System Dynamics Through Qualitative Modeling in DynaLearn: Results from Research Conducted in a Brazilian High School Context

In this paper, we present the results of research aimed at demonstrating that high school students are capable of understanding complex phenomena through the exploration of qualitative simulation models. To achieve this, we adopted the approach of Learning by Modeling using techniques developed in an area of Artificial Intelligence (AI) called Qualitative Reasoning (QR). As a tool for constructing and simulating qualitative models, we used the DynaLearn platform, which diagrammatically displays possible causal relationships between the components of a system and representations of mathematical functions, allowing for the calculation of qualitative values of system properties. Thirty-nine students from the first grade of high school participated in this study, from a federal public school, in Brazil. Data collection took place through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The data showed that qualitative modeling is an important tool for students to think about dynamic systems, as opposed to a one-sided view. Indeed, students understood the structure and functioning of the system, distinguishing the main elements that make up the system, as well as recognizing concepts of System Dynamics (SD), such as feedback mechanisms. The data allow us to consider that the construction and manipulation of qualitative simulation models by students contribute to the understanding of complex systems in the classroom.