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This module was initially developed by Betty Blecha and currently is coordinated by Beth Haynes . The module was refined and enhanced by Mark McBride, Teresa Riley, Katherine Rowell, KimMarie McGoldrick, Mark Maier, and Scott Simkins.

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Barry Keating's class conducts a stock market simulation.

What are Instructional Simulations?

When students use a model of behavior to gain a better understanding of that behavior, they are doing a simulation. For example:

When students are assigned roles as buyers and sellers of some good and asked to strike deals to exchange the good, they are learning about market behavior by simulating a market.

When students take on the roles of party delegates to a political convention and run the model convention, they are learning about the election process by simulating a political convention.

When students create an electric circuit with an online program, they are learning about physics theory by simulating an actual physical set-up.

Students often use simulations to make predictions about the social, economic, or natural world. Learn more about simulations
Why Teach with Simulations?

Instructional simulations have the potential to engage students in "deep learning" that empowers understanding as opposed to "surface learning" that requires only memorization. Deep learning means that students:

Learn scientific methods including

the importance of model building.

the relationships among variables in a model or models.

data issues, probability and sampling theory.

how to use a model to predict outcomes.

Learn to reflect on and extend knowledge by

actively engaging in student-student or instructor-student conversations needed to conduct a simulation.

tranfering knowledge to new problems and situations.

understanding and refining their own though processes.

seeing social processes and social interactions in action.

Learn more about teaching with simulations

How to Teach with Simulations

Effectiveness instructional simulations require:

Instructor preparation.The good news is that instructional simulations can be very effective in stimulating student understanding. The bad news is that many simulations require intensive lesson preparation.

Active student participation. The learning effectiveness of instructional simulation rests on actively engaging students in problem solving.

Post-simulation discussion. Students need sufficient time to reflect on the simulation results.

Learn how to teach with simulations

Examples of Teaching with Simulations

A good way to learn about instructional simulations for your courses is to go to the examples pages.

See examples of simulations

References

The References page includes both general and discipline specific papers, books, and articles about using instructional simulations in undergraduate education.

Browse the list of references

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This module was initially developed by Betty Blecha and currently is coordinated by Beth Haynes . The module was refined and enhanced by Mark McBride, Teresa Riley, Katherine Rowell, KimMarie McGoldrick, Mark ...

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how to use games in teaching and learning

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how to use games in teaching and learning

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Traditional "edutainment" is based on limited pedagogical models, and does not take advantage of the games' potential to simulate phenomena, engage the player through story, express ideas…

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The line between games and simulations--game's less talked about cousin--is often blurred, and there are no absolutes. Use these guidelines to sort out whether a game or a simulation would be the best solution.

Serious games are being used more often as a learning solution in business and education. They are contextual and interactive, and they provide opportunities for failure to happen in a safe environment related to a performance outcome.

In general, a game-based approach might be a be

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Games vs. Simulations: When Simulations May Be a Better Approach

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The line between games and simulations--game's less talked about cousin--is often blurred, and there are no absolutes. Use these guidelines to sort out whether a game or a simulation would be the best solution. Serious games are being used more often as a learning solution in business and education.

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the advantages & disadvantages of simulations

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the advantages & disadvantages of simulations

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The advantages of simulation?
Note... As I write this blog I am trying to keep the simulation theories to a high level before we delve into the individual strategies such as In-situ simulation, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality simulation, Mixed Reality simulation, Computer Assisted simulation, and Immersive Interactive education.
In the previous blog post we have discussed the main academic arguments surrounding fidelity and suggested that within simulation fidelity is a subjective matter.
We also reviewed the 3 MAIN COMPONENTS or aims of medical simulation - Equipment - Environment and Psychology.

A couple of useful papers have outlined the benefits of simulation in healthcare and are summarised briefly below
Advantages (Moorthy, Vincent, & Darzi, 2005), (Brooks, Moriarty, & Welyczko, 2010)
Simulation allows participants to purposely undertake high-risk activities or procedural tasks within a safe environment without dangerous implications to themselves or their patients.
( Often referred to as the canary in mineshaft theory).

Simulation can improve participants skills and allow them to learn from error.

Learners are able to gain a greater understanding about the consequences of their actions and the need to reduce any errors and prevent them from happening again.

Simulation offers participative learning, and supports the teaching / learning of Adults.
Rather than sitting through a training lecture, trainees can practice what they have learnt, and quickly learn from any mistakes without serious implications.

Learners address hands-on and thinking skills, including knowledge-in-action, procedures, decision-making, and effective communication. They can work as individuals or teams and thus allow for exploration of human factors and their interaction with their environment.

