利用虚拟世界及基于代理的模型学习科学探究——计算机化科学探究模型浅析

An Introduction of Computational Scientific Inquiry: Learn Scientific Inquiry in a 3D Immersive Virtual World with Agent-Based Models

目前,针对中学课堂科学学科的学习,长期以来的问题之一是教师认为很难开展教学活动以帮助学生学习科学探究(Scientific Inquiry)这一复杂的知识。为了帮助中学生更好地学习科学探究,该文提供并介绍了一种名为计算机化科学探究(Computational Scientific Inquiry,以下简称CSI)的模型。该模型由3D沉浸式虚拟世界(Virtual World)和基于代理的模型(Agent-Based Modeling)共同实现,并使用了名为有效失败(Productive Failure)的教学理念支撑学习活动的设计。根据CSI模型,我们打造了一个虚拟的3D星球Omosa Virtual World,2D基于代理的模型Omosa Netlogo,并根据有效失败设计了相应的教学活动,三者共同构成了一个基于课堂的短期课程,来帮助学生在生物学科背景下学习科学探究。悉尼两个八年级班级参与了实证研究。在课堂中获得的实证结果证明,学生明显提高了他们在科学探究方面的学习,CSI的应用是卓有成效的。

Teachers always find it is difficult to teach scientific inquiry in traditional science classrooms. In this paper, we introduce Computational Scientific Inquiry （CSI）, an innovative model which can be used for learning scientific inquiry. Both virtual worlds and agent-based models constitute CSI. Meanwhile, productive Failure was chosen as the main pedagogy to support the design of learning activities. We introduce a study called ＂Saving the Omosans＂ that employed CSI as an instructional approach to help students learn scientific inquiry under biological content. In this study, an immersive 3D virtual world and agent-based models constituted the CSI. Two classes of eighth-grade students from a secondary school in Sydney engaged in this study as they learn scientific inquiry with the use of CSI. Results show that CSI is an effective for learning scientific inquiry.