mjgehl

Projects

EdubuntuSoftwareSurvey - Provides an online survey for teachers, parents and students to help determine the educational software needs for Edubuntu.

edubuntu-study-content

Projects of Interest

Amenity - Amenity aims to provide an Activity Management System to be used (in conjunction with Pike) in classrooms and to be included in Edubuntu.

Pike - Pike aims to provide a Quiz/Exam System to be used (in conjunction with Amenity) in classrooms and to be included in Edubuntu.

Learning Theory

Popular Theory Supporting the Use of Computer Simulation for Experiential Learning

Experience Based Learning Systems, Inc.

Learning Styles

David Kolb (1984) found that the four combinations of perceiving and processing determine the four learning styles.

  1. Type One Learners – Reflectors (Imaginative people) - Think about it.
    • Sensors/feelers and watchers take in information concretely, and they process what they take in reflectively. They start with what they see, then they generalise. Type One learners (reflectors) are primarily interested in personal meaning. Software needs to create a reason.
  2. Type Two Learners – Theorists (Theoretical/analytic people) - Understand it.
    • Thinkers and watchers take in (perceive) experience abstractly, and they process what they take in reflectively. They start with an idea, then they reflect about it, playing with it, watching it take different shapes. Type Two learners (theorists) are primarily interested in facts as they lead to conceptual understanding. Software needs to give them the facts that deepen understanding.
  3. Type Three Learners – Pragmatists (Practical/common sense people) - Do it.
    • Thinkers and doers take in experience abstractly, and then process what they take in actively. They start with an idea, then they try it out, experimenting and testing it to see if it works. Type Three learners (pragmatists) are primarily interested in how things work. Software needs to let them try it.
  4. Type Four Learners – Activists (Dynamic/intuitive people) - Apply it.
    • Sensors/feelers and doers take in experience concretely, and process what they take in actively. They start with what they see, hear, touch, feel. Then they plunge in and try it out in action. What if? Type Four learners (activists) are primarily interested in self-discovery. Software needs to let them teach it to themselves and to others.

My Science Box

Effectiveness of Computer Simulation for Enhancing Higher Order Thinking

Educational Simulations

GCompris

Home School Software

Educational Software Directory.net

Shuttleworth Foundation

Ideas

Pond Water

Delve into a micro-habitat that is the size of a drop of water. This lesson allows students to explore the plankton (organisms that drift with the currents) that exist in a drop of pond, lake, or bay water. A virtual microscope is used to the organisms.

http://www.mysciencebox.org/pondwater

http://www.udel.edu/Biology/ketcham/microscope/

Volcano Simulator

Volcano simulator is a software package the lets the user modify pressures and temperatures to create different types of volcanos.

http://www.alaskamuseum.org/features/volcano/index.htm

http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/kids/fun/volcano/volcano.html

Dissection Simulator

Dissection simulator is a software package that allows students to dissect different types of animals in a virtual environment.

Demo Frog Dissection

mjgehl (last edited 2008-08-06 16:15:48 by localhost)