University of Twente Student Theses
De invloed van voorkennis op het bestuderen van systeem dynamische modellen
Kersjes, T.S. (2014) De invloed van voorkennis op het bestuderen van systeem dynamische modellen.
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| Abstract: | System dynamic models are a tool to represent scientific, complex processes by modeling them in a time dependent, mathematical system. A method to prepare students for creating and exploring system dynamic models is to let them study models which are formulated in a system dynamic way. The aim of this study is to improve the method of studying a systematic model. It is expected that prior knowledge about the modelled domain facilitates model reading. In the present study we investigate the role of prior knowledge. We expected that students with prior knowledge at first hand recognize more dynamic aspects of the model, second, achieve better learning outcomes and third that they are able to answer more dynamic questions of the test correctly. The study was conducted at a German school with classes 9 and 10 (n = 50). The students were randomly separated in two conditions: an experimental condition in which the students are provided with prior knowledge and a control condition in which there is no prior knowledge provided. Each student attended an individual session which took approximately 50 minutes. The pupils studied a system dynamic model while thinking aloud and subsequently answered questions on a test. For the analysis the two conditions were compared in consideration of the scores of the test and the scores from studying the model. The analysis shows that prior knowledge had the expected effect on the learning outcomes. Both, the overall test scores and the scores on the dynamic aspects of the test were significantly higher in the experimental condition. The total scores of the think aloud data were significantly higher in the experimental condition. The expectation that the students in the experimental condition are able to recognize more dynamic aspects could not be confirmed. Additionally there was also no significant correlation between the dynamic aspects of the test and the dynamic aspects of the study scores. This study has shown that prior knowledge plays an important role regarding the study of models as a method to prepare students for creating and exploring system dynamic models. Prior knowledge seems to help identify more correct relations in the model and to acquire a higher amount of knowledge and more complex knowledge. For further research it would be interesting to see how the conditions can be improved so that the pupils recognize more dynamic aspects during studying the model. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/65744 |
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