Use Of Interactive Simulations Research Articles

Using simulations to meld didactic and constructivist teaching methods in complex second year STEM courses

ABSTRACT This paper explores the effective development and use of interactive simulations as a learning tool, integrating didactic and active approaches with complex laboratory and lecture content in undergraduate biochemistry and immunology courses. University science courses require students to master vast quantities of foundational knowledge that is commonly taught using didactic approaches. Over time, students are required to become more active and teaching approaches become more student-centred, extending students’ application of knowledge, critical thinking, and creativity which relies on a student’s ability to recall knowledge. Identifying the right timing and means for shifting from didactic approaches toward an active approach is critical for maintaining student interest and extending their learning. Active learning can transform the perception of a given subject, phenomenon, or experience, allowing students to engage meaningfully and deeply with critical and complex ideas. This paper demonstrates how active approaches to learning through simulations have been effectively used to reinforce threshold concepts in laboratory and lecture settings and the impact on student learning is discussed.

IDENTIFY ACHIEVEMENT AND LEARNING ACTIVITY OF PHYSICS PROSPECTIVE TEACHER THROUGH UTILIZATION OF WAVE-PARTICLE DUALITY TECHNOLOGY ENABLED ACTIVE LEARNING SIMULATIONS

Study about utilization of interactive multimedia simulation as a learning media on physics learning is very crucial. Currently, the use of interactive simulations with various learning methods has been widely used.This study aims to identify achievement and learning activity of physics teacher candidate by harnessing Technology Enabled Active Learning Simulation (TEALSim) on physics concept. The research type is Pre-Experimental with One Group Pretest-Posttest Design. The subject of the study was 41 student of physics education department at Universitas Negeri Makassar. Data analysis of this study using descriptive and quantitative analysis for research result. The results of the study revealed that there is a significant improvement on before and after giving treatment where the value of N-Gain is mayority on “enough” category by 73,09%. This indicate that the implementation of TEALSim can enhance of student’s achievement in Physics Education Department. Beside of that, according to result of student’s activity analysis, the average is above 80% that is on “very good” category which means that students are very active on doing learning of physics by the utilization of TEALSim

The Effectiveness of Using Interactive Simulation in Kindergarten Children’s Acquisition of Physics Concepts

The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using interactive simulation in developing some physics concepts in a sample of kindergarten children. To achieve the study objective, a semi-experimental method was used. The study sample consisted of the (45) kindergarten children of ‘The Pink Bird’ Kindergarten in Petra. They were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group of (22) children who were taught using interactive simulation, and a control group of (23) children who were taught by the traditional way. Contrary to the traditional method of education, the study results proved the effectiveness of interactive simulation in the acquisition of physics concepts among kindergarten children. It was also found that around 61% of the change in the dependent variable (physical concepts) is due to the use of interactive simulation in teaching. Eventually, the study included a set of recommendations in the light of its results.

Impact of the Use of the Physics Crocodile Simulator in the Teaching and Learning of Electricity in High School (Morocco)

The integration of Information and Communication Technologies in education is no longer a "pedagogical luxury" also a search for human learning settings that are compatible with today's students' experiences. Computer animations and simulations are the most used technological tools for educational purposes, especially with the lack of experimental equipment in school laboratories, the use of interactive simulations has emerged as a real competitor to the real experience, and an effective alternative to traditional practices. This work aims to study the impact of the use of the simulator crocodile Physics 605, on the understanding and learning of students in the second year of the scientific baccalaureate option physical sciences at the high school Abdellah Laroui of the city of Fez. A comparative study was conducted between interactive simulations using the Physics crocodile simulator and the real experience, considering the acquisition and application of cognitive skills as a key performance indicator. The experiment took place with the adoption of a pre-test and post-test method with an experiment group (25 students) and a simulation group (25 students), the data were then analyzed using the statistical analysis program SPSS v 21, for the analysis of quantitative data, non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests of independent samples were used. At the end of the session, we invited the students of the simulation group (25 students) to answer on the directive survey questions (closed questions). In addition, the directive type interview (open questions) was conducted with the teachers (10) of physical sciences of the high school Abdellah Laroui of the city of Fez, moreover the data were processed by the software SPHINX v5. The results of the descriptive statistics show that the Physics crocodile simulator has a remarkable effect on the acquisition and application of new knowledge in the lesson on the RC dipole (series association of an ohmic conductor of resistance R and a capacitor of capacitance C); these effects are comparable to those in the real experiment. In addition, the results obtained showed a considerable improvement in some other indicators such as motivation, engagement, and interaction among students compared to the classical method.

