Russell Smith's BLOGical

ECI 514--Simulation Software

One of the ways in which to get students more involved and interested in using technology in the classroom is by providing and using different types of software during the course of their lessons.  Different types of software offer educational games or information gathering sources.  One type of software, simulation software, allow students to actively investigate concepts and conduct activities that would be prohibitive in the classroom due to overwhelming cost, limited time factors, or factors that would not allow them to be investigated otherwise.  These simulations that are offered allow students to pretend they are visiting an exotic location far removed from the classroom, conduct experiments that would be too dangerous in real life, or visit another culture from the distant past.  The most widely believed benefit of the use of simulation software is that their use by students results in a greater amount of conceptual understanding.  Using simulation software can also increase a student?s ability to solve problems by manipulating factors until the desired result takes place.

The Astronomy Village simulation study conducted by Hong, McGee, and Howard investigated the effects of various learning outcomes based on students? use of a multimedia learning environment called ?Astronomy Village: Investigating the Universe?.  The program simulated a mountain-top observatory where students took part in one of two investigations: either the ?Nearby Star? investigation, or the ?Variable Star? investigation.  After undergoing both investigations, some students were presented with 2 well-structured problems that each required one definitive answer.  The other students were presented with 2 loosely-structured questions that could have more than one correct solution.  These students had to determine which solution was the best from a selection of three alternative solutions.  The results of this study showed that students learned more when solving the well-structured problems than did the students who solved the loosely-structured questions.  This study also showed that the Astronomy Village simulation needed to be better defined in order to better support the process of scientific inquiry, since most students were never exposed to both investigations. 

?Exploring the Nardoo? was another simulation that was discussed.  The article written by Dwyer and Lopez investigated how the use of this software in middle school classrooms affected students? comprehension of river ecosystems.  This program simulates a river ecosystem, where students can explore the interactions between living organisms and the environment around them.  It also demonstrates how human interaction with the river affects the inhabitants of the river, for good or ill.  The simulation allows students to perform virtual experiments with factors that influence the growth of algae in the water, or investigate how one factor affects the environment over an extended amount of time.  Students can take water samples in different areas of the river and compare pH levels.  Such activities might be impractical in a real-life setting, due to time constraints, available science resources, geographic setting, and prohibitive costs.  However, the simulation allows the students to experience the process in a risk-free environment where mistakes can be made and learned from without permanently affecting the test area.  Teachers who used this type of software have seen great benefits in their use, such as increased interest and participation in students, greater comprehension of concepts, and application of their experience in new applications. 

Using simulation software could be useful in a variety of subjects and levels in the classroom.  Students who are studying the Revolutionary War could enter a simulation where they are a commander of one of the armies and decide in what direction they should march or whether they should head in a different direction due to weather conditions.  Science classes could use simulation software to investigate the types of life that exist in layers of soil, and why they are important to the existence of plants.  Math classes could use simulation software to determine how much fencing is needed to surround a garden, or how many square feet each room in a house contains.  Students in Language Arts classes could use simulation software and take on the persona of a character from ?David Copperfield? and interact with characters from the story.  Simulations offer students and teachers the chance to step beyond the boundaries of the classroom and conduct activities that would be impractical or impossible to conduct otherwise.

Posted at 03:00PM Oct 12, 2006 by rjsmith3 in General  |  Comments[0]