1Third Misconceptions Seminar Proceedings (1993) Paper Title: CHANGING LEARNERS ’ UNDERSTANDINGS USING A COMPUTER-AUGMENTED CURRICULUM FOR MECHANICS

ABSTRACT: This paper describes the development and classroom evaluation of an experimental ‘curriculum ’ for teaching mechanics concepts to secondary school children. The curriculum integrates experiments using a series of interactive computer simulations of force and motion with real practical activities. Four scenarios were designed which underpin the sequencing of the material taught. The aim was to promote change in learners ’ understandings of physical phenomena, by first making them aware of the limitations of their current conceptions, and then by enabling learners to develop and use a conceptual framework which both fits with their experience and is internally consistent. An empirical evaluation was undertaken over a 7-week period with a class of twenty-nine 12- to 13-year-olds. The intervention was found to promote conceptual change, in that the children displayed more sophisticated reasoning at immediate and delayed post-tests than their counterparts in comparison classes. Specifically, explanations asserting that motion implies a force in the same direction and those excluding friction as a force opposing motion were significantly less prevalent. An interesting phenomenon was observed in that both prior and goal (newtonian) conceptions in this domain increased. Keywords: General School Subject