ABSTRACT
The narrative inquiry qualitative study utilized the free simulation websites as enhancing tools to improve learners’ performance in science subject as bases for engagement strategy recommendation. It was found out that the learners assessed the utilization of free simulation websites in terms of presentation as good, fun, and variation in the difficulty. For teachers, they are interactive and catches attention. In terms of content, the learners assessed them as difficult content for PHET Colorado, understandable content but incomplete topics for PBS: Nova Labs, and detailed and understandable content for Concord Consortium. While for teachers, they all promote critical thinking. In terms of accessibility, the learners assessed them as easy to access, while for the teachers, they are accessible for everyone. In terms of complexity, the learners assessed them as easy to understand and manipulate and difficult to understand and manipulate for others. For teachers however, they are easy to understand and manipulate. In terms of quality, both the learners and teachers assessed them as good quality.
Keywords: Free Virtual Simulation Websites, Learners’ Performance, Engagement Strategy, Recommendation
INTRODUCTION
Learning is considered as the most important goal of education. It is through learning that a success progress is attained resulting to producing globally competitive citizens and an improved and developed country that economically stable sufficiently sustainable. Thus, it is the focus of every educational institution all throughout the world.
Educators are expected to deliver quality instructions during the teaching-learning process to ensure that learning outcomes are achieved by the learners. Various strategies have been applied and used to aid instructions for effective learning. Nowadays, teachers have gone out of using the traditional ways of teaching and embrace the new trends to equip with the fast-changing society and fit in with the new learning styles of today’s generation of learners and to cope with the learners’ need especially during this post pandemic transition.
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak for the past two years caused the sudden disruptive changes in the educational system of many countries in the world including the Philippines. The transition in the delivery of education from the normal face-to-face classes to modular distance learning has inevitably resulted to learning loss and mental distress among learners (De Guzman, 2021). Therefore, teachers have crucial roles to bridge learning gaps and to mitigate problems related to learning loss during school closures. One of the readily accessible tools that can be used by teachers in presenting the lesson and help the learners gain deeper understanding of the concepts is through the use of technology.
In teaching and learning process, technology integration helps create a more engaging learning environment for learners. Using technology in the classroom can also help learners create some programs that they can use in their future endeavors, and provide opportunities to teachers to connect and relate with the new generation learners and build communities with them. Additionally, technology supports learning and helps learners collaborate and learn together (Lumen Learning, 2021).
Virtual simulation is one of types of computer aided instructions (CAI) or also known as computer – assisted instructions which uses partial immersion through digital learning environment like computer, tablet, phone, screen etc. to foster a perceived lived experience for an intended outcome (Foronda, 2021). Virtual simulation can enhance the traditional way of teaching and is effective when used as supplementary assisting tool in teaching and learning process. This can provide learners the framework to construct, interact, and learn (Edgar & Johnson, 2013 as cited in Qurat-ul-Ain et al., 2019).
Besides, virtual simulation can help learners be involved in the subject matter interactively, acquire knowledge and ideas, and engage with the realistic scenarios of the lesson without the intervention of a teacher. Furthermore, it increases learners’ interest, enhances efficient learning, and develops self-efficacy (Thisgaard & Makransky, 2017). The experiences of learners in virtual simulation can help them to be more motivated and independent in learning. And most importantly, it will gauge them towards an effective learning process for the attainment of successful performance in learning. Thus, this provided the researcher the idea of the utilization of free virtual simulation websites as enhancing tool to improve the performance of learners which would be bases for engagement strategy recommendation.
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