1. Exploring computer simulation in teaching marine ecology
Photo of student using software
Brief intro: (mention departments we are from). This is about how we tried different ways of teaching.
although focus is on a technology, the methods we try can be applied in other contexts (e.g.. group vs. individual work, reading materials before or after class).
Bruce J. McAdam
Omair Ameerbakhsh
Savi Maharaj
Learning and Teaching Conference, 19th April 2017

2. Technology can help me teach, but how?
My students need to learn about over-exploitation of fisheries
And about the maths behind setting catch limits
We can't do it for real, so we developed a simulation.
But...
How do I teach the class?
Let them experiment, or
Explain and demonstrate
Can I improve the experience?
"We plan to use interactive simulation in other fields such as Aquaculture and with bigger groups to explore the effectiveness of using interactive simulation in teaching a range of complex subjects to university students."
Ameerbakhsh et al (2016)
IEEE ITHET 15th International Conference on Information Technology Based Higher Education and Training
This was an existing exercise.
Looked to improve it
Turned into an opprotunity to explore how to use this sort of thing in class
Led to collaboration...

3. A collaboration is born
Bruce teaches marine ecology and developed the first version of the class and software
Savi asked a CS UG student (Martynas Paulikas) to improve the software
Savi supervises Omair, who is doing his PhD on using learning technologies
We can work together to improve the class
And learn about how we can teach and use technology better
Introduce each person. differnet departments. value of working across departments (different styles of teaching).

4. The fishing simulation
Every year you set a quota
And find out what happens
Play the same game repeatedly to try different ideas
Two versions
White box: shows the working
Black box: gives limited data
Black box is intended to simulate real world difficulty in getting data
INSERT SCREENSHOT
Brief description of how to play
(mention this is netlogo and runs in web browser (can even go through succeed))
The aim is to get optimal catch -- there IS a correct answer therefore we can assess student ability on the spot (harder for other teaching)

5. White box vs. Black box
Above the water
Below the water

6. White box vs. Black box White box shows the working
All data is revealed
Simulation teaching tool adds value compared with experiments
Blackbox is more realistic
Data that is hidden in real world, is hidden in simulation
Simulation substitutes for unviable experiments
How to use the white box to help students deal with real world data?
2 screenshots
Explain the 'undersea' metaphor

7. Experiment design: 2 similar classes
Split class randomly in two
Lecture Introduction (10min)
White box demo (10min)
Black box trial
(10min)
Questionnaires
White box experiment (10min)
Intervention
Data collection
flow diagram
Note that each group was handled at separate times. Were not aware what other group did differently.
Replicate groups (2 of each treatment in one class, plus 1 of each treatment with different students)
Critical parts: the difference between the groups is HOW they use the white box
Emphasise: we are not comparing black vs. white box, or simulation vs. no simulation
White box: lets the student see the underlying mathematical patterns
Black box: (realistically) hides the details
The two forms of data collection.
Donuts

8. The actual data When they play the Black Box...
Students record their turns at the game
And guess the hidden values
Play 6 times
We can see how they improve
And what tactics they apply
I can plot graphs of this
And analyse quantitatively
We also ask other questions

9. How did it go? Taught one MSc class (2 groups of each treatment)
One group of volunteers (1 group of each treatment)
Very difficult to get volunteers
Very time consuming
Will integrate this into scheduled UG teaching next year
Volunteers were from comp sci.

10. Result 1: Students do learn

11. Result 2: Teaching does matter

12. Result 3: Self Knowledge limits us
'White box demo' students performed better But would have preferred to have been taught the other way (NB: no evidence of Dunning-Kruger effect of inverse correlation between confidence and ability)
BUT: no evidence of Dunning-Kruger effect
GRAPH: fraction of students who want to do the other style of lesson (demo students would have liked to experiment w/ white box, but this would have taught them less well)

13. Broader Conclusions
Interactive simulations appeal to students (Ameerbakhsh et al 2016)
But it is not clear how to use simulations in class
Students learn, teaching helps them learn
And the old-fashioned expert-demo had best results
We can't rely on students telling us the best way to teach
But performing a teaching experiment is not easy
Difficult to collect enough data (time consuming to recruit volunteers and replicate the experiment)
Students sometimes fill in forms incorrectly
RESULT: it seems a bit old fashioned to have a demonstration from the lecturer who uses a special version of the tool (white box, vs. student black box), but it seems to have an impact and this is how I will probably deliver the class.