Simulation based learning can be set up at appropriate times and locations, and repeated as often as necessary. It can be undertaken in-situ with minimal resources, or it can be undertaken in amazingly high technology simulation centres.

Simulation based learning can be customised to suit beginners, intermediates and experts, and adapted on the fly to cater for the learners ability.

Simulation has links to the educational theories of constructivism, experiential learning, Adult Learning (androgogy), social cognitive theory, (Bandura ) human factor education.

Simulation can be seen to support the academic theories surrounding Brain Based Learning (to be discussed in a later article..)

Simulation may - deepen the learning conversation, improve motivation, assist with the Novice to Expert by providing scaffolding and opportunities to develop an understanding from another participants perspective.

Feedback can be given to learners immediately and allow them to understand exactly what went wrong / right and how they can improve. Debriefing tools - video feedback and peer review are all key features of this learning strategy.

Most importantly our learners don't have to wait for a real situation to come up in order to learn. - This has spawned the concept of "stress inoculation training" which will also be discussed in a later article. Stress inoculation training is used widely in EMS and Military based education.
Simulation based curricula have been developed in Nursing education and many traditional EMS education programmes have moved towards a blend of strategies - steadily seeing a removal of the traditional lecture based - force fed type of learning.
Disadvantages
Simulation is not always able to completely re-create real-life situations. And if the fidelity drops for just one second it can be very difficult to get the student back into the moment of suspended belief!
Not all students / situations being created / tested by simulation are suitable for this methodology.
Some Simulators can be very expensive and require constant updates and maintenance.
It takes effort - 'lots of effort' to create meaningful experiences.
Many pieces of simulation equipment (Simulators, Monitors and other props) are reliant upon directly plugged in power sources, and are often not waterproof or easily transported, some are fragile.
Not every situation can be simulated. Most importantly we can only really simulate things that we know...
We cannot use simulation for example to test a new drug - still under trial... Never yet tested on humans - since such a simulation would not be able to predict every side effect to an unknown drug in an unknown patient population. We could of course simulate the delivery and other aspects of drug delivery.
The results and feedback are only as effective as the actual training provided, and the person / persons running the simulation: this is important since often too little emphasis is put onto the personal reflection, and peer review elements of a simulation event.
Our Staff running the simulator need to be trained on how to use the software and/or hardware and this takes up time and costs money. ( Magician and Wand) They need to be clinically competent and able to understand the aspects of technical accuracy in order to feed back.
Gray (2002) suggests that " all simulation is pretend".. And students are never really subjected to the consequences for mistakes which may result in students under performing and not being fully engaged in the training, thus producing inaccurate results.
Some students / participants can be unwilling to learn from their mistakes, whilst other students/ participants can be unwilling to engage, or may-not possess the ability to imagine.
Some students / participants get better at being tested - and some students/ participants learn how to play the 'simulation game' rather than how to treat real patients.
........As an overview - hopefully all of the content above obvious to everybody who runs a simulation...
So lets go a little further with how things are developing in the 21st century
3d printing and new technologies have enabled the development of tissues and bones and the creation of affordable home made manikins and models.. these allow for clinicians themselves to become the ones building the models for simulation...
Some of the most challenging manikins are being built in peoples garages... the recent "wooky" intubation model and emisis system - The so called "Salad" system... are superb examples of how clinicians have made their own manikins - built because the lessons they can create are better than with they can achieve with more traditional tools.
It is becoming socially unacceptable to use human cadevers if other tools are available, and, it is becoming unacceptable to use animal models if other models are available.
We rarely see many of the "unusual" events that we used to see - Healthcare is improving to such in ways that some conditions are now rare - simulation can enable us to practice for the more unusual as well as the every day essentials to clinical practice.
The list of reasons to try and develop our simulation based strategies appears never ending, although the evidence that education via simulation really effects delivery of better care is still unfortunately lacking.
One key thing that many of the Modern Educators have learned is to make the learning event a fun but challenging process
Within the SMACC community we see amazing innovations presented every year - designed to teach the practical lessons essential to clinical practice.
In the next 'foundation of simulation' blog article - we will discuss Virtual and Augmented Realities - reviewing the technologies themselves and why 'headset and goggle based simulation' may have problems for healthcare education.
Sorry....I am heading off to the Middle East to review an amazing simulation facility - so next blog wont be until this time next week...
References
Brooks, N., Moriarty, A., & Welyczko, N. (2010). Implementing simulated practice learning for nursing students. Nursing Standard, 24(20), 41. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.ecu.edu.au/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA219374229&v=2.1&u=cowan&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=46732320b5d0a6aec241ece3377893c9
Gray, W. D. (2002). Simulated Task Environments: The Role of High-Fidelity Simulations,Scaled Worlds, Synthetic Environments,and Laboratory Tasks in Basic and Applied Cognitive Research. Cognitive Science Quarterly, 2, 205-227.
Moorthy, K., Vincent, C., & Darzi, A. (2005). Simulation Based Training. British Medical Journal, 330, 493-494. doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7490.493
Beaubien JM, Baker DP. The use of simulation for training teamwork skills in health care: how low can you go? Qual Saf Health Care. 2004;13: i51

