Using a global climate change simulation to develop students’ use of quality scientific evidence and argumentation
Brian P. Zoellner 1 * , Daniel D. Dinsmore 1 , Hongyang Zhao 2 , Xavier Rozas 1
More Detail
1 Deparment of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA2 Department of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, USA* Corresponding Author

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.

License

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

Article Views: 47

Article Downloads: 26

Open Access References How to cite this article