Simulations

General Impressions:

Simulations seem to improve learning by taking advantage of the affordances of the technology- it's more visual in nature, and thus provides a more stimulating environment for learning.

Schank talks about some requirements for creating good simulations and games- Goal-Based Scenario (GBS):  "provides motivation, context, and specific challenges as well as access to information." (Schank, 1996, p. 28)

Information access may be an affordance of the technology, but motivation, context and creating challenges for learners is not.  These are the three things he suggests are key for simulations to be effective.

We must always be mindful that simulations simulate reality- so we must always explain to the learner what the differences are between the simulation and reality- so that proper inferences and knowledge construction is made.

Connotations:  Simulations, at least to me bring up images of pre-Internet, pre-big 3D gaming:  seemed to be at height of popularity in early 90s.  However, war training games- can they be called simulations?  Simulations seem to have limited user-input, and it doesn't necessarily change the course of the simulation like it can in a game.  Games simulate- does that make them simulations?  Are simulations games?  Example:  Microsoft Flight Simulator- what is it?  Are simulations called that because they aim to model reality with high fidelity, where games can break those rules?

If I do a dissertation on an educational game design framework:  Schank (1993) has a start on one for simulations.