For great Video Resources - follow Dr Tim - http://kidocs.org/talks-vids/
Previous article on paramedic competence - published online http://healthysimulation.com/2858/designing-prehospital-medical-simulation-scenarios/

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Pro's and Cons of Simulation in Healthcare

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The advantages of simulation? Note... As I write this blog I am trying to keep the simulation theories to a high level before we delve into the individual strategies such as In-situ simulation, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality simulation, Mixed Reality simulation, Computer Assisted simulation, and Immersive Interactive education.In the previous blog post we have discussed the main academic arguments surrounding fidelity and suggested that within simulation fidelity is a subjective matter.

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The initial design basis for all training/learning involving any use of a simulation is instructional design. The process does not begin with the technology, although sometimes it is hard to convince clients that the technology to be used is not the beginning point.

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Video games have advantages and disadvantages; The positive side is that they can teach knowledge and improve physical and mental skills. The down side is they can be aggressive and make you spend too much time with them. In this article we explain all the pros and cons.

Today it is difficult to find a house that does not have any other console or computer. Both adults and young people spend several hours a day playing, either through the media named above or by other devices such as mobile or tablets.

Few people have stopped to think about whether everything surrounding the use of video games brings advantages to those who use them, or if on the contrary is only characterized by its disadvantages.

It is difficult to find a general definition of what a video game is, each author who has described it focuses or punctuates some of its characteristics.

According to Wikipedia, we can define a video game as:

"An electronic game in which one or more people interact, through a command, with a device equipped with video images. This electronic device, known generically as a platform, can be a computer, an arcade machine, a console or a portable device as a mobile phone. Video games are, today, one of the main industries of art and entertainment. "

Advantages and Disadvantages of players

Here are a list of 8 advantages and 5 disadvantages of videogames.

Among the advantages for the people who use them we can find:

1- Training and improvement of physical and mental abilities

It has been proven in some studies that if we play video games daily, we can improve our visual attention, be more efficient in changing tasks, be faster in tasks where we have to perform a visual search or discriminate objects by their shape / color.

Also among other benefits, it contributes more effectiveness in the follow-up of multiple objectives (Green and Bavelier, 2003).

Other researchers have conducted training studies corroborating that the practice of video games also improves the execution of divided tasks and mental rotation (De lisi and Wolford, 2003 quoted in Salguero, 2009).

2- It has therapeutic uses

Video games can be used in people who have both physical and mental problems. As for example in people who present problems of mobility in the arms, or that they find it difficult to be related; as is the case of people with autism .

It has also been used in a rehabilitative way in people who present problems of care , among others.

Video games can be a means of learning for people who use it because it is a different context and more playful. They are therefore a good means of motivation for children and young people , as well as for children who have learning difficulties or are even at risk.

Thanks to this means students can be motivated to learn by creating fun feelings (Salguero, 2009).

4. Fosters positive values

The games of consoles and computers also promote values such as solidarity, friendship, cohesion and a sense of belonging to a group. It is important for parents to take advantage of these benefits to improve family relationships (Reyes-Hernández et al. 2012, Reyes-Hernandez, 2014).

5- Use as leisure and entertainment

We need to get distracted so we do not feel stressed in our day to day or just to fight the daily boredom. For this reason, video games are a great means of entertainment because of the large number of realities they present (González, 2010 in Reyes-Hernández et al., 2014).

Since there are a multitude of group games, players have to make decisions and know that they can have consequences, both positive and negative, on the other players in the game. Therefore, it is a means that facilitates the development of empathy (Levine, 2009 Reyes-Hernández et al., 2014).

7- Increase the sense of competence and self-esteem

The use of video games also creates feelings of self-esteem and competition in players game after game. As you overcome the different challenges and levels, you feel better about yourself and able to meet the following objectives.

In team games, players will also develop group work skills as they sometimes have to be united to overcome some challenge.

In addition, it also allows them to develop other abilities such as quick thinking to act satisfactorily in the face of problems presented to them or even work under pressure to avoid losing the game.

