Complex phenomena understanding in electricity through dynamically linked concrete and abstract representations

The present study investigates the impact of utilizing virtual laboratory environments combining dynamically linked concrete and abstract representations in investigative activities on the ability of students to comprehend simple and complex phenomena in the field of electric circuits. Forty‐two 16‐ to 17‐year‐old high school students participated in a guided‐inquiry‐based teaching intervention utilizing a virtual laboratory environment and were assigned to three conditions: functional dynamically linked concrete and abstract representations of objects (CA approach), functional concrete representations of objects alone (C approach) and functional abstract representations of objects alone (A approach). All conditions used the same instructor, instructional method and materials. A pretest–post‐test scheme was used to assess the students' conceptual evolution. A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance of the results indicates that after instruction all groups show a similar significant improvement in comprehending simple phenomena in electric circuits. However, for complex phenomena, the CA approach significantly outperforms the other two. It seems, therefore, that in the field of electric circuits, investigative activities utilizing virtual laboratory environments with dynamically linked concrete and abstract representations of objects may foster enhanced understanding of phenomena with a high degree of complexity for high school students.     

How computers facilitate English foreign language learners acquire English abstract words

This study investigated computer assisted (CAL) foreign language abstract word learning. A total of 13 commonly encountered abstract words at the elementary school level were chosen to be studied in the abstract word learning system. According to the theories in CAL, the abstract word learning system was designed to provide context for language learning as well as flexibility in learning time, paths, and modes. A total of 38 sixth graders engaged in learning with the system. It was found that students learning with the system learned significantly more abstract words than students in regular language learning class. This paper also provides suggestions for further improvements in the CAL system used in this study.     

Students' online interactive patterns in augmented reality-based inquiry activities

Inquiry learning has been developing for years and many countries have incorporated inquiry learning into the scope of K-12 education. Educators have indicated the importance of engaging students in knowledge-sharing activities during the inquiry learning process. In this study, a location-based augmented reality (AR) environment with a five-step guiding mechanism is developed to guide students to share knowledge in inquiry learning activities. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in terms of promoting the knowledge sharing behaviors of students, an experiment has been conducted in an elementary school natural science course. The participants were 57 fourth-grade students from an elementary school in Northern Taiwan, divided into an experimental group of 28 students who learned with the AR-based approach and a control group of 29 students who learned with the conventional in-class mobile learning approach. The students' learning behaviors, including their movements in the real-world environment and interactions with peers, were recorded. Accordingly, the learning patterns and interactions of the two groups were analyzed via lag-sequential analysis and quantitative content analysis. It was found that, in comparison with the conventional inquiry-based mobile learning activity, the AR-based inquiry learning activity is able to engage the students in more interactions for knowledge construction. The findings of this study provide guidance for helping teachers develop effective strategies and learning designs for conducting inquiry-based learning activities.     

The interactions between problem solving and conceptual change: System dynamic modelling as a platform for learning

This study examines the interactions between problem solving and conceptual change in an elementary science class where students build system dynamic models as a form of problem representations. Through mostly qualitative findings, we illustrate the interplay of three emerging intervening conditions (epistemological belief, structural knowledge and domain knowledge), the choice of learning strategy and the learning outcomes through a theoretical model.     

Fostering elementary school students' understanding of simple electricity by combining simulation and laboratory activities

Abstract   Computer simulations and laboratory activities have been traditionally treated as substitute or competing methods in science teaching. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate if it would be more beneficial to combine simulation and laboratory activities than to use them separately in teaching the concepts of simple electricity. Based on their pre-test performances, 66 elementary school students were placed into three different learning environments: computer simulation, laboratory exercise and a simulation–laboratory combination. The results showed that the simulation–laboratory combination environment led to statistically greater learning gains than the use of either simulation or laboratory activities alone, and it also promoted students' conceptual understanding most efficiently. There were no statistical differences between simulation and laboratory environments. The results highlight the benefits of using simulation along with hands-on laboratory activities to promote students' understanding of electricity. A simulation can help students to first understand the theoretical principles of electricity; however, in order to promote conceptual change, it is necessary to challenge further students' intuitive conceptions by demonstrating through testing that the laws and principles that are discovered through a simulation also apply in reality.     

