Abstract
<div class="abstract_container"> <strong>Abstract:</strong> When designing learning materials, great emphasis is put on creating a 'definitive resource' - but this focus can often lead to the production of inflexible content which follows a fixed pedagogy and fails to cater to individual learning styles and teaching situations. If this is recognised, tools can be produced that allow the teacher to customise generic components to provide a tailored learning experience supporting different teaching approaches and scenarios and addressing a wider range of learning styles. This paper will relate these ideas to the use of online simulations in science and engineering education. In support of this, the educational benefits of simulations are outlined, followed by a review of research into factors influencing their effective use. The complex nature of these factors leads to the conclusion that the notion of a 'definitive' simulation interface is a myth... </div> <div class="editors_container"> <strong>Editors:</strong> Stuart Lee. </div> <div class="demo_container"> <strong>Interactive demonstrations:</strong> Java applet based simulations are linked as examples from this paper for which you will need a Java-aware web browser. The tools used to create the simulations are freely available from the <a href="http://www.jelsim.org/">JeLSIM</a> (Java e-Learning SIMulations) website. </div>
Highlights
When Bill Gates said "Content is king"1, he understood that moving printed information to the web isn't enough
Instead of exploiting the real benefits of computer based delivery, to create interactive environments that engage learners, online learning materials are typified by static content and linear structures and amount to little more than electronic books (e.g. WBEC (2000)2). e-Learning materials are still routinely judged by quantitative criteria rather than qualitative ones
This paper examines the possibilities that are created if simulations are made as easy to customise as text or images, allowing simple interactive resources to be tailored for use in a wide range of teaching situations
Summary
Great emphasis is put on creating a 'definitive resource' - but this focus can often lead to the production of inflexible content which follows a fixed pedagogy and fails to cater to individual learning styles and teaching situations. If this is recognised, tools can be produced that allow the teacher to customise generic components to provide a tailored learning experience supporting different teaching approaches and scenarios and addressing a wider range of learning styles. The educational benefits of simulations are outlined, followed by a review of research into factors influencing their effective use. Scottish Centre for Research into Online Learning and Assessment, School of Mathematical and Computing Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK h t t p : / / w w w. s c ro l l a . a c . u k /
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
