simulations

In their book Simulation in the Classroom (Penguin, 1972), John Taylor and Rex Walford argued that an educational simulation has three main components:
 * Computer simulations can represent real or imaginary situations. They allow users to study or try things that would be difficult or impossible to do in real life.**
 * Simulations are particularly useful when a real-life process: **
 * is too dangerous,
 * takes to long,
 * is too quick to study,
 * is too expensive to create.

(1) Students take roles which are representative of the real world and involve them making decisions in response to their assessment of the situation that they have been placed in.

(2) Students experience simulated consequences which relate to their decisions and their general performance in the simulation.

(3) Students monitor the results of their actions and are encouraged to reflect upon the relationship between their own decisions and the resulting consequences of their actions.

An essential part of a simulation involves the student playing a role of a character in the past. One of the major objectives of the creator of the simulation is to help the student understand the situation of that person. In other words, helping the student develop a sense of empathy.

In his book, The Process of Education (1960), Jerome Bruner argues that simulations encourage active learning. However, Bruner prefers some simulations to others. He argues that the “value of any piece of learning over and above the enjoyment it gives is that it should be relevant to us in the future”. Other arguments in favour of simulations include:

(i) They are usually problem-based and are therefore helpful in the development of long-term learning.

(ii) The normally involve the use of social skills which are directly relevant to the world outside the classroom.

(iii) Simulations deal with situations that change and therefore demand flexibility in thinking. Children should use simulations to make and explore predictions and to identify patterns and relationships. Questions to think about when using a simulation program: **Web based Simulations** Children should be encouraged to keep accurate notes during their use of the simulation so that they can discover any patterns and make predictions. It has been found that the children who keep the best notes always progress through the levels successfully (not necessarily the higher achievers!)
 * Learning from Simulations **
 * Was the simulation program realistic?
 * Does the simulation represent a real life or fantasy situation?
 * How realistic is it?
 * Did the same things always happen - was there a pattern?
 * What are the variables, can you think of any others which might make the simulation more accurate?
 * Was there more than one solution to the problem?
 * What were the good points/bad points?
 * What did you find out?

**A variety of 3D simulations** [|www.forgefx.com/demos.htm] Duck Builder Game - Can you build a duck to fly over the canyon or will he soar into space or flop to the ground? Build your duck, change its body, wing, leg and beak size before launching it off a cliff to see if it can reach its destination. Requires a free file to be downloaded. To begin, they create four ducks with every feature set to 0, except for the flap speed which is either a low or middle-range number. Once each has been made and the effects of each set of designs observed (with a low speed making it fly down and a speed of about 25 making it fly across), the children can then predict what value the flap speed needs to be for the duck to fly up and then go on to test it by creating another, fifth, duck. Next, they create a new set of four ducks to this time examine how the wing length affects the duck’s ability to fly. Again, each duck only differs with its front and back settings (which both have to be identical in any duck for it to fly). The ducks they make either fly up or down and so once more they can then attempt to predict and test what length the wings need to be for it fly straight across (hopefully noticing that since it flew down with a length of 23 and up with a length of 27, that the desired length needs to be between 24 and 26). In both these investigations, children are learning how to:
 * Simulations suitable for Year 3 ICT unit **

Plant Force You work for a plant development company and and have to try and find out the optimum conditions for its growth. Which is the cheapest option? BBC virtual garden planner. Allows you to plan a garden then view it in '3D' Parachute Man Simulation Help the parachutist land safely. Good link for Science work on Forces. Roller Coaster Designer - Design your own roller-coaster. Good link for Science work on Forces. Food Chain Simulation [|Morphases] - Changing Faces Discovery Channel Space Walk Simulation A space walk to fix cables on the space shuttle. Design your own Satellite Interpreting a line graph Pontifex. Bridge building simulation. Highly sophisticated simulation where you build a bridge then see if it will take a train without going for a swim! City Creator Build towns and cities. It is similar to some of the old MyWorld screens and SIM City. Dumptown A recycling simulation
 * systematically gather and record results;
 * only change the feature of the duck being investigated whilst keeping the other variables the same (constant);
 * identify patterns in their results;
 * make and test predictions using ICT.
 * Science Simulations online **
 * Design and Technology Simulations online **
 * Geography Simulations online **

**And here's one for teachers!** Virtual School - (What more could we ask for?) @http://devvirtualschool.ncsl.org.uk/