Effect of the Problem-based Learning (PBL) Method with the Integration of Interactive Simulation on the Physical Sciences Conceptual Understanding of the Moroccan Common Core Learners

Thanks to its advantages in improving the learning, the understanding and the performance of learners, the interactive simulations have become among the main tools recommended by many researches as an alternative to the traditional pedagogical tools. Indeed, the forms and the objectives of the integration of simulations in teaching and learning process are varied depending on the pedagogical needs of the user, as well as according to the adopted learning methods and activities. In this contribution we aim to study the impact of problem-based learning (PBL) using interactive simulation, on the understanding of the concepts related to the rotational equilibrium, taught in common core science level. The concepts covered by this study are force and inventory, torque and Newton's second law for rotation. We first propose a selection grid to help teachers to choose the appropriate simulation product for a given problem-based learning activity, we later perform the experience to compare the performance of the students in the control group (who solve the problem using traditional method) and the students in the experimental group (who use the simulation tool) based on the pre-test and post-test methodology. The simulation tool used in the experimental part is determined using the grid that we have developed. Obtained results have shown that the use of interactive simulation has a positive effect on student's conceptual understanding, if it was properly integrated into an educational context.

An intuitive, application-based, simulation-driven approach to teaching probability and random processes

Probability and random processes is considered by students to be conceptually one of the most difficult subjects in the undergraduate electrical and computer engineering curriculum. There are numerous reasons for this difficulty encountered by the students. First off, humans are not innately good at probabilistic intuition. Traditionally, this subject has been introduced in a very abstract manner without emphasis on real-world applications from electrical and computer engineering discipline. In addition, extensive use of interactive simulation and visualization tools, offering an alternative way of developing probabilistic intuition, is usually missing from traditional course offerings. This paper presents a unique pedagogical approach to teaching an introductory probability course offered to electrical and computer engineering juniors. The salient features of the proposed pedagogical approach include more emphasis on real-world electrical and computer engineering problems that show the applications of abstract probabilistic concepts; extensive hands-on and interactive MATLAB® simulations of real-world electrical and computer engineering problems that are tightly integrated into the curriculum; highlighting the frequentist approach to build probabilistic intuition using simulations; concrete examples showing how naive probabilistic intuition can be erroneous and how to develop correct probabilistic intuition based on systematically modeling, simulating, and analyzing a problem; and application-based simulations driving the abstract theory rather than the other way around. This pedagogical approach was implemented in a course offered to electrical and computer engineering undergraduates at Purdue University Northwest. The paper presents a concrete example illustrating how the salient features of the proposed pedagogical approach were implemented as part of this course and student data from the courses to validate the efficacy of the proposed approach.

Towards a teacher dashboard design for interactive simulations

The use of interactive simulations (sims) in physics education is increasing. Aside from direct observation, teachers currently lack options for gaining useful insights into how their students are using these sims. A teacher dashboard to analyze and visualize student interaction with sims holds promise for responding to teacher needs and providing opportunities for improved classroom implementation of such sims. In this work we present progress in the design and development of a teacher dashboard that analyzes and visualizes student interaction with sims. A survey of over 800 teachers was conducted to identify the types of information teachers’ perceive as useful and how they would use that information to guide instruction. Teacher report valuing information that helps them to review student performance, to improve the design of sim-centered activities, and to plan lessons. A prototype dashboard design informed by this survey is also presented, including data collected from student sim use during a college homework activity. Finally, we describe how this dashboard design can address teacher needs related to insights around sim-based activities. Future work will evaluate teacher opinions regarding their interpretation of the data visualizations and the dashboard design in general.

