arXiv:1210.3412
Designing Open Source Computer Models for Physics by Inquiry using Easy Java Simulation
Open source computer models for inquiry
EJSInquiryComputer Models
Research Digest
This short paper links open-source model design to inquiry learning. It is especially useful for turning a simulation from a demonstration into an investigation.
Use It Tomorrow
Begin with a question, let students vary one key input, and require a claim supported by model evidence.
Pedagogical Move
Avoid overloading the interface. A good inquiry model makes one relationship clear enough for students to test.
Student Agency
Frame the task so students work like young scientists: they choose or justify the variable to test, make a prediction, collect evidence, defend a claim, and decide how to improve the model or investigation.
Discussion Prompts
- What evidence does the model, video, or activity make visible?
- Which variable should students change first, and what should they keep constant?
- What claim can students make from the evidence, and what limitation should they acknowledge?
Reveal suggested answers
- Evidence: The open-source model makes a testable physics relationship visible and gives students evidence through controlled manipulation and observation.
- Variable: Change the inquiry variable named in the question first; keep constants, units, and the observation method fixed.
- Claim: Students can claim a cause-effect relationship supported by model evidence, while acknowledging that the result depends on the assumptions built into the model.