EXPERIMENT
PREY-PREDATOR DYNAMIC
OBJECTIVE
- To understand the meaning of simulation
- To understand the purpose simulation use in teaching and learning
- To conduct an experiment by using STELLAR software
- To investigate the predator-prey interactions by using STELLAR software.
INTRODUCTION:
What
is simulation? simulation or a model is a program that attempts to simulate an
abstract model of a particular system. Besides, simulation is the discipline of
designing a model an actual or theoretical physical system, executing the model
on a digital computer and analyzing the execution output. Simulation embodies
the principle of ‘learning by doing’ to learn about the system we must first
build a model of some sort and then operate the model. Besides, simulations
build on and useful adjunct to purely mathematical models in science,
technology and entertainment.
In recent years interactive media and tools, like
scientific simulations and simulation environments or dynamic data
visualizations, became established methods in the teaching and learning in
subject science. Hence, university teachers of science are faced with the
challenge to integrate these media in teaching and learning. However, simulations
and dynamic visualizations offer great opportunities for teachers and learners,
since they are both illustrative and explorable but simulations bear
instructional problems which are, they are abstract, demand some computer
skills and conceptual knowledge about what simulations intend to explain.
Besides, although simulations cannot replace science classroom and laboratory
activities completely, they offer various advantages both for classroom and
distance education.
Actually, there are several usage of simulations in
science education. Computer simulation instruction will give students the
opportunity to observe a real world experience and interact with it. For an
example, in science classroom, simulations can play an important role in
creating virtual experiments and inquiry. Besides, problem based simulations
allow students to monitor experiments, test new models and improve their
intuitive understanding of complex phenomena. Simulations are also potentially
useful for simulating labs that are impractical, expensive, impossible and too
dangerous to run. However, according to researcher, purpose driven simulations
can be appropriate tools to eliminate some learning defeciencies. For an
example, simulations may be used to scaffold learning of those whose ability of
imagining relatively low that is critical to understand the dynamic of systems.
The effectiveness uses of simulations in the science
classroom are abundant and as varied as the teachers who use them. Always
remember that the technologies like computer simulations are tools to support
learning. Thus, there are several way in order to maximize the potential of
computer simulations to enhance meaningful in science learning. Firstly, keep
instruction students centered. Computer simulation offer the opportunity to
engage students in higher level thinking and challenge them to struggle with
new ideas. Lessons involving computer simulation should remain students
centered and inquiry based to ensure that learning is focused on meaningful
understandings, not rote memorization. Depending on instructional objectives
and classroom arrangement, the students groupings and computer setups will
vary. Then, when simulations are teacher led, students should be actively
engaged through questioning, prediction generation, testing and conclusion
drawing. This connection made to their own lives make the learning more
authentic and meaningful. When students work with simulations individually or
in small groups, discussion and collaboration among teachers and peers should be
fostered. By encouraging reflection on their action and decision making,
teacher can help expose students misconceptions.
Then, teachers should more focus to content, not
technology. Although some simulations are extremely user friendly and self
explanatory, others require a good deal of time to become familiar with. If
students are being them on their own, they must understand how the program
operates. Besides, as teachers they should lead the class through the
simulations as a demonstration, ensuring the type of student engagement
describe previously. Even the simulation is designed for independent student
used, be sure to familiarize the students with its features, model its use and
provide access to any additional domain knowledge and tools that might
facilitate their work. Certainly the most effective type of support and means
of providing it are dependent upon the ability and needs of students and the
specific learning goals.
There are numerous simulation software packages
available such as AnyLogic, Adaptive Modeler, Consideo Modeler, ExtendSim,
Insight Maker, isee NetSim, iThink, MapSys, myStrategy, Powersim Studio,
Simgua, STELLA, TRUE, Sysdea and Vensim. STELLA, Sustaining Technology Enhanced
Learning at a LARge scale, is an EU project represents the effort of the
leading instituitions and project in European Technology-Enhanced Learning
(TEL) to unify our diverse community. STELLA
supports diverse learning styles with a wide range of storytelling features.
