Cognitive Constructivism:
MicroworldsCognitive Constructivism:
Microworlds*Content adapted from Wilson, B. (1995). "Metaphors for instruction: Why we talk about learning environments." Educational Technology, 35(5), 25-30. (http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~bwilson/wils95)
With microworlds, students "enter" a self-contained computer-based environment to learn. These microworlds may be supported by a larger classroom environment, but may also stand alone.
For example, since children must construct or build their own reality, they need multiple representations, or views, of a concept or issue. A computer simulation of life in a particular culture, for example, might provide multiple representation by allowing players to take different roles such as worker, aristocrat, and ruler. A study of meteorology might involve trying to predict the weather as a meteorologist and playing roles, such as farmer, of people who use weather predictions.
The sections below explain several popular types of microworlds. The explanations are, however, very brief. You may want to explore the links in each section that take you to examples of the different types of software. "Playing" with the software will give you a much better feel for what microworlds are.
ExamplesThis simulation software from MECC brings the users to travel back in time. Through Oregon Trails, students experience an important episode in U.S. history.
The users imagine themselves load their wagons and set their sights on the Willamette Valley -- the land that spurred real pioneers to brave The Oregon Trail.
The learners simulate the situations of face dangerous weather, hunt for food, ford treacherous rivers, and live off the land. They have to make day-to-day decisions and overcome potentially deadly dilemmas that require concentration and problem-solving skills.
Exciting new 3D graphics, real video footage, multiple levels of play, and lots of decision-making along the trek add up to endless hours of engaging play.
Learners may choose from three levels of difficulty, pick from 25 occupations, each with different skills, select your year of travel (from 1840 - 1860), point of departure, and final destination along the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails.
Every decision results in different experience, so learners' westward adventure is never the same.
ChemLab for windows is an interactive computer simulation of a chemistry lab. This is a microworld created by experimental apparatus around questions in chemistry. Common Lab equipment and procedures are used to simulate the steps involved in performing a chemistry lab experiment. Each lab simulation is contained in a separate simulation module. Many different labs are possible using the common lab interface.
To get started with a ChemLab experiment first pick an experiment from the experiment menu.. After making this selection learners pick the lab manual from the tool bar or from the procedures menu. This will bring up a help window with a lab procedure, and learners may follow the procedure and complete the experiment.
The first thing to do is selecting equipment. Lab equipment is added to the workspace by either selecting from the toolbar, equipment menu, right mouse context pop up menu, or additionally lab equipment can also be added through the chemicals dialog box by specifying a new lab container.
A common material for performing chemical experiment is water. Water is added to a selected lab item by using either the toolbar water button or the water dialog box. To open the water dialog box, select the water menu item in the chemicals menu or the water menu item with the right-mouse-button context menu. Water may also be added through the Chemicals dialog box. The water dialog box also only adds water in increments.
Pouring or decanting, involves selecting a piece of lab equipment, positioning its left side over the receiving container and selecting the decant button from toolbar or decant/pour menu item from the procedures menu or from the right-mouse-button context menu. Notice that liquid is first transferred in this process, to allow separation. Similarly to heat an object with a bunsen burner, position the burner under that object. The following screen capture shows pouring and burning at the same time.
To add chemicals to a container first select the container and then select the chemicals button from the toolbar or chemicals menu item from either the main menu or the right-mouse-button context menu. This will open up a chemicals dialog box. The chemicals dialog box allows the users to add chemicals to the selected item or add chemicals to a new item. It will also allow the user to change the selected containers size and type. Select the desired chemical from the chemicals drop-down combo box. Enter the desired mass or volume of chemical needed and press OK. As shown on the following screen capture, the property window displays important chemical properties.
ChemLab allows users to quickly run-through chemistry Labs, in a fraction of the time of an actual Lab, while emphasizing the critical principles and techniques of experimental chemistry. It is ideal for lab run-throughs, demonstrations, pre-lab work, dangerous labs and labs which cannot be performed due to time limitations.
To try out this shareware program you must click on chemlab.exe in the programs/chemlab/ subdirectory on ET-IT CD-ROM through File Manager or Windows Explorer.
Click here to know about download and installation.
