The effects of computer simulation on students’ understanding of the particulate nature of matter: An eye-tracking design and evidence

he particulate nature of matter is one of the core principles of chemistry, which helps students to recognize relevant chemical phenomena and chemical content at the submicroscopic level. Simulation describes the behavior and interactions of particles in a dynamic way, which helps students understand the particulate nature of matter by concretizing and visualizing abstractions. At the same time, simulations can be used as a useful resource or even a replacement for the authentic laboratory to deepen the grasp of abstract concepts. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of simulation on understanding the particulate nature of matter through the use of an eye-tracking device. Thirty middle school students were divided into two groups, the experimental group by watching an instructional video with simulation and the control group by watching an instructional video except simulation. The results showed that students in the experimental group would pay more attention to the conduct and interactions of the particles, resulting in a better understanding of the particulate nature of matter. Students in the control group will pay more attention to the characters area, which is harder to extract and process applicable information, and will perform extra searching, localization and integration.