Simulation-Based Learning

Technology is entering educational practice at an increasing pace, even more so in recent years due to the influence of tablet technology and associated Web-based applications. One particular type of technology that is gaining in popularity is computer simulations. Computer simulations are computer programs that have a computational model of a system or a process as their core. The system or process that is modeled normally has a natural world origin and the model that is created is usually a simplification (i.e., reduction and abstraction) of the real-world phenomenon. When learning with simulations, learners interact with the model through an interface that allows them to change values of input variables and observe the effects of these changes on output variables. Simulations for learning are now ...