Task/Activity
Now it’s your turn! Tell us about a simulation you have used with your class (or could use with your class). In particular:
- provide the URL for the simulation
- explain what age-group your simulation can be used with
- describe the nature of the simulation and
- how you have used it (or could use it) in a classroom
Please use this blog page to make your comments and add to the discussion below using ‘reply‘.
Authored by Deborah Schell
In my Social Justice 12 class, I used the online simulation game called Spent which can be found at the following URL http://playspent.org/. The purpose of the game is for players to understand how difficult it is for families living on or below the poverty line to survive from month to month. The game begins with the explanation that the player has a family to support, but has just lost their home and their job, and are left with a mere $1000.00 in their savings account. The game continues with a series of choices and consequences based on the player’s choices. I found the game to be quite authentic as it simulates a variety of real life experiences that individual’s have to deal with when it comes to making hard decisions about monthly expenses.
As I mentioned above, I used this game in conjunction with a unit on homelessness and poverty – in particular to augment a discussion and presentation by a guest speaker on ‘living wage’.
I would recommend the game be played with highschool students (ages 13+) because although the game is easy to play, to truly understand the consequences of your choices, some level of maturity is required.
Gillian,
What a great simulation…thanks for sharing! You raised a good point about using the simulation in conjunction with a unit on the same topic. When I use business simulations, I do the same thing. It provides students with an opportunity to apply some of the theory they’ve learned in class, and I find it puts it in context for them much better than if they have just read about it.
Deborah
Hi Gillian,
Wow, the Spent game sends a strong message that it can happen to anyone we just don’t think it will be us. You are right that it is easy to play but the topic is a touchy one depending on the situation of the students.
Thanks for sharing,
Bridget
The game has been an eye-opening experience; the consequences are so undesirable yet so real. Not only could this game be used in social justice classes but also business and planning classes as well. This is something that I could or would use in future classes.
Wow Bridget. Thank you for this resource. I will pass it on.
Wow Gillian, this is incredible and so valuable for the students!
Lisa
A simulation I have used with my grade 3’s to grades 6 is Admongo. It can normally be found at http://ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/admongo/ however at the moment it is under maintenance. Admonog was created by the Federal Trade Commission to teach children about advertising. The game is a multi level game geared towards 8 – 12 year olds. It requires students to apply critical thinking skills as they make their way through a series of interactive activities.
In the classroom we do a unit on advertising and being media smart. I have used this for students to explore different types of advertisements, analyze them and reflect on why they need to be smart consumers. Students have found this game to be engaging and motivating. After school during parent teacher interviews you can find students in the lab playing this particular game.
Hi,
Thanks for sharing the link. I’ll be sure to visit when it’s operational again! Your point about critical thinking skills resonated with me. I think that’s one of the best reasons to use a simulation. I find that simulations, if they’re designed properly, result in students using more higher order thinking skills versus rote memorization of facts. Like you, I find that my students can’t seem to get enough of the simulations. I use a Business simulation sponsored by Carleton University that requires students to input information twice a week. In three years of using the simulation, I’ve never had to prompt students to get their inputs in, and most of the time, the students have completed them in advance and are in the simulation plotting their next move.
Deborah
Hi Deborah
I agree that simulations are a very powerful strategy to use with students. They tend to make abstract concepts more concrete for students. Simulations motivate and engage them in their learning. Given the choice between a lecture on a topic or exploration of a topic through a game most students will choose the 2nd option.
Hi Valerie,
I just got the same message as Deborah….under construction. It looks interesting though.
Bridget
Yes unfortunately the site is under maintenance at the moment. Check back though. It is worth checking out.
Pandemic 2 is one of the simulations I have used with my Biology 11 class. While not specifically designed as an educational game it looks at the features and characteristics of a pathogen which contribute to it’s ability to spread and cause problems. While the factors are fairly basic, they do serve as an excellent starting point for getting students to think about disease and epidemiology in a more contextual manner than just me talking or watching a movie.
Different outcomes are possible each time and a degree of chance for features to enhance lead to a number of interesting discussions often in the classroom.
