(Laura) Ashley Miller is an 8th grade science teacher at Napoleon Junior Senior High School in Napoleon, Ohio. She is working to obtain her Master's in Classroom Technology and graduate in the Summer of 2018.
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RQ2: Does the use of teacher-created screencasts when completing an Explore Learning Gizmo simulation affect student satisfaction levels?
Upon completion of the simulation experience, students in these groups were asked to complete a short survey asking their opinion about the usefulness of the simulations. All class periods who used the simulation reported that Gizmo was helpful and increased understanding of concepts. The class periods who did not use the teacher-created screencast reported that they would not use a teacher-created screencast to complete the simulation if it were offered. This is a very different response from the class periods who did use the teacher-created screencast. Eighty-two percent of these students indicated that they would prefer using the screencasts if offered compared to the 29% of students who indicated they would use a screencast from the group who completed the simulation without the screencast.
While all groups in the study showed similar results in their pretest/posttest scores regardless of simulation or screencast use, it is important to take into account student satisfaction levels. Students who used sreencasts reported that they would use them in the future. Screencast use did not have drastically higher postest scores, but students were more engaged and satisfied with their experience. Screencasts have the potential to dramatically impact special education students.