Effects of learning support in simulation-based physics learning

This paper describes the effects of learning support on simulation-based learning in three learning models: experiment prompting, a hypothesis menu, and step guidance. A simulation learning system was implemented based on these three models, and the differences between simulation-based learning and traditional laboratory learning were explored in the context of physics studies. The effects of the support type on learning performance were also quantified. In second-year junior high school students it was found that the outcome for learning about the basic characteristics of an optical lens was significantly better for simulation-based learning than for laboratory learning. We also investigated the influences of different learning models on the students’ abstract reasoning abilities, which showed that the different learning models do not have different effects on individuals with different abstract reasoning abilities. However, we found that students who are better at higher abstract reasoning benefit more from simulation-based learning, and also that the learning results are better for experiment prompting and a hypothesis menu than for step guidance.     

An interactive concept map approach to supporting mobile learning activities for natural science courses

Mobile and wireless communication technologies not only enable anytime and anywhere learning, but also provide the opportunity to develop learning environments that combine real-world and digital-world resources. Nevertheless, researchers have indicated that, without effective tools for helping students organize their observations in the field, the mobile learning performance could be disappointing. To cope with this problem, this study proposes an interactive concept map-oriented approach for supporting mobile learning activities. An experiment has been conducted on an elementary school natural science course to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The experimental results show that the proposed approach not only enhances learning attitudes, but also improves the learning achievements of the students.     

Reconsidering simulations in science education at a distance: features of effective use

Abstract  This paper proposes a reconsideration of use of computer simulations in science education. We discuss three studies of the use of science simulations for undergraduate distance learning students. The first one, The Driven Pendulum simulation is a computer-based experiment on the behaviour of a pendulum. The second simulation, Evolve is concerned with natural selection in a hypothetical species of a flowering plant. The third simulation, The Double Slit Experiment deals with electron diffraction and students are provided with an experimental setup to investigate electron diffraction for double and single slit arrangements. We evaluated each simulation, with 30 students each for The Driven Pendulum and Evolve simulations and about 100 students for The Double Slit Experiment . From these evaluations we have developed a set of the features for the effective use of simulations in distance learning. The features include student support, multiple representations and tailorability.     

The development of SCORM‐conformant learning content based on the learning cycle using participatory design

This study incorporates the 5E learning cycle strategy to design and develop Sharable Content Object Reference Model‐conformant materials for elementary science education. The 5E learning cycle that supports the constructivist approach has been widely applied in science education. The strategy consists of five phases: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration and evaluation. It has potential value for creating effective science e‐learning materials. This study implemented the participatory design (PD) method to investigate the possibility of applying the 5E model to science e‐learning materials. PD is an approach that understands knowledge by doing and focuses on collaborating with the intended users rather than designing ‘for’ them. In this study, researchers, designers and elementary science teachers cooperated at all stages of the design process (including explanation, analysis and decision making). The issues to be dealt with in this study included instructional designs based on the 5E model, techniques or specifications of e‐learning, learning objects, metadata and procedures. The results of this study provided concrete recommendations for how to incorporate the 5E learning cycle and how to develop effective e‐learning materials for elementary science instruction.     

Effects of teaching and learning styles on students’ reflection levels for ubiquitous learning

Ubiquitous learning (u-learning), in conjunction with supports from the digital world, is recognized as an effective approach for situating students in real-world learning environments. Earlier studies concerning u-learning have mainly focused on investigating the learning attitudes and learning achievements of students, while the causations such as learning style and teaching style were usually ignored. This study aims to investigate the effects of teaching styles and learning styles on reflection levels of students within the context of u-learning. In particular, we investigated the teaching styles at the dimensions of brainstorming and instruction and recall and the learning styles at the dimensions of active and reflective learning. The experiment was conducted with 39 fifth grader students at an elementary school in southern Taiwan. A u-learning environment was established at a butterfly ecology garden to conduct experiments for natural science courses. The experimental results of one-way ANCOVA show that those students who received a matching teaching–learning style presented a significant improvement in their reflection level. That is, matching the learning styles of students with the appropriate teaching styles can significantly improve students’ reflection levels in a u-learning environment.     

Understanding mobile technology-fit behaviors outside the classroom

An increase in mobile device usage among college students has been documented in different countries. We provide a solid theoretical and empirical foundation for mobile learning in the context of distance education, and more guidance in terms of how to utilize emerging mobile technologies and to integrate them into their teaching more effectively. This research focuses on a deeper understanding of how learners use mobiles as learning tools outside the classroom. Our results are based on a specific population drawn from two different countries, in which the US (United States) population reflected students from the education field, while the students from Israel are drawn more from the engineering and science fields. The findings of this study contribute to the generalizations to the education field and information system designers who need to analyze and design mobile-learning (m-learning) applications to be used outside the classroom.     

