Education Technology Services (ETS) has taken the traditional classroom learning environment in a new direction with the development of three computer simulations that conveniently and effectively teach core concepts and skills with regard to energy conservation. As a result, students in EGEE 102 can now enter a virtual world to learn real-life lessons of cost efficiency and energy conservation.
Through a Faculty Technology Initiative project, ETS team members worked closely with Dr. Sarma Pisupati, associate professor of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering, to develop these Web-based simulations. The experiments build upon each other and teach appropriate concepts by comparing the results of using different insulating materials in different environments.
The initial goal of the project was to replicate a physical experiment previously used to teach basic concepts regarding the benefits of insulation. Dr. Pisupati's original energy conservation experiment involved large plywood boxes that incorporated different insulating materials. In the experiment, students placed each box over a light bulb and noted the differences in heat retention in relation to the different insulating materials. Students were expected to perform the experiment outside of class, and transporting the physical model was not always convenient.
ETS project members addressed the initial goal with the first
simulation. Project members used graphics and animation software along
with object-oriented programming to simulate the physical properties,
as well as the required actions of the physical experiment. In both
the physical and virtual experiments, students learn to determine the
most effective type of insulation for a given situation. The Web-based
simulation, however, is able to illustrate
that lesson in a more convenient, virtual setting.
Through initial project meetings, ETS members began to realize the possibility of accomplishing a related goal of Dr. Pisupati by developing several more lessons. The goal involved moving from an abstract experiment toward real-life examples, according to Brett Bixler, lead instructional designer for the project. ETS members felt that the Web-based interface would represent an environment in which more complex lessons could be introduced without increasing the difficulty level for students. As a result, group members endeavored to produce further experiments that would more closely approximate reality.
The second simulation incorporates the basic concepts of the first experiment and includes the relationship of cost efficiency. This simulation involves more hands-on calculations, and objectives include insulating a wall, evaluating the costs of various insulation types, and comparing those costs to the respective effectiveness of the materials.
The third and most complex simulation extends the lessons of the first two experiments using the components of a simulated house. This experiment is more interactive, requiring users to choose not only the type of insulation to use in a simulated house, but also many other variables which will affect the outcome of the experiment. Some of these variables include the size of the house, location, and type of windows. This experiment combines interactive features with hands-on calculations to explore more complex concepts, such as the amount of time it would take to recoup an investment in a given insulation type.
This process of gradually introducing complexity, referred to as scaffolding, is intended to help students think through logical progressions of complex concepts, according to Bixler. "In learning simulations, students are better able to understand concepts that progress in a logical order from simple to complex, rather than those that are just thrown at them," said Bixler.
In developing the third simulation, the incorporation of graphics
and programming became vital, according to Christine Wagner, senior
applications programmer/analyst. She said that developing a model that
merged programming and graphics into an intuitive environment for the user
was particularly challenging. "Working (as a programmer) so closely with
the designer was like the Yin and the Yang of Flash," she said.
Bixler said that ETS group members endeavored to make the tasks within the simulations as easy to follow as possible for the students. The simulations include printable charts and well-defined tasks for students to use throughout the simulations, as well as to hand in to their professor upon completion. "Students could print out the charts and include their findings to hand in to the professor. This way, we maintained some consistency with the way the results would be presented, making it easy to follow for the students and easy to track for the professor," Bixler said.
According to Bixler, a computer simulation is "one of the most complex things you can do on a computer. There are guidelines, but you really have to have an open mind and be able to think outside the box to do it well," he said.
In addition to assimilating traditional and non-traditional thinking, the ETS group relied heavily on communication to achieve the goals they set out to accomplish. Communication was the integral part of the process, explained Wagner. "We needed to maintain the integrity of the experiment while accomplishing Dr. Pisupati's goals," she said.
Although the process of interpretation was not always easy, success resulted from a lot of hard work and effective communication among all members of the project. "We all had the same goals," said Wagner, "to create a comprehensive, good quality, user-friendly product for the professor and students."
According to Bixler, the simulations will enable the professor to reach more students with an experiment that is more accessible-Web-based, as opposed to physical-and this added convenience will allow students to concentrate on the lessons within the experiment, rather than worry about external factors, such as transporting a cumbersome, physical experiment. Dr. Pisupati said, "I am very pleased because this active learning component will help students visualize the concepts and guide them through the activity."
The project was completed in February and has been tested with students and teaching assistants. Feedback has been positive, according to Bixler, who says that Dr. Pisupati will now incorporate the experiment into his course.
To view samples of the simulations, go to http://tlt.its.psu.edu/projects/samples/insulation/ ETS is a division of Teaching and Learning with Technology, a unit of Information Technology Services. For more information about the Faculty Technology Initiative projects, visit http://tlt.its.psu.edu/.
