Chapter 3 Questions

1) Simulations on lab work are better and more beneficial. On page 90 of our Etext, it describes all the benefits from having simulation included in the lab work for students. The teacher can slow down the process and go backwards if need be, teachers can get the students to be more involved, experimentation is safer, the class can turn impossible ideas to possible ideas, save money on resources & tools, allow repetition of steps with variations and lastly, allow observation of complex processes. The book also talks abut a few issues with lab simulations such as: Criticism of virtual lab, Accuracy of models, and Misuses of instruction. However, the benefits exceed the amount of issues so I believe that simulations are positive methods to use in a classroom.

2) What I learned about the "Drill and Kill" method is that it is a phrase used by educators to describe teaching and learning methods used to master a set of items. Many educators dismiss it because they believe that drill and practice has the potential of decreasing a students' willingness to learn. They think it focuses more on memorizing and route learning rather than conceptual deeper understanding of the content. However, according to our Etext, research has shown that drill and practice software activities can teach students how to properly take newly found information and apply it to background knowledge. It saves teachers time when reviewing information because students will be capable enough to have a fast recall.