The second chapter looks at how Computers change what it means to know something and at the kind of knowledge that innovative thinkers need in the computer age. I bring these two ideas together to show how young people l not only need to learn in new ways but need to learn different things in the digital age.

In diesem Kapitel wird der Einsatz des Mechanik-Simulationsprogramms sodaplay in einem freiwilligen Sommerkurs beschrieben. Testen der eigenen Lösung mit Hilfe einer Computersimulation ermöglicht sofortige Rückmeldungen über die Viabilität der Lösung. Dies führt zwar zu vielen Fehlern, aber gerade das fördert das Lernen. Eine wissenschaftliche Untersuchung zeigte, dass Studierende nach der Beschäftigung mit diesem Programm bei traditionellen Physikaufgaben durchschnittlich fünf Mal so viele physikalische Begründungen lieferten im Vergleich zu früher. Danach wird Lernen mit Simulationen / microworlds beschrieben.

This chapter looks at how Computers change what it means to think and thus what it means to learn. It begins by looking at Digital Zoo, a game developed by researcher Gina Svarovsky at the University of Wisconsin. In the game, players become biomechanical engineers and design virtual creatures. Along the way, they learn about science and engineering. The computer plays a central role in this process, as players learn fundamental physics concepts in collaboration with the machine.
After a bnef overview of the scientific principles that players encounter in the game, the chapter looks at two different groups of middle school players that Svarovsky studied. Her studies analyzed both what ehe players learned and how they learned it. As a result, the game illustrates how the simulated worlds of Computer and video games change what is worth knowing - and thus what is worth learning - in die digital age.