Learning Simulation Program for Middle School Students

Overview

Classroom instruction, by its very nature, was based on homogeneous grouping of students with common skills sets. This is no longer the case in today's classroom since teachers are faced with an unprecedented diversity of learners. The differences in reading levels, math skills, content knowledge, cultural background and primary language make group instruction difficult if not ineffective. More individualized learning is required, but with normal class sizes of thirty or more students, this is a difficult goal for teachers to achieve.

This article examines the role learning simulation programs can play in supporting the classroom teacher in their efforts to improve the overall learning environment for middle school students. Introducing project-based activities that have students apply what they have learned is a paradigm shift from the typical classroom activities.

Students in the middle grades have learned many essential reading, math, science and social study skills, but don’t necessarily find these skills useful. For example, mastering reading and math skills are essential, but transitioning students from ‘learning reading and math’ to applying these skills to life activities is a critically important goal in the educational process. Connecting academic skills to real world projects brings relevance to what students are learning in the classroom and offers them a useful lesson on the importance of these skills.

This change of approach to learning can be more interesting to young adults that are not generally motivated to pay attention and keep up with the group instruction. Learning simulation programs that offer students real-life activities that reinforce classroom instruction can be a powerful influence in helping them be active participants in the learning process. Specifically, learning simulation software that motivates the student can be an effective tool that supports a positive learning environment.

A research study (Chen and Howard, 2019) examined the effect of a science computer simulation on 311 middle school students’ learning and attitude. The program allowed them to access and interpret satellite data and images and to design investigations. The findings revealed positive changes in students' attitudes and perceptions toward scientists.

Why use learning simulation software?

Having students apply what they have been taught is an important component of the learning process and often not part of the core classroom program. In addition, many skills are abstract and have little or no connection to a student’s day to day activities. Learning simulations allow students to apply themselves to real-life activities helping them find relevance and purpose in the skills being taught in the classroom

This article suggests that having teachers enrich their classroom lessons with well-designed learning simulation programs would result in a more favorable outcome for student learning. The software should complement and reinforce the lessons in the classroom and harness the power of the Internet to leverage sound educational practices that promote student growth and participation.

One would expect middle school students in grades 6 through 8 to benefit from project-based activities since the skills they have learned in the elementary grades could now be applied to real-life problem solving activities that bring purpose to otherwise purely academic exercises. For this age group specifically, motivation and relevance are key components of learning.

“Few educators would argue with the premise that student motivation is an important influence on learning. Motivation is of particular importance for those who work with young adolescents. Considerable research has shown a decline in motivation and performance for many children as they move from elementary school into middle school” (Anderman, Hicks - Midgley & Carol, 1998).

The main assumption of this article is that learning simulation programs, that complement classroom instruction, offer an overall benefit to the learning process. However, not all simulations provide the same benefits. When looking for an effective learning simulation program, review the following list of teaching methodologies that have proven to be effective. These methods should be incorporated in web-based learning software to maximize the benefits to the classroom teacher and provide meaningful learning pedagogy that will benefit the learning environment in the classroom.

Key software features that produce better learning outcomes.

When a school district is looking to adopt a learning simulation program, a critical factor in the selection process is the match between the learning standards in the simulation and learning standards identified by the district. One should also remember that the skill set built into the simulation is somewhat fixed to the nature of the activities covered in the program.

For the simulation to have value to the classroom teacher, the skills needed to perform the simulation should be a relevant subset of the standards that are articulated in the local curriculum. Therefore, simulation programs offer important enrichment activities but generally are not designed to replace the core program which introduces and instructs all the key objectives outlined for the year.

Utilizing multiple learning simulation programs through-out the school year may collectively present an excellent learning incentive for students to review, practice and apply key standards that they are expected to have mastered. Below is a brief summary of key software capabilities that can improve the learning environment.

1. Internet Technology

Teachers need better learning tools that help them address the diversity of learners in the classroom. Most schools now have sufficient Internet resources and hardware to allow each student in the classroom access to a computer.

Having the technology is an important first step, but having the Internet software that supports the classroom teacher is also a necessary ingredient. This paper makes the assumption that Internet technology and software has the capability to offer classroom teachers a set of useful tools that can play an important role in helping their students learn and achieve success.

