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 JavaStudio⁷. JavaStudio provides a high level of support for the users, offering a relatively intuitive interface with multiple perspectives, drag-and-drop functionality, understandable visual metaphors, and a WYSIWYG representation of the applet as it is being built; Figure 6 shows a typical JavaStudio construction session. However technical problems made it infeasible for them to use it. The tools employed by the model teacher such as BeanBox were inadequate for use by inexperienced users as they were much less intuitive and required an innate understanding of the programming issues.

  

Figure 6: The JavaStudio construction interface: Note the applet being built on the left with its construction schematic on the right.

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.