1. DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS
SSI 3013
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN SCIENCE
SEMESTER 1 2012/2013
STELLA: SIMULATION IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
NO STUDENT’S NAME MATRIC NUMBER
1. VIVIANA VELENTHIA MICHEAL D201010XXXXX
LECTURER’S NAME
AZMI IBRAHIM
DATE OF SUBMISSION: 3 DECEMBER 2012

2. CONTENT PAGE
1.0 Introduction 1
2.0 Simulation in education 2
2.1 STELLA software and example of its usage in teaching and learning 3
2.1.1 The Pendulum Experiment 3
3.0 The Benefit of using simulation in teaching and learning 5
3.1 Motivate the students 5
3.1.1 Allow experiment exploration 5
3.1.2 Provide risk free environment 6
3.2 Allow students to analyze data and predict future outcome 7
3.3 Students can practice problem solving skills 7
4.0 Computer simulation in Science education 8
4.1 Help students visualize “invisible” science process 8
4.2 Teacher has more time to interact with students 8
5.0 Limitations of simulations 9
6.0 Conclusion 10
Reference

3. 1.0 Introduction
Simulation. In a glance, this word is may thought be most familiar among those guys who
work with the computers. What is simulation actually? And who can use simulation? According
to the Oxford English Dictionary, simulation is “the technique of imitating the behaviour of
some situation or system (Economic, Mechanical etc.) by means of an analogous model,
situation, or apparatus, either to gain information more conveniently or to train personnel."
Hartmann (1996) define simulation as “a process which mimics the relevant features of a target
process”. From the educational perspective, Diana Laurillard in “Rethinking University
Teaching”2 states: “A computer-based simulation is a program that embodