Dr. V.K.Maheshwari, M.A (Socio, Phil) B.Sc. M. Ed, Ph.D.
Former Principal, K.L.D.A.V. (P.G) College, Roorkee, India
Since a long time ago, simulation has been used by human and even by animasl to train their young ones for adaptation with their environment .For example At first, chess was assumed as the original form of the war game, later on it developed into more serious and sophisticated military game to train new soldiers. The simulation technique has been applied successfully in the last decade in education .The advantages of the technique has been appreciated all over the world by educationist. The national games council was established in 1961 in USA. The International “simulation and games Association “was formed in Germany in1970. It is the evidence of the importance of simulation technique.
The use of role-plays and simulations within higher education is not a new development. Examples can be found stretching back over fifty years across a variety of disciplines including law, psychology, business and politics . Both methods fall into a larger body of teaching strategies often-labeled ‘active learning techniques’. This form of teaching also includes group discussions, debates, collaborative projects and internships. In essence this can include any method that asks students to help develop and apply their own knowledge (Shaw 2010).
Meaning and Definitions of Simulation technique/ Skill
The word ‘Simulation’ means to imitate exactly. Interest is aroused in the students through, Roe LE-PLAYING, while teaching. This skill is used by teachers and students in the class room by playing some role without any preliminary training i.e. without any rehearsal. This way simulation is a form of Role Playing where in student teachers display this skill spontaneously.
What is defined as a role-play and/or a simulation is not immediately clear from the teaching literature. For the terms are often used interchangeably or confused with similar methods such as ‘games’ and ‘gaming’ (Shaw 2010). However, there seems to be a convergence on the correct terminology. As Krain and Shadle (2006) have suggested simulations are best considered as those cases in which students are placed ‘within a reasonable representation of a real environment within which political or social interactions occur”.
Simulation in teaching has recently entered the field of education. It is used at different level of instruction. The teacher is trained practically and also imparted theoretical learning. The student teacher needs to be trained in simulated situations before sending him to schools for practice teaching. In this way he will be able to teach in good manner.
Alternatively role-play exercises typically provide fewer set instructions regarding the roles the students are asked to play, and instead students are asked to determine how they would respond in a certain context (Shaw 2010). In this sense the student should “inhabit the issue (making it more real and immediate) and think beyond their own perspectives” . Both role-plays and simulations can take place in either the classroom or within an online/virtual environment. Games are something different, a context with clearly defined rules regarding how players can win the exercise .
Simulation refers to the imitation of real-world activities and processes in a safe environment. Simulations aim to provide an experience as close to the ‘real thing’ as possible; however, a simulated activity has the advantage of allowing learners to ‘reset’ the scenario and try alternative strategies and approaches. This allows learners to develop experience of specific situations by applying their wider learning and knowledge.
The approach is frequently used in disciplines where students need to develop skills and experience but safety issues or cost considerations prevent this happening in the real-world.
Simulations are instructional scenarios where the learner is placed in a “world” defined by the teacher. They represent a reality within which students interact. The teacher controls the parameters of this “world” and uses it to achieve the desired instructional results. Students experience the reality of the scenario and gather meaning from it. A simulation is a form of experiential learning. It is a strategy that fits well with the principles of constructivist learning and teaching.
Simulations take a number of forms. They may contain elements of:
- a game
- a role-play, or
- an activity that acts as a metaphor.
Simulations are characterized by their non-linear nature and by then controlled ambiguity within which students must make decisions. The inventiveness and commitment of the participants usually determines the success of a simulation.
Definition of Simulation method
Simulation is an old word with a new application. For a time it meant “deception” or “misrepresentation”, or more bluntly, lying. It now applies to a variety of technical (or pseudo-technical) activities in which models of, or analogs to, real situations are created for the purpose of testing or teaching, and is based on the philosophy of “let’s try it out and see what happens”
Simulation and Gaming refers to a series of instructional designs that use elements from simulation and gaming. Simulation and Gaming can be done with board games, computer assisted board games, or fully computerized environments.
According to Fink, “Simulation is the controlled representation of reality”.
