Learning Science Through Computer Games and Simulations (2011) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
2 Learning with Simulations and Games
2 Learning with Simulations and Games
Pages 25-56
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 25... ...
The chapter concludes with a summary of key findings -- both about the effectiveness of simulations and games and about the state of the research. LEARNING GOALS The committee views science learning as a complex, multifaceted process that involves not only mastering science concepts, but also skills in designing and carrying out scientific investigations and feelings and attitudes toward science.
|
From page 26... ...
. Because science process skills and understanding of the nature of science are especially closely related, the committee merged them, reducing
|
From page 27... ...
It is important to keep in mind the strengths and weaknesses of study designs when reviewing research findings. Overall, the research provides promising evidence that the use of simulations can enhance conceptual understanding in science and moderate evidence that simulations can motivate interest in science and science learning.
|
From page 28... ...
The results suggest that the simulations' effectiveness in motivating learners was closely related to their effectiveness in supporting conceptual understanding. The authors found that a PhET simulation can be highly engaging and effective for mastering physics concepts, but only if the student's interaction with the simulation is directed by the student's own questioning -- a process they refer to as "engaged exploration." Through this process, most study participants were able to accurately describe the concepts covered in the simulation and apply the concepts to correctly predict behaviors in the simulation.
|
From page 29... ...
. They provide promising evidence that simulations can help students generate, understand, remember, and use science concepts, particularly when they are supported by other forms of instruction within a larger curriculum unit (Clark et al., 2009)
|
From page 30... ...
On the diffusion laboratory, 13 out of 15 students showed statistically significant gains from pretest to posttest, and on the osmosis laboratory, 23 of 31 students demonstrated statistically significant gains. Based on these results and interviews with study participants, the authors concluded that the simulated experiments helped students overcome several common alternative conceptions about diffusion and osmosis.
|
From page 31... ...
The authors found that the homework grades accounted for 24 percent of the variation in exam scores, suggesting that engaging in science processes with the virtual laboratories increased students' conceptual understanding. In addition, the lack of a significant relationship between the homework grades and the pretest scores suggests that virtual laboratory activities developed additional understanding beyond what students brought to the class.
|
From page 32... ...
Although the study does not demonstrate that simulations are more effective than other forms of science instruction, it provides further evidence that simulations can help students master science concepts by engaging them in science processes. Recent Syntheses of Research on Simulations Linn and Eylon (in press)
|
From page 33... ...
Conceptual Understanding in Domains Outside Science Simulations for military training have demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing the conceptual understanding and related skills needed to perform specific jobs; cost-effectiveness is a key measure of success (Fletcher, 2009a, 2009b)
|
From page 34... ...
, only a few studies have focused on -- or directly assessed -- their potential to advance these two learning goals. One study that that specifically examined science process skills focused on ThinkerTools, a simulation-based curriculum unit addressing Newton's laws of motion (White and Frederiksen, 1998)
|
From page 35... ...
curriculum unit, focusing on three learning goals: (1) science process (inquiry)
|
From page 36... ...
For example, one task asked the student to manipulate the model of a genome so that a trait appears to skip a generation. Successful performance on these tasks, as well as a systematic approach to the tasks, correlated with gains in conceptual understanding measured by pretests and posttests, suggesting that development of science process skills supported the gains in conceptual understanding.
|
From page 37... ...
. An early study compared two Boston area public middle school classes using the pilot version of River City with two matched control classes in which students received inquiry-oriented instruction focusing on the same science learning goals.
|
From page 38... ...
All participants completed a pretest and posttest focusing on affective dimensions of science learning; one subscale measured interest in a scientific career. The River City group gained 5 percent more on this subscale than the control group.
|
From page 39... ...