The effect of computer simulations on student learning were studied and the findings suggested that computer simulation instruction clearly has a more positive effect on students’ learning than traditional instruction. (Liao and Chen, 2007)

It appears that web-based learning simulations can accommodate the diverse needs of students in the classroom and offer instructional support that helps meet the needs of each learner.

2. Project Based Learning

It must be assumed that a key goal of middle school education is to teach students academic skills that are needed in life. The role of educators is to teach primary school students basic reading, math, science and social science skills to establish a firm foundation for learning. But one should not forget that it is the application of these skills that is the ultimate goal for the students.

Beginning in middle school, the core curriculum should begin to offer project learning activities that have students apply the skills they have learned to real-life activities. These activities could involve project based learning and can take on many forms. But with the power of the Internet and its software capabilities, it is now possible to offer students learning simulations as part of their classroom activities.

Having students complete an authentic project is an excellent way for them to engage in meaningful activities that bring relevance to the learning environment. Many project based learning activities require students to have access to materials and tools not available in the classroom. However, with learning software, these materials and tools can be all managed virtually by the computer.

“Educators and school leaders should feel confident that if they pursue rigorous project-based learning, they will likely see student achievement and student engagement increase, and they also will see young people experience other lasting benefits” (De Vivo, 2022).

It appears beneficial to include learning software applications that immerse students in project based learning requiring them to apply the very skills that are needed to master the classroom curriculum.

3. Student Centered Learning

Most standard classroom settings require students to be passive learners. The teacher presents the material while the students listen. This learning paradigm has long been established since classroom instruction generally has a large teacher student ratio. However, in today's world, students are entertained by digital information that is generally more interesting than what is offered in the normal classroom setting.

An important shift in the learning process is to place the responsibility of learning in the hands of the student. If students are given more control in their learning, they become active participants. Since each student is unique with different skills and learning style, providing student centered learning offers them the opportunity to approach and solve the problems more aligned to their ability and pace.

“We found that schools that incorporate these key features of student-centered practice are more likely to develop students who have transferable academic skills; feel a sense of purpose and connection to school; as well as graduate, attend, and persist in college at rates that exceed their district and state averages” (Friedlaender, D., Burns, D., Lewis-Charp, H., Cook-Harvey, C. M., Zheng, X. & Darling-Hammond, L., 2014).

Student centered learning is more challenging for the classroom teacher since it’s focused on the individual rather than the group. Learning simulation programs that implement student centered learning can provide the framework to accommodate differences in the learning paths and allow students to have more control in their learning process.

4. Self-paced Learning

Allowing students to learn at their own pace should be made available whenever possible. Problems occur when students find the rate of instruction too slow or too fast. It is easy to understand why students can become less motivated during group instruction and find it difficult to stay focused on the learning activity.

Utilizing learning software designed to allow students to work independently can help address this important issue by allowing each student to progress at their own learning rate. For students to be working independently on the program, the simulation should provide support tools that allow them to navigate the software successfully.

By permitting students to work independently, the teacher has the opportunity to observe and coach individuals or small groups as students. This opportunity for the teacher to focus on individualized instruction will contribute to the improvement and success of the students in the classroom.

5. Gamification

Deploying gamification in the learning process has the potential to enhance student engagement and motivation. For middle school students in particular, that is a worthwhile goal.

Motivating middle school students to learn in the traditional environment can be challenging at times. Changing the daily routine periodically and introducing learning simulations with gamification can offer a refreshing change of pace that the students will likely appreciate.

The use of gaming techniques such as points, badges, levels, rewards, leaderboards and challenges utilized in the learning simulation programs can capture the student’s interest and help encourage them to participate.

An interesting study examined, “How does gamification impact students' behavioral engagement in an online setting? The study provides definitive results to conclude that a leaderboard does increase students’ behavioral engagement in an online setting” (Hein, 2022).

Offering students an alternative e-learning platform provides a unique opportunity to engage students in an interactive and gamified learning experience. By incorporating simulations into the classroom, students can apply skills that they have learned in a fun and engaging manner. This approach not only enhances their understanding and appreciation of the skills they have learned but also encourages active participation and critical thinking.

