Learning processes of students working with a computer simulation in mechanical engineering

Abstract

The general purpoSe of this study was to gain insight in the learning process of students working with a computer simulation as it is used in a practical educational setting. This learning process is described in terms of detailed learning processes. Additionally, information was gathered on issues at which students need help and on the tutorial actions that are given. The domain involved in this study is a subdomain of mechanical engineering: control theory and the computer simulation used is PCMatlab ((c) Mathworks). Subjects in the experiment were 8 third-year students of mechanical engineering, working in pairs. Thinking-aloud protocols were used to gather data. An analysis scheme oflearning processes was developed. ~t consists of 12 categories: looking for and/or finding of information, planning, transformation of information, model exploration, predicting, manipulating, output interpreting, verifying, evaluating, generalizing, operations of PCMatlab and general off-task remarks. Although subjects were given an assignment which served as a general guidance for their actiOns it showed that: 1. Apparently, those processes relating to the problem solving process, e.g. planning and evaluating, were not utilized systematically and effectively enough. 2. Those processes characteristic of working with simulations, e.g. model exploration, predicting, manipulating and output interpreting were not fully employed. . 3. Subjects tended to spend a major part of their actions on the operation of PCMatlab. 4. Subjects needed quite a lot of extra information, especially domain knowledge. It can be concluded that students did not profit maximally from . learning with this simulation program. The educational implications of the results will be discussed.