Faculty of Education - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 1 of 1
-
ItemUsing computer animations to promote student understanding of physics in Singapore classrooms( 2005)In physics, students are required to learn processes that change over time, for example how a manometer responds to changing pressure and how an electric motor works. Students usually find it difficult to understand the complexities of the change involved in such processes when they are described verbally or numerically. To overcome this difficulty, computer animations have been used to present the complexities of the changes taking place visually. However, research has shown that computer animations might not be as effective as they were intended to be. This study aims to look at both the effectiveness and the limitations of computer animations in promoting the understanding of physics concepts in a Singaporean grade 9 physics class. The study adopted a naturalistic approach and focused on finding meaning from the students' perspective. Qualitative data was collected through lesson observations, student reflections about their learning experiences, student and teacher interviews and a student survey. It appears that the limitations of animations arise from a lack of consideration of how students learn. Students need to learn through social interaction and animations might not be able to provide the social interaction and motivation that students need. The study also revealed that computers could not replace classroom teachers as teachers still play a vital role in meeting the students' learning needs. Students need to interact socially with their teachers. They also need teachers to explain concepts in ways that make sense to them, monitor their learning and to motivate them to learn. It is also suggested that a teacher-controlled approach to using computer animations could be effective.