Building and Exploring: Comparing Learning Outcomes About Microevolutionary Change From Two Modalities of Computational Modeling

• In Event: Learning Science Through Engaging in the Practices of Science

Abstract

Computational modeling in the form of exploring a prebuilt model or building models to learn about scientific phenomena is widely adopted in K-12 science education. Yet we know little about how the two compare. We describe a study conducted in 6 seventh grade classes that compares learning outcomes about micro-evolutionary process from these two modalities. Pre and posttests were analyzed to examine how students used conceptually relevant agent rules and assembled them into explanations. Findings revealed that builders more frequently used conceptually relevant agent rules, and assembled them into targeted assembly explanations. Explorers provided non-targeted assembly explanations. These differences were statistically significant. There were no salient differences in slippage between the two modalities. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Authors

• Aditi Wagh, Tufts University

• Uri J. Wilensky, Northwestern University