Turning Transfer Inside Out: The Affordances of Virtual Worlds and Mobile Devices in Real World Contexts for Teaching About Causality Across Time and Distance in Ecosystems
Turning Transfer Inside Out: The Affordances of Virtual Worlds and Mobile Devices in Real World Contexts for Teaching About Causality Across Time and Distance in Ecosystems
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DOI：
10.1007/s10758-014-9241-5
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发表时间：
2015-04-01
影响因子：
3.3
通讯作者：
Dede, Christopher J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Grotzer, Tina A.;Powell, Megan M.;Dede, Christopher J.
关于生态系统的推理包括考虑时间和空间距离上的因果关系；然而学习者通常关注当前的时间框架和当地情况。根据提示学生所需推理类型的测试，教导学生超越这些界限进行推理已经取得了一些成功。虚拟世界提供了一个评估学生在模拟环境中实际做了什么的机会。除此之外，移动设备使得在现实世界中构建和评估学习成为可能。将学习置于外部目标环境中可以绕过迁移过程中的许多挑战。一项研究调查了五年级和六年级学生 (n = 38) 的学习情况，他们使用名为 EcoMUVE 的虚拟世界（旨在支持生态系统概念和复杂因果动态的学习）和移动宽带设备 (MBD) 组件，旨在评估和支持真实池塘生态系统中的学习和迁移。将两个班级的经历作为参考人群进行对比；一个班先参加MBD体验，然后参加EcoMUVE中的学习组件；另一个首先参与了 EcoMUVE，然后是 MBD 组件。收集了丰富的三角数据，以阐明学生对课程组成部分的体验和反应。两个班级都在 EcoMUVE 中取得了学习成果。在 MBD 体验之前完成 EcoMUVE 的学生将概念转移到他们的池塘探索中。在 MBD 支持后，这两门课程都在池塘里取得了学习成果，并揭示了更多关于随时间变化和生态系统动态中遥远驱动因素的重要性的专家推理。
Reasoning about ecosystems includes consideration of causality over temporal and spatial distances; yet learners typically focus on immediate time frames and local contexts. Teaching students to reason beyond these boundaries has met with some success based upon tests that cue students to the types of reasoning required. Virtual worlds offer an opportunity to assess what students actually do in a simulated context. Beyond this, mobile devices make it possible to scaffold and assess learning in the real world. Situating learning outside, in the target contexts, bypasses many of the challenges of transfer. A study investigated the learning of fifth and sixth graders (n = 38) while they used a virtual world called EcoMUVE, designed to support learning of ecosystems concepts and complex causal dynamics, and mobile broadband device (MBDs) components, designed to assess and support learning and transfer in a real pond ecosystem. The experiences of two classes were contrasted as reference populations; one class participated in the MBD experience first, followed by the learning components in EcoMUVE; the other participated in EcoMUVE first, followed by the MBD components. Rich and triangulated data was collected to illuminate how students experienced and responded to the curriculum components. Both classes made learning gains in EcoMUVE. Students who completed EcoMUVE prior to their MBD experience transferred concepts to their pond explorations. Both classes made learning gains at the pond following the MBD support and revealed more expert reasoning about the importance of change over time and distant drivers in ecosystem dynamics.