Enhancing complex systemsthinking in high school environmental science: A study of a participatory simulation
Document Type
Presentation
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association
Publication Date
4-27-2013
Abstract
Complex systems thinking is increasingly important for scientific literacy. However, high schools teachers are not prepared to teach it, and most attempts to improve students’ complex systems thinking have been unsuccessful. This investigation examines the outcomes of a participatory agent-based simulation, the UVA Bay Game, for 33 AP biology students. Their pre- and post-treatment essays are examined within a Structure, Behavior, Function framework to probe whether students showed more expert thinking about the complex system of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Preliminary results show that students’ post-treatment writings showed more expert understanding through increased focus on the behavior and function of system component. Implications for the use of participatory simulations as a vehicle for teaching complex systems are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Rates, C., Mulvey, B., Carson, E., & Feldon, D. F. (2013). Enhancing complex systems thinking in high school environmental science: A study of a participatory simulation. Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. San Francisco, CA.
