Conceptual development through computer simulations: a case study in physics

VELASCO, JUAN JOSÉ; BUTELER, LAURA MARÍA; COLEONI, ENRIQUE ANDRÉS

Conferencia; XIV Conferencia Intereamericana de Educación en Física; 2021

CIAEF - IACPE

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