Collaborative learning using Microworld and WebMapQuest

The intention of this paper is to show relevant issues (resulting from theoretical and empiric research) about how Microworld can be used to elicit the building of knowledge and to encourage collaborative learning. For that purpose, we have been investigating how to manage information overflow and develop incentives to collaborative learning using Microworld through WebMapQuest - projects of investigation with virtual maps. In this paper, a brief conceptual approach is discussed, major contributions difficulties and future trends are presented

Designing software to maximize learning1

This paper starts from the assumption that any evaluation of educational software should focus on whether or not, and the extent to which, it maximizes learning. It is particularly concerned with the impact of software on the quality of learning. The paper reviews key texts in the literature on learning, including some which relate directly to software development, and suggests ways in which a range of learning theories can inform the process of software design. The paper sets out to make a contribution to both the design and the evaluation of educational software

Design of teacher assistance tools in an exploratory learning environment for algebraic generalisation

The MiGen project is designing and developing an intelligent exploratory environment to support 11-14 year-old students in their learning of algebraic generalisation. Deployed within the classroom, the system also provides tools to assist teachers in monitoring students' activities and progress. This paper describes the architectural design of these Teacher Assistance tools and gives a detailed description of one such tool, focussing in particular on the research challenges faced, and the technologies and approaches chosen to implement the necessary functionalities given the context of the project

Modeling a Pandemic: Investigating Student Learning about Disease Spread in the Context of Agent-Based Modeling

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a need for students to learn about public health issues, including the transmission of disease and methods for the prevention of epidemics. This study presents data from a project focused on developing computational microworlds to help middle school students learn about these topics. The microworld is designed to help students model and test their ideas about how a disease spreads through a population and how an epidemic can be prevented. I employed a lab-based case study approach to conduct one-on-one 1.5-hour interviews through Zoom with four middle-school students (ages 12-14). During the interview, the student was asked questions about the spread and prevention of disease and then invited to model and test their ideas in the microworld. This study presents an analysis of students’ pre and post instructional knowledge of disease spread and prevention, which they shared while constructing their initial and later models. I present student ideas in categories of disease transmission, recovery from disease, and disease protection strategies. The paper also analyzes students’ knowledge refinement through the building, testing, and debugging of a disease spread and prevention model. I model student refinement of thinking through steps of building initial models and predicting results, testing initial models, making sense of the results, debugging and retesting models, observing final models, and explaining results, resulting in three types of thinking shifts, and two types of thinking refinements. My findings suggest middle school students can learn about strategies for disease prevention through computational modeling

TELMA Cross Experiment Guidelines

Cerulli, M., Pedemonte, B., Robotti, E. (eds.). Internal Report, R.I. 01/07, I.T.D. - C.N.R., GenovaThis document contains the guidelines developed by members of TELMA as a means for planning, conducting, and analysing a cross experiment aimed at contributing to the construction of a shared research perspective among TELMA teams . This is the product of the PhD students and young researchers that brought forward the whole activity. The actual experimental phase was proceeded by a reflective phase in which an agreement was achieved on what research questions to address during the experiment. On this basis the first version of the guidelines document was built, containing all the research questions to be addressed, but also the experimental plans for each team. This included the employed didactical functionalities of the considered ICT tools, indications of the experimental settings, and the methods of data collection and analysis. During the whole experimental phase, the document was constantly updated, and shared among the involved persons which were periodically required to compare the different activities and reflections brought forward by all the teams

Empowered learning through microworlds and teaching methods: a text mining and meta-analysis-based systematic review

Microworlds are simulations in computational environments where the student can manipulate objects and learn from those manipulations. Since their creation, they have been used in a wide range of academic areas to improve students learning from elementary school to college. However, their effectiveness is unclear since many studies do not measure the acquired knowledge after the use of microworlds but instead they focus on self-evaluation. Furthermore, it has not been clear whether its effect on learning is related to the teaching method. In this study, we perform a meta-analysis to ascertain the impact of microworlds combined with different teaching methods on students’ knowledge acquisition. We applied a selection criterion to a collection of 668 studies and were left with 10 microworld applications relevant to our learning context. These studies were then assessed through a meta-analysis using effect size with Cohen’s d and p-value. Our analysis shows that the cognitive methods combined with microworlds have a great impact on the knowledge acquisition (d = 1.03; p < 0.001) but failed to show a significant effect (d = 0.21) for expository methods.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio