Abstract
Scientific argumentation has been a much-studied topic in the research literature; however, the evidence predominantly focuses on the assimilation of scientific concepts through textual analysis. This study seeks to extend the discourse by examining how learners generate scientific evidence after working with a web-based global climate change simulation. Seventy undergraduate participants completed measures of pre-existing knowledge, then engaged in the simulation, and answered open-ended outcome questions where they substantiated their answers with evidence. Results supported the contention that evidence generated explicitly from the simulation was of a higher caliber in both its clarity and relevance. Moreover, the findings suggest that the influence of prior knowledge offered minimal effect on the quality of the evidence provided, irrespective of whether the evidence was informed by the simulation or not. This suggests that the immersive and interactive nature of the simulation supported the development of nuanced understanding and scientific evidence among learners.
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Article Type: Research Article
INTERDISCIP J ENV SCI ED, Volume 22, Issue 1, 2026, Article No: e2601
https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/17499
Publication date: 01 Jan 2026
Online publication date: 03 Dec 2025
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