Simulations and Labs: Either/or?
October 6th, 2009
A lot of research into simulated environments sets them up in a “horse race” against hands-on laboratory activities in order to show that learning outcomes with simulations are at least as good as those from hands-on labs. But is it really an either/ or proposition?
Jaakkola & Nurmi (2007) looked at the possibilities of combining simulation and laboratory. They placed elementary students in one of three groups: computer simulation, lab exercise, or a simulation-laboratory combination. The groups completed an electricity lab along with pre- and post-tests. Controlling for pre-test performance, the combination group had both the highest post-test scores and the smallest variability around those scores.
One reason the authors believe the combination group had better outcomes was that the simulation allowed students to visualize electrical processes that are otherwise not observable. On the other hand, it was only semi-realistic in representing circuits, so the hands-on lab filled in those gaps. The authors state:
A simulation can help students to first understand the theoretical principles of electricity; however, in order to promote conceptual change, it is necessary to challenge further students’ intuitive conceptions by demonstrating through testing that the laws and principles discovered through a simulation also apply in reality.
Jaakkola, T., & Nurmi, S. (2008). Fostering elementary school students understanding of simple electricity by combining simulation and laboratory activities Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 24 (4), 271-283 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2729.2007.00259.x
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