Some Reasons Why Learning Science is Hard: Can Computer Based Law Encoding Diagrams Make it Easier?

Law Encoding Diagrams, LEDs, may be an effective approach to promotingconceptual learning in science. This paper considers why by decomposing the problem of what makes science hard to learn into five general difficulties. How LEDs may address each of these difficulties areconsidered in the context of a novel class of LEDs for electricity, AVOW diagrams. Further, thedesign requirements of ITSs that exploit LEDs can be analysed in terms ofthe difficulties, as illustrated by the description of the positive features and limitations of a computer based learning environment that has been built to exploit AVOW diagrams for learning about electricity.

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