Designing Dynamical Learning Environments for Simulation: Micro-Worlds & Applets on the World Wide Web

Rik Min
researcher / designer / problem solver

Faculty of Educational Science and Technology (EDTE), University of Twente (UT)
Postbus 217; 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands. E-mail: Min@edte.utwente.nl

http://users.edte.utwente.nl/min

Febr. 3, 2003

Courseware

Simulations

Micro Worlds

Drill & practice

Adventures

Games

Web sites

Higher order web sites

Higher order courseware

Cardiovascular system (version xx)
with some information, pictures and schemes.
Transistor (version xx)
with a lot of (Dutch) information, pictures and schemes.
Axon (version xx)
with a lot of (Dutch) information, pictures and schemes.
Cascade (animated version)
with model-driven animation
(to demonstrate the power of the concept of model-driven animation and our WebLib technology)

Top-down versus bottom-up thinking

Top-down courses: designing (with FrontPage or Fusion).
Bottom-up courses: methods & techniques (with HTML, java or javascript).

Methods

There are three methods to develop 'higher order web-sites'. That are:

1. Authoring systems (as FrontPage, Fusion, DreamWeaver)
2. Authoring languages (as HTML)
3. Programming languages (as Java, JavaScript, ActionScript)

Bottom-up designing, developing & constructing

Texts: with Word or EditPad;

Graphics, pictures and schemes: with Photoshop;

Linear audio: with music editors;

Linear animation: with animation editors (as Flash);

Linear video: with video editors (as QuickTime or Media 100);

Smart parts (applets): with editors and/or templates.

A file is text string

A html-file is one string of characters...

A HTML file is a string with tags and separate elements

The web: the browser 'pulls the string' trough the line; byte for byte.
The tag IMG reads a jpg-file; the tag APPLET reads the machine-code of the applet.

Method: Building blocks

Complex applets versus simple applets

'Smart' versus 'silly'

Cardio
(with WebLib)
(without javaTHESIS)

Display values
(with WebLib)
(without javaTHESIS)

Diffusion
(with WebLib)
(without javaTHESIS)

Cascade (animation with fixed object)
(with WebLib)
(without javaTHESIS)

Sinus, cosinus (animation with fixed object)
(with DHTML)

Paddle (animation with programmed object)
(with java)

Aorta
(with DHTML)

Aorta
(with Flash and ActionScript)

Equipment
(with Flash & ActionScript)

Gagné, Briggs en Wager (1987) have learn us that learning environments, and so multimedia products, have to have a lot of characteristics for succes. This are:

1. gaining attention
2. informing learner of objective (state the objectives)
3. stimulating recall of prerequisites
4. presenting stimulus materials (present information)
5. provide learning guidance
6. elicit expected performance
7. provide feedback
8. assess performance, and
9. enhancing retention and transfer.

When the development of a simulation product is finished?

Book of R. Min, page 75.

Expertises

1. designing specialist (project leader) (you)
2. content specialist (the teacher)
3. modelling specialist (me)
4. simulation specialist (me and you)
5. programming specialist (here: Ben)

Examples of simulations with parallel 'information' or 'instruction'

Transistor (version RM)
without a lot of information, pictures and schemes on one web-page.

Transistor (version MMOP)
with parallel instruction (explanation) about AC (alternating current; the input/output signal) and DC (direct current; the electric current) and 'amplifing' uo = A*ui

Boiler / Sun heater (version INF)
(runs only in Internet Explorer)
built with DreamWeaver and Flash.

Examples of exercises and/or cases:

AORTA

Exercise 1: What do you think about the 'pressure in the aorta' (Pao) if the parameter 'periferal resistance' (Rp) become more than 100% (from 1.25 to 1.8)? (that is the disease sclerosis or hardening of the arteries in the rest of the body; not the aorta)
Exercise 2: What do you think about the 'pressure in the aorta' (Pao) if the 'compliance' (Cao) become less than 100% (from 1.1 to 0.55)? (that is the disease sclerosis or hardening of the aorta)
Exercise 3: What do you think about the 'pressure in the aorta' (Pao) if the 'compliance' (Cao) become less than 100% (from 1.1 to 0.55) and the maximal left ventricle become more than 100% (from 1.2 to 1.8)? (that is the disease hypertension and sclerosis in the vessels) (Good hypothesis: the heart compensates the lower blood flow through the body by pomping the blood under higher pressure)

CARDIO

Exercise: What do you think about the 'cardiac output' (CO) if the parameter 'heart strength' ('basically') (P2 HSB) become less than 100% (per example 70%)?
Diagnose: heart failure (light) ('compensated' by holding/saving liquid in the body; so there is less urine output and swelling feets) ('ECFV'!)
Therapy: digitalis (DIGI)

CARDIO

Case: What is happens here? What do you think?
Diagnose (hypothesis): hypertension (high arterial pressure: AP 120 mmHg)
Therapy: medicine 1, urinate tablets; diuretics
Therapy: medicine 2, wide open the vessels; the throughput
Therapy: medicine 3, beta-blocker

BOILER

Exercise 1: What do you think about the temparature of the water in the upper vessel if the primary pump (Fp) doubled?
Good hypothesis: The upper segments become warmer; more quickly than before.
Exercise 2: What do you think about the temparature of the water in the upper vessel if you use to much warm water during the night (or the day)?

FARMA

Exercise 1: Do you see the difference of the concentration of a medicine in the blood (red) between the way of infusion (green) with a catheter and the way with an injection (and the same medicine)? Can you explain the difference?
Good solution (technical): two windows parallel.
Good hypothesis (pharmacokinetical): now time for all the drugs to go in the body, so all the drugs stays in the blood for a while.
Exercise 2: What do you think about the concentrations if the infuse-time becomes longer than before?
Good hypothesis: more drugs; dangerous with this dose.
But not here: this is an anaesthesia (pentobarbital)

FOOD CHAIN - FISH POND

Exercise 1: Run the model for 10 days. Change on day 1: P and N from 0 to 0.1 and later again with 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8.
Observe:
P: N: O:
0.0 0.0 ...
0.1 0.1 ...
0.2 0.2 ...
0.4 0.4 ...
0.8 0.8 ...
What do you think that's happens?
Good hypothesis: lineair relation

Enschede, febr. 3, 2003