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One issue facing teachers who implement model-based instruction within the school system is the tight curricular schedule. The 'lesson objective tension' calls for investigations to address instructional issues such as how to organise modelling-based instruction at the curriculum level which is across multiple units. We investigated the effect of the cyclic curricular design spacing out three modelling-based instruction units with virtual labs over three semesters, each involving 73, 181, and 150 junior high school students, respectively. Results indicate that, overall, the approach of modelling with virtual labs better promoted students' scientific literacy than the traditional instruction did. Specifically, students with low and moderate school science achievements benefitted more as shown in their scientific literacy scores than did the high achievement students. Furthermore, this study found that receiving one unit of modelling-based instruction may not be sufficient to promote students' scientific literacy, whereas the cyclic approach that suggests students receive two or more units of modelling-based instruction with virtual labs spaced over consecutive semesters had significant effects on promoting students' scientific literacy. The results provide insights into when and how modelling-based learning with virtual labs can promote scientific literacy at a curricular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emphasis of using computing tools in scientific practice has called for new forms of scientific modeling. Therefore, researchers are paying increasing attention to computational scientific modeling in which students use the computational power of computers to model and learn about science phenomena. However, computational scientific modeling is challenging since it involves not only scientific concepts but also uses computational representations to model the science concepts. This study hypothesizes that prompting students to self-explain critical subgoals of computational scientific modeling before taking part in the construction of models would help them construct correct computational models. This study recruited 65 10th grade students in a 6-week program. They were randomly assigned to a self-explanation group (n = 29) where students learned with the self-explanation for subgoals of computational scientific modeling, and a demonstration group (n = 36) where the teacher directly demonstrated the modeling process before students took part in the modeling activity. This study collected the students' performance in a paper-based and hands-on modeling test, and also their modeling actions in the hands-on test to understand the impact of the self-explanation scaffolding on their computational scientific modeling. The results showed that the two groups demonstrated similar levels of improvements in the paper-based test, suggesting that both types of scaffolding are helpful for computational scientific modeling learning. However, the self-explanation group demonstrated significantly better modeling quality in the hands-on test. Furthermore, the spotlight analysis found the moderation effect of the modeling actions on the relation between the two treatments and the model quality. The self-explanation group constructed high quality models if they took only a low number of modeling actions. Conversely, frequent modeling actions are necessary for the demonstration group to construct quality scientific models. The results suggest that the self-explanation scaffolding is more effective since students did not simply rely on the trial-and-error strategy, but adopted a strategic approach to constructing scientific models. • Computational scientific modeling translates science concepts into executable model. • Students receiving the self-explanation prompts demonstrated better model quality. • Frequent modeling actions were not required for the self-explanation group. • The self-explanation group adopted a strategic approach to constructing models. • Students receiving demonstration scaffolding relies on trial-and-error strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Collaborative computer simulations are available on some online platforms which support students at distributed locations to synchronously collaborate on the simulations to learn sciences. However, how students collaborate with each other in collaborative simulations is not clear. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate whether functional interdependency would influence learning. Methods: Two collaborative learning models with different functional interdependencies were examined (the synchronous model and the distributed accountability model). Multiple data sources obtained from 64 students were collected and analyzed. We discuss the collaborative learning with two levels of factors: the individual‐level factors (i.e., individual perceptions of teamwork quality, visual attention and learning performance before and after a simulation activity) and the pair‐level factors (i.e., discourse data and joint attention). Given that the pair‐level factors in the collaborative learning environment may affect the individual‐level factors, we further discuss the interactions of the two levels of factors in different collaborative learning models with hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analysis. Results and Conclusions: The analytical results of the individual‐level factors found participants in the distributed accountability model demonstrated more frequent and longer attention to the learning activity. Furthermore, the results indicated that the two simulation learning activities would enhance the participants' learning performance except in Q2. For the pair‐level factors, the results demonstrated that the participants in the distributed accountability model showed more active discourse segments but similar joint attention patterns in the learning activity. The results of the HLM analysis indicated that the students in the distributed accountability model had to collaborate with their partners through more constructive dialogue, and focused on the same areas of interest to enhance their learning performance, as the complexity of the distributed accountability design was implemented in a simulation learning activity. Major takeaways: We found that the increase of functional interdependency cannot guarantee students' learning effect in collaborative learning and may hinder the communication that is needed during collaboration. Researcher may need to consider other collaboration tools to enhance the reciprocal reflection. