Sixth form students ability to engage in computational modelling

Abstract

The paper presents the main conclusions of an exploratory study of the ability of Sixth form students in England to use some different approaches to computational modelling. The research involves a questionnaire survey of causal diagraming and mathematical knowledge, which aims at characterizing students' model building capability. Also, it includes an intensive study with pairs of students doing exploratory and expressive tasks using two modelling systems: IQON and STELLA. Data was gathered through written notes from observation, written answers given to questionnaires and data recorded in the computer. Overlapping questionnaires connected the survey and the intensive study, and comparisons between the use of causal diagrams and IQON were carried out. Results suggest that Sixth form students can undertake valuable work with both computational systems.