Dave
Dave,
Thanks for sharing the link! One question for you…do you only use the simulation at the beginning of the unit to introduce it, or do you revisit it throughout the unit as students become more knowledgeable about the topic?
Deborah
This was the first year I tried it and did not revisit the simulations/game at the end, but I think it would be a good idea and plan to broaden the scope of how it is used for next year.
As I have taught science in the past we use extensively when completing electricity, physics and chemistry assignments in my juniour high science classes. Students would use the simulations to help produce a lab report and examine what would happen in an experiment without the time and cost of going through the step-by-step process. In addition to the standard set of data students can also observe the “what if?” scenarios where they might max out the manipulated variable to see what happens in extreme cases. This is something that may be unsafe in a science classroom or may prove to be very expensive. There are a number of excellent simulations useful for students in elementary all the way through to university.
Let me try the html code again
The site is http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/new through the University of Colorado
Dennis
Thanks for updating the link.
I accidentally left out “http://” in the anchor tag of the HTML code.
Hi Dave,
You highlighted one of the major advantages of a simulation…the opportunity to see how different scenarios unfold. In my Business class, students pilot different strategies regarding the amount of money to spend on research and development, advertising, research and development and are able to see the impact on their shareholders’ equity. Would you be able to share the name(s) of a simulation you’ve used so we can build our own libraries?
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
This is a very good activity to build a repository of simulation resources – great work on the topic.
In my teaching experience, I use face-to-face simulations for developing and practising effective communication skills for the workplace.
At our university (Ryerson), we are lucky to have a unit called Interpersonal Skills Teaching Centre. This unit hires and trains simulators (trained actors) who play different roles depending on the scenario. For example, one of the simulations I often use in my class is “dealing with a challenging team members’ . My students are adult learners who are taking communications courses to develop interpersonal communication skills. The learners have to work with the simulator and use the communication skills that have been covered in the first 4 weeks of the course (e.g. active listening, effective questioning, empathy, cultural sensitivity). Actors are trained to react based on how the learners are approaching the issue at hand. For example, if the learner is not showing empathy, the simulator gets angry and communication breaks down so the next learner interacting with the simulator has to strategize on the most effective approach to move the communication/conversation to the next step. It’s a “real life” situation that we are all faced with and a great (and challenging) experience for the learner to practice communication skills in an environment where they are provided with advice and coaching by the instructor. Initially learners are anxious at the beginning but they are always grateful for the experience and willing to try to communicate and make their point because the learning experience is so “real”, relevant and valuable.
Leonora
Leonora,
Thanks for the feedback and for sharing your simulation. What a great experience for your students! In some respects it’s even better than a computer simulation because they get the benefit of non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, as well.
Deborah
Simulations are great for soft skills training that is often difficult to learn from a book because soft skills involve emotions and actions of both the actor and the user. Is this simulation with real people? The actors you mentioned that is. I sometimes wonder, could the same effect be achieved with computer simulations.
Sherman
I too have wondered if you can get the same effect with computer simulation. I am not sure you can have the same nuances as in real life, and in a few simulations I have seen the limited choice of responses by the doctor had most of our supervisors and registrars frustrated – as they wouldn’t “have asked (or said) it that way”!!
Having said that I have always been impressed with the negotiation skills learning from the Zapdramatic site . Interestingly they modified their initial offerings after feedback that it was frustrating to just keep trying things – so now they provide hints and offer time for reflections on where the interactions didn’t go so well.
Have a look – it is great fun.
http://www.zapdramatic.com/about.htm
Denise
Hi Sherman,
This simulation is with real people and as you mentioned it’s very valuable because of its emotionality. I think that a lot can be accomplished through computer simulations but not quite sure if it has the same impact as the f2f (at least not yet).
Leonora
We use face to face simulations too – with our GP registrars. The actors are simulated patients – often with challenging problems. The focus is not on making a diagnosis but rather managing issues eg parent who discovers you have prescribed the oral contraceptive to his/her 15 year old daughter, telling a parent their son might have shizophrenia, encouraging behaviour change. It is simulation of “real life” but with the benefits of trying new things in safety and also watching how other people manage cases. The actors also return for a debrief and we can explore what the patient actually thought, heard and felt about the consultation.
