Interactive models can address core ideas in a visually engaging way that makes them accessible to students with vastly differing learning styles. Computer animations incorporated into interactive simulations can offer the user a chance to manipulate variables in order to observe the effect on the system’s behavior (Sewell et al. 1995; Windschitl 1998). As students work with the models, they are more likely to remember and transfer their learning to new situations (Berenfeld et al. 2004). Windschitl (1998), in his practical guide for incorporating computer-based simulations into science instruction, concluded that simu- lations furnish suitable cognitive environments within which learners can exercise a range of inquiry skills. He also mentioned that many educators have found virtual learning environments to be powerful, indispensable tools for developing conceptual understanding.