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The Role of Simulation-Enabled Design Learning Experiences on Middle School Students’ Self-generated Inherence Heuristics

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Abstract

In science and engineering education, the use of heuristics has been introduced as a way of understanding the world, and as a way to approach problem-solving and design. However, important consequences for the use of heuristics are that they do not always guarantee a correct solution. Learning by Design has been identified as a pedagogical strategy that can guide individuals to properly connect science learning via design challenges. Specifically, we focus on the effect of simulation-enabled Learning by Design learning experiences on student-generated heuristics that can lead to solutions to problems. A total of 318 middle school students were exposed to a lesson that integrated design practices in the context of energy consumption and energy conservation considerations when designing buildings using an educational CAD tool. The students were pre- and posttested before and after the 2-week long intervention. The data analysis procedures combined qualitative with quantitative methods along with machine learning approaches. Our analysis revealed two distinct groups of students based on their learning achievement: the naive developing heuristic group and semi-knowledgeable fixated heuristic group. Differences between the groups are discussed in terms of performance, as well as implications for the use of computer simulations to improve student learning.

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Funding

This research was funded by the US National Science Foundation under the award DRL #1503436.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer and Information Technology and Engineering Education, Purdue University, Knoy Hall Building, Room 231, 401 N. Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-1421, USA

    Alejandra J. Magana

  2. Computer and Information Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Sindhura Elluri, Chandan Dasgupta & Ying Ying Seah

  3. Educational Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India

    Chandan Dasgupta

  4. Purdue Polytechnic Institute and Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Aasakiran Madamanchi

  5. Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Mireille Boutin

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  1. Alejandra J. Magana
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  2. Sindhura Elluri
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  5. Aasakiran Madamanchi
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  6. Mireille Boutin
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Correspondence to Alejandra J. Magana.

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Magana, A.J., Elluri, S., Dasgupta, C. et al. The Role of Simulation-Enabled Design Learning Experiences on Middle School Students’ Self-generated Inherence Heuristics. J Sci Educ Technol 28, 382–398 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-019-09775-x

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