Computational models in physics teaching: a framework

• Main Authors: Marco Antonio Moreira, Ives Solano Araujo, Eliane Angela Veit
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul 2012-08-01
• Series: Investigações em Ensino de Ciências
• Subjects: scientific modeling; computer simulations; computational modeling; physics education
• Online Access: http://www.if.ufrgs.br/ienci/artigos/Artigo_ID295/v17_n2_a2012.pdf

The purpose of the present paper is to present a theoretical framework to promote and assist meaningful physics learning through computational models. Our proposal is based on the use of a tool, the AVM diagram, to design educational activities involving modeling and computer simulations. The idea is to provide a starting point for the construction and implementation of didactical approaches grounded in a coherent epistemological view about scientific modeling.