Abstract:

The paper attempts to compare students’ views on three different Learning Objects (LOs), also known as Web-Based Learning Tools (WBLTs), which are used for educational purposes aiming at natural disaster readiness. Following an iterative development process, 100 LOs of various types are being produced. The LOs are addressed to pupils ranging from 5-16 years old who attend Greek schools. Through the LOs to be produced students will be equipped with the necessary knowledge as well as they will be taught safety measures, behavioral rules and measures for the practical confrontation of natural disasters phenomena.

This paper discusses briefly the design and development of the learning objects and more extensively the first student evaluation conducted during the development phase. 90 students aged 11 and 12 years old from a Greek elementary school interacted with three learning objects of different type: an educational game, a dynamic simulation and a digital concept map. The basic difference among these three LOs is the fact that both dynamic simulation and concept map are lacking game-like characteristics. The educational game has as a learning goal to familiarize students with the necessary items to be included in the emergency kit. Throughout the whole game students guide an avatar in the city streets. They have to be aware of the earthquake-appropriate items and avoid having any accidents by hitting dangerous objects, picking up useless objects or falling into road traps. With that goal in mind, students earn points whenever collecting an earthquake-appropriate item and lose points whenever choosing an inappropriate one. The game finishes when students hit a dangerous object or fall into a road trap. Throughout the game a time deadline urges students to reach to a safe area where they will be protected during the earthquake. The educational game comprises of 9 levels of ascending difficulty that have to be completed so as the game to be ended. The dynamic simulation aims to familiarize students with the causes of fog. In that context, they move temperature, wind and humidity bars and thus, become conscious of the way their choices lead in fog-making having as a background a countryside scenery. In the digital concept map students are asked to fill in a semi-structured concept map regarding the causes of earthquake. After pressing the “check” button, students are informed on their choices. In the case of a wrong choice or a possible mistake, students are given the chance to re-position concepts and linking-words on the map.

The aim of the evaluation was to elicit students’ perceived learning, to record their opinions about the quality of the design and to investigate their level of engagement with each of the LOs. Considering the fact that this is the first phase of LOs’ evaluation, which is taking place during the development phase, and also, the fact that the LOs were not a part of the learning process, it was, thus, considered of less importance to examine the students’ learning outcomes, as those will be further studied in an upcoming study.

It became evident by the results that students remained highly-engaged while using the three LOs and they positively reviewed the perceived learning and the quality of design of all three learning objects without their responses being affected by the factors of sex and computer comfort. However, a large percentage of students preferred to use the educational game.

Keywords:

Learning Objects, Natural Disaster Readiness, student evaluation.