Reconstruction of collaborative problem solving based learning in thermodynamics with the aid of interactive simulation and derivative games

The reconstruction of thermodynamic learning aims to develop and innovate the student-centred learning. Another aim was to provide the students’ 21st century skills such as problem-solving and reflective thinking skills through collaborative problem solving. Enhancement of students’ ability to solve problems, effectively carried out in groups in which they are encouraged to exchange arguments, combine knowledge and skills in finding solutions. The reconstruction of thermodynamic learning was developed with the help of interactive simulations in abstract concepts, cycles and graph, and derivatives games with the objective of assisting in the understanding of thermodynamic. Method used in this research was design and development research (DDR). There were two stages that had been done in this research: (1) the design and development model which was the design of CPS based thermodynamic learning model, and (2) the development of learning tools including: syllabus, semester learning plan, learning activity, and learning experience. The results showed that the difficulty in understanding abstract concepts could be overcome by the use of interactive simulations and derivative games. Therefore through the CPS model can be students are trained in cooperating, collaborating, arguing for solutions by utilizing technology and information to address world challenges in the 21st century.

How Do Secondary Science Teachers Perceive the Use of Interactive Simulations? The Affordance in Singapore Context

Research has shown that teaching science with a modeling-oriented approach, particularly with interactive simulations, will promote student engagement and understanding. To date, many interactive simulations have been developed and adopted for classroom practices. The purpose of this study was to explore secondary school science teachers’ perceived affordance of interactive simulation as well as their practical experience with simulation implementation in class. Twelve science teachers from seven schools were interviewed individually and the data was triangulated with their teaching plans and student assignments. Their past experiences of simulation implementation revealed that most teachers adopted simulations for demonstration purpose in teacher-led instruction. Their attempts to provide students opportunities to use the simulations to explore alternative modeling by themselves did not seem to work well. There are various reasons for this, such as the shortage of facilities, Internet bandwidth, and technological knowledge. There was also a pressing need for teachers to complete the required syllabus in limited classroom time. The majority of teachers’ future intent to use simulation in class was quite weak, especially with the less proficient students who had some difficulty understanding simulations. Although interactive simulations have great potential to promote students’ understanding in abstract science concepts, overcoming the difficulties of implementation may require other alternatives such as a flipped classroom approach. Future studies can investigate how to design learning activities outside class, to engage students in exploring modeling in simulations.

Two models of virtual reality devices for therapeutics in persons with cerebral palsy

Virtual reality based therapy (VRBT) refers to the use of interactive simulations to present users with opportunities to perform neurorehabilitation in virtual environments that appear, sound, and less frequently, feel similar to real-world objects and events. This study compared the effects of 2 off-the-shelf gaming system devices on standing balance and weight shifting for persons with Cerebral Palsy (PWCP) following single event multilevel lever arm restoration and anti spasticity surgery (SEMLARASS). A prospective experimental study was conducted among 80 PWCP post SEMLARASS aged 5–20 years and randomly assigned into Group A (n = 40): received the VRBT with Xbox 360 with Kinect (XwK) and Group B (n = 40): received the VRBT with Nintendo Wii with Balance Board (WwB). The study duration was 5 weeks with 30 minutes of intervention per day for 6 days per week in each group. A total of 3 games (5 choices) were played per session supervised by a physiotherapist. Paediatric Balance Scale (PBS) and Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) were the primary outcome measures, performed at baseline, 5 weeks after the treatment and follow-ups after 1 month and 3 months. The additional outcomes measured were walking test, steadiness test, COG and single-leg standing test using the stabilometer of the Wii balance board. Both the groups improved significantly after the intervention. However, Group A showed significant difference in PBS (P < 0.01) and DGI (P < 0.05) when compared to group B. The obtained outcomes were maintained at 1 month and 3 months follow-up. The X box 360 had a better connect to the virtual in comparison to the Nintendo Wii as reported by the users. While both devices were found effective, VRBT with XwKwas superior toWwB for improving standing balance and weight shifting in CWCP after SEMLARASS.