Diagrams, charts, and animation help visual learners discover relationships
between variables in an equation. Verbal learners might surround visual models
with words or attach documents to explain the impact of a new environmental
policy. There are several uses of STELLA is to simulate a system over
time, jump the gap between theory and the real world, enables to creatively
change systems and Clearly communicate system inputs and outputs and
demonstrate outcomes.
For this project, I have decided to conduct a
simulation on the predator-prey. For this experiment, I have to investigate the
effect of population predator if the parameter of prey was manipulated.
DATA & DISCUSSION
NORMAL
NUMBER OF LYNX=100
Nextly, the parameter was change up to 100
population. After click ‘RUN’, the graph show up and
down. The red line represent population of prey, lynx while blue line represent
predator, hares means that, if the population of the lynx increases, the
population of hare will decreases.
NUMBER OF LYNX =300
After that, the parameter was change to 300
population of lynx. The graph shows it follows the concept of predator-prey.
After click ‘RUN’, the graph show up
and down. The red line represent
population of prey, lynx while blue line represent predator, hares. It means
that, if the population of the lynx increases, the population of hare will
decreases.
NUMBER OF LYNX = 500
Predation is used here to include all positive and
negative interactions in which one organism consumes all or part of another.
This include predator-prey, herbivore-plant and parasites –host interaction.
These linkage are prime movers of energy through food chains. They are an
important factor in the ecology of populations, determining mortality of prey
and birth of new predators. A predator is an organism that eats another
organism. The prey is the organism which the predators eat. Some examples of
predator and prey are lion and zebra, bear and fish and lynx and hares. The
words “predator” and “prey” are almost always used to mean only animals that
eat animals, but the same concept also applies to plant such as rabbit and
lettuce and grasshopper and leaf.
Predator and prey evolve together.
The prey is part of the predator’s environment, and the predator dies if it
does not get food , so it evolves whatever is necessary in order to eat the
prey such as speed, stealth, camouflage, a good smell, sight or hearing that to
find the prey and poison to kill the prey. Likewise, the predator is part of
the prey’s environment, and the prey dies if it is eaten by predator, so it
evolves whatever is necessary to avoid being eaten; speed, camouflage is to
hide from predator, a good sense of smell, sight, thorns and poison to spray
when approached or bitten.
For an example, the fastest lion are
able to catch food and eat, so they survive and reproduce, and gradually, faster
lions make up more and more of the populations. The fastest zebras are able to
escape the lions, so they survive and reproduce and gradually. The faster
zebras make up more and more of the population. An important thing to realize
is that as both organisms become faster to adapt to their environments. Their
relationship remains the same because they are both getting faster neither
getting faster in relation to the other. Thus, this is true in all
predator-preys relationship. Another example of predator-prey evolution is that
of the Galapagos tortoise. Galapagos tortoise eat the branches of the cactus
plants that grow on the Galagapos islands. On the island, which long-necked
tortoise live, the branches are higher off the ground. On the another island,
where the short necked tortoises live, the branches are lower down. The cactus,
the prey may have evolved high branches so that the tortoises, the predator
can’t reach them.
Based on the data experiment, lynx
is an example of predator while hare is prey. Based on the graph, when predator
are numerous, it causes their prey decreases in numbers. When reducing the predator
population, which in turn causes prey number to increases. After some time, the
cycle repeated. Predator-prey cycles are characterized by regularly spaced
increases and decreases in the population sizes or densities of a predator and
its prey. Classically, the predator is a carnivorous species and the prey is an
herbivorous species. The predator population’s fluctuations follow those of the
prey population through time. That is, the prey populations begin to increase
while the predator population is still decreasing and the prey population
decreases while the predator population is still increasing. The simplest explanation
of these cycles is the predator drives the change in the prey population by
catching and killing its members, while the prey as the predators’s food
supply. The prey drives the changes in predator’s population changes. A lag
between the population responses of predator and prey causes the two cycle to
be out of phase with one another.
