Learning With Simulations

An instructional simulation consists of a representation of an entity or process and is designed to model real-world objects or phenomena. People learn through simulations by interaction with the modeled system, the process, and the outcome. Two key features of simulations are that they implement a model or models of an observable system, and that they enable manipulation or interaction with the model.

The use of simulation in educational practice may date back to the 16th century. Simulations and their use in education have increased with the advent of computing technology that supports the representation of complex systems during the past 60 years. Instructional simulations have been applied in such diverse fields as health education, military strategies, lean processing, and business marketing.

Simulations and games are two ...