Denise
Hi Denise,
You mentioned two key features of f2f simulations – practising skills in a “safe” environment and the feedback element from the actors. Our learners find it always very helpful to have another chance to test what they have learned with the simulators and also hear the feedback from a another party rather than just the teachers/instructors. Needless to say that preparation and training for both learners and simulators is key to running an effective simulation.
Thanks,
Leonora
Great Presentation this week everyone! The videos, surveys and simulations was a great way to get involved in Game Based Learning.
From many of the students at school, Minecraft seems to be a hit simulation game. It is a game that one needs to strategize and place blocks to build literally anything. The trick is to build structures that can withstand the creatures of the night. It is a sim game that could be used for all grade levels and it could weave into many different curricular areas. Minecraft demo: http://youtu.be/MmB9b5njVbA
This year to teach Simple Machines and Building Devices (Grade 4 Science) I tried something new and used Rube Goldberg creations. The students had a lot of fun and many of them were able to successfully create their own Rube Goldberg contraption using simple machines. One site that we used to help get ideas flowing with the process and to get an idea of the Rube Goldberg method was a to create a burglar trap. The students enjoyed the site and the process to try and catch the burglar.
http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/LeversandPulleys/activities/rubegoldbergmachine.html
Thanks again,
Jon
A simulation I’ve used in my Science 10 class can be found at http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/models/run.cgi?WolfSheepPredation.845.540. This game simulates the relationship between predator wolf and prey sheep populations. They simulation allows the user to adjust various factors affecting both the predator and prey such as food availability, initial numbers and reproductive rate. I have my students run the game and make adjustments so that they build a sustainable ecosystem where the population numbers continue to fluctuate in a periodic way with no extinction or population explosions. They can work together in groups on this and need to record the values of at least three situations with significant variation in variables that exhibit sustainability.
Actually a better site for this is at http://www.explorecuriocity.org/Community/ActionProjects/AboriginalMentorshipProgram/Simulations/WolvesSheep.aspx.
Tim
Hi Tim,
Thanks for sharing the link to this simulation! You identified one of the strengths to simulations. In my opinion, the ability to adjust factors and measure the results (in a safe environment) is one of the most powerful aspects of a simulation. Do the students in your class get an opportunity to discuss their findings after the simulation?
Deborah
Deborah:
Yes, we pull the class together after they have recorded the three required situations. Typically the discussion leads to the conclusion that real-life situations/problems often have a multitude of solutions, each of which needs to be weighted as to its value and usefulness given a greater set of conditions. We also discuss the complexity of what seems (on the surface) to be a simple predator prey relationship. We try to determine several more variables that might affect the relationship.
Tim
Unfortunately, the simulation I have used in my classroom is locked from public access as it contains more sensitive information, so I would not be able to share the link here on the blog. Regardless, I will present it here since it is a simulation that I use most often in my classroom. The simulation very specifically target adults who are new to auto insurance. The system is built as mimic of the real system these agents will be working with in their office. Often, it is not an authentic experience as the computer simulation is just a tool. Students expressed that they feel it is the most effective when they partner up with other students and do a role play of customer and insurance agent. Students playing the customer role is sometimes given a scenario / situation card to hint at how they should act.
Although simulation is well received, I have found that after the first few simulations, students want to work alone rather than role play. This, I see, as a sign of progress. The role playing seems to provide a sense of safety that the student is not receiving if they were to be working alone. However, once a comfort level is reached, students generally want to accelerate the process by exploring the simulations on their own.
Sherman
Hi Sherman,
Thanks for sharing the details of the simulation you use. The point you raised about wanting to work with a partner initially is interesting. Do you think it’s due to comfort or that it’s easier to navigate the simulation with someone else to bounce questions off of?
Deborah
My favourite simulation game will always be Cross Country Canada. Easy enough to get into the game but hard enough to challenge even the most reading-resistant players. They all wanted to be that truck driver. Especially after I had the 18 wheeler pull up in the school parking lot with a ‘real life’ truck driving dad! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCVQFzBAu14]
Helen
Thanks for sharing, Helen! I had not heard of that simulation before. It seems like a great way to get students interested in Canadian geography. What subject(s) did you use it with?