According to Tansey. “Simulation is in the all-inclusive term which contains those activities which produce artificial environment for the partcipants in the activity. It is reproduction of reality”.
According to Hall (2011), “”Total enterprise” simulations or management or business games.
The Simulation & Gaming journal defines Simulation/gaming in its broadest meaning, “to encompass such areas as simulation, computerized simulation, internet simulation, gaming, simulation/gaming, serious games, educational games, training games, e-games, internet games, video games, policy exercises, day-in-the-life simulations, planning exercises, debriefing, analytic discussion, post-experience analysis, modeling, virtual reality, game theory, role-play, role-playing, play, active learning, experiential learning, learning from experience, toys, augmented reality, playthings, structured exercises, education games, alternative purpose games, edutainment, digital game-based learning, immersive learning, brain games, social impact games, games for change, games for good, synthetic learning environments, synthetic task environments.” D Schneider believes that Role Play Simulations belong to the same category
According to Dumlekar (2004) “ A simulation is a replica of reality. As a training program, it enables adult participants to learn through interactive experiences. Simulations contain elements of experiential learning and adult learning [...] Simulations would therefore be useful to learn about complex situations (where data is incomplete, unreliable or unavailable), where the problems are unfamiliar, and where the cost of errors in making decisions is likely to be high. Therefore, simulations offer many benefits. They accelerate and compress time to offer a foresight of a hazy future. They are experimental, experiential, and rigorous. They promote creativity amongst the participants, who develop a shared view of their learning and behaviors. Above all, making decisions have no real-life cost implications.”.
Characteristics of Simulation Teaching
Simulated experience is a naturally occurring activity in children in all cultures. Left to themselves, children spontaneously simulate (or pretend) aspects of their present or future life experience.
As a tool in training, simulation has four principal characteristics:
1. It starts with an analogous situation.- The first characteristic, that of analogous circumstances, provides a setting in which a learner can function. This setting is equivalent to the assumptions in a scientific investigation; the “given” in a mathematical model; the equipment and the rules in a game; the definition of conflict and personal characteristics in role playing; and the independent variable in an experiment. In education for decision making it represents the “real” environment in which the learner is to function, and is assumed to have enough of the characteristics of the real environment to provide practice in meeting contingencies which could occur in the learner’s life.
2. It provides for low risk input.- The second characteristic of simulation in training is the provision for tentative or low risk input. The learner can make a response without irrevocable commitment and without destroying the circumstances which are the basis of the simulation exercise. This allows the student to make disastrous mistakes, to “live another day”, and to test alternative actions.
3. It feeds back consequences symbolically. Low risk input leads to the third characteristic of simulation as discussed here: symbolic consequences. The simulation system informs the learner what would have happened had he responded in the simulated situation.
4. It is replicable-.It delivers a message without modifying the physical or psychological learning climate.
With low risk response and symbolic consequence, the whole simulation exercise is replicable. Replicability provides an opportunity for iterative procedures in arriving at best solutions.
5. Implies teaching aid for learner.- Simulated teaching implies an analysis of teaching act and of the teaching situation from the point of view of the learner.
6. Different Disciplines have Different Simulations.- Every discipline treats the conceptual structure of the simulation differently. To economists, the conceptual structure is typically mathematical. To sociologists, the conceptual structure is typically sets of social interactions. To political scientists, the conceptual structure is often institutional.
7.-Simulations Vary in Style and Complexity.- Simulations may use computer programs that require only a portion of a single class period .Simulations range from attempts to duplicate complex social processes, such as a legislature, to very simple social interactions, such as making eye contact. These simulations may be conducted with computers, pencil-and-paper, or physical models of some natural phenomenon. Some work only with small classes. Some work with all class sizes.
8.-Deep Learning.- Instructional simulations have the potential to engage students in “deep learning” that empowers understanding as opposed to “surface learning” that requires only memorization.
9-. Awareness of the unique circumstances .- In a simulation, guided by a set of parameters, students undertake to solve problems, adapt to issues arising from their scenario and gain an awareness of the unique circumstances that exist within the confines of the simulation.
Objectives of Simulation method
1- To modify Teacher behavior by the use of feedback devices.
