Impacts of the Use of a Digital Simulation in Learning Earth Sciences (the Case of Relative Dating in High School)

Abstract

In an attempt to evaluate the impact of the use of a simulation on the learning concepts of relative dating, a study was carried out with first year students at the Technical High School of the city of Taza (Morocco). The method of the study was semi-experimental research design with pre-test and post-test. The study used two groups including the experimental (n = 16) and control (n = 16) groups. The learning outcomes of both groups of students were compared and analysed for significance using the Student’s t-test and the Mann-Whitney U test. The findings showed that the integration of a simulation of relative chronology can have a positive effect on students’ learning if it is properly integrated at an appropriate time during the students’ training.