Moreover, exposure to e-learning tools prepares students for different learning environments and equips them with valuable web-based skills essential for their future learning opportunities.

6. Corrective Feedback

Providing immediate feedback to students as they progress through an assignment is an effective learning technique. The feedback should be immediate, specific, constructive and encouraging to promote positive change and improvement.

As a component of the learning simulation, corrective feedback allows students to progress at their own pace and work more independently. Designed properly, the feedback system keeps the students engaged, builds their confidence and allows them to feel successful as they proceed through the program activities.

Another aspect of corrective feedback available online are interactive tools that assist the student in solving problems. These online gadgets structure the problem to help the student step through the process and guide them to the proper answer. Since it is interactive, these gadgets recognize mistakes and immediately assist the learner in helping them achieve success.

Kacy Johnston’s 2015 study “evaluates the impact of online homework submission, which provides hints on problems and immediate feedback toward the correctness of answers, on student achievement in middle school mathematics. Results of this study support the hypothesis that the use of an online homework submission program that provides hints on problems and immediate feedback on the correctness of answers, may have an impact on student learning and achievement” (p. 33).

7. Alternative Testing Environment

In a learning simulation, tracking student progress need not utilize a traditional testing format that includes a separate set of tests that are periodically administered throughout the program. Rather, it would appear to be more effective to track and score individual keystrokes and mouse clicks as the student interacts with the simulation. The simulation can analyze this data over time and assess and report student progress on key math standards. This assessment approach would be authentic and could take advantage of a variety of interactive item types commonly used in more advanced assessment systems.

The assessment system should be designed to motivate all students. Rather than scoring the activities (good vs. poor), why not let students accumulate points toward achieving mastery. As students progress through the activities, they should receive either full or partial credit depending on their accuracy and reliance on the corrective feedback system. As students accumulate credit, reaching mastery can be achieved over time.

Replacing the grading system with a more friendly approach would make the learning environment more positive. For example, as credits accumulate, students could progress from Novice to Junior, Intermediate, Advanced and finally Expert. This promotion system provides an important tracking system for the teacher, but offers students the opportunity for advancement while removing the negative feelings toward pass/fail grading systems.

Another assessment capability available in learning simulations is the ability to evaluate key standards that are difficult to assess in a 45 minute test period. Standards like “attend to precision", “use appropriate tools strategically",or “reason abstractly and quantitatively” are all important goals for students to achieve, but difficult to measure on a test. The simulation software can carefully track the students' behavior over time and report on these categories of standards in a reliable and valid manner.

Finally, the simulation software should allow students to be able to keep track of their own progress while teachers should be able to access on-demand reports for individual and classroom performance on the key strands and standards.

8. Blended Instruction

Blended instruction integrates traditional classroom instruction with web-based instruction. Coordinating the classroom instruction with the activities in the software generates a synergy that provides a comprehensive learning environment for students. Using a learning simulation with integrated lesson plans helps coordinate classroom instruction with the activities presented in the software.

Participating in group lessons and then applying those concepts in a learning simulation achieves the desired outcome of reinforcing skills learned by applying those skills to achieve a goal in the software project.

Ceylan and Kesici’s 2017 study investigated the effects of blended learning on the middle school students’ academic achievement level and product evaluation scores. The study concluded that blended learning provides more effective learning outcome gains through enriching todays’ developing Web Technologies with learning environments.

Overall, blended instruction leverages the strengths of traditional and digital learning environments to create an effective and engaging learning experience in the classroom.

9. Higher-order Thinking Skills

The nature of learning simulations generally associate a series of program activities that require the student to think critically, problem-solve, analyze and evaluate. Although these solutions require the student to apply skills they have learned, the simulation should require higher order thinking skills to achieve an overall strategy for them to understand and solve the simulation.

Learning simulations should provide a framework for the student to discover the winning strategy and then apply that strategy to achieve success. The software should guide the student toward understanding the overall strategy and reinforce the student as they approach the proper solution.

Focusing on higher order thinking skills helps middle school students view their content skills as a set of tools needed to understand and successfully solve the simulation. And these higher order thinking skills allow the simulation to be more aligned with real-life problem solving.