Exploring relations among college students’ prior knowledge,implicit theories of intelligence,and self-regulated learning in a hypermedia environment

Researchers and educators continue to explore how to assist students in the acquisition of conceptual understanding of complex science topics. While hypermedia learning environments (HLEs) afford unique opportunities to display multiple representations of these often abstract topics, students who do not engage in self-regulated learning (SRL) with HLEs often fail to achieve conceptual understanding. There is a lack of research regarding how student characteristics, such as prior knowledge and students’ implicit theory of intelligence (ITI), interact with SRL to influence academic performance. In this study, structural equation modeling was used to investigate these issues. It was found that prior knowledge and ITI were related to SRL and performance, and that SRL acted as a benevolent moderator, enhancing the positive effects of prior knowledge upon learning, and diminishing the negative effects of having a maladaptive ITI.     

Measuring achievement of ICT competency for students in Korea

In the current information society, the need for securing human resources acquired with ICT competency is becoming a very important issue. In USA, England, Japan, India and Israel improving students’ ICT competency has become a pedagogical issue. Accordingly, education on ICT competency is changing in many countries emphasizing the basis of computer science. The Korean government revised the ICT curriculum of 2001 focused on the basic concepts and principles of computer science as educational policy in 2005. However, it is still difficult to determine a student’s ICT competency level and the outcome of ICT curriculum based on changed direction. Thereupon, this study has developed test tool for measuring the level of Korean elementary school students’ ICT competency based on computer science. In this study, ‘Content’ and ‘Information processing’ are established as the two axes of the test frame standard through literature research, consideration and discussion. The validity and reliability of questions are verified though the preliminary test and the main test tool has completed through question revisions considering the distribution of answers. About 40,000 students, roughly 1% of the total elementary school students, are selected for the main test. There were several findings made in this study. Korea’s elementary school students have a weakness in ‘algorithm and modeling’. Information processing stage has been found to vary by grade. A modified ‘Angoff method’ is used to confirm the spread of the ICT competency levels of the target students. From the results, the cutoff score employed to divide the subjects into three levels, excellent, average and below average, the ratio of excellent levels decreases and the ratio of below average increases in higher grades. To solve these problems, we need to emphasize algorithmic thinking oriented more principal of computer science in ICT curriculum. For more effective ICT elementary education, teaching and learning strategies appropriate for young children to teach computer science should be introduced.     

A two-tier test approach to developing location-aware mobile learning systems for natural science courses

The advancement of wireless and mobile technologies has enabled students to learn in an environment that combines learning resources from both the real world and the digital world. Although such an approach has been recognized as being innovative and important, several problems have been revealed in practical learning activities. One major problem is owing to the lack of proper learning strategies or tools for assisting the students to acquire knowledge in such a complex learning scenario. Students might feel excited or engaged when using the mobile devices to learn in the real context; nevertheless, their learning achievements could be disappointing. To deal with this problem, this study presents a mobile learning system that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to detect and examine real-world learning behaviors of students. This study also utilizes each student’s responses from a two-tier test (i.e., multiple-choice questions in a two-level format) to provide personalized learning guidance (called two-tier test guiding, T³G). The experimental results from a natural science course of an elementary school show that this innovative approach is able to improve the learning achievements of students as well as enhance their learning motivation.     

Integrating cluster and sequential analysis to explore learners’ flow and behavioral patterns in a simulation game with situated-learning context for science courses: A video-based process exploration

Much emphasis has been placed on the research on applying digital games in science education. Among the studies, the advantages and limitations of role-playing simulation games deserve further exploration. However, existing analyses of the behavioral patterns of role-playing simulation games in science education remain substantially lacking, particularly the integration of diverse behavioral pattern analysis methods. This study thus seeks to analyze the videotaped learning process of 86 college students in game-based learning activities that utilize a role-playing simulation game. This study used the integrated method of sequential analysis and cluster analysis and explored the learners’ flow state and learning behavioral patterns. The results show that the use of integrated behavioral pattern analysis helps to explore the traits and limitations of role-playing simulation games in science education as well as learners’ reflective behavior patterns.This study identifies a wide variety of learning behavior patterns from three potential clusters of learners and then discusses the learning process of each cluster. The different levels of flow experienced by the learners affected their learning behavior patterns; learners with higher levels of flow demonstrated a more in-depth reflective process. The study further discusses the results of these analyses and makes relevant recommendations for the systems development of the games, its educational applications, and evaluation methods.     

