The development of an epistemic platform for nanoscience and nanotechnology with a computer game for high school Students

Abstract

Teaching and learning the emerging fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology at high school level is not simply bringing concepts to students but also providing them with authentic learning experiences that can lead to deeper understandings, including both conceptual and procedural knowledge. Computer game technologies are considered multiple-representation systems and it is believed that using computer games as a framework to develop an epistemic platform, a novel science learning experience, is promising for science education. This dissertation is to develop an epistemic platform for science learning with a computer game and to investigate the impact of the epistemic platform on high school students. The integrated science-learning units of nanoscience and nanotechnology are developed using computer game technologies. Nine high school science students will be set in pilot study state to perform learning unit activities. After improving the learning units, forty other high school science students will be set in the implementation state. The data of the study will be collected using questionnaire, achievement assessment and focus group discussion technique for students. The teacher researcher will be interviewed before and after implementing the learning units.