Understanding scientific phenomena requires learners to construct mental models of causal systems. Simulation-based discovery learning offers learners the opportunity to construct mental models and test them against the behavior of a simulation. The purpose of this study was to investigate sequential patterns of learner actions and utterances…

Guiding inquiry learning has been shown to increase knowledge gains. Yet, little is known about the effect of guidance on attitudes and behaviours, its interaction with student attributes, and transfer of impact once guidance is removed. We address these gaps in the context of an interactive Physics simulation on electric circuits…

Error-based simulation (EBS) has been developed to generate phenomena by using students' erroneous ideas and also offers promise for promoting students' awareness of errors. In this paper, we report the evaluation of EBS used in learning "normal reaction" in a junior high school. An EBS class, where students learned the concept…

Types of learning with a strong emphasis on the responsibility of the learner (such as discovery learning) are gaining popularity over traditional forms of (expository) instruction. Discovery learning distinguishes itself by the central role of learning processes such as hypothesis generation (induction), experiment design, and data…

Examines relations between the features of discovery simulations, the learning processes elicited, the knowledge that results, and the methods used to measure the acquired knowledge. Discusses intuitive knowledge and describes a study of post-secondary students that investigated the instructional effectiveness of discovery simulations in physics.…

Discusses a way to teach coherent thought in subjects like history. (Author)

Describes a methodology for supporting exploratory learning that attempts to limit learning space, called exploration space, and adequately control the cognitive load learners would face in their exploration process. In Exploration Space Control (ESC) the extent of exploration space is controlled according to domain complexity, but also to…

Using distance education to develop management metacompetencies such as creativity, flexibility, and resourcefulness encounters problems in terms of learner vulnerability, learning style, structural dysfunctions, and "reality" methods. A combination of distance learning, discovery learning, and competency-based simulation may address these…

The goals of social studies--defined as thinking, understanding, attitudes, and skills--are considered within the framework of a cognitive and an affective taxonomy of educational goals. The first lesson in this series of lessons on social studies instructional strategies deals with modes of inquiry and with the value of responsible consent and…