2- To modify social-communication skills of teacher behavior which are essential for effective teaching.
3- To develop psychological appreciation of the class room problems
4- To develop in the student-teacher a basis for handling the problem in the class.
5- To develop Teacher behavior taxonomy by using simulated teaching technique.
Arts of Simulation in teaching
Simulation on techniques for all their artificiality can often be preferable to putting students in classroom to learn their own or lecturing them in classroom. This is eminently sensible. Simulation removes the risk from the first steps of a new type and enable him to come to terms with demands of a complex skill learning without the stress of the real situation. At the same time it is to be preferred to merely ‘telling’ the student teachers how to teach when he find himself actually in the school.
Simulation in teaching plays a great role, instead of telling the student-teacher ‘does and don’ts ‘he should be put to simulation so that he could prove to be a successful teacher
Following are the arts of simulation in teaching:
- Bodily expression
- Development of all aspects
- Development of expression
- Emotional organization
- Mimic
- Solo-acting
The Benefits of Simulation Method
Much of the early literature centered upon these more active methods of teaching, in particular simulations, was generally focused upon preaching the benefits of this method.
Create an environment where the onus is on the teacher to teach and the student to listen,
For it was suggested that simulations offered a means through which students could engage with complex social processes in a manner not encouraged by merely reading books or listening to lecturers (Shellman 2001: 827). Thus rather than create an environment where the onus is on the teacher to teach and the student to listen, role-plays/simulations force students to apply themselves to a particular situation.
More active method
It difficult for students to become passive during the simulation. Students must submit timely input and not rely on classmates to play for them. This more active method is believed to be better than more passive methods at developing deep learning, and facilitating the development of more innovative and creative thinkers.
Create complex, dynamic processes in the classroom,
For as Smith and Boyer (1996: 690) have suggested, ‘Simulations have the power to recreate complex, dynamic processes in the classroom, allowing students to examine the motivations, behavioral constraints, resources and interactions among institutional actors”.
Fully immersed within real decision-making processes
In this sense it is argued that students can become fully immersed within real decision-making processes, allowing the content of the course to become more relevant as the applicability of certain ideas and concepts become apparent. This deeper immersion is meant to bring about a deeper understanding. Moreover when students become engaged within simulations based upon real world situations, they become immersed in practical examples of abstract theoretical constructs.
Develop Cognitive and Conative powers
Building on this notion a number of scholars have suggested that this form of teaching improves both knowledge retention and long-term student learning. For by engaging students on a more emotional level, this form of teaching creates more enduring and easily recalled memories.
Promote the use of critical and evaluative thinking. Because they are ambiguous or open-ended, they encourage students to contemplate the implications of a scenario. The situation feels real and thus leads to more engaging interaction by learners.
Student Engagement
The second broad group of benefits ascribed to simulations within the literature relates to positive effect that the method produces in terms of student engagement. For the more enjoyable and practical nature of roleplays lead many to suggest that simulations generate greater student participation and satisfaction than the lecture-seminar format (Henley 1993).
Increased class participation
Moreover in addition to increased class participation, it has also been suggested that simulations lead a greater participation in the wider learning process, through shared reflection and discussion amongst students outside of the classroom.
Promote better relations between the student and the teacher
Simulations can also promote better relations between the student and the teacher. By creating a more open, relaxed and collegial atmosphere in the classroom, the increased interactions improve student satisfaction with the teacher. This effect might also be the result of additional benefits that might occur for the instructor.
Foster an exciting, energetic and engaged teaching environment
For simulations can foster an exciting, energetic and engaged teaching environment. This is particularly welcome in classes that are being taught repeatedly and thus have the potential to turn stale without some more exciting and original elements.
Students in a class that used simulations learned a set of concepts in less time
Provide sufficient time for students to reflect on and discuss what they learned from the simulation. There are evidences that students in a class that used simulations learned a set of concepts in less time that students in a traditional, lecture based class. Shute & Glaser (1989).The findings also suggest that upper-division courses that structure the curriculum in terms of scientific inquiry are tailor made for instructional simulations.
