Educational Computer Simulations

Goals, didactical functions, technology, implementation and new trends

Piet van Schaick Zillesen

Senior Consultant Educational Computer Simulations

Components

Information about:

• Relevant activities of my organization• Concepts• Educational relevance of computer simulations• Didactical functionality • Technology and Development• How to use simulations in education• New trends

1 Organisation

My home base…

• Van Hall Institute• Business Center• Dept. of Simulations

Van Hall Institute

BUSINESS CENTER

Dept. Of Simulations Tailor made Courses

Environment+other green activities Food & Business

Van Hall Institute

• Part of Wageningen University and Research Centre

• 1900 students• 300 staff members• 7 BSc courses

• Business Center• http://www.vhall.nl

University of Professional Education in Agriculture, Food Technology, Environmental and Animal Sciences

Business Center

• 40 staff members• Tailor made training-courses• Applied Research • Educational Software

(Dept. of Simulations)• http://www.vhibc.nl/ (Dutch)

Independent Foundation for Commercial Activities

Dept. of Simulations

(educational) softwareDesign, Development, Implementation Support,Consultancy

• 10 staff members• Educational Simulations• E-learning• Decision Support Software• Special Products• http://www.pgsim.nl

2 Concepts

Concepts

• System• Model• (Computer) Simulation• Modeling environments

Concept: “System”

A system is a limited part of reality.

A system is isolated in order to study its behavior

Concept: “Model”

Image or description of a system

Types of Models

• dynamic• Space oriented , 3d (not supported by us)• real-time • stochastic• Object oriented• textual

Concept: (Computer) Simulation

Imitation of the behavior of a system by a model

descriptions:• The state of the system• Transitions depending on interventions

goals:• communication• predicition

Concept: Modeling

The development, testing and refinement of a simulation model (including system analysis)

(we do not develop modeling systems but we advise lecturers implementing these systems and develop prototype learning materials)

3 Educational Relevance

Goals and Educational Relevance

A student may use a simulation in order to:

• gain concrete experience by the planning, execution and evaluation of experiments with a simulated system

• train procedures with simulated cases

Sim

ulation type 1 Flow

endend

analysisanalysis

assignmentassignment

hypothesishypothesis

planningplanning

reportreport

evaluationevaluation

startstart

Simulation example

Procedures

The student needs to know:

• The steps of a procedure• The contents of the steps• How to apply these steps

4 Didactical Functions

Simulation: Didactic functions

Visualisation

Activation

Experimentation

Feedback

Information

Simulation: added Advise and Instruction

• Triggered messages• Step plan• Cases• Reports• Adaptive user interfaces• Context sensitive Help information• Links to contents information

Instruction components added to simulations in order to make the educational use more efficient

Simulation Demonstration

Remote (installed locally)

Training System Improvement

• What do I really want?• What does my present system look like?• What are my priorities and operational

targets?• How does reality compare to my goals?• What are the major bottlenecks?• What will be my plan of attack?• ATTACK• How does my system look now?• How does this reflect to my original aims?

Step plan Tool

Procedure Demonstration

Dairy Farm (off line)

5 Technology

The tecnological structure

Domains of knowledge

• Modeling• Programming• Interface

design• Contents

matter• Didactics• Project

management

The process of development• Preparation (good idea + money = good start)

• Start (development team + board of experts)• Design phase

•Didactical design (goals, context, functionality)•Model design (system boundary , structure)•interface design (visualization, control, feedback)•Technical design (software structure)

• First prototype• Evaluation (expert evaluation)• Second prototype• Evaluation with students• Internal check (4 eyes principle)• End product• Distribution• Project evaluation

6 Use in Education

Implementation

Decisions are made about:

• Learning method• Educational setting• Exercises• Type of advise and instruction

(depending from target group, pre-knowledge, didactical goals and other conditions)

Learning Method

• Discovery learning• Exercises• Learning with parallel instruction• Problem oriented learning• Scientific experimentation

Educational Settings• Preparation

• individual• group

• Simulation session• In front of a group• Individual• couples• groups

• Evaluation• Group discussion• Reports

7 New Trends

Trends

• Web Based Simulations• Integration with other Software Used in

Education

Why web-based?

• Worldwide availability: anytime anywhere• integratie with other on-line materials into

complete on-line courses• Simple maintenance and upgrading, because

of being present at just one place• World wide use of multiplayer simulations• Control the use (POWER!)

Structure of the Internet

Some techniques• html • javascript • java • dhtml • Xhtml • asp • Perl • php • css • cgi • activeX• Flash

Selection depending on:

•Respons time

•Database couplings

•Platform dependence

Flow

Modelleren

Java examples

• Application within a html page:

teaching Statistics to Medicals

• Several elements within a html page

Nutrient Cycle

• Separate form:

Course Population Dynamics

Integration of Software in Education

• Integrate with Electronic Learning Environments like blackboard, electronic testing, school administration, electronic classrooms, electronic portfolio’s etc. Example: HAO blackboard site

Questions?