Population cycles, in which the
population increases and decreases repeatedly, at more or less regular
intervals, have been at the centre of the attempt to understand population
fluctuations. Cycles are useful because the change can be anticipated with some
confidence and more changes may occur in a given time period than in an
irregularly fluctuating population. Based on the graph, when the predator population declines, thus the prey available
to sustain its growth and the prey population decreases because there are too many
predators to stop its growth. Actually, more prey are left alive because fewer
predators are catching, killing and eating fewer of them, but to increase in
numbers, the prey must reproduce, and that takes time so there is a lag in the
response of each population to the changes that take place in the other.
Increasing numbers of predator or prey result in delayed responses in the
opposite population for similar reasons.
Overall from
the four graph, it can increases student motivation by give the chances the
students to explore the model of simulation. Before they start conduct
experiment simulation, make sure they read and understand the concept of
predator-prey. After that, when they understand, they can conduct the
simulation. Firstly, they do not have to change the parameter because they can
differentiate the normal graph and graph by changing parameter. Thus, at the
same time, they must feel excited to know more deeply about this experiment. Besides,
they must happy during do this experiment because it will do in a group. If we
in a group, we feel excited and enjoy to learn something new. When students
connected with other students they expressed feeling happy, important, and
relaxed. Learning was simply more fun when they got to learn with another
person. The two specific ways in which students experienced this connection
were through a sense of belonging and honored voiced. Nextly, by performing
this simulation, it just like learning through play-like activities and it
involve students to more active. It is because, from a student
perspective, active involvement is the first ingredient for
experiencing fun. Sitting and listening throughout the day produces boredom and
withdrawal of in students. In contrast, activities that actively engage
students result in enriched learning experiences, willingness for students to
exert effort, and usually a more authentic approach to academics.
Futhermore,
from performing simulation, students can make prediction. For example, when
they read and understand the background and theory of the experiment, they can
make earlier prediction that what they have to do. For the starting, they do
not have changing the parameter. So, for the first reading, they can’t make any
prediction because the graph move smoothly. Nextly, the parameter population of
lynx must change up to 100, 300 and 500. Thus, from this three graph, they
start to understand and make prediction that if number of lynx increases, the
number of hare will decreases. So, for this case, from simulation it can create
and makes students to thinking and can make earlier prediction about the
results that they will get.
CONCLUSION
As a conclusion, simulations have the potential to
enhance the way the teachers teach and students to learn. The simulation brings
the most abstract concepts to life of students and incorporate otherwise
impossible or impractical experiences into daily instruction. Besides, computer
simulations are potentially useful for simulating labs that are impractical,
expensive, impossible or too dangerous to run. Simulations can contribute to
conceptual change, provide open-ended experiences and provide tools for
scientific inquiry and problem solving. It also have potential for distance
education. Then, the success of computer simulations use in science education
depends on how they incorporated into curriculum and how teacher use it. The
most appropriate use of computer simulations seems that use them for a
supplementary tools for classroom instruction and laboratory. Computer
simulations are good tools to improve students’ hypothesis construction,
graphic interpretation and prediction skills.
Technology has
developed in response to man's needs to solve problems and make life easier. Integrating technology in the classroom can
facilitate learning and address many educational issues. Schools aim to provide
effective educational opportunities for all students. Investing in computer technology
at school supports the idea of students centered learning. Integrating
technology in the classroom may be a solution but it is also the problem. Classrooms
have changed in appearance. The learning environment is no longer reflected by
frontal teaching where the teacher is actively engaged up front and the student
is passively seated. Organizing
and managing a technology enhanced classroom is not easy. Teachers need to be
creative with the skills of a manager and technology expert to guide students
to identify, select and use the most appropriate technology tools for all kinds
of learning activities.
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