Tracking The Eye is an easy to use storm tracking simulation program. This simulation seeks to capture in miniature complex dynamics of storm. Information-processing technologies offer a flexible resource for creating complex microworld to explore.
With Tracking The Eye you will be able to take the coordinates that are broadcasted over the television or radio and put them in a new Tracking The Eye document. So instead of just keeping paper maps you can have all your storms on the computer with the option of printing a map at any time. You may also play back, interact with the computer, and simulate many different situations.
Use the built-in database to open an existing storm.
Then choose one of the storms listed in the dialog box and press OK. You should now see the storm on the map. At this point you can press any of the buttons on the Toolbar. For example, the following is Hurricane Andrew's (1992) storm tracking map.
The Storm Information Box tells you more about the storm: types, speeds, date and time, storm coordinates. You may even locate Houston and see how Houston was affected by that storm. You can use these buttons to step through the coordinates of the storm while watching the symbol move. With these buttons you will be able to see the history information of the storm.
Use the Storm Information window to begin tracking a new storm. When you press this button you will get a new map with no storm symbol on it. You must now enter the NEW COORDINATE for this storm. To accomplish this use the Storm Information Box as discussed in the paragraph above. For a new storm, It has automatically gone into the NEW COORDINATE mode because no coordinates exist at this time. Input the first coordinate now. After you have filled in all the fields you can continue to add more coordinates by pressing the NEW COORDINATE button again until you are finished adding all the coordinates you have for this session. When you are finished press the OK button to see your map get updated and the storm move to the new location.
Tracking The Eye has a built-in FAQ database answered by Dr. Landsea. Learners interested in weather related questions can visit here. Learners may click on storm information, city information, statistical graph to learn more. Besides, Tracking The Eye also provides many practical tips. For example, from hurricane shopping list you may find items such as candles, portable radio, bottled water, and even baby food.
To try out this trial program, you must install it on your computer's hard drive. To do that you must copy the folder called track to your hard drive. That folder is on the CD-ROM in the subdirectory called programs/track/. You might create a subdirectory on your computer named EDSoft (only if you do not already have one). Then you could copy track into the EDSoft subdirectory. Once you have copied track over to your hard drive you can use the standard Windows procedure to install that program by clicking on runme.bat in the EDSoft/track/ folder on your hard drive. Then follow the directions on the screen.
Click here to know more about installation.
Additional InformationThe author of this web page describes microworld as -- a case study supported by a computer simulation - - to solve problems. With microworlds, users experience the dynamics of key strategic issues found in a real case situation. A Microworld simulates changes over time-scales (maybe many years). Users (teams or individuals) must make strategic choices and live with the consequences of their decisions. They discover the considerable scope for triumph or disaster, and learn that the strategic destiny of their effort may be largely in their own hands.
URL: http://www.smsim.co.uk/index.html-ssi#Intro
This web site use a case series to introduce a business success story in a market familiar to most users. The case series involve the Beefeater restaurants business which operate 280 UK restaurants by 1995, after growing consistently over a 15 year history. Microworld allow users take the role of the management team and try to cope with the diverse problems of start-up, growth and business maturity. To help decision-making, the Microworld gives users the results of an underlying simulation by providing an extensive information and help system. Reports, graphs and tables give current and historical data on operational and financial performance. Games may be saved for later review, and a series of management "challenges" also are included, to confront teams with different circumstances.
URL: http://www.smsim.co.uk/beef/index.htm
This web site described several microworld experiments, some developed at the MIT Media Lab , and some developed at the University of Maine Computer Science Department.
URL: http://www.umcs.maine.edu/~inquiry/starlogoexamples.html
The main goal of this project is to develop powerful computer-based microworlds that permit students to learn interesting and complex ideas through inquiry or discovery -- not through lecture or drill-and-practice. This web site describes the following products of the project :
URL: http://www.rand.org/hot/mcarthur/home.html
This web page is designed to assist K12 students and teachers locate and share information about the Oregon Trail. Initially this page was designed to assist classes participating in an Internet simulation of an Oregon Trail wagon train trip lead by Jim Meckel, a fourth grade teacher at Boone Elementary School.
URL: http://www.gsn.org/~jmeckel/oregon.html
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