Week 11: Simulations or Simulation-Games in the Classroom

From: http://blog.core-ed.net/derek/2007/03/simulation_games_for_the_class.html
By: Derek Wenmoth
"There are five excellent activities listed on the WV simulation games page - I’ve registered and had a dabble with Eliminate - Child labour (experiencing life as a social worker with the goal to eliminate child labour in a community) , and with Frontline (Set in a conflict zone, teams face decisions that save lives and assist those impacted by conflict.)

I’m really impressed with the quality of these activities - both in terms of the way the activities themselves are devised and structured, and in terms of the interface. There’s quite a bit of reading involved - but hey, in a classroom group situation that becomes part of the activitiy, reading together to decode the instructions etc. Those looking for a Play Station or X-Box experience will be disappointed - but let them. These simulations are engaging in different ways. They’re especially useful for developing critical thinking, and exploring ideas and concepts at a deeper level than a superficial read of a magazine or text book article - especially when engaged in as a part of a classroom group activity. Like all good simulations - they’re intended to teach not through the imparting of lots of information, but through the understandings developed through the process of participation, problem solving and decision making."

I really like how the author of this blog and topic utilized various examples of different simulation infrastructures to show how they can be used in the classroom. They delved deeper than surface simulation programs and looked into the myriad of possibilities that can come along with using these systems. It is nice to see someone who is looking at something beyond video-gaming systems, which is what students are used to. The systems described go much deeper and allow the student to experience a higher level of thinking so that they can develop those critical skills necessary to reach their ultimate goal.