Complex Systems Components and Transfer to Different Systems

• In Event: Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: Technology-Based Learning Environments for STEM Education

Abstract

Components of complex systems apply across multiple subject areas and teaching these components may help students build unifying conceptual links. Limited research exists to understand whether the difficulty of components is dependent on system types, and thus affects understanding outside of the original context. Therefore, this study of 78 undergraduate students investigated transfer of student complex systems’ understanding after an agent-based participatory simulation intervention. Preliminary results demonstrate that overall student complex systems understanding may be more readily elicited depending on system type, and that component difficulty itself may itself be dependent on system type. Further work will test whether differences are significant and whether these are related to understanding in the original learning context.

Author

• Christopher Rates, University at Buffalo SUNY