Article:Multimedia Learning in Games, Simulation, and Microworlds
From unthinkMedia
Learning is based on experience rather then explanation. Explanation serve a supporting role in the learning processes.
Technology has had little impact on education, yet has had it's most profound impact outside of school.
Contents |
explanation
to use multimedia in "scripted" ways. Designed to be read or viewed in one particular way.
experience
made possible by dynamic elements that are under the users control
Microworlds
Born out of constructivist thinking, with emphasis on the social context of learning.
Places greater emphasis with person's interaction in a content area
Examples may include programing languages such as Logo, and Boxer
- Offers a way for more people to understand and explore concept and principles underlying complex systems.
- focuses on a qualitative understanding of underlying concepts and and models
- attempt to reduce the distinction between learning a concept and doing a concept.
Should have easy to understand sets of operations that students could use to engage in tasks.
Structural Functions
- a collection of computational objects that model the mathematical or physical properties of the domain
- link to multiple representations of underlying models
- opportunity to combine the computation objects in complex eyes.
- inherent activities or students to explore or solve in a domain.
Design Experiments
combines studying its use in practice with the scientific aims of theory building and theory testing.
Sets a pedagogical goal at the beginning and then seek to determine the necessary organization , strategies, and technological support necessary to reach the goal.
iterative and self correcting process to resolve problems as they occur.
Simulations
Born out of traditional instructional use
Every computer simulation is base on any quantitative mathematical model. (e.g., physics, chemistry, biology, genetics)
Student interact with a simulation to understand how the model works.
unless the instructor gives a student explicit directions or guidance, there appears to be no real purpose to the simulation other then exploring it.
a user must first be able to tell the difference between their goals and intentions then be able to judge whether their intentions have been met.
Providing explanations intermittently while using a simulation helps students to organize their experience and construct appropriate mental representations of the content.
Textual feedback take a lot more mental effort then graphical feedback, which could lead to greater frustration.
Once the student is comfortable with the model they may want to use textual feedback for a challenge, or to get greater accuracy.
Guidance
simple guidance given "just in time" helps students to focus
- information
- guidance
- instructional support
needs to be provided WHILE students are USING the simulation
Model Using
a student uses a model built by someone else.
Model Building
a student is given access to the modeling or programming tool to build their own models.
School-based approach/guidance
giving the student a question to answer or a problem to solve using simulation as a "laboratory"
Scientific Discovery Learning
to discover the underlying model through exploration.
Sometimes deliberately not including instruction to test all the learning that is gain through interaction.
Difficult for students.
- difficult to discard hypothesis
- difficult to construct hypothesis
- difficulty constructing appropriate experiment
Model Progression
students benefit from simulations that progressively become more difficult.
Games
Born out of traditional instructional use
Studies show, few differences in learning compared to classroom in room instruction.
The challenge of a game should be proportional to the skill level of the user.
may help focus a participants attention on critical aspects of the content or help the participant organize incoming info due the presence of game goals and outcomes.
A major problem with games is experience without reflection. Reflection enables the learner to make connections that aide their learning
Designing your own game
"Children as designers" - elementary school students are typically give the task of designing an educational game for younger children.
Children's Favored Game Characteristics
- the quality of the games story line
- competition
- production value
- appropriate challenge
Children's Least Favored Game Characteristics
- production value
- integration of the educational content with the game.
Feedback types
implicit learning
graphical feedback it implicit unless the learner decides to translate the relationship into verbal terms.
explicit learning
textual feedback would require more effort in translating making it explicit.
Research
quantitative research
- strong internal validity
- weak external validaty
qualitative research
- weak internal validity
- strong external validaty
Theoretical Framework
Dual Coding
devides cognition into two processing systems, one verbal (or symantic) and the other non verbal.
- representational
- associative
- referential
Mental Models
"personal theory" of some domain or environment.
Reference
Multimedia Learning in Games, Simulation, and Microworlds
Lloyd P. Rieber
The University of Georgia
