| 摘要: | 研究期間：10108~10207;The primary goal of science education should be to help students learn about scientific method, the process of constructing scientific models, explain and predict the real-world phenomena. Computer simulations, which can visualize invisible and complex scientific phenomena, become a critical tool to fulfill such goal of science education. This is because the simulations allow students to observe and manipulate parameters and variables of simulated phenomena, as well as explore and understand its underlying models. To this end, computer simulation has been viewed as one of potential ways of facilitating learning and instructional activities toward science. However, most of computer simulations usually work on desktop computer or laptop, which limits the application of computer simulation to some decontextualized settings such as classroom or laboratory settings. Recently, the handheld device becomes widespread and affordable in many educational settings. The handheld devices may call for a different application scenario of computer simulations and deepen the learning in mobile learning. In other words, computer simulations, which are operated on handheld device, could help to connect the simulated worlds with real worlds. As a result, they may support scientific inquiry activity within a contextualized setting, which help students to connect scientific ideas with real-world phenomena. Based on specific features of handheld devices, this project is to integrate the characteristics of computer simulation, mobile learning and scientific knowledge into the development of handheld simulation for supporting learning and instructional activities toward science. This study will investigate the effectiveness of handheld simulation for scientific learning and instruction. Moreover, the effects of handheld simulation on affective issues of learning science (i.e., students’ attitudes toward science and conceptions of learning science) will be investigated and discussed in this study. |