Disadvantages of using video games

In addition to the aforementioned advantages, we also find possible disadvantages and negative effects on people who use it:

9- They can create addiction

It is common to hear that there are people who are addicted to video games , however, and despite the studies that have been done about it, to this day cannot prove that playing with video games can create addiction.

Salguero (2009) talks about that some people at a given moment, acquire a pathological fixation by an object or activity. Even so, we have to analyze the person and ask ourselves why he has reached that point.

In addition, we also have to point out that there are activities that are tremendously entertaining and absorbing, so you can spend more time than usual.

10- It increases the aggressiveness of the player and they are violent

Some games are very aggressive and violent. Sometimes, this content is not only limited to physical aggression but also enters ideologies. There is a wide range of research in this regard in which a clear conclusion is not reached as to whether video games create or increase aggressiveness in their players.

Some argue that its effect is short-term (Barlett, Branch, Rodeheffer and Harris, 2009), while others argue that it has a long-term effect on players (Anderson et al., 2008).

11- It has negative effects on socialization

The child who has fun with games that are violent can lead to negative effects in their socialization with other equals, leading to their lack of sense of belonging or social justice (Reyes-Hernández, 2006 in Reyes-Hernández, 2014).

We also know that video games cannot be discussed, which increases the use of violence as a solution.

12- They present a disproportionate image of the woman's body

In many games, sex and sensuality is an important part of the plot or story. It is usually presented to the woman as a sexual object and with bodies disproportionate to the real ones.

This image can make it assimilate in the players that the body of a woman should be that and not another (Abanes, 2008 in Reyes-Hernandez, 2014).

13- It can affect the life of the players

If you do not have control of its use, it can affect our life in a negative way; thus affecting our school performance, the family and our day to day life in general.

Recommendations for parents and educators

Once we have presented the advantages and disadvantages of the use of video games, we need to develop a section of recommendations for parents and educators regarding the use and proper purchase of video games.

It is necessary that we attach importance to the purchase of a video game to our son to the age group to which this game is directed, in addition to the plot and history that presents, with the idea of avoiding the violent ones and choosing those that are going to learning.

As a general rule, we have to implement a usage schedule that does not exceed the daily time. For this, we will have to expose other alternatives to the console such as the sport, the park, etc. If you play the computer, we will also follow these recommendations.

Whenever possible, it is important that we play with them, so we will know the different games that exist and those that they like (Sánchez, Reyes and Hernández, 2000).

If adults also play at home, it is important that children play games that they can enjoy, that is, for the whole family.

Video games are the favorite toy for both children and adults in today's society. In 2009, annual sales rose to $ 1.9 trillion.

On a global scale in the entertainment industry with an estimated $ 690 billion dollars, Americans topped the list of video game users. Followed by the Asia-Pacific region with 432 billion and Europe 14.3 billion (García, 2012).

Of the audiovisual entertainment consumption, the use of video games accounts for 35% of the total, ahead of the cinema box office, video films and recorded music.

If we talk about Spain, in 2009, about 10.5 million Spaniards used video games. Of this figure, 62.5% were men and 37.5% were women. There are more and more players between the ages of 20 and 34 and the presence of this toy has increased in homes.

In the case of computer players, its usual user are young people who like sports games, strategy, adventures and races. While in a console, the profile is for children up to 13 years old who choose one or another video game depending on how fast and the protagonist present (Godoy, 2009).

In this article, we have presented the most well known and common advantages and disadvantages of the use of video games. At present, there are many people who use devices with which they can play and yet few are aware of the disadvantages and negative effects they may have for the people who use it.

It is important that, from home and schools, priority be given to its benefits and positive effects. As it has been proven to positively affect all people who play video games both physically and mentally.

In fact, many teachers have started using video games to teach subjects such as math, language and English in their classes.

Even so, we must remember that both fathers and mothers, have to know the diversity of video games that exist. The end will be to buy the one that best fits the age range of your child, since many times we are not aware of what that game consists of or if it really is the most appropriate.

Finally, note that it is important from home to discuss the most suitable timetables for the use of video games, both for the child and for the adult in order to make good use and maximize its benefits.

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13 Advantages and Disadvantages of Playing Video Games - LORECENTRAL

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Video games have advantages and disadvantages; The positive side is that they can teach knowledge and improve physical and mental skills. The down side is they can be aggressive and make you spend too much time with them. In this article we explain all the pros and cons.

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Thanks to progress, we learn with different tools and games for learning is one of them. This new way of learning makes training more efficient. Games for learning are what eLearning professionals were looking for for many years. In this article, we are going to explore the main reasons of their success.

