Testing for the learning barrier: simCHET

  The second line of investigation was aimed at identifying the degree to which the students could adapt to the design methodology required to apply the technology. It would have been desirable to have the students employ a construction environment like Java Studio. However technical problems made it infeasible for them to use it. The tools employed by the model teacher such as BeanBox were clearly inadequate for use by inexperienced users.

In its stead, a low tech design tool called simCHET was conceived. It provides a facsimile environment that supports group learning and interaction, hands-on construction and heuristic design of tools. Everyday items such as paper, string, markers and tape are used to represent the essential features of a JavaStudio session. The students worked with the same mathematical concepts they had explored using the applets while learning the principles of the design methodology and then designing applets of their own.