Providing a mechanism for quick feedback
Finally from the instructors perspective the benefits of simulations in terms of providing a mechanism through which quick feedback can be provided to the students and in turn gain a feel as to how students are progressing.
Good increase in student participation
It is observed that there is a fairly good increase in student participation, motivation and preparation for simulation exercises. Using measures such as attendance, amount of reading completed, time spent preparing, and desire to continue the specific area of studies, the scholars noted big increases relative to traditional methods of teaching.
Transferable Skills Development
The final broad area of support for simulation based teaching relates to a specific skill set developed through this method that are not generally well cultivated through more traditional methods. For example professions such as law, social work, planning, politics and health care each use some form of simulation to develop, practice and test students ability to apply communicate, argue and negotiate with others in a manner that applies theoretical ideas in a practical sense. In this sense the skills developed are highly transferable, as to communicate and negotiate effectively with others are core life skills.
Promote concept attainment through experiential practice. They help students understand the nuances of a concept. Students often find them more deeply engaging than other activities, as they experience the activity first-hand, rather than hearing about it or seeing it.
Develops more practical skills,
In addition to developing more practical skills, it has also been suggested that simulations can more efficiently redefine attitudes and perceptions of participants. This form of learning is better equipped to foster empathy of others’ positions and thus impact some form of change in actors perceptions of others.
Integrate the course goals
Integrate the course goals into the post-simulation discussion. Simulation helped them understand the course goals or how it may have made the goals more confusing.
When Simulation Is Not Appropriate
When the problem can be solved by common sense.
When the problem can be solved analytically.
If it is easier to perform direct experiments
. If cost exceed savings.
If resource or time are not available. If system behavior is too complex.
Like human behavior.
Procedural Mechanism of Simulated Teaching
Prior to sending the pupil-teachers to the real classrooms, they must be trained in the artificial environment by simulated teaching technique
Pre requisites forTeaching with Simulations
Effectiveness instructional simulations require:
- Teacher preparation.
- Active student participation
- Post-simulation discussion.
Teacher preparation. The instructional simulations can be very effective in stimulating student understanding. This require intensive lesson preparation.
The instructional simulations can be very effective in stimulating student understanding. The simulations require intensive pre-simulation lesson preparation. Lesson preparation varies with the type and complexity of the simulation. However, most expert users argue that teaching simulation work best when:
- Teacher have a clear written statement in the course syllabus about the goals of the simulation and an explanation of how the simulation is tied to the course goals.
- Teacher read ALL the supporting material for the simulation.
- Teacher do a trial run of the simulation before assigning the simulation to students, when possible.
- Teacher make sure that specific facilities support the simulation when these facilities are needed.
- Teacher integrate instructional simulations with other pedagogies such as Cooperative Learning or Interactive Lecture Demonstration.
Active student participation. The learning effectiveness of instructional simulation rests on actively engaging students in problem solving.
Students learn through instructional simulations when they are actively engaged.
- Students should predict and explain the outcome they expect the simulation to generate.
- Every effort should be made to make it difficult for students to become passive during the simulation. Students must submit timely input and not rely on classmates to play for them.
- Teacher should anticipate ways the simulation can go wrong and include this in their pre-simulation discussion with the class.
Post-simulation discussion. Students need sufficient time to reflect on the simulation results.
Post-simulation discussion with students leads to deeper learning. The teacher should:
- Provide sufficient time for students to reflect on and discuss what they learned from the simulation.
- Integrate the course goals into the post-simulation discussion.
- Ask students explicitly asked how the simulation helped them understand the course goals or how it may have made the goals more confusing.
Procedural Steps of Simulated Teaching-
The procedure or steps of this technique are as follows:
1. Assignment of Roles:
The first step of this technique is the assignment of roles to the pupil-teachers. All the pupil-teachers have to play all the roles. All the pupils play the roles of teacher, pupil and the supervisor.
2. Selection of Social Skills for Practice:
After assigning the roles in the first step, some specific social skills are selected and discussed. The topics related to these skills are practiced. For practice, those topics are selected in selected social skills “fit”.
