Computer Simulations Research Findings:
Data from a survey of secondary science departments in the fall
of 1992 indicate that 49 percent of those surveyed used computers
in teaching science at least occasionally. Although the most common
use of computers was for simulations, only 18 percent of the schools
surveyed indicated that computers were used once or twice per week.
In the Classroom:
Many scientific models are difficult or impossible to observe, or
are so complex that they are difficult to study in the laboratory.
In chemistry, for example. Students cannot observe the motion of
atoms in solids, liquids, and gases because of their size. In physics'
the study of velocity and acceleration becomes difficult in the
laboratory because the observer has to account fro friction. In
biology, studies of genetics might have to extend over a prolonged
time period.
Computer simulations can overcome
Use of simulations tends to result in increased achievement on complex
and difficult concepts in less time than conventional instruction.
Simulations (sometimes referred to as microworlds) can be used by
instructors in classroom settings; however, the most effective use
is by students either alone or in small groups. These permits guided
exploration by students of the variations of the system, leads to
better conceptual understanding and achievement, and appears to
increase students' problem solving and process skills. Recent microworld
software allows students to “build" their own models
of situations, and then test them in a simulated environment.
As with analogies, the use of simulations may create misconceptions,
and so requires careful attention to the understandings (or misunderstandings)
produced. They should not be used exclusively in place of laboratory
activities, and teachers must take care to help students identify
the limitations of the simulated models.
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