Deborah
It was with elementary level students in gr. 4-6. It tied into social studies units on Canada, trading partners, etc.
Free interactive simulations of physical phenomena are on the PhET website. To help students visually comprehend concepts, PhET simulations animate what is invisible to the eye (e.g. molecules in fluids) through the use of graphics and intuitive controls such as click-and-drag manipulation, sliders and radio buttons. The purpose of these simulations is to deepen understanding and appreciation of the physical world.
Even though I don’t teach science, I have used their simulations for fun and can see how these simulations can be applied into a science classroom, but perhaps a science teacher in our cohort could further explain the applications of this site.
Hi Colin:
I have used the PHET simulations in my Science 10 class more for demonstration purposes than for student interaction. I used the motion-man to illustrate the relationship between position, time, velocity and acceleration. I found that the ability for students to see and participate in manipulating variables in the simulation allows them to make connections between actual moving objects and more abstract summaries of movement as described by position/time and velocity/time graphs. Because the variables are easily and rapidly changed this gives time for a wide variety of possible scenarios; something not possible if this was done as a hands-on laboratory activity.
Tim
Hey group,
Confused as why my post is awaiting moderation. I have noticed a few others being put forward after the comment was submitted, is it not a response you were looking for? Im sure it could just be a simple miss. Just want to make sure that people know that i am contributing to the discussions just like the rest of them 🙂
Hi,
I’m not sure why you’re receiving that message. We are certainly looking for contributions : ) Could you please try and submit your post again?
Thanks,
Deborah
I don’t know why either. I tried again and the same message and a third attempt tells my I have duplicate content. Oh well
Thanks for retrying. I’ve asked the technical expert on our team look into it for you. Hopefully we’ll have an answer for you shortly.
Deborah
The moderation issue has been resolved.
Hi all
This site looks very interesting. It encourages students to
use their critical thinking skills to solve issues relating to conservation. It is intended for Junior high and High School students.
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Education/ConservationCentral/challenge/index_broadband.htm
Valerie
Hi Valerie,
Thanks for the link! It looks like a great site. My 17-year old daughter thought it was really neat and she enjoyed the music as well.
Deborah
Hi Valarie,
The link you provided was a good one. Thanks for sharing it! My daughter wh0 is in first form of high school liked it and I will be trying it with my kids when I return to school next week. From the ones I have looked at during this week’s presentation and from further research, though I never included simulation in my lessons, I do think that simulations can be used in a variety of ways to satisfy the needs of the instructional situation.
This approach assists in developing cognitive, effective and interpersonal skills and so too the ability to ask convergent questions. I am certainly looking into adding simulation in my unit plan for the new school term.
~ Shawn
Just a slightly different view – I have been exploring simulation for a while as we use it quite a lot in the medical field.
The definition given at the beginning focuses on computer simulation – a different definition is: “simulation is any person, device or set of conditions that attempts to present problems authentically” (from McGaghie, 1999 in Ker& Bradley, 2007 p. 2). Ker and Bradley, 2007 identify that simulation can be viewed as a continuum from low fidelity to high fidelity (where fidelity is the extent to which the simulation matches the appearance and behaviours of the real system) and also a continuum from low levels to high levels of authenticity.
The advantages of simulation in medicine include patient safety, ability to practice a grreat deal more than with one or two patients, access to practice when real patient contact is low, teamwork practice.
What also comes out of the simulation literature is the importance of an emphasis on debriefing and formative assessment in simulation. And there is evidence that high that low fidelity simulation can be as effective as high fidelity in both transfer of skills to the real setting and to the actual increase in diagnostic and clinical skills. I think we can be seduced by high fidelity simulation!
