The purpose of this study is to analyze the mental model of improvement and changes on light wave concepts with Conceptual Change based on Virtual Media (CC-VM) x POE strategy. The method used is mixed methods with embedded design. The sample consisted of 30 students (with an age range of 16-17 years) in one of the schools in Subang, Indonesia.…

Computer simulations are considered efficient in supporting exploratory learning. This paper highlights instruction challenges and undesirable consequences on student learning in exploratory learning with computer simulations in classroom situations. A classroom with students who explore using simulations contains ideas explicated on several…

This paper gives a grounded cognition account of model-based learning of complex scientific knowledge related to socio-scientific issues, such as climate change. It draws on the results from a study of high school students learning about the carbon cycle through computational agent-based models and investigates two questions: First, how do…

The study investigated the relative effects of two activity-based instructional strategies on students' attitude towards Physics practical in secondary schools. The study adopted the quasi-experimental design of pretest, post-test and control group. The sample for the study comprised 74 Senior Secondary two (SS II) Physics students who were…

This article describes a unit in which students investigate total solar eclipses, such as the one coming August 21, from several perspectives. It incorporates mathematical thinking and aligns with the "Next Generation Science Standard." This article refers to physical, virtual, and mathematical modeling. Various models and perspectives…

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine teacher instructional dilemmas and opportunities that emerged when students worked with interactive computer-based simulation models during the High-Adventure Science (HAS) project. The intervention included the HAS digital curriculum, designed for grades 7-12. Each curricular unit was framed to…

This article presents an innovative, gameful, multimodal, and authentic learning environment for training of oral communication in a foreign language--a virtual adventure called Berlin Kompass. After a brief presentation of the pedagogical and technological backgrounds, the system is described. Central results of a series of pilots in autumn 2013…

This classroom-based action research study investigated the creative implementation of fluency instruction for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners through the use of a virtual character-playing simulation called Place Out of Time (POOT). The researchers sought to identify what supported and impeded student participation in this game-based…

The role of computer-assisted instruction in promoting intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among Nigerian secondary school chemistry students was investigated in this study. The study employed two modes of computer-assisted instruction (computer simulation instruction and computer tutorial instructional packages) and two levels of gender (male and…

In this study we investigated the pedagogical context of whole-class teaching with computer simulations. We examined relations between the attitudes and learning goals of teachers and their students regarding the use of simulations in whole-class teaching, and how teachers implement these simulations in their teaching practices. We observed…

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…

Many engineering and technology education classrooms incorporate simulation modeling as part of curricula to teach engineering and STEM-based concepts. The traditional method of the learning process has students first learn the content from the classroom teacher and then may have the opportunity to apply the learned content through simulation…

Studies considering whole-class use of computer simulations are limited, despite the increasing interest in this mode of use. The current study explored how a collection of computer simulations was integrated into both whole-class and small-group instructional settings during a high school chemistry unit on atomic structure. Participants included…

Games in science education is emerging as a popular topic of scholarly inquiry. The National Research Council recently published a report detailing a research agenda for games and science education entitled "Learning Science Through Computer Games and Simulations" (2011). The report recommends moving beyond typical proof-of-concept…

Whilst the technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) model has been increasingly adopted for understanding teachers' use of technology, there have been many calls for greater discussion about the constituent constructs, their relationship with one another and the central TPACK. This paper analyses qualitatively the TPACK…