Order Effects of Learning with Modeling and Simulation Software on Field-dependent and Field-independent Children’s Cognitive Performance: an Interaction Effect

The study examined the interaction between field dependence-independence (FD/I) and learning with modeling software and simulations, and their effect on children’s performance. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups. Group A first learned with a modeling tool and then with simulations. Group B learned first with simulations and then with a modeling tool. A statistically significant interaction was found between FD/I and the order of using the two types of software. FI children in group A outperformed FD children in the same group on the modeling task. However, these results were not observed with the FD children in group B indicating that learning first with simulations facilitated the subsequent learning with the modeling tool of FD children only.