Comparative analysis of Palm and wearable computers for Participatory Simulations
Abstract Recent educational computer-based technologies have offered promising lines of research that promote social constructivist learning goals, develop skills required to operate in a knowledge-based economy (Roschelle et al. 2000), and enable more authentic science-like problem-solving. In our research programme, we have been interested in combining these aims for curricular reform in school science by developing innovative and progressive hand-held and wearable computational learning tools. This paper reports on one such line of research in which the learning outcomes of two distinct technological platforms (wearable computers and Palm hand-helds) are compared using the same pedagogical strategy of Participatory Simulations. Participatory Simulations use small wearable or hand-held computers to engage participants in simulations that enable inquiry and experimentation (Colella 2000) allowing students to act out the simulation themselves.
simulations hand-helds collaboration games problem solving secondary curriculum