e-learning Methodologies Simulations Contents Introduction Types of Simulations Advantages of Simulations Factors affecting Quality of Simulations Simulation Design and Development Introduction An educational simulation is a model of some phenomenon or activity that users learn about through interaction with the simulation. According to the above definition, movies and animations are not simulations because although they often contain some imitation or representation of reality, they typically are not based on an internal model. Similarly many games cannot be considered simulations because although they use an internal model they use it solely as a motivating device The purpose of simulations is to help learners built their own mental models of the phenomena or procedures and provide them opportunities to explore, practice, test, and improve those models safely and efficiently Types of Simulations About something simulations: Physical: A physical object or phenomenon is represented on the screen, giving the user an opportunity to learn about it Iterative: They are also called process or black box simulations. They are similar to the physical simulations but instead of continuously manipulating the simulation, the learner runs the simulation over and over, selecting values for various parameters and observing the phenomena that occur without intervention How to do something simulations: Procedural: Teach a sequence of actions to accomplish some goal Situational: Deal with behaviors and attitudes of people or organizations in different situations, rather than with skilled performance
Physical Simulations In physical simulations each program has an underlying computer model of a system (a city, the earth, a farm, an electronic circuit, a microprocessor, etc.) SimCity Classic: Simulation of urban planning Analog Circuit Simulator: http://www.falstad.com/circuit/ Pep 7 Computer: Computer organization Future Lab: Circuits for Physical Science, shows children how to build and understand electrical circuits on a computer before they work with actual electrical parts. The program offers students the opportunity to study various types of circuits and gives them instructions so they can explore the effects of manipulating portions of these circuits. Iterative Simulations In iterative simulations time is not included as a variable. That is, whether the real phenomenon occurs very quickly or very slowly, the learner manipulates parameters, runs the simulation and sees the immediate results. Catlab: An introductory genetics simulation on the mating of cats selected by color, pattern and tail presence. Covers the basics of single gene traits: dominant/ recessive/ incomplete/ autosomal/ sex-linked. CAD tools: AutoCAD, PCAD, OrCAD etc. PS Spice: Electronic circuit design Matlab Simulink: Computer models for a variety of devices and mathematical concepts Procedural Simulations Procedural simulations typically contain simulated physical objects. However, the simulation of the physical objects is necessary to meet procedural requirements, that is to allow engagement in the procedure. Types: Laboratory simulation: BioLab Frog: Allows learners dissect frogs and perform other experiments A.D.A.M Interactive anatomy: Anatomy simulation. Diagnosis simulation: The learner is presented with a problem to solve, such as a patient with particular symptoms, and must follow a set of procedures to determine the solution, i.e., the illness Flight Simulators and Car driving simulators Situational Simulations Situational simulations, is a special type of procedural simulations. Learners are encouraged to explore alternatives and see their effects. However, in situational simulations special emphasis is given in modeling people, organizations and their interactions. Capitalism: Allows participants to create companies, manufacture and products and compete market. Interactive Courtroom: Includes simulations of interviewing, examining and cross examining, being the judge, making motions, negotiating, and other courtroom skills
Advantages of Simulations Advantages compared to reality: Enhance safety Provide experiences not readily available in reality Modify time frames Make rare events more common Control the complexity of the learning situation Save money Advantages compared to other e-learning methodologies: Motivation Transfer of learning Efficiency Flexibility Factors in Simulations Fidelity Instructional Strategy The underlying model and its Components Providing objectives Directions Instructional Supports Motivators Sequence Presentations Learner Actions System Reaction and Feedback A theory from learning from Simulation Knowledge Attributes: Type Organization Complexity Precision Learner Attributes: age, gender, prerequisite knowledge or skills, prior knowledge or ability in the subject area, general cognitive abilities, metacognitive abilities, learning styles and preferences Simulation Attributes: realization of the simulation factors Fidelity Fidelity refers to how closely a simulation imitates reality: Historically, people believed that increasing fidelity in an instructional setting le to better transfer of learning However, research has demonstrated that the relation between fidelity and transfer is more complex and depends, also, on the instructional level of the learner (initial learning) Increasing fidelity may lower initial learning Increasing initial learning increases transfer Dilemma: Increasing fidelity, increases transfer but may inhibit initial learning, which in turn inhibits transfer Solution: use a level of fidelity based on learner s current instructional level. Increase fidelity as learners progresses in learning
Instructional Strategy Some of the more common instructional strategies for simulations are: Microworlds, where the learner is given a collection of objects that can be assembled, manipulated, turned on and off, measured, etc. Examples: Simulink, Future Lab: Gravity for Physical Sciences Scientific Discovery Learning. These are typically iterative simulations, in which learners perform scientific experiments to ascertain the laws of governing a phenomenon. Example: Catlab Virtual Reality. VR environments replicate a real-life environment, visually, functionally, (the actions you can perform), aurally, and sometimes kinesthitically. They are used generally for physical or procedural simulations. Example: A.D.A.M Instructional Strategy (II) Common instructional strategies (cnt d): Laboratory Simulations, allow, in some cases, learners to follow any paths they want (including completely nonsensical ones), but most have constraints, which guide the learner to the correct pathway. They are used generally for physical or procedural simulations. Example: BioLab Frog Role Playing, is a popular approach for training in business, counseling, classroom teaching, etc. They are used generally for situational simulations. Examples: Capitalism. The Interactive Courtroom Operator-in-the-Loop, refers to the fact that a physical device (such as an aircraft simulator) is running while a live operator (the learner) interacts with it in real time. Example: Flight and Car Driving Simulators The Underlying model and its Components Computer models that underly simulations are primarily of three types: Continuous simulation models have an infinite number of states. They are based calculus and used to represent phenomena of the physical sciences Discrete simulation models are based on probability, statistics and queuing theory and are used in cases such as air and automobile traffic modeling. They are not very common in education. Logical simulation models are represented by sets of if-then rules in computer programs. They are used to model operations in machines, decisions in businesses and social interactions. In education logical models are commonly combined with continuous models. The continuous model represent the physical system itself while the logical model represents the ways in which learners interact with the physical system The Underlying model and its Components (II) Computer models include a number of components that determine both the nature of the simulation and the nature of the learner s interactions with it: Objects are any physical entities, pictured or described within the simulation Precision refers to how well we understand the process being simulated. Type of Reality refers to whether the phenomenon depicted is one that occurs in the real world: Phenomena that do occur as simulated Phenomena that do occur but not exactly as simulated Phenomena that simulated are imaginary Number of Solutions. Reality varies a great deal with respect to the number of solutions available.
The Underlying model and its Components (III) Components (cnt d): Time Frame is the period of time which a phenomenon normally takes place Role of the Learner refers to whether the person using the simulation is considered one of the objects in the model or is external to it: Being part does not mean being a person In physical and iterative simulations people manipulates and observes objects from outside while in situational and procedural people are part of the simulation Learner can be considered actor or reactor or both Fidelity Analysis in Simulations Fidelity in Physical Simulations Primary decision: What objects to include and how realistic this objects would be Fidelity in Iterative Simulations Primary decision: The physical model of the phenomenon Fidelity in Procedural Simulations Primary decision: Fidelity of presentations, actions and feedback Fidelity in Situational Simulations Primary decision: Number of actions learners could take so as to model as much as possible the human behavior Simulation Design and Development The following steps are suggested for simulation development: Learn and analyze the phenomenon Make design decision concerning the simulation factors Create and refine the underlying model Transfer the model into your authoring software Develop the user interface in the authoring software Develop instructional support in the authoring software