To date, however, only a few investigators have examined this important issue. In the large study of River City described above, all students (regardless of gender, ethnicity, or English language proficiency)
|
From page 40... ...
instructional content, delivered as narrated speech by a pedagogical agent. Students who heard personalized content outperformed students who received neutral content on assessment questions focused on retention of science content as well as on questions focused on transfer of problem-solving skills. When Moreno and Mayer (2004)
|
From page 41... ...
. Science Process Skills and Understanding of the Nature of Science Research on two games designed for use in science classrooms -- Quest Atlantis and River City -- has examined development of science process skills.
|
From page 42... ...
Two new types of virtual formative feedback included in the game the following year resulted in substantially larger gains in both conceptual understanding and science processes as measured by the two assessments. Several studies of River City have also investigated science process skills.
|
From page 43... ...
Perceptual and Spatial Abilities Researchers are studying how games may influence perceptual and spatial abilities that play a role in development of science process skills. For ex ample, experimental neuroscientists investigate how "action games" -- that is, fast-paced, first-person shooter games in three-dimensional environments -- may influence the ability to focus on a topic of interest while ignoring all other information.
|
From page 44... ...
Anderson (in press) found that embedded scaffolds in Quest Atlantis supported students in dialogue about the inquiry activities and in expressing as well as acquiring science content and process skills.
|
From page 45... ...
Science learning, including learning through inquiry, is enhanced when instruction is targeted to clearly defined learning goals (National Research Council, 2005b)
|
From page 46... ...
Many of the examples provide evidence that simulations enhance conceptual understanding of science when they are scaffolded with other forms of instruction in larger curriculum units (e.g., ThinkerTools, NIELS, Biologica)
|
From page 47... ...
Games demonstrate that providing challenges and scaffolds in an appropriate balance can keep motivation high. Ideally, they also help students develop important dispositions that include identify ing with scientific activities and content to help reach important science learning goals.
|
From page 48... ...
(2007) found that study participants who experienced the simulated Whypox virus in a classroom setting, in which they also learned about infectious diseases through other forms of instruction, experienced gains in conceptual understanding and in identification with the scientific enterprise.
|
From page 49... ...
. This study suggests that, when designing simulations, it is important that the salient features of the simulation are ones that will be most productive in terms of the targeted learning goals.
|
From page 50... ...
Feedback An extensive body of research supports the view that providing learners with feedback enhances learning, and this also appears to be the case when using simulations and games. For example, the "reflection prompts" in ThinkerTools encouraged students to reflect on their own thinking, which in turn led to gains in both science process skills and conceptual understanding (White and Frederikson, 1998)
|
From page 51... ...
For example, the limited degree of control provided to users of PhET simulations appears to be well aligned with the goals of these simulations -- to increase conceptual understanding of specific science topics. If the goal of a simulation or game is to increase science process skills and understanding, the research suggests that the degree of user control must be carefully balanced.
|
From page 52... ...
improved understanding of gas laws, especially among learners with low prior knowledge of the topic. These findings suggest that it is important to consider the target audience when designing a simulation or game and also to include adaptive features that modify the pace and type of information, based on user responses.
|
From page 53... ...
. Assessments are often designed to measure conceptual understanding alone, rather than other learning goals, and generally rely on paper and pencil tests, rather than taking advantage of digital technology to embed assessments in simulations or games (see Chapter 5)
|
From page 54... ...
Conclusion: Simulations and games have potential to advance multiple science learning goals, including motivation to learn science, conceptual understanding, science process skills, understanding of the nature of science, scientific discourse and argumentation, and identification with science and science learning. There is promising evidence that simulations enhance conceptual understanding, but effectiveness in conveying science concepts requires good design, testing, and proper scaffolding of the learning experience itself.
|
From page 55... ...
Development of simulations and games has outpaced research and development of assessment of their learning outcomes, limiting the amount of evidence related to other learning goals beyond conceptual understanding. Conclusion: The many gaps and weaknesses in the body of research on the use of simulations and games for science learning make it difficult to build a coherent base of evidence that could demonstrate their effectiveness and inform future improvements.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.