Teaching Contemporary History to High School Students: The Augmented Learning Environment of Czechoslovakia 38-89
Abstract
This paper discusses the experimental implementation of a complex educational simulation, Czechoslovakia 38-89, in Czech high schools. The primary aim of this paper is to investigate the acceptance of Czechoslovakia 38-89 by teachers and students as a teaching tool for history education.
We examine whether the simulation was successfully integrated into the formal schooling system and, if this was the case, what properties of the simulation contributed most to this success. We have used the theoretical framework of the Augmented Learning Environment (ALE) in the design and implementation of Czechoslovakia 38-89.
The formulation of ALE stems from our previous research and has been so far used for the design and implementation of a different educational simulation, dealing with different content and knowledge domains. Therefore, the secondary aim of this paper is to investigate the usability of ALE as a design framework in a new context, i.e. contemporary history education.