Running head: SIMULATIONS FOR DEEPER LEARNING

SIMULATIONS FOR DEEPER LEARNING

Annotated Bibliography

Baljeet Gill

Prepared for: Christopher Rozitis

ETEC 533 - Assignment 1

June 24, 2017

University of British Columbia

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With a drastic change to the British Columbia K-12 curriculum shifting the focus of education

from purely content driven to more competencies based, I see an issue around how we, as

educators, can encourage students to focus on the bigger ideas as laid out in each BC course

curriculum document. I question how simulations can assist educators in the science and math

classrooms to deepen student understanding, support the changes in the BC K-12 curriculum

through inquiry learning and how we can help educators adopt these strategies in their own

classroom. As a business education teacher at the Rick Hansen Secondary School of Science

and Business, I have had the privilege of extensive professional development in the areas of

inquiry learning and its benefits to students learning; I would now like to to further my

understanding around simulations and how to effectively utilize them in my classroom.

For my own teaching practice, constructivism is a key piece of my pedagogy. I, as an educator,

can often forget that students dont have the same experiences as me and thus cannot perceive

the information as I do unless I am able to have them go through these experiences as well; as

Fosnot puts it we cannot afford to forget that knowledge does not exist outside a persons

mind (Fosnot, 2013, p.199). From an educational perspective, it is imperative that student

experience and context be very close to the top of the list during curriculum and lesson design -

in order to make learning meaningful, students must be able to not only experience and

construct knowledge, they should also be encouraged to build on previously constructed

knowledge. I wonder if simulations could be an under-utilized tool to assist in this mission.

To explore the issue of how simulations may be able to assist students and educators in the

science and math classroom in British Columbia, I chose to search three different database all

accessible through the UBC Library website: Google Scholar, ERIC (EBSCO Interface), and

Education Source. I chose Google Scholar because I found that it is able to provide a wide
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range of search results and although I did not use any articles found through this database in

my annotated bibliography, I did utilize some to provide supporting arguments in my introduction

and conclusion. ERIC and Education Source were databases that I encountered in a research

methodology course taken as a part of the UBC MET program and I found the keyword search

to be comprehensive but more importantly the results were generally from academic journals

and were useful for this research assignment. When selecting articles, I chose those that

provided details on how other educators (primarily in post-secondary professional education)

were utilizing simulations to help students deepen their understanding in their field, challenges

these educators faced, and how research in this area could be furthered.

Fang, N., & Guo, Y. (2016). Interactive Computer Simulation and Animation for Improving

Student Learning of Particle Kinetics. Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 32(5),

443-455.

Engineering Dynamics is a core course required by students in civil, mechanical,

aerospace, environmental and biomedical engineering. Due to its abstract nature,

students find this course to be one of the most difficult in their undergraduate study. The

goal of Fang & Guos (2016) research was to determine if Computer simulation and

animation (CSA) would be able to improve student learning particularly related to force

and acceleration. A key contribution of this research is that Fang and Guo (2016)

integrated not only computer visualization (as seen in previous research) but also

mathematical modelling so students could see both what was happening, but also how

and why.
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The researchers employed a quasi-experimental pretest-post-test research design and

had a comparison group of 65 and an intervention group of 77 engineering students.

The finding of the research were such that both student conceptual learning and

procedural learning was impacted. Students who participated in the CSA showed a 29%

increase in procedural learning and a 37% increase in conceptual learning. Also of

importance to science and math educators is the challenge of students arriving in our

classrooms with misconceptions. More than half of the students who participated in the

CSA corrected the misconceptions they had related to course content but the CSA was

still limited in helping students correct their strong misconceptions.

Ceberio, M., Almud, J. M., & Franco, . (2016). Design and Application of Interactive

Simulations in Problem-Solving in University-Level Physics Education. Journal Of

Science Education And Technology, 25(4), 590-609.

The purpose of this study was to determine if simulation-based problem-solving assisted

students in their ability to solve university-level physics problems. The researchers

referenced previous findings that although many students are able to numerically solve

quantitative questions posed in textbooks at the end of the chapter, there remains a gap

in these students understanding and their ability to explain their answers. Ceberio,

Almudi & Franco (2016) establish that a framework exists in academia called guided

research - in other words allowing students to work in small teams of three or four

through a process of inquiry with the teacher as the guide and only intervening when

student contributions become irrelevant. Through this approach, students strive to not
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only answer the questions arithmetically, but moreso focus on explaining why they came

to this conclusion.