Use of interactive simulations in pre-class learning activities

To facilitate an effective in-class discussion, students must engage with the material prior to class. Assigned textbook reading is the traditional way students are asked to prepare, with possibly a reading quiz due before class. While carefully designed reading quizzes can be effective, a different approach is to use unscripted pre-class learning activities that provide hands-on interaction with the material. I created pre-class learning activities for the “Descriptive Acoustics” class at Brigham young University that use interactive simulations available on the internet. Provided with basic instructions, the students explore the simulation and write a description of their experience using terminology from the corresponding textbook chapter. Exploration followed by writing, even if incorrect, has increased the level of student understanding and provides a natural way to have students participate in class as they describe their experiences. The pre-class exposure to the interactive simulations also increases the efficacy of using the simulations during class, as each student is familiar with the interface and thus can better follow the in-class demonstration. Interactive simulations are a powerful active-learning tool for the current generation of students but only if they have had personal experience with the simulation prior to seeing it in class.

Encourage Research Thinking in Network Domain Using Traffic Analysis Tool

Explosive growth of Computer network technologies and use of these technologies have led a new thinking for researcher. In recent days the research focus in network domain is on areas like, Performance measurement of broadband and mobile access networks, Censorship measurement and circumvention, Software-defined networking (SDN), Internet of Things (IoT) security. This has created a challenge to the academicians to make students think towards these research fields and to adopt activity based teaching learning techniques to deliver the basics as well as the advanced concepts of computer network. As most of the students are visual learner teaching computer networking principles can be enhanced using simulation through the use of interactive simulation. With networking simulation tools, students can construct, tune, and analyze network performance while reinforcing their understanding of networking theory. The course expects the students should have an ability to understand the concepts, design and analyze the performance of the network. Experience of authors says that have an ability to understand the network concepts but they lack in analysis. So authors have put effort to address the lacunae. The activity has been designed by integrating theory and laboratory course on computer network which focuses on network traffic analysis by applying the concepts learnt. Wire Shark traffic analysis tool is used by students to capture the real time data and analyze the data for the selected network protocol. The paper discusses the design, conduction of activity, in computer network course focusing on analysis on network traffic which in turn created a space to think on research related to the network domain. Through this activity we could attain course outcome 3 and Program outcome (PO) 4 and 5 which is more than 80%.

Interactive Simulation of Human-robot Collaboration Using a Force Feedback Device

In this paper, we demonstrate the use of interactive simulation as a tool for workcell validation and optimization. The proposed technique uses real-time physics simulation to immerse the design engineer or production planner inside a responsive virtual model of the factory. The user can interact with components and tools, as well as with the robots performing their assigned tasks, including collaborative steps. The hand guiding function of sensitive lightweight robots can be simulated using force feedback devices. Future application scenarios can be directly tested in the assembly process simulation. Thanks to this first-person 3D experience, a better understanding of the risks, complexity and potential improvements can be reached. With this knowledge, it is possible in early planning stages to define the first working and protection areas for safety programming. These are necessary for the human-robot collaboration to be safe. In addition to safety, the process reliability can be optimized in the simulation, too.

Role of virtual reality for cerebral palsy management.