Deconstructing and reconstructing: Transforming primary science learning via a mobilized curriculum

The history of science education reform has been fundamentally centered around science curriculum development and implementation. The advent of mobile technologies has necessitated a re-examination of how students could better learn science through these 21st century tools. Conventional teaching materials may not prepare students to learn the inquiry way and to become self-directed and social learners who could learn “everywhere and all the time (seamlessly)” using mobile technologies. This paper is based on our first year of work in our mobile learning research project in transforming primary three science lessons into a “mobilized” curriculum for a classroom context in which students routinely use mobile technologies. Using an exemplar fungi topic, we discuss our approach as well as experiences in deconstructing and reconstructing an existing curriculum through a co-design approach with teachers in a Singapore local school. In doing so, we make a contribution to the methodology for developing mobilized science curricula for in-class learning that also extends to out-of-class learning.     

Promoting argumentation in primary science contexts: an analysis of students' interactions in formal and informal learning environments

The paper reports on the outcomes of a study that utilized a graphical tool, Digalo, to stimulate argumentative interactions in both school and informal learning settings. Digalo was developed in a European study to explore argumentation in a range of learning environments. The focus here is on the potential for using Digalo in promoting argumentative interactions of students in primary science, first, in a school‐based context of students investigating and learning about electricity, and second, in a hands‐on science discovery centre where students are interacting with different scientific phenomena. Data sources included observations of students using Digalo in the two contexts and the resultant Digalo maps. Analysis of observations focused on students' engagement and interactions, and of Digalo maps in terms of the process and content of argumentation. A previously developed level system was used to evaluate the process of argumentation. The study has revealed some limitations of Digalo as a teaching resource, but has provided insights into ways in which students build their knowledge with the help of Digalo as they interact with each other and with scientific phenomena.     

Measuring the impact of a blended learning model on early literacy growth

In the context of trying to improve reading proficiency in elementary school students, this study investigated the use of digital technology as part of a blended learning program, Core5, in kindergarten and first grade classes. A quasi-experimental design compared 283 treatment students instructed in schools using Core5 with 237 control students in schools using traditional instruction in an urban school district. At the beginning of the school year, all students were pretested with Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), a commonly used reading assessment. During the school year, the treatment schools implemented Core5, which includes the online component and offline teacher-led lessons. The English Language Arts curriculum was evaluated and found to be similar across treatment and control schools. At the end of the school year, all students were post-tested with DIBELS. Results from propensity score analyses showed that treatment students outperformed control students and that the discrepancy between treatment and control groups on post-test scores was more pronounced when students had lower pretest scores. These outcomes point to the value of using Core5 for reading instruction in early elementary grades.     

Development of a contextual decision-making game for improving students' learning performance in a health education course

Heath education is an important component of the curriculum for fostering children's correct health knowledge and good daily life habits. However, educators have indicated that most children might fail to realize the importance and meaning of health education content owing to the lack of authentic scenarios and daily life experience. With the advancement of computer technologies, researchers have tried to develop multimedia learning content in order to improve students' learning performance. Among various technology-enhanced learning alternatives, digital game-based learning has been recognized as a highly potential approach to motivating students. However, several previous studies have indicated that, without properly incorporating learning content into game scenarios, the effectiveness of digital game-based learning might not be as good as expected in comparison with conventional technology-enhanced learning. In this study, a contextual digital game was developed for improving students' learning performance in an elementary school health education course. A quasi experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach by situating the experimental group in the game-based learning scenario and the control group to learn with conventional e-books. The experimental results showed that the proposed approach not only improved the students' learning motivation, but also their learning achievement and problem-solving competences. Moreover, the significant two-way interaction suggested that the contextual game-based learning approach benefited the higher motivation students more than the lower motivation ones in terms of the advanced knowledge, showing the importance and potential of applying contextual games to health education activities.     

Improving diagrammatic reasoning in middle school science using conventions of diagrams instruction

Visual representations are essential for science understanding, but many students have poor diagrammatic reasoning skills. Previous research showed that teaching high school and college students about the conventions of diagrams (COD) can improve diagrammatic reasoning. In this study, middle school science students received COD instruction delivered as a classroom warm‐up using laptop computers, while control students received publisher‐developed warm‐up questions. Students receiving COD warm‐ups for 10 weeks (but not 4 weeks) improved their diagrammatic reasoning more than control students. Treatment students' answers were more accurate than control students' answers, especially on easy questions. The discourse of pairs of students during the warm‐ups showed that treatment students talked about the diagrams more and made more inferences and that this difference was greatest for easy questions. Results suggest that COD instruction can be initiated in middle school along with more formal science instruction, can be integrated into classroom routine using computer‐delivered warm‐ups, is helpful (if sustained) both for improving diagrammatic reasoning and for supporting learning science content and works at least in part by increasing students' engagement during routine work.