REFLECTIONS- SIMULATION AND MODELLING
Simulation
and modeling is the main ICT tools in science that provide better understanding
and attract the interest of students to learn science subjects. In the first
place, I thought that simulation and modeling kind of having similar meaning
and could not differentiate between the two. Thankfully, from Technology and
Innovation in Teaching and Learning Biology course I now can clearly see the
difference between them. Simulation is exploration of existing models or theory
while modelling allows us to test our own hypothesis/ theory by constructing
the models.
Simulation provides better
illustrations of scientific concepts with the use of high quality multimedia. With
simulation, students can easily understand abstract scientific concepts and
investigate life processes that happen in our body. Stimulating graphic attract
the students to learnt more and enable teachers to show the students the
difficult, dangerous or costly experiments. Modelling using ICT enables
students to explore the models on their own and help the students to understand
the phenomena involved in the topics learnt. Usually, software of modelling in
Biology topics was limited while abundance of modelling software was created to
explained Physics and Chemistry concept/theory.
For teachers, teaching using simulation and
modelling maybe gives a new challenge because it needed advanced ICT skills to
use the multimedia. One of the important remarks that my lecturer said is that teacher
need to find great and suitable simulation or modelling in order to prevent
students form having alternative concept. In selecting suitable simulation and
modelling courseware, the graphics need to be clear and simple as well as able
to grab the attention of students.
Teacher also needs to be prepared and know everything
about the simulation courseware that going to be used in the classroom so that
the information was effectively transferred to the students. Teacher may use ‘Voice-over’
function if available at the end of the simulations as a conclusion to enable
students to see the overall view of what they have learnt in the topic. Teacher was encourage to used virtual lab experiment in Biology topic to allow the students explore on their own and play with the data generated in the virtual lab experiments. Moreover, Malaysian teacher and courseware designer was encourage to create virtual lab experiment in different topic because it will greatly help teacher and student in teaching and learning process. Active
interaction between teacher and students by using questioning will help the
students to understand the topic. Teacher also need to emphasis and explain the
key observable points in the simulation or modelling during teaching process.
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