106-120), 2008
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is increasingly expanded nowadays and undoubtedly constitutes a vital component of our modern society influencing many aspects of our lives, such as administration, economy, culture, work environment, home-life and most of all education. In particular, multimedia and Internet technologies provide exciting opportunities for the integration of new tools in the curriculum in order to support teaching, to promote students' active engagement and enhance their ability to facilitate high order skills.
The Impact of Computer Simulations on the Teaching and Learning of
2012
The following terminology has been used in this study and is presented alphabetically: Computer Simulation: The computer-generated virtual reality of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted within a seemingly real or physical way by using special electronic equipment. Computer: Electronic machine, operated under the control of instructions stored in its own memory that can accept data (input), manipulate data according to specified rules (process), produce results (output) and store the results for future use. Curriculum Implementer/ subject facilitator: Refers to the South African Department of Education official who supervises in our case the Physical Science programme of study and helps the teachers to understand their common objectives and assists them to plan to achieve the objectives. Curriculum: A combination of the learning outcomes, pedagogy, and content that students are to address. Dinaledi Schools: Schools identified by the South African Department of Education countrywide to excel in Mathematics and Science. These schools are supported by the department and the private sector to increase the number of learners passing high-level Mathematics and Science in Grade 12 and to encourage successful matriculants to pursue further studies in technical disciplines like engineering in tertiary institutions. Experience: Is defined in terms of a teachers' number of years of teaching. That is the number of years the teacher has taught Physical Science in a secondary school. ICT (Information & Communications Technology): Refers generally to computer technologies which include other technologies used for the collection, storage, manipulation and communication of information.
Simulation as an education tool
Western-style scientific methods put a lot of emphasis on the comprehension and theoretical explanation of phenomena, that is, on the accurate modelling of factors that govern system operations. There are a great number of phenomena which are difficult even for well-equipped specialists to observe directly. Our paper, on the one hand, will present the role of informatics in these fields; on the other hand, we will offer a possible methodological structure that can be used both in the classes of informatics (programming) and in the education of the specific field.
A study of educational simulations Part IIInterface Design
Journal of Interactive …, 2008
Interactive computer simulations with complex representations and sophisticated graphics are a relatively new addition to the classroom, and research in this area is limited. We have conducted over 200 individual student interviews during which the students described what they were thinking as they interacted with simulations. These interviews were conducted as part of the research and design of simulations for the Physics Education Technology (PhET) project. PhET is an ongoing project that has developed over 60 simulations for use in teaching physics, chemistry, and physical science. These interviews are a rich source of information about how students interact with computer simulations and what makes an educationally effective simulation. The interviews demonstrate that the simulation must function intuitively or the student's attention is focused on how to use the simulation rather than on the topic presented. Here we provide guidelines for intuitive interface design developed by this research. These cover layout, tool use, help and representations that we use to create a simulation. We give examples from interviews which demonstrate the effectiveness of each guideline for engaging students in educationally productive interactions.
The Design and Use of Simulation Computer Games in Education
2007
Models and simulations have become part and parcel of advanced learning environments, performance technologies and knowledge management systems.This book series will address the nature and types of models and simulations from multiple perspectives and in a variety of contexts in order to provide a foundation for their effective integration into teaching and learning. While much has been written about models and simulations, little has been written about the underlying instructional design principles and the varieties of ways for effective use of models and simulations in learning and instruction. This book series will provide a practical guide for designing and using models and simulations to support learning and to enhance performance and it will provide a comprehensive framework for conducting research on educational uses of models and simulations. A unifying thread of this series is a view of models and simulations as learning and instructional objects. Conceptual and mathematical models and their uses will be described. Examples of different types of simulations, including discrete event and continuous process simulations, will be elaborated in various contexts. A rationale and methodology for the design of interactive models and simulations will be presented, along with a variety of uses ranging from assessment tools to simulation games. The key role of models and simulations in knowledge construction and representation will be described, and a rationale and strategy for their integration into knowledge management and performance support systems will provided. Audience The primary audience for this book series will be educators, developers and researchers involved in the design, implementation, use and evaluation of models and simulations to support learning and instruction. Instructors and students in
Simulation: A View into the Future of Education
Computers in health care, 2016
With the growth of the research enterprise, and its increasing emphasis on laboratory research and the molecular basis of medicine, the education process has changed from an apprentice-based approach to one with intensive classroom learning and an unfortunate reduction in hands-on practice. Further, any clinical experience has become highly supervised, with learners being allowed very little responsibility for patient care and, consequently, not having the opportunity to develop the experience and skill needed to practice autonomously. Medical, nursing, and other healthcare students graduate without the confi dence or practical knowledge that would allow them to be independent practicing professionals. Simulated clinical experience has been proposed as a solution to the urgent need to provide early and frequent clinical experience to healthcare learners. While no simulation can entirely replace actual clinical practice, there is much that can be taught about procedures, process, critical thinking, and decision making in an environment that supports practice and refl ection, without the pressure of clinical responsibility. In this chapter, we review this new direction in education, and present examples of the many ways in which simulation will enrich the learning process in healthcare.
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Simulation: A complex pedagogical space
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology
Simulation is a pedagogy that has been widely used in a number of educational settings (e.g., aviation, transport, social work, nursing education). While it can take numerous forms, it often involves an assortment of high-tech equipment (e.g., flight simulators, manikins) that seek to replicate real settings. Specifically, this paper provides an empirically driven exploration of how simulation laboratories, used in the professional education of nurses, and medical and other health professionals in higher education settings, are practised. Informed by sociomaterial understandings, the paper problematises and disrupts homogeneous understandings of the simulation space as found in much of the health sciences literature. This is done by providing a number of layers ranging from accounts of simulation in literature and empirically driven accounts of simulation in action through to more abstract discussion. The paper is attentive to both the distinct materiality of the spaces involved and...
Simulation in Education and Training
Applied System Simulation, 2003
Historically, the use of simulation has been an important aspect of training in some fields (such as aviation). As the cost of computing power decreases simulation is now finding its way into training for other fields. As simulation moves into these other fields, it is increasingly moving away from traditional large hardware systems (e.g., full-motion simulators) to rich virtual environments such as serious games. However, matching the most efficient type and category of simulation to train specific learning needs is a specialized skill and there is a shortage or gap in the training of simulation specialists who can effectively design and employ training simulation. The skills needed by these professionals are presented and a program that has been established to train professionals in developing these required skills is discussed.