Transfer of perceptually grounded principles

Indiana University, Bloomington IN

Investigators

Abstract

This project concerns the role of perceptually concrete materials in teaching generalizable scientific concepts, with a particular emphasis on computer simulations. While concrete content appears to facilitate the learning of specific pieces of information, previous research has shown that it may impair students' ability to apply that information to new situations. The proposed studies explore the relation between the superficial, concrete details through which a phenomenon is presented, and the abstraction of deeper scientific principles underlying the phenomenon. The specific content to be learned concerns the principles of complex systems in a range of STEM domains such as civil engineering, biology, economics, and mechanics. The research methods involve classroom-based and laboratory experiments incorporating computer simulations of scientific principles. By observing how interaction with one simulation affects students' understanding of subsequently presented information, the investigators can assess the degree to which the underlying scientific principle has been successfully abstracted. The proposed research is divided into two broad lines. First, the investigators explore the role of comparison of multiple cases in students' ability to acquire generalizable principles from concrete examples. Second, they examine the degree to which physically and spatially plausible mechanical systems may serve as models for understanding complex or unintuitive causal systems. In both lines, the investigators explore the ways in which learning is affected by factors such as the degree and type of concrete detail depicted, the relative overlap of concrete and structural information between cases, and the concrete and structural variability with the test cases. Studies will include students in 8th grade science classes.