ICLS 2000 Proceedings

Goin' Up?: Using a Design Task to Teach About Force and Motion

Michael Wolfe, Daniel Edelson, Alex Kass, and Brian Davies
The Institute for the Learning Sciences
Northwestern University
1890 Maple Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
Tel: 847-467-3431, Fax: 847-491-5258
Email: {wolfe, edelson, kass, davies}@ils.nwu.edu

Abstract: Physics classes often disassociate scientific principles from their real-world applications. This separation ignores the motivation that applications can provide and can also hinder students' ability to use and apply those principles when they need to. We believe that one way of addressing these problems is to present material in the context of a design task which requires that students understand certain principles in order to generate a successful design. In this paper, we discuss Goin' Up?, an example of a computer-based, design-centered application which teaches concepts in Newtonian mechanics. We conclude with research questions and planned evaluation methods.

Keywords: science education, learning environments, simulations

Preferred Citation Format:
Wolfe, M., Edelson, D., Kass, A., & Davies, B. (2000). Goin' Up?: Using a Design Task to Teach About Force and Motion. In B. Fishman & S. O'Connor-Divelbiss (Eds.), Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference of the Learning Sciences (pp. 297-298). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

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