Transcript 2

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TechQuest CEP 810 Transcript 2: Online Simulations H:

Now that your plan is all set, how will you make sure students are involved?

JC:

The next step is to have students create an online simulation. I took a couple of students to the automotive workshop, where most accidents happen. If you watch the video, you’ll see that students themselves explain the consequences of mishandling tools. That’s important from students’ perspective because they see a peer perform the safety guide rather than the teacher.

H:

What do others have to say about online simulations?

JC:

Online simulations have a lot of proponents. If you read simulations expert Chris O’Neil’s findings on online simulations at www.edutopia.org/online-simulationsclassrooms, here’s what he has to say: Online simulations are practical. If your students don’t have access to or are far from a

laboratory, then a virtual tool is the next best option. Online simulations are easy to handle. In a real experiment, if students made a mistake,

they wouldn’t be able to reverse the process. So, in the case of the dissection of a frog, the frog would have to be thrown away. Now how many frogs would you have on standby? However, in an online simulation, students would learn from their mistakes and repeat the dissection over and over. Chris points out that a simulated experiment would allow us to make even more new mistakes and even learn more. I believe he’s trying to say that students will want to experiment different ways of dissecting a frog even if they know they’re simply trying to find out what will happen. Perfect strategy for the inquisitive type. Online simulations are personalized . That is, students can go about dissecting the frog the

way they like. Gone are the days when students had to follow the teacher’s instructions to the letter. Now they can learn by trial and error. Online simulations are very affordable. Chris points out that they are much cheaper than

field trips, in which case you’ll have to ensure transportation along with any extra fees incurred. H:

Now that you’ve heard what advocates of online simulations think, what do critics of online simulations have to say:

Created by: Jean-Claude Aura

Date: April 2009

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Transcript 2 by Jean-Claude Aura - Issuu