Using A Simulation to Teach Food Web Dynamics

Abstract

R ecent improvements in educational technology have provided us with a wide range of tools to enhance student learning. However, the impact of educational technology on students' performance in class still needs to be researched. This paper explores the effectiveness of dynamic computer simulation models for helping students understand ecological interrelationships and students' attitudes toward technology. Students' attitudes and accessibility of computers are important components to expanded use of educational technology. Simulations are a powerful form of student-computer interaction that can be used as an adjunct to lecture and text materials to address different student learning styles. Many computer simulations are engaging because they force the student to choose input or starting conditions and then provide the student with tools to view and analyze the results. Students can perform experiments, refine their hypotheses, and then try redesigned experiments over again many times. Having the students go through the process of hypothesis testing and refinement is very easy to do with a computer exercise (such as described here) but may be much more difficult to accomplish with more traditional laboratory projects used in introductory biology courses. Thus this is one major benefit of including computer tools in introductory courses. The construction of simulation models can be used to address higher-order learning objectives from Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive levels (Bloom et al. 1956), such as predicting and testing hypotheses (Steed 1992). Some empirical studies have shown that students do better when simulations are included in the repertoire of methods used in class. For example, the use of simulations along with lectures on thermodynamics increased the precentage of students who successfully distinguished between key concepts (Lewis et al. 1993). These students also did better when explaining the concepts to other students and in generalizing from the specific simulation to other situations. Atkinson and Burton (1991) found that students who used