透過設計電腦模擬來學習演化式複雜系統之研究

Abstract

複雜系統（Complex Systems）是近年來一直受到重視與討論的研究領域，因為具有高度的彈性與通用性而被廣泛地應用在生物學、工程學、經濟學、社會學等方面。在眾多的複雜系統中又以隨時間動態演進的演化式複雜系統最具應用與代表性，例如生態系統、經濟動態平衡以及社會模擬等，因此，有越來越多相關領域的科系，開始學習採用與此相關的技術從事研究與應用；然而，由於演化式複雜系統內系統元件間的非線性互動、結構化連結與動態浮現等難以逐項分析與追溯的特性，使傳統的學習與教學方法在應用於學習或教學演化式複雜系統時，難以達到預期的效果。 設計活動加上電腦模擬低成本與高效率的優點，提供了一種新的學習策略，因為設計是一種高層次的概念整合，並且著重創造力的發揮，可以具體實踐由做中學（Learning by Doing）的建構學習策略。本論文的目的在於藉由透過電腦模擬的設計活動，降低學習複雜系統的難度，以尋求有效的學習方法，進而提出一套完整的電腦輔助學習環境，期望這樣一套系統能夠幫助老師及學生，以更有效率的方式教導或學習複雜系統。 論文的第一章旨在說明本研究的動機與目的。第二章則介紹演化式複雜系統的基本概念、電腦輔助教學的基本理論與概念，及進一步討論電腦模擬在教育中所扮演的角色與功能，並且研讀探討相關文章內針對電腦模擬應用於輔助教學上所提之理論與實作及其優缺點。第三章介紹教育理論中建構主義所提倡的主動式建構學習，透過實驗設計與模擬而學習的部分。第四章則針對演化式複雜系統的學習與教學，可能遭遇到與需要解決的問題加以探討，提出我們所建置的教學系統環境，其中依據學習演化式複雜系統的三個階段設計出三套電腦模擬系統，並以實際的課程活動來證明這些教學系統具有實務上的功能與優勢，及呈現在輔助學習上的效果。最後則是本研究的討論與結論。

Interest in complex systems (CS) has been rapidly growing over the last decades. The field has rapidly matured as evidenced by the increasing number of conferences, workshops, and papers as well as the emergence of a central journal for the field. CS is highly promising for many biological, ecological, engineering, economical, and sociological applications owing to their generality and robustness. Among numerous CSs, the dynamically evolving evolutionary complex systems (ECS) are more applicable to real world problems, such as ecological systems, dynamic equilibrium economical systems, and social modeling systems. An increasing number of science and engineering schools are thus offering related courses. Students enrolled in a ECS-related course not only study the evolutionary process of ECS, but also learn how to manipulate diverse range of ECS techniques. Our experience of investigating and teaching ECS-related courses has revealed the essential role of experimental design and simulation in practically implementing ECS. Therefore, this work presents a learning environment with three simulation systems to assist students in implementing ECS, with particular emphasis on the vital role that practical experience plays in computer-related courses. In this work, we first identify important issues and challenges encountered in ECS learning, especially in the domain of evolutionary computation (EC). We then summarize important factors mentioned in previous constructive epistemology and propose pedagogy goal for learning: learning through designing a computer simulation. After setting the goals we introduce a framework and guidelines of an instruction strategy that can explore the niches provided by simulation-based learning environments. The proposed strategy is learning through designing a computer simulation that is a way of learning by doing. We emphasize simulation modeling and creativity during the learning process. Three simulation systems are then proposed and adopted to assist learners in different levels: beginning learners, intermediate learners, and advanced learners. These programs relieve students of detailed programming so they can concentrate on grasping principles of ECS. These programs also outlines how to design evolutionary simulations and how to set parameters of different kinds of problems. The purpose of making these systems available is to encourage the experimental use of ECS on realistic problems, and thereby to identify the strengths and weaknesses of ECS. This work describes the programs, shows how they can be used to solve various problems, and provides details on their implementations. Also described herein is our experience of using these software to assist students in designing and simulating experiments. Experimental results demonstrate the merits of adopting computer-based experimental design and simulation in learning ECS.