arXiv subjects

Razan Hamed

Publications and source records attributed to Razan Hamed.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Game-Based vs. Simulation-Based Instruction: exploring the sequencing effect on elementary pre-service teachers' understanding of the photoelectric effect

The use of digital tools and multiple representations like educational games and interactive simulations is of great importance to physics education. This study investigates the sequencing effects of an educational video game 'Photon Jump' and the PhET Photoelectric Effect simulation on pre-service teachers' understanding of the photoelectric effect. Using a counterbalanced quasi-experimental crossover design, pre-service teachers enrolled in a physics course (N = 83) experienced both interventions in opposite orders. Conceptual understanding was measured across three standardized assessments, complemented by open-ended reflection questions on participants' preferences and willingness to use both tools for future learning. The simulation-first sequence yielded a greater significant improvement in performance p = 0.001 as compared with game-first sequence p = 0.06. participants' preferences for using the game as opposed to the simulation were dependent on the sequence that they were randomly assigned to. Findings underscore the complementary strengths of game-based and simulation-based instruction, highlighting the importance of choosing the right sequence when using multiple representations in teaching abstract physics phenomena to pre-service teachers.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2026

Two Paths to Learning Physics: How Games and Simulations Shape Physics Learning Among Physics and Engineering Students

The use of digital tools like educational video games and interactive simulations is of great importance to physics education. This study investigates the sequencing effects of an educational game, 'Photon Jump' and PhET Photoelectric Effect simulation on students' perception of such tools for learning about the photoelectric effect. Using a counterbalanced quasi-experimental crossover design, a total of 55 physics and engineering students from a calculus-based physics course were divided into two groups of comparable sizes and administered the game and the simulation in reverse order followed by 9 open ended reflection questions. The results show a clear preference for the game-based activity over the simulation. Additionally, gaming frequency showed no correlation with willingness to use similar tools, suggesting broad accessibility. Thematic analysis revealed that intuitive and explorative learning through the game was reinforced by the analytical aspect of the simulation.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2026

Relating visual attention and learning in an online instructional physics module

Learning using Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) demands a high level of attention given the tendency to be distracted and mind-wander. How does the online STEM instructor know when learners are having attentional problems and the extent to which these problems affect learning? In the present study, the visual attentional and cognitive state of physics graduate students were probed while they went through a multimedia instructional module to refresh their knowledge of Newton's II Law. Data from an eye tracker, webcam, egocentric glasses, screen recording, and mouse and keyboard events were integrated to record learners' attention overt attention to the learning environment (+/-) and thinking about learning content (+/-) to analyze students' attention spans during learning from this module. On average, learners were found to be on-task and on-screen for a vast majority of time, with evidence of mind wandering. The learning module improved the participants efficiency with which they answered the questions correctly on a post-test relative to the pre-test. Further, there is a positive albeit statistically non-significant correlation between the improvement from pre- to post-test efficiency and the time spent on-screen and on-task during the module.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2026

Cognitive Load and Situational Interest in Physics Laboratories: A Comparative Study Across Three Instructional Modalities

Understanding how an instructional approach shapes student's cognitive resources and engagement is central to improving undergraduate physics education especially for novice learners. This study examines how three instructional modalities (Inquiry-based, Design-based, and Game-based learning) affect cognitive load and situational interest in physics laboratories for non-STEM majors. Guided by the revised Cognitive Load Theory framework, two experiments were conducted across two physics domains: mechanics and electrical circuits. In each experiment, students completed three laboratory sessions, one in each instructional modality, followed by surveys measuring cognitive load and situational interest. One-way ANOVA analyses revealed significant differences across the three modalities in both experiments. Game-based laboratories consistently yielded the lowest cognitive load and the highest situational interest, while inquiry-based and design-based labs imposed higher cognitive demands, with their relative effects varying by domain. Overall, situational interest exhibited an inverse relationship with cognitive load, suggesting that reduced cognitive demands support greater engagement. These findings emphasize the value of strategically selecting and combining instructional modalities to balance cognitive load and foster meaningful engagement in physics laboratories for novice learners.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2025

Dual-Role Dynamics in Prompting: Elementary Pre-service Teachers' AI Prompting Strategies for Representational Choices

Pre-service teachers play a unique dual role as they straddle between the roles of students and future teachers. This dual role requires them to adopt both the learner's and the instructor's perspectives while engaging with pedagogical and content knowledge. The current study investigates how pre-service elementary teachers taking a physical science course prompt AI to generate representations that effectively communicate conceptual ideas to two distinct audiences. The context involves participants interacting with AI to generate appropriate representations that explain the concepts of wave velocity to their elementary students (while casting themselves as teachers) and the Ideal Gas Law to their English teachers (while casting themselves as students). Emergent coding of the AI prompts highlight that, when acting as teachers, participants were more explicit in specifying the target audience, predetermining the type of representation, and producing a broader variety of representations compared to when they acted as students. Implications of the observed 'exploratory' and 'prescriptive' prompting trends across the two roles on pre-service teachers' education and their professional development are discussed.

physics.ed-ph↗