Virtual reality is the use of interactive simulations to present users with opportunities to perform in virtual environments that appear, sound, and less frequently, feel similar to real-world objects and events. Interactive computer play refers to the use of a game where a child interacts and plays with virtual objects in a computer-generated environment. Because of their distinctive attributes that provide ecologically realistic and motivating opportunities for active learning, these technologies have been used in pediatric rehabilitation over the past 15 years. The ability of virtual reality to create opportunities for active repetitive motor/sensory practice adds to their potential for neuroplasticity and learning in individuals with neurologic disorders. The objectives of this article is to provide an overview of how virtual reality and gaming are used clinically, to present the results of several example studies that demonstrate their use in research, and to briefly remark on future developments.

EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCIA DEL PROFESORADO DE CIENCIAS EN EL DESARROLLO DE LABORATORIOS VIRTUALES

Two distance courses on the implementation of interactive virtual-labs are presented in this manuscript. Their audience is Science teachers who wish to make efficient use of interactive simulation in their classes. The first course, entitled “Laboratorios virtuales interactivos: un enfoque creativo para la ensenanza de las Ciencias en el aula y a traves de Internet”, is part of the Continuing Education Program offered by UNED, the National Open University of Spain. The second course is a concise version of the first one. It is a free online course, written in English language, entitled “Virtual-lab implementation with Ejs”. This web-based course got the second award in the “Best Designed Course” competition of the 6th International Conference on Virtual University (December 2005, Bratislava, Slovak Republic). The simulation environment used to implement the virtual-labs is Easy Java Simulations (Ejs): a freeware, open source, Java-based tool conceived to be used by people with little programming skills. Online course website: http://www.euclides.dia.uned.es/simulab-pfp.

Enhancing the Student Experiment Experience: Visible Scientific Inquiry Through a Virtual Chemistry Laboratory

Practical work is often noted as a core reason many students take on science in secondary schools (high schools). However, there are inherent difficulties associated with classroom practical work that militate against scientific inquiry, an approach espoused by many science educators. The use of interactive simulations to facilitate student inquiry has emerged as a complement to practical work. This study presents case studies of four science teachers using a virtual chemistry laboratory (VCL) with their students in an explicitly guided inquiry manner. Research tools included the use of the Inquiry Science Implementation Scale in a ‘talk-aloud’ manner, Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol for video observations, and teacher interviews. The findings suggest key aspects of practical work that hinder teachers in adequately supporting inquiry and highlight where a VCL can overcome many of these difficulties. The findings also indicate considerations in using the VCL in its own right.

Virtual reality stroke rehabilitation - hype or hope?

Virtual reality stroke rehabilitation - hype or hope?

The effectiveness of virtual reality interventions in improving balance in adults with impaired balance compared to standard or no treatment: A systematic review

The effectiveness of virtual reality interventions in improving balance in adults with impaired balance compared to standard or no treatment: A systematic review

The effectiveness of virtual reality interventions in improving balance in adults with impaired balance compared to standard or no treatment: A systematic review.

The effectiveness of virtual reality interventions in improving balance in adults with impaired balance compared to standard or no treatment: A systematic review.

Assessing Effectiveness Of Interactive Electronics Lab Simulation: Learner’s Perspective

Simulation enables learning by doing and provides opportunity to explore the modeled domain. Interactive simulation allows to present information in more dynamic, compelling and interactive way with engaging environment. This paper discusses the application of interactive simulation supporting the actual laboratory session of basic Electronics lab activities. For this, interactive simulation for one of the basic electronics lab activity was designed, developed with state of art technology ‘Flash MX 2004’ and evaluated for its effectiveness. A particular focus of this investigation is on how the use of interactive simulation influences learners’ approach to learning. Pre test and post test were administrated on the target group, using quasi-experimental research methodology. ‘Total quality’ of developed package was evaluated by administrating a separate questionnaire. The comments and ratings obtained in the learners’ insights provided the basis for the learning impact study. This investigation indicated that the ‘self paced interactive simulation’ provides added value to the learners for the study of fundamental concepts of both theory and lab, able to perform lab experiment prior to an actual laboratory session and reach to the level of proficiency.