Simpson, Gordon and Hoyles, Celia and Noss, Richard (2005) Designing a programming-based approach for modelling scientific phenomena. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 21 (2). pp. 143-158. ISSN 0266-4909 (print); 1365-2729 (electronic)
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Abstract
We describe an iteratively designed sequence of activities involving the modelling of 1- dimensional collisions between moving objects based on programming in ToonTalk. Students aged 13-14 in two settings (London and Cyprus) investigated a number of collision situations, classified into six classes based on the relative velocities and masses of the colliding objects. We describe iterations of the system in which students engaged in a repeating cycle of activity for each collision class: prediction of object behaviour from given collision conditions, observation of a relevant video clip, building a model to represent the phenomena, testing, validating and refining their model, and publishing it – together with comments – on our web-based collaboration system, WebReports. Students were encouraged to consider the limitations of their current model, with the aim that they would eventually appreciate the benefit of constructing a general model that would work for all collision classes, rather than a different model for each class. We describe how our intention to engage students with the underlying concepts of conservation, closed systems and system states was instantiated in the activity design, and how the modelling activities afforded an alternative representational framework to traditional algebraic description.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Maths ICT ICT and learning |
| Subjects: | Departments > London Knowledge Lab |
| Depositing User: | IOE Repository Editor (1) |
| Date Deposited: | 18 Mar 2010 14:37 |
| Last Modified: | 26 Jun 2012 22:27 |
| URI: | http://eprints.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/1762 |
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