3. Preparation of Work Schedule:
After this, it is decided that who should initiate the simulated teaching. When it should be summed up? Who will sum it up? Who will interrupt? etc. hence, such work schedule is decided before-hand.
4. Determination of Observation Technique:
In this step, decision regarding the observation technique is taken. It also includes the types of data to be recorded and their way of interpretation. Hence, this step is related to the procedure of evaluation.
5. Organization of First Practice Session:
After all the preparations, the first practice session is organized and the feedback is provided to all the participant pupil-teachers regarding their teaching work. If the need is felt, some changes can be made for second session. The data regarding the first practice session is recorded so that the evaluation of the teaching behavior can be conducted on the basis of that recorded data. Hence, the sessions go on and everyone gets his turn.
6. Altering the Procedure:
After the first session, necessary changes are made in the procedure. In this, topics are changed. Also, the pupil-teacher, observer and the teaching skills are altered. Hence, in this altered procedure too everyone plays the role of a teacher and all the pupil teachers get a chance to practice. Hence, this cycle goes on till the pupil-teacher is trained.
Principles to achieve effective Simulation based teaching
Resources and time are required to develop a quality learning experience with simulations. Assessment of student learning through simulation is often more complex than with other methods.
Simulated experiences are more realistic than some other techniques and they can be so engaging and absorbing that students forget the educational purpose of the exercise.
If the simulation has an element of competition, it is important to remind the students that the goal is not to win, but to acquire knowledge and understanding.
However, similar principles apply to all simulations.
1) Prepare in advance as much as possible
- Develop a student guide and put the rules in writing. Ensure that students understand the procedures before beginning. Frustration can arise when too many uncertainties exist
- Some simulations are fast-paced, and the sense of reality is best maintained with ready responses. Try to anticipate questions before they are asked.
- Many simulations have more than one instructional goal. Developing evaluation criteria, and ensure that students are aware of the specific outcomes expected of them in advance. Know what you want to accomplish.
2) Monitor the process closely
Teachers must monitor the simulation process to ensure that students both understand the process and benefit from it :
- Are problem-solving techniques in evidence?
- Are the desired instructional outcomes well defined?
- Does the research being generated match the nature of the problem?
- Does the student demonstrate an understanding of his/her role?
- Does the student provide meaningful answers to probing questions?
- Does this simulation offer an appropriate measure of realism for my group of students?
- Has the student been able to resolve the issue satisfactorily?
- Is cooperation between participants in evidence?
- Is the level of ambiguity manageable for this group?
- Will follow-up activities be necessary?
3) Consider what to evaluate
It is best to use simulations as part of the process of learning rather than as a summative measure of it. Use follow-up activities to establish a measure of comprehension and as a de-briefing mechanism when students return to reality.
Suggestions of Successful Simulations
One of the most satisfying experiences in training or education, no matter what the subject, is the so-called “Aha!” moment, that instant when sudden, spontaneous insight cuts through the tangle of loose ends in a learner’s mind to reveal a memorable truth.
Simulations are the most likely teaching method to create those “Aha!” moments. Simulations, however, are widely misunderstood. Here are few suggestion for creating successful training simulations.
1. Don’t Confuse Replication with Simulation
The temptation in designing a simulation is to make a small scale replica of some full-blown reality. It seems logical that the closer the simulation comes to reality, the more valid and memorable the experience will be.
2. Choose the Right Subject to Simulate
Some subjects lend themselves better to simulation training than others. A topic is more apt to be suitable for simulation if it embodies at least one of the following characteristics:
- Developing systems thinking.
- Performing tasks simultaneously.
- Performing under pressure.
- Recognizing cognitive dissonance.
- Seeing the world through other people’s eyes.
3. Develop a Design Plan
In preparing to design a simulation, you must make two key planning decisions. First, will you design it alone or use a design team? Second, will you employ a structured creative process .
Whether you go it alone or put together a team, you need to fill the following roles:
- Principal designer, who has firsthand knowledge of training simulations and, for a team, the commitment to lead.
- Subject matter expert, who has a thorough understanding of the subject to be simulated;
- Administrator, who sets and maintains the design schedule, oversees acquisition .
