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Learner perceptions of realism and magic in computer simulations
Author(s) -
Hennessy Sara,
O'Shea Tim
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
british journal of educational technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.79
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1467-8535
pISSN - 0007-1013
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8535.1993.tb00679.x
Subject(s) - credibility , magic (telescope) , perception , computer science , realism , magic realism , key (lock) , human–computer interaction , psychology , epistemology , artificial intelligence , physics , computer security , philosophy , quantum mechanics , neuroscience
The authors discuss a key issue affecting the educational potential of interactive computer simulations—their possible lack of credibility. They explore the circumstances under which students are able to separate‘magical’features from those which map easily and directly onto the real world, and the relationship between their perceptions of events on and off the computer. They put forward some means of overcoming disbelief through manipulating the degree of reality inherent in simulations and offer suggestions for how future research might address these issues.