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Peer-reviewed article

Learning Oceanography from a Computer Simulation Compared with Direct Experience at Sea

January 1, 2006 | Media and Technology, Informal/Formal Connections
Considerable research has compared how students learn science from computer simulations with how they learn from "traditional" classes. Little research has compared how students learn science from computer simulations with how they learn from direct experience in the real environment on which the simulations are based. This study compared two college classes studying introductory oceanography. One class learned using an interactive computer simulation based on a dynamic, three-dimensional model of physical oceanography. The other class learned by spending a day on a research ship using scientific tools and instruments to measure physical properties of the ocean directly. In classes preceding and following the simulation or field experience, students performed the same exercises regarding currents and salinity, had the same instructor presentations, and did the same homework. The study found that the field experience helped contextualize learning for students with little prior experience of the ocean while the simulation made it easier for students to connect what they learned from it to other content they learned in class. These and other findings shed light on what computer simulations can and cannot help students learn, and what concepts are best learned in the real environment.

TEAM MEMBERS

  • William Winn
    Author
    University of Washington
  • Frederick Stahr
    Author
    Ocean Inquiry Project
  • Christian Sarason
    Author
    Ocean Inquiry Project
  • Ruth Fruland
    Author
    University of Washington
  • Peter Oppenheimer
    Author
    University of Washington
  • Yen-Ling Lee
    Author
    University of Washington
  • Citation

    Publication Name: Journal of Research in Science Teaching
    Volume: 43
    Number: 1
    Page Number: 25
    Resource Type: Research Products
    Discipline: Ecology, forestry, and agriculture | General STEM | Life science
    Audience: Undergraduate/Graduate Students | Educators/Teachers
    Environment Type: Media and Technology | Games, Simulations, and Interactives | Informal/Formal Connections | Higher Education Programs

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