The researchers posed three questions in their study all related to whether

simulation-based teaching could improve students abilities to utilize procedures of

problem solving that are consistent with the scientific method. The research consisted of

a total of 170 students divided into two sections of about 85 students each. The control

group of 82 students received traditional teaching where they solved multiple end of

chapter problems while the experimental group of 88 students received simulation-based

teaching as described in the report. The research found that there was a significant level

of improvement in students ability to utilize the scientific method to solve problems and

the findings showed that most of the students reasoned and justified their responses

based on the evidence during the problem-solving process and not on previously

constructed knowledge. The researchers go on to conclude that simulations should be

utilized to a greater extent in post-secondary physics education but also recognize that

creating simulations that are at the correct level for students can be an arduous task; the

problems must be challenging enough that students are able to learn but must also be at

a level that is not too difficult making the questions impossible to solve.

Swinson, R., Clark, A. C., Ernst, J. V., & Sutton, K. (2016). Design, Test, Redesign: Simulation

in

Technology, Engineering, and Design Education Classrooms. Technology And

Engineering Teacher, 75(7), 8-12.

SIMULATIONS FOR DEEPER LEARNING

Design errors or oversights in the engineering world can be costly in many ways:

financial, environmental and social costs all come into play. If for example a part is

designed but does not fit, it could be very a large financial burden for the firms involved.

Further, if a bridge collapses due to any number of controllable issues, the impact can be

catastrophic. Engineering firms have been utilizing simulations effectively for years for

three main reasons - to stress designs of buildings and other structures or parts well

before production begins, to solve problems that arise during production, and to

determine causes of failure should it occur. The authors of this article argue that similar

to how engineering firms are utilizing simulations, students can benefit as well.

As 3D printers become more prevalent in schools, students can create and use solid

models (same models used in 3D printing) to critically analyze before printing begins.

Further, the authors state that digital models created through CAD software can be

stress tested to see how they would react in real-world situations. A practical first step

for educators is to have students participate in tower design challenges; not just to build

the tallest tower, but to also know where they would expect it to fail. This comfort with

CAD and design testing is a form of situated learning that will benefit students as they

begin work in their respective fields.

Mumba, F., & Zhu, M. (2013). Development of an Innovative Interactive Virtual Classroom

System for K-12 Education Using Google App Engine. Journal Of Computers In

Mathematics And Science Teaching, 32(2), 195-217.

Mumba & Zhu (2013) argue that even though there are a wealth of great simulations that

are available for free, there may exist some hurdles that prevent their use in the
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classroom; Many educators are not aware that simulations such as PhET

(http://phet.colorado.edu) even exist. Further, once these simulations are used, teachers

are not given a user friendly interface for assigning tasks, providing feedback and

controlling the parameters of the simulation to suit the learning environment or course

content. Mumba & Zhu (2013) present a Simulation-based Virtual Classroom (SVCR)

that integrates many of the popular simulations that already exist with tools similar to a

learning management system. The authors demonstrate the instructor's ability to

customize lessons and assignments and to utilize the account management functionality

to allow the user to post, submit and receive grading feedback. Their paper goes on to

explain how a user can set up an account and begin to utilize their SVCR to improve the

learning environment in the K-12 classroom.

Hatherly, A. (2017). Teaching Building Science with Simulations. Community College Journal Of

Research & Practice, 41(6), 363-365. doi:10.1080/10668926.2016.1268079

Santa Fe Community College received a grant in 2013 titled SimBuilding from the

National Science Foundation Advanced Technical Education with the intent of

researching the effects of simulations and games on building science. Building materials

have become more modern over the years and thus how these materials behave in

different conditions is not completely understood (unlike traditional materials like wood or

bricks). This report looks at the simulations themselves, challenges implementing these

simulations and both student and educator feedback.

SIMULATIONS FOR DEEPER LEARNING

The challenges that the researchers found in working with the students was their comfort

level with technology and their access to technology and the internet when not on

campus. The problem was further exacerbated as some of the students were returning

mature students with very limited exposure to technology; in some case even their ability

to navigate around a virtual building with a mouse was limited. Some of these limitations

were overcome with one on one instructor time. Instructor feedback was that they

appreciated an engaging way to teach abstract and difficult to teach concepts in building

science. Further, the educators said that students were able to gain a deeper

understanding of the course concepts as they could explore many variables within a

house that would otherwise not be possible.

Conclusion

Research has shown that highly interactive simulations have a potential to increase student

learning through inquiry based problem solving (Mumba & Zhu, 2013). As K-12 educators in

British Columbia, we should be interested in this research as we are being asked by policy

makers to adjust our approach to teaching the curriculum from purely content driven to curricular

competencies and big ideas related to the course (Building Student Success, 2017). One

reservation to utilizing simulations that I have come across from educators of science and

mathematics is that in post-secondary education on these fields is still very traditional and in

order for students to be successful they must be able to sit through lectures and process

information the same way; through this annotated bibliography we have seen this not to be the

case. In fact, in many professional science and engineering careers, the use of simulations is

widely accepted and utilized.

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Crotland et. al. (2014) found that students of pharmacy school and those who were practicing

professionals both saw drastic improvement in assessment scores after going through

simulation training. In fact, the study found that students who participated in the simulation had

statistically higher mean scores than those who did not; the study also found that those students

who did not read the course content, but only participated in the simulation scored higher on the

assessment than those students who read all the course materials. These findings are

meaningful to both educators and policy-makers to ensure they are investing in the training and

development to ensure we are providing our students with the best opportunity to thrive in the

workplace.

The implications outlined in this document are also meaningful to policy makers at the provincial

and district level because investments must be made to ensure educators have professional

development on the proper implementation of simulations in the classroom. Mumba & Zhu

(2013) found that many simulations were not utilized in the classroom because educators didnt

even know they existed. An and Cao (2017) reported that as educators realized games could

be used to develop higher-order thinking and 21st century skills they were much more likely to

utilize these games and simulations in their classroom.

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References

An, Y. y., & Cao, L. l. (2017). The Effects of Game Design Experience on Teachers' Attitudes

and Perceptions regarding the Use of Digital Games in the Classroom. Techtrends:

Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 61(2), 162-170.

doi:10.1007/s11528-016-0122-8

Building Student Success - BC's New Curriculum. (2017). Retrieved June 18, 2017, from

https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

Ceberio, M., Almud, J. M., & Franco, . (2016). Design and Application of Interactive

Simulations in Problem-Solving in University-Level Physics Education. Journal Of

Science Education And Technology, 25(4), 590-609.

Croland, J., Cotter, T., & Dwiggins, M. (12/01/2014). Simulation in healthcare : Journal of the

society for medical simulation: Board #116 - research abstract Theres more to

simulation in high school than Drivers ed and fire drills Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

doi:10.1097/01.SIH.0000459286.99867.e2

Fang, N., & Guo, Y. (2016). Interactive Computer Simulation and Animation for Improving

Student Learning of Particle Kinetics. Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 32(5),

443-455.

Fosnot, C.T. (2005). Constructivism: Theory, Perspectives, and Practice [Kindle Edition].
SIMULATIONS FOR DEEPER LEARNING

Hatherly, A. (2017). Teaching Building Science with Simulations. Community College Journal Of

Research & Practice, 41(6), 363-365. doi:10.1080/10668926.2016.1268079

Mumba, F., & Zhu, M. (2013). Development of an Innovative Interactive Virtual Classroom

System for K-12 Education Using Google App Engine. Journal Of Computers In

Mathematics And Science Teaching, 32(2), 195-217.

Swinson, R., Clark, A. C., Ernst, J. V., & Sutton, K. (2016). Design, Test, Redesign: Simulation

in

Technology, Engineering, and Design Education Classrooms. Technology And

Engineering Teacher, 75(7), 8-12.

Zichermann, G. (2011, June). Gabe Zichermann: How games make kids smarter [Video file].

Retrieved from

https://www.ted.com/talks/gabe_zichermann_how_games_make_kids_smarter