Simulations in Science and Math

One subclass of resource available for math and science on the web is the simulation. Simulations are an important type of resource because they help to support authentic learning, inquiry, conceptual, and procedural learning in the STEM subjects (Roblyer, 2006). For this exercise I review four science simulations for both their usability as well as their content. The four simulations I choose to review were:

1. Projectile Motion from PhET
2. Pie Chart from the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
3. Heart Murmur Simulation from Real Life Education
4. Genome Island from Wesleyan University

Projectile Motion from PhET

The Projectile Motion simulation from PhET university of Colorado Boulder is an introductory level physics simulation appropriate for students in high school or college introductory physics. This simulation allows the user to define starting conditions for an object that will undergo projectile motion. I believe this simulation requires a very basic understanding of physics principals as this understanding makes the interface much more intelligible and user-friendly. After defining the starting conditions the user can then run the simulation to see how far the object flies. changes to the starting conditions were easy to make allowing for quick comparisons between trials.

Pie Chart from the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

The pie chart simulation from the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives was extremely simple to understand and easy to use. The interface was intuitive and user friendly. Students are presented with a scenario where they need to plan for an event. Items are broken down into categories (entered into column 1) and quantities are then provided for each of these categories (column 2). Not only was it quick and simple to produce an initial pie chart, it was very easy to manipulate the chart enabling the user to make changes and then review the subsequent results. This manipulative seemed appropriate for a student just learning about ratios, fractions, and charting.

The next two simulations I experimented with were in Second life. This immersive environment provided the simulations with a greater degree of depth. However, it also complicated the simulations. Navigating in second life can be difficult for newcomers and therefore is a barrier to adoption for many people. I found these simulations to be much more attention grabbing and the added depth made me feel like I was experiencing a full educational experience. Second Life is not appropriate for younger students as the environment is open and other residents of the environment may interact with you. The materials presented in these simulations were intended for undergraduate science majors.

Heart Murmur Simulation from Real Life Education

The heart murmur simulation provided the user with a hospital which could be explored. Inside the clinic environment there were three patient rooms. The first two rooms contained patients with known miladies while the patients in room three were undiagnosed. The goal of the user was to listen to the heart beats of the patients in rooms one and two and to then diagnose the patient in room three based on the information they had gathered. This simulation was quite lifelike as it incorporated recordings of real hearts. This could be a fantastic learning tool for pre-med or veterinary students looking to learn more about heart rhythms.

Genome Island from Wesleyan University

The Genome Island is a very rich interactive environment designed to allow students to explore many topics in genetics. The topics explored are appropriate for an introductory college level genetics class and range from Mendelian Inheritance to chromosomal arrangements to an in-depth look at the human genome. This island contains a wealth of information. It may actually be overwhelming for someone trying to explore it in only a few minutes due to the sheer volume of information available. Aside from the information presented there are also several tasks scattered throughout the island. The tasks are mini scavenger hunts that instruct you to search for key bits of information. As a biologist, I found this island and the heart murmur clinic to be absolutely fascinating. I spent a great deal of time exploring these two areas; I never felt bored in doing so and feel that I barely scratched the surface.

References:

Roblyer, M. D. (2006). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (4th Edition). Prentice Hall.