Effectiveness of Hands on Experiments versus Computer Simulations in Mechanics*
Adrian Carmichael, Jacquelyn J. Chini, N. Sanjay Rebello
Department of Physics, Kansas State University
Sadhana Puntambaker
Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Research has shown that that simulations can be more effective than hands-on activities when studying microscopic phenomenon such as electric currents, It has yet to be determined if they have the same effectiveness with macroscopic phenomenon, such as those in mechanics. This study investigates the effectiveness of replacing a hands-on laboratory with a computer simulation in the context of a unit on inclined planes in the CoMPASS curriculum. CoMPASS integrates hypertext based concept maps in a design-based context. Students in three of the five introductory physics laboratory sections completed the hands-on experiment while the other two sections performed the experiment virtually. The post- test scores of the students who used the simulations were found to be statistically significantly greater than those of students who completed the hands on experiment.
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