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Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research
written by Noah D. Finkelstein, Wendy K. Adams, C. J. Keller, Patrick B. Kohl , Katherine Perkins, Noah S. Podolefsky, Sam Reid, and Ron LeMaster
This paper examines the effects of substituting a computer simulation for real laboratory equipment in the second semester of a large-scale introductory physics course. The direct current circuit laboratory was modified to compare the effects of using computer simulations with the effects of using real light bulbs, meters, and wires. Two groups of students, those who used real equipment and those who used a computer simulation that explicitly modeled electron flow, were compared in terms of their mastery of physics concepts and skills with real equipment. Students who used the simulated equipment outperformed their counterparts both on a conceptual survey of the domain and in the coordinated tasks of assembling a real circuit and describing how it worked.
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education Practices
- Curriculum Development
= Laboratory
- Instructional Material Design
- Technology
= Computers
Electricity & Magnetism
- DC Circuits
- Lower Undergraduate
- High School
- Instructional Material
= Laboratory
- Reference Material
= Research study
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- Administrators
- application/pdf
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Free access
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© 2005 American Physical Society
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.1.010103
PACSs:
01.40.Fk
01.50.Ht
Keywords:
cirucuit simulations, instructional method, instructional technology, pedagogy, phet, physics education research, virtual laboratory
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created August 22, 2006 by Bruce Mason
Record Updated:
November 16, 2022 by Sam McKagan
Last Update
when Cataloged:
October 6, 2005
Other Collections:

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Record Link
AIP Format
N. Finkelstein, W. Adams, C. Keller, P. Kohl, K. Perkins, N. Podolefsky, S. Reid, and R. LeMaster, , Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 1 (1), (2005), WWW Document, (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.1.010103).
AJP/PRST-PER
N. Finkelstein, W. Adams, C. Keller, P. Kohl, K. Perkins, N. Podolefsky, S. Reid, and R. LeMaster, When learning about the real world is better done virtually: A study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 1 (1), (2005), <https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.1.010103>.
APA Format
Finkelstein, N., Adams, W., Keller, C., Kohl, P., Perkins, K., Podolefsky, N., Reid, S., & LeMaster, R. (2005, October 6). When learning about the real world is better done virtually: A study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment. Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res., 1(1). Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.1.010103
Chicago Format
Finkelstein, N, W. Adams, C. Keller, P. Kohl, K. Perkins, N. Podolefsky, S. Reid, and R. LeMaster. "When learning about the real world is better done virtually: A study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment." Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 1, no. 1, (October 6, 2005), https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.1.010103 (accessed 12 December 2024).
MLA Format
Finkelstein, Noah, Wendy Adams, C. J. Keller, Patrick B. Kohl, Katherine Perkins, Noah S. Podolefsky, Sam Reid, and Ron LeMaster. "When learning about the real world is better done virtually: A study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment." Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 1.1 (2005). 12 Dec. 2024 <https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.1.010103>.
BibTeX Export Format
@article{ Author = "Noah Finkelstein and Wendy Adams and C. J. Keller and Patrick B. Kohl and Katherine Perkins and Noah S. Podolefsky and Sam Reid and Ron LeMaster", Title = {When learning about the real world is better done virtually: A study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment}, Journal = {Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res.}, Volume = {1}, Number = {1}, Month = {October}, Year = {2005} }
Refer Export Format

%A Noah Finkelstein %A Wendy Adams %A C. J. Keller %A Patrick B. Kohl %A Katherine Perkins %A Noah S. Podolefsky %A Sam Reid %A Ron LeMaster %T When learning about the real world is better done virtually: A study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment %J Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. %V 1 %N 1 %D October 6, 2005 %U https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.1.010103 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Journal Article %A Finkelstein, Noah %A Adams, Wendy %A Keller, C. J. %A Kohl, Patrick B. %A Perkins, Katherine %A Podolefsky, Noah S. %A Reid, Sam %A LeMaster, Ron %D October 6, 2005 %T When learning about the real world is better done virtually: A study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment %J Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. %V 1 %N 1 %8 October 6, 2005 %U https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.1.010103


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