The techniques of mathematical modeling and simulation are changing the nature of both social decision making and scientific inquiry. An essential feature of this change involves viewing complex, interconnected problems from a dynamic feedback systems perspective. Today's students need a working knowledge of modeling, simulation, and system dynamics so that they are adequately prepared to become the scientists, engineers, and policy makers involved directly with problem solving. We propose to study how students think about models and simulations with the aid of The Explorer, an interactive computer learning environment, and to see if the addition of system dynamics will work effectively as a scaffolding for the transfer of skills and understandings from one complex problem to another in a different knowledge domain. We believe that integrating tools that aid in understanding complexity into science courses will provide the basis for a radically different approach to learning. In this proposal we explore alternative ways of working with simulations and system dynamics. This research has three components: o Identifying and assessing the development of modeling-specific cognitive skills, and the student's understanding of the nature and function of a model. o Identifying and assessing the development of higher order analytical cognitive skills, and the student's ability to transfer these skills through different subject domains. o Augmenting an existing model-based curriculum to facilitate implementation of the previous two components.//
