Process teaching simulator: Trial and error, thinking, learning effectiveness

Martin Jaeger, Desmond Adair

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The importance of feedback on students' learning activities, so as to facilitate high learning effectiveness, has been shown before. However, the effectiveness of feedback on students' learning activities, when students learn engineering processes based on computer based simulations, is much less well known. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of 'correcting feedback' (i.e. the feedback indicates only students' mistakes) and 'reflective feedback' (i.e. the feedback includes a hint to encourage the student to re-think a specific answer) on learning effectiveness of engineering students, when using computer based simulation in order to enhance the learning of engineering processes. The impact of 'reflective feedback' is analyzed by carrying out semi-quasi experiments using experimental and control groups of students. It is found that 'reflective feedback' does not result in higher learning effectiveness and that the students of this study prefer to correct their mistakes by focusing on 'correcting feedback' and previously learned content, while using a 'trial and error mentality'. The results provide evidence, first, about the impact of students' learning background when using teaching simulators, and, secondly, that simulators showing both, 'correcting feedback' and 'reflective feedback', may reduce the stimulating effect of 'reflective feedback' because of the presence of 'correcting feedback'. Consideration of these findings will contribute to further improvement of process teaching simulators. This study is part of an ongoing research effort related to computer simulation based learning in engineering education.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of 2019 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference, EDUCON 2019
EditorsAlaa K. Ashmawy, Sebastian Schreiter
PublisherIEEE Computer Society
Pages160-165
Number of pages6
ISBN (Electronic)9781538695067
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2019
Event10th IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference, EDUCON 2019 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Duration: 9 Apr 201911 Apr 2019

Publication series

NameIEEE Global Engineering Education Conference, EDUCON
VolumeApril-2019
ISSN (Print)2165-9559
ISSN (Electronic)2165-9567

Conference

Conference10th IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference, EDUCON 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited Arab Emirates
CityDubai
Period9/04/1911/04/19

Keywords

  • Computer-based learning
  • Feedback methods
  • Learning effectiveness
  • Process simulation

Funding Agency

  • Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences

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