10. Scaffolded Learning

Scaffolded Learning provides additional help at the start of the program and gradually reduces the support as students demonstrate proficiency. Multiple step solutions are broken down into smaller steps so students can achieve success in smaller increments. As the student proceeds through the separate steps, they receive guidance and support. Over time, this technique builds a foundation for the student to understand the overall approach and permits the student to solve the task independently and successfully.

Chen’s 2014 study presented adaptive scaffoldings strategies that were customized and provided in real-time to 170 eighth grade students. Given the results regarding students’ performance and motivation, the adaptive scaffolding system was appealing to students and promoted their motivational outcomes. Compared to students who did not use this system, those who did were able to gain a better understanding of the complex scientific concepts presented and showed sustained motivation.

This approach promotes success since the problem is broken down into smaller components allowing students to gain confidence and independence that will empower them to take ownership of their learning path.

Conclusion

Considering all the challenges a middle school teacher faces, introducing a positive change to the learning environment would be a welcome outcome. Could learning simulations be a useful tool that are currently utilized with this age group? This paper outlines the concept that incorporating learning simulations into the middle school curriculum provides an important enrichment component that could improve the learning experience for students in the classroom. However, for the learning simulation to be beneficial, there are certain characteristics that would contribute to its overall benefit to the teacher and student experience.

First, the skills needed to complete the learning simulation activities should match up with the content objectives specified in the district curriculum. Second, the simulation should take on real life problem-solving experience that would add relevance to the skills being taught in the classroom. Third, the learning simulation should utilize effective teaching methodologies that provide a positive and self-directed environment that guides the student to independently complete the program activities. In addition, having the simulation utilize gamification would enhance the student’s overall motivation and engagement.

Furthermore, another major benefit of the simulation would be to track student growth. While the student is engaged in the simulation, keyboard and mouse activities can be tracked, scored and reported by objective. Replacing the traditional testing approach that serves a single purpose with a learning simulation that integrates assessment while enriching the instructional environment appears to be a clear benefit.

Whether learning simulations will play a role in middle education will depend to a large extent on innovative middle school educators trying out learning simulations to evaluate their overall effectiveness. If these learning simulations help foster the many advantages outlined in this paper and student’s skills, motivation and positive attitudes increase, then more educators will seek out these programs to augment their curriculum.

If demand for these programs increase, then educational publishers will respond to this opportunity and produce learning simulations that align to their textbooks. Enriching the curriculum with this learning technology may help reset the standard and improve the effectiveness of middle school education.

References

Anderman, Hicks - Midgley L. & Carol. (1998). Motivation and Middle School Students. ERIC Digest, ERIC Number: ED421281.

Ceylan, V. K., & Elitok Kesici, A. (2017). Effect of blended learning to academic achievement. Journal of Human Sciences, 14(1), 308–320. Retrieved from https://www.j-humansciences.com/ojs/index.php/IJHS/article/view/4141

Chen, C. (2014). An adaptive scaffolding e-learning system for middle school students’ physics learning. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 30(3), 342-355.

Chen C. and Howard B. (2019). Effect of Live Simulation on Middle School Students' Attitudes and Learning toward Science. Educational Technology & Society, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 133-139.

De Vivo K. (2022). A new research base for rigorous project-based learning. Sage Journals, Vol. 103, Issue 5, https://doi.org/10.1177/00317217221079977.

Friedlaender, D., Burns, D., Lewis-Charp, H., Cook-Harvey, C. M., Zheng, X., Darling-Hammond, L. (2014). Student-centered schools: Closing the opportunity gap. Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.

Hein, J. R. (2022). Impact of Gamification on an Online Middle School Classroom. Masters Theses. 1034. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/theses/1034

Johnston, K. (2015). The Effects of Immediate Correctness Feedback on Student Learning, Understanding, and Achievement. Masters Theses. University of Wisconsin – Superior.

Liao Y-K. and Chen Y-W. (2007). The Effect of Computer Simulation Instruction on Student Learning: A Meta-analysis of Studies in Taiwan. Journal of Information Technology and Applications, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 69-79.