- Representative, who provides a reality check as the project develops (in an oversight capacity only).
4. Avoid premature closure of ideas. Don’t stop searching for ideas after the first workable one appears. Often the best idea comes second, third…or 10th. Think of ideas as stepping stones to other ideas rather than as destinations in themselves.
5. Get outside a problem and look at it from different angles. Try approaching a problem in a teaching simulation from the point of view of a student.
6. Give your subconscious a chance to work on the problem. The solution to an especially intransigent problem will often pop into your head when you least expect it-on the freeway.
The guaranteed responsibility avoiders:
Pretending. If the rules even imply that trainees should “pretend” to be someone or do something. Design all “roles” in a simulation so that trainees must be themselves.
Using competition for its own sake. Employing competition between trainees to increase interest in a simulation can, and often does, backfire. Trainees can then justify all kinds of inappropriate behavior in their quest to win. If competition is not a factor in the real-world situation you are simulating, leave it out. If the simulation of a competitive situation is designed well, the inherent competitiveness of most participants will create enough competition to motivate energetic participation.
Giving inappropriate importance to chance. Limit chance to events that actually occur randomly in the real world.There are other common mistakes designers often make when they first begin designing a simulation. Being aware of them can help you avoid them.
Emphasizing fun at the sacrifice of learning. Many people use the words, simulation, simulation games, and games interchangeably .The word ”game” evokes feelings and expectations that make it difficult to design effective simulations.
As soon as you say “game”, many people think of winning and competing to win. Many simulations do involve competition, but not always. it is important to manage the competitive elements of the simulation so the competition doesn’t overwhelm the learnings.
Games often create an expectation of fun and frivolity.Most of the time it is also fun to participate in a simulation, but not always.. When having fun is one of the criteria used by designers to create a simulation, it greatly limits the design options.
Dumbing down the experience. I believe shorter simulations are better than longer; simpler is better than complicated; learning something is better than learning nothing; capturing the essence is better than replicating every detail . If we remove the difficult parts from the simulation, we risk missing an opportunity to teach extremely important ideas, concepts and values.
Use Symbols and Metaphors to Deal with Emotionally Charged Ideas
Occasionally a simulation focuses on an emotionally charged issue that threatens to overpower the learning experience.
Don’t Play Games with Trainees
No matter how clever it seem to designers at the time of creation, they undermine the authority and effectiveness of the simulation by signaling trainees not to take it seriously.
Develop an Appropriate Performance Assessment Model
Because of a perceived superiority of mathematics-based scoring systems in training, simulation designers often attempt to develop quantitative models for assessing trainee performance. By “qualitative,” means simulations that teach human-centered subjects like ethics or teamwork or cultural diversity. Also, trainees often figure out quantitative models and skew the results.
Alpha Test Your Simulation in Low-Risk Circumstances
Both alpha and beta testing are critical to the development of even simple simulations, but confusing them can be disastrous. A beta test is a real test-a shakedown-of an anticipated final product, always occurring after the design is at least provisionally set. Alpha testing often happens so early in the design process that it might more properly be termed a design technique.
Merits of Simulation in comparison of other teaching methods
Simulation as a method of instruction can be assessed along two dimensions in comparison with other instructional methods, and with direct experience. Arguments favoring simulation follow.
A. Merits of simulation over direct experience fall into three general categories:
(1) Cost: Simulation can provide experience in a low cost model of a high cost environment.
(2) Time Control: Simulation can provide short time experience and feedback in long time processes. Simulation allows practice in decision making in a timeless environment.
(3) Experimentation: Simulation can provide a field for practice in hypothesis formulation, testing, and modification. Successive strategies in problem solving can be tried on an “unaltered” base situation.
(4) Rehearsing responses in a structured environment: Teacher trainees can practice responses to filmed classroom situations; students can practice test taking. Simulation can provide systematic exercises in inquiry training. Both teachers and students can create designs for sharing experience with others.
B. Merits of simulation over lecture-reading methods include:
(1) Simulation can provide experience in a wider range of educational objectives: affective as well as cognitive; process as well as content oriented; evaluation by self and system criteria as well as by the instructor; and an elaborated concept of cause and effect.