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Collaborative simulations are helpful in making the learning process cohesive.The learning effects of functional interdependence in collaborative learning are under debate. What this paper adds: We examined collaborative learning models with different functional interdependencies.We discuss the collaborative learning with the individual‐, the pair‐level factors and their interactions Implications for practice and/or policy: The importance of decreasing cognitive load induced by simulation with high functional interdependency.It is necessary to increase participants' transactive and constructive engagement in collaborative models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative problem solving (CPS) is considered as one of the core competencies of the 21st century. Collaborative simulations which allow multiple students to participate in CPS activities in a shared simulation session are now increasingly applied to better facilitate these activities. However, the literature has shown that students' collaboration often does not lead to an effective solution to problems. Guided by the PISA CPS framework, this study thus aimed to analyze students’ collaboration patterns and problem solving strategies in solving a physics problem, and to identify significant patterns which may lead to a successful or unsuccessful outcome. Multiple data sources including group discussions, problem solving activities in a collaborative simulation, and open-ended questionnaire feedback from 30 high school students were analyzed using the lag sequential analysis technique. It was found that collaborative simulation has the potential to help students situate their discussion in a joint concrete problem space, facilitating their formation of a path to solve the problem. More importantly, the results showed significant differences between the successful and unsuccessful groups in terms of their collaboration patterns and problem solving strategies. A considerable portion of the students could only apply an intuitive trial-and-error strategy, and failed to solve the problem in the end. These students showed an inability to monitor and analyze the problem solving process, and were unable to transform their discussion into an executable plan to solve the problem. Those students who applied analytical reasoning strategies were more likely to achieve a successful problem solving outcome. The implications for educational practice are discussed, and the directions for future studies addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advancements in Web and HTML5 techniques have made collaborative simulations able to support a shared workspace and more synchronous collaboration in a single simulation. However, previous studies show divergent findings regarding the effects of the new features of collaborative simulations. To better understand the affordances and limitations of collaborative simulations, this study analyzed how 64 students learned in two different collaborative learning settings: individual-based simulation and collaborative simulation. To better reveal how students attended to different parts of the simulation, the researchers collected eye movement data and analyzed students' discourse, perceptions of collaboration and learning performance. The findings revealed that the two groups demonstrated similar levels of learning gains. However, the students who used the collaborative simulation displayed lower levels and less frequency of individual attention to the simulation than those using the individual-based simulation. However, the joint attention and discourse analysis suggests that students learning with the collaborative simulation are more likely to engage in effective collaborative learning while demonstrating more constructive discourse threads than those using the individual-based simulation. The findings support that the collaborative simulations transformed the learning experience into a cohesive collaborative learning process. This study also found that the relationship between the joint attention and the discourse features as well as the perceived collaborative experience are not decisive but are influenced by the features of the collaborative learning environment. This article discusses the implications of the use of collaborative simulations and eye movement for supporting collaborative learning, and addresses the direction for future studies. • Recent Web techniques have made collaborative simulations feasible. • Students learning with collaborative simulation displayed lower levels of individual attention. • Their attentions switched among different AOIs. • They demonstrated more constructive discourse threads. • Students are more likely to engage in effective collaborative learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates the effect of an interactive simulation with embedded inquiry support, which was seamlessly embedded within the simulation, on students' scientific literacy and school science achievement, and explores the relationships among prior school science achievement, inquiry processes and scientific literacy. A total of 49 eighth-grade students at a public junior high school in northern Taiwan participated. Data collected include the students' pre- and post-scores for school science achievement, logging data that indicate their inquiry processes, and pretest, posttest, and delayed-test data that measure their scientific literacy. The results provide evidence that the designed simulation and inquiry support had a long-term effect on the students' scientific literacy. Replacing conventional teaching with inquiry activities did not harm the students' school science achievement performances. Moreover, compared to school science achievement, students' scientific literacy seems a better predictor of their inquiry behavior, especially in the aspect of making conclusions. Analyses of the students' inquiry processes indicate that the so-called low science achieving students conducted more data analyses than the other students, and demonstrated adequate inquiry engagement. The students with middle level school science achievement demonstrated the most active engagement in inquiry and showed good gains of scientific literacy after the learning. These results indicate that a guided inquiry learning environment can support students with different levels of school science achievement to highly engage in science inquiry. Implications and future studies are discussed. • The designed simulation and embedded inquiry support had a long-term effect on the students' scientific literacy. • Compared to school science achievement, students' scientific literacy seems a better predictor of their inquiry behavior. • The low science achieving students conducted more data analyses and demonstrated adequate inquiry engagement. • The middle-level achieving students demonstrated the most active engagement in inquiry and gains of scientific literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]