https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e20020043
A cellular automata model for social-learning processes in a classroom context
1
Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas
y Aplicadas, (INIFTA), CONICET, UNLP,
Suc. 4, C.C. 16, (1900) La Plata, Argentina
2
IMApEC, Facultad de Ingeniería, UNLP, La Plata, Argentina
Corresponding author: a ealbano@inifta.unlp.edu.ar
Received:
22
October
2001
Published online: 15 February 2002
A model for teaching-learning processes that take place in the classroom is proposed and simulated numerically. Recent ideas taken from the fields of sociology, educational psychology, statistical physics and computational science are key ingredients of the model. Results of simulations are consistent with well-established empirical results obtained in classrooms by means of different evaluation tools. It is shown that students engaged in collaborative groupwork reach higher achievements than those attending traditional lectures only. However, in many cases, this difference is subtle and consequently very difficult to be detected using tests. The influence of the number of students forming the collaborative groups on the average knowledge achieved is also studied and discussed.
PACS: 87.23.Ge – Dynamics of social systems / 01.40.Fk – Physics education research (cognition, problem solving, etc.) / 02.70.-c – Computational techniques / 89.90.+n – Other topics in areas of applied and interdisciplinary physics
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2002