(2) With simulation there may be greater transfer from the training situation to the life situation.
(3) Simulation provides a responsive environment which may give learners a sense of immediacy and involvement.
Advantages of Simulation Teaching
- Simulation allows trainees to purposely undertake high-risk activities or procedural tasks within a safe environment without dangerous implications. Learners don’t have to wait for a real situation to come up in order to learn.
- Simulation can improve trainees’ 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.
- Simulation offers trainee participation. 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. Many games enable players to embody different characters thus helping to breed attitudes of tolerance and understanding.
- Simulation provide a safe artificial environment within which learners with low self-esteem may feel more inclined to explore, investigate and express themselves. Simulated learning can be set up at appropriate times and locations, and repeated as often as necessary.
- Simulation learning can be customized to suite beginners, intermediates and experts to hone their skills as to speak .Feedback can be given to learners immediately and allow them to understand exactly what went wrong and how they can improve.
- Simulation is best suited to analyze complex and large practical problems when it is not possible to solve them through a mathematical method.
- Simulation is flexible, hence changes in the system variables can be made to select the best solution among the various alternatives .In simulation, the experiments are carried out with the model without disturbing the system.
- Simulation provides a valuable link between activities within the classroom and life outside school. Such a connection will help to make students to have better understanding to see the world in different perspective.
- Simulation help teacher to connect the teaching material to the student’s real world and encourage the students to make a relation between the knowledge that they have already had with the application in their life as a member of society.
- It is similar to the real life experience; the problems that students will be found in the real life can be stimulated. So, the students try to solve the problem and make a decision from among alternatives to achieve a particular object.
- Simulation can be used to teach content that it is very difficult to teach in the classroom. Simulation offers different technique from the others it can deliver all kind of issues which cannot be limited by time perspectives.
- The power of simulations is to transpose the normal classroom into an authentic setting where skills can be evaluated under more realistic conditions. It prepares students to be able to face the complexity in the real world .
- Simulation is engaging and motivating approach to students. It gets them involved and holds their attention longer. Children usually learn and retain more knowledge using role play.
- Students actually engage in the learning process rather than passive receiver of knowledge. Children learn the most from play when they have skilled teachers who are well-trained in understanding how play contributes to learning.
Disadvantages of Simulation Method
- Simulation does not generate optimal solutions. No real consequences for mistakes may result in students under performing and not being fully engaged in the training, thus producing inaccurate result.
- It may take a long time to develop a good simulation model. To simulate something a thorough understanding is needed and an awareness of all the factors involved, without this a simulation cannot be created.
- In certain cases simulation models can be very expensive. Simulators can be very expensive and require constant updates and maintenance.
- The decision-maker must provide all information about the constraints and conditions for examination, as simulation does not give the answers by itself.
- Simulation is not always able to completely re-create real-life situations .So not every situation can be included.
- The results and feedback are only as effective as the actual training provided.
- Staff need to be trained on how to use the software and/or hardware and this takes up time and costs money.
- The results of the simulation may not be readily available after the simulation has started — an event that may occur instantaneously in the real world may actually take hours to mimic in a simulated environment..
- While this technique can dramatically reduce the simulation time, it may also give its users a false sense of security regarding the accuracy of the simulation results.
- If the level of abstraction is too high, then it may be impossible to actually build the device physically due to the lack of sufficiently detailed information within the design.
Conclusion
Empirical research has shown that simulated teaching could be one of the most powerful tools in preparing college education students for a solid field teaching experience. With the right function and mechanics, this pedagogy can equip students with the necessary teaching skills, aptitudes and competencies majority of the respondents strongly believed they should be exposed to teaching prior to practicum and agreed that early training could develop their competence in teaching. They showed a highly positive attitude towards simulated teaching as an effective way to acquire and apply both content and skills in teaching and learning. it may be concluded that when simulated teaching functions under conditions such as clear goals, guidelines, proper mentoring and guidance from teachers, students are then able to unlock and develop their potentials and prepare for every issue they will face in their practicum stage. The study further confirms a long-held principle that prolonged practice builds expertise.