Using agents and simulation to develop adequate thinking styles

Abstract

Reinforcement learning theory encourages the use of agents for stimulating and assisting learners in their efforts to develop thinking styles. In this study the authors looked at a similar scenario of human-environmental interaction using Internet-mediated simulations as learning environments. One hundred and forty-nine vocational high schools students participated in this study to see if they can develop adequate thinking style when they learned in a simulation environment with help from agents. The results show that the judicial thinking style was best suited to the system we designed for this project-that is, we observed the greatest amount of development for this particular thinking style. Our results indicate that it is possible to establish and support thinking styles via Internet-mediated simulations.