Conceptual development through computer simulation: a case study in Physics

VELASCO JUAN; BUTELER, LAURA; COLEONI, ENRIQUE

Revista de Enseñanza de la Física

Asociación de Profesores de Física y Portal de Revistas de la UNC

Lugar: Córdoba Capital; Año: 2021 vol. 33 p. 529 - 536

This paper investigates how students engage with a simulation, during problem solving, and learn. It is a case study with three groups of university students solving a thermodynamics problem (Carnot cycle) assisted by a computational simulation specifically designed for that circumstance. Coordination Class Theory is used to interpret the results. These reveal that there are three distinct types of interaction between students and simulation that promote the conceptual development of the participating groups.