5 Reasons Games For Learning Make Training More Effective

1. Less Expensive, More Flexible!

Depending on the size of your company, setting up a whole classroom training program can become a bit tricky. Most of the time, learners must cross the world to attend the classroom training. This is forcing them to waste time and energy during travel. Each time, those direct and indirect costs will be supported by the company.

Fortunately, there is progress and digital learning.

You can now create your games for learning by yourself. With these games you can forget all the constraints and costs mentioned previously. You can create several games for learning and export them to you learners. They can do it whenever they want and from where they want!

In terms of investment, you have several solutions:

The third option is the best compromise between cost and efficiency. You can find affordable solutions on the market today to create your games for learning with all the features needed, such as ITyStudio.

2. They Enhance Motivation.

Into "games for learning" there are two important words that may seem contradictory. In fact, if those two words are used correctly together, it will be the perfect match!

Games' notion is important for your learners. This is the reason of why they will be motivated and interested in the training. Everybody likes to play and have fun, even more when you learn skills at the same time. Moreover, your learners will want to win in the training and have the best result they can.

You can also add rewards to your training. This will enhance the motivation even more than a simple game. For example, you can reward your learners with small gifts if they win the training or with a medal system. Even if it is small gifts, it will keep the desire to win for your learners and they will have the impression you care about their training.

3. They Help Setup Engaging Scenarios.

The more important thing in games for learning is to have an engaging scenario. A scenario is a combination of environments and characters that make you learners feel they are in a real universe. They must be familiar with the game's environment to care about their training. The closer to the reality the scenario will be, the more the learners will be engaged into the training.

To set up a familiar scenario and have a customized training, here again serious games authoring tool is a good choice. In an eLearning authoring tool or 3D simulation software such as ITyStudio, you will find a full library of content with many environments and characters that will fit to your company.

4. They Establish Educational Goals.

Educational goals are important ingredients of engaging games for learning. It will be the most important part to allow your learners to earn new skills. When you create games for learning, you must have established your educational structure if you want to set up your training as a professional training and not as simple games. This is the only part you cannot do with a serious games authoring tool. You must know where do you want to lead your learner. What skills do you want them to improve?

Once you have done this analysis part, you have your educational goals. You must always keep in mind those goals during the creation of your serious games design to stay in the good direction. It is on those educational goals that your learners will be evaluated. Into 3D simulation software, it is possible to enter your educational goals to establish the evaluation of your learners.

Your educational goals will be called analysis criteria. From experience, we advise you to use between 3 to 6 analysis criteria. The analysis will be too complex for you and your learners if you are using more than 6 criteria; in contrary, if you are using less than 3 criteria, the analysis will be too poor.

5. They Help Evaluate Your Learners With Many Ways!

One of the main advantages of games for learning compared to classic training is that you can evaluate your learners by different ways. In a classic training, you can evaluate your learners by a quiz at the end of the training, but it is a bit too "scholar" for professionals... especially with new generations!

Thanks to games for learning, several possibilities are offered to you. Of course, you have the possibility to choose a classic quiz to evaluate your learners, with MCQ, open questions, or slider questions. And the main evaluation can be all along the game.

During the game, your learners will be confronted to a virtual situation they can faced during their daily job. They must make choices per what just happened into the scene. The evaluation will be generated from those choices. Each of their choices will have consequences on the next scene, in a real branching scenario approach. Your learners can go from A to B by taking many ways!

At the end of the game, every learner will have there results on each analysis criterion, with customized feedback.

Exporting Your Creation

Once you have finished to create your games for learning and tried them, you must export them. With ITyStudio again, you have multiple choices:

Choose to export as executable files, for more flexible use, to a whole host of devices, including PCs and tablets.

Export your creations in SCORM 1.2 or 2004 format for dissemination to most Learning Management System platforms on the market.

Choose the HTML5 export to read your content on tablets and give flexibility to your learners!

Your content will always be playable from everywhere and at any time!

Ready To Leverage Games For Learning Benefits For Your Learners? Take Action!

In this article, we shared with you the benefits of games for learning for your company and your learners.

If you are interested in this kind of solutions, and you want to create your own games for learning, you should definitely give ITyStudio a try!

This serious game authoring tool contains all the features needed to embrace the advantages listed above. It is easy to use, it is engaging, and you can try it for free!

Ready to go to the next level? Claim your 30-day free trial here!

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5 Advantages Of Using Games For Learning

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Want to know why Games For Learning are the new training means of the future? Check 5 advantages of using Games For Learning.

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It's CONFIDENTLY using your attributes, characteristics, and overall personality to win the affection of the woman you want. You can't have game if you don't know yourself; you can't be confident in what you're ignorant of. Game is playing the cards you're dealt and WINNING; turning your positives into swagger (not 'swag') and your negatives into charm.