Bligh and Bleakley, 2006 have a great article that sounds a warning about simulation. They identify dangers with simulation, especially high fidelity simulation, based on Jean Baudrillard’s four levels of simulation. Firstly they argue that simulation can become a hyper-reality where the simulation replaces the real and we forget how to interact with reality (p. 609). Simulation becomes governed by its own internal rules (p. 610). At a higher level there is the possibility that simulation becomes a simulacrum (copy of a copy) where the simulation becomes completely detached from reality and creates its own reality and completely self referential and insulated. Thus learning by simulation can result in some learners simulating learning and being insulated from the messy realities of the workplace. Bligh and Bleakley argue for simulation to be absorbed into a full integration with classroom and workplace settings rather than operating as a “free state” separate from classroom and work.
Denise
References
Bligh, J., Bleakley, A. (2006). Distributing menus to hungry learners: can learning by simulation become simulation of learning? Medical Teacher 28(7), 606-613.
de Giovanni, D., Roberts, T., Norman, G. (2009). Relative effectiveness of high-versus low-fidelity simulation in learning heart sounds. Medical Education, 43, 661–668.
Ker J., Bradley, P. (2007). Simulation in medical education. Association for the Study of Medical Education. ISBN 978-0-904473-47-6.
Hi Denise,
Thank you for your insightful contribution. I agree with your point about integrating the simulation. In our attempts to simulate a real-life situation, I can see how a simulation could be “detached from reality” and become its own microcosm. This must be a delicate balancing act in medical training.
Deborah
Hi All,
I must be the only one who has never done simulations as part of a lesson. I never did but students from different grade level would come to the lab and find them online to use during their form period/free period sessions. Because of this course I have done my reading and research over the week on simulation and have looked at some really cool ones presented by my colleagues and from group 2’s presentation. For starters I will be trying out the simulation Valarie submitted with a group of students come next week.
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Education/ConservationCentral/challenge/index_broadband.htm
I liked the journey I went on as I am an outdoor person and the decisions I had to make following the 4C’s of conservation. It was quite informative about wildlife. This simulation is really a scaled down representation of a real-life situation. It allows participants to practice realistic happenings without expense of risks otherwise involved. This simulation approach has the distinct advantage of promoting decision making, building positive values and attitudes and providing immediate feedback on our actions.
I will be posting the simulations the kids use from K-12 when I return to work next week, hoping it will not be too late.
~Shawn
Hi All,
I stumbled across this article during my readings on simulation…it’s a nice read.
http://www.edutopia.org/simulation-nation
Computer simulations are natural learning tools for a generation of video game players
Or
http://www.edutopia.org/computer-simulations-games-virtual-learning-videoAny
Any thoughts?
~Shawn
Great Presentation this week everyone! The videos, surveys and simulations was a great way to get involved in Game Based Learning.
From many of the students at school, Minecraft seems to be a hit simulation game. It is a game that one needs to strategize and place blocks to build literally anything. The trick is to build structures that can withstand the creatures of the night. It is a sim game that could be used for all grade levels and it could weave into many different curricular areas. Minecraft demo: http://youtu.be/MmB9b5njVbA
This year to teach Simple Machines and Building Devices (Grade 4 Science) I tried something new and used Rube Goldberg creations. The students had a lot of fun and many of them were able to successfully create their own Rube Goldberg contraption using simple machines. One site that we used to help get ideas flowing with the process and to get an idea of the Rube Goldberg method was a to create a burglar trap. The students enjoyed the site and the process to try and catch the burglar.
http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/LeversandPulleys/activities/rubegoldbergmachine.html
Thanks again,
Jon
Hi,
Thanks for sharing the links! I really enjoyed the Rube Goldberg burglar catcher. I can see why your students enjoyed it so much! I couldn’t leave the site until I was able to get the boot to kick the ball through the hole in the wall : ) What a great way to learn about science!
Deborah
Hi all, sorry for being so late to the party. I just wanted to share a site that I use a lot with my mathematics classess which is the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/topic_t_2.html). The site offers a choice of mathematics levels as well as topics. The simulations are good and students seem to be engaged in them fairly quickly. The best part is they are short and to the point, so students don’t get bored with them too quickly and they acheive the end goal of the task.
Kenton
Hello Gaming group,
I checked out “Disney’s Hotshot” business simulation. It’s excellent how they have games for young kids to learn about opening up businesses. It really allows the students to plan out what they would need financially etc, to make their own decisions on running their own company.
Donna