The effects of 3D computer simulation on biology students’ achievement and memory retention

Realistic simulation (3D multimedia simulation) and non-realistic simulation (desktop virtual reality simulation) have positive impacts on Biology students’ learning outcomes such as students’ achievement and memory retention. Effectiveness of realistic simulation and non-realistic simulation on students’ post achievement and post memory retention has been shown statistically in this study. Analysis of the descriptive and inferential statistics such as one way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that both the treatment and control group students had gained high scores in their post achievement test and post memory retention test than the pre-test. These results indicate that both realistic simulation and non-realistic simulation had improved students’ understanding, performance, achievement and memory retention in Cell Division topic. However, analysis of descriptive statistics and one way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that there is a significant difference in students’ achievement and memory retention between the group who learnt with realistic simulation and the group who learnt with non-realistic simulation. The realistic simulation group of students attained significantly higher scores in the post achievement test and post memory retention test compared to the non-realistic group.

Findings of this study supported the findings of previous studies that showed that realistic simulation (3D multimedia simulation) has positive impacts on students’ performance, achievement and understandings compared to students who learnt using traditional teaching method (Kiboss, 2002; Kiboss & Ogunniyi, 2003; Tanui, 2003; Kiboss, Ndirangu & Wekesa, 2006).

Non-Realistic simulation (virtual reality simulation) based teaching and learning method widens students’ knowledge, improves Biology students’ understandings and their achievement (Mikropoulos, Katsikis, Nikolou & Tsakalis; 2003; Meir, Perry, Stal, Maruca & Klopfer, 2005; Varma & Linn, 2012). Non-realistic simulation not only improves students’ understandings through visualization but also reduces their misconceptions about the abstract Biology concepts (Meir, Perry, Stal, Maruca & Klopfer, 2005), encourage them to actively participate in Biology learning environment and enhance their concentration toward Biology lesson (Buckley, 2000; Mikropoulos, Katsikis, Nikolou & Tsakalis, 2003).

However, realistic simulation (3D multimedia simulation) is shown to be more effective than the non-realistic simulation (desktop virtual reality simulation). Findings from several including this study had shown the effectiveness of realistic simulation in learning abstract concepts of Biology subject. Findings from a study by Shim, Park, Kim, Kim, Park, & Ryu (2003) reported that students have more interest in virtual reality simulations-based learning than the two dimensional (2D) multimedia teaching and learning method and the students said that virtual reality simulations are very helpful in learning abstract concepts of science subjects especially Biology subject. Findings of this study showed that the group of students who learnt with realistic simulation (3D multimedia simulation) had gained high scores and improved their achievement in Cell Division topic than the control group students who learnt using non-realistic simulation.

Realistic simulation and non-realistic simulation not only enhances students’ understandings and achievement but also improve students’ memory retention (Otero, 2001). This is because of the nature of the Realistic simulation and non-realistic simulations that encourage students to visualize the simulation played on the computer screen. Both realistic simulation and non-realistic simulation as educational software consist of multimedia elements such as text, animation, video and audio. These multimedia elements play vital role in enhancing students’ interest in learning and improve their memory retention (Plass, Homer, & Hayward, 2009; Jonid, Muslim & Mat Junos @ Siti Jamaliah, 2010).

Students’ poor understandings and misconceptions in Cell Division process and Biology are inter-related to the teaching and learning methods used by teachers which mainly require students to memorize the learned concepts (Ozcan, Yildirim & Ozgur, 2012). Hence, students faced difficulty in learning and tended to memorize the Biology concepts including Mitosis and Meiosis concepts to score in the Biology exam.

Students’ understandings for Mitosis and Meiosis concepts mainly rely on the visual processing skills (Scheiter et al., 2008). Students create their own mental model about the learned concepts while learning through visualization and recorded in the form of visual in their long-term memory (Eichinger, Nakhleh & Auberry, 2000; Flick & Bell, 2000; Ali & Zamzuri, 2007). Visual form learned concepts enhance their understandings and retained in their memory for a longer period (Lindgren & Schwartz, 2009) and they easily recall back when needed. Hence, high quality visual displays such as 3D computer simulations (realistic simulation and non-realistic simulation) are more effective in increasing students’ understanding, memory retention and achievement.

Findings of Scheiter et al. (2008) showed that 83.8% of the students who learned the Cell Division topic using low quality display under the microscope claimed that they remember the concepts of Cell Division process by Mitosis only. Findings of this study showed that treatment group students who learnt with realistic simulation and control group students who learnt with non-realistic simulation had gained high scores in post memory retention test that the pre-test. These results showed that realistic simulation and non-realistic simulation improved students’ memory retention. The group of students who learnt Cell Division topic using realistic simulation (3D multimedia simulation) had high memory retention level compared to the group students who learnt with non-realistic simulation (desktop virtual reality simulation). Thus, in this study realistic simulation is shown to be more effective in enhancing students’ understanding, memory retention and their achievement in Biology than the non-realistic simulation.