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MicroSim Suitability Judge

Run the MicroSim Suitability Judge MicroSim Fullscreen
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About This MicroSim

A MicroSim is not always the right medium. Before you specify or generate one, you have to judge whether the content would be understood better by changing something. This MicroSim gives you one criterion and eight pieces of research content, and asks you to apply the criterion and to decline to build a sim when the criterion is not met.

The criterion, which stays on screen throughout, is:

A MicroSim suits content with a parameter the learner can change, or a process the learner can step through or predict, where seeing the response builds understanding.

Every item is invented for illustration and is labeled "illustrative". Each item has exactly one correct answer: MicroSim or Static figure or text. The eight items come in a fixed order and you get one attempt at each. After each judgment the sim says whether you were right and gives the reason, naming the parameter or process where there is one. After item 8 it shows how many of the eight you judged correctly and whether you reached the mastery threshold of 7.

How to Use

  1. Read the criterion and the item in the dark-blue box. The question on screen is Would a learner understand this better by changing something?
  2. Press MicroSim or Static figure or text to choose a medium. The chosen button is outlined and bold, and you can change the choice until you submit.
  3. Press Submit. Your judgment is final. The feedback is Correct. (with a check mark) or The better medium is ... (with an X), followed by the "Why" sentence.
  4. Press Next Item to continue. After item 8, press See Score to see n of 8 correct and whether the mastery threshold of 7 was met.

All buttons can be reached with the Tab key and pressed with Enter or Space.

Iframe Embed Code

You can add this MicroSim to any web page by adding this to your HTML:

<iframe src="https://dmccreary.github.io/ai-for-ee-research/sims/microsim-suitability-judge/main.html"
        height="612px"
        width="100%"
        scrolling="no"></iframe>

Lesson Plan

Learning Objective

The learner will judge, for each of eight pieces of research content, whether an interactive MicroSim or a static figure or text is the better medium, with at least 7 of 8 correct.

  • Bloom level: Evaluate
  • Bloom verb: judge

Prerequisites

  • The definitions of interactive simulation and MicroSim, and the criterion that a MicroSim suits a dependence or process the learner can manipulate or predict, from the sections "Communicating Research" and "MicroSims" in Chapter 16

Evidence of Mastery

  • For each of the eight items the learner commits "MicroSim" or "static figure or text". A judgment is correct when it equals the answer key.
  • Mastery: at least 7 of 8 correct on the first attempt.
  • Reading the criterion is exploration and is not evidence of mastery.

Misconceptions Addressed

  • Interactive is always better than static.
  • Any technical content should become a simulation.
  • A table of values is equivalent to a sim of the function.

References

  1. Chapter 16: MicroSims and Research Communication - the sections "Communicating Research" and "MicroSims" state the criterion this MicroSim applies; the eight items are invented for illustration.