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ERIC Number: ED406207
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1995
Pages: 20
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Effects of Constructivist and Computer-Facilitated Strategies on Achievement in Heterogeneous Secondary Biology.
Duffy, Maryellen; Barowy, William
This paper describes the effects of the implementation of constructivist techniques with interactive computer simulations on conceptual understanding of plant nutrition and critical thinking skills in heterogeneously grouped secondary biology classrooms. The study focused on three strategies for teaching plant nutrition: (1) traditional; (2) constructivist; and (3) computer-facilitated. This paper outlines the results on student learning as well as emergent issues concerning implementing technological and pedagogical innovations in high school science classrooms. Results indicated that post-test gains were the greatest for the traditional class followed by the constructivist class, indicating that the traditional class learned the more traditional content. Video data indicated that the students spent significant amounts of time trying to understand the nature of the computer model and how to operate the software. Observations also indicated that there was no closing discussion to help students connect what they learned on the computer to what they had learned from other activities in the class. It was concluded that since there was no significant difference among the post-test gain, open-ended scores, and The Critical Thinking in Biology (TCTB) test, it might be implied that each strategy is as effective as the other in promoting conceptual change and critical thinking skills. Contains 29 references. (JRH)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Biology, Computer Simulation, Computer Uses in Education, Constructivism (Learning), Educational Strategies, Educational Technology, Evaluation, Heterogeneous Grouping, Plants (Botany), Scientific Concepts, Secondary Education, Secondary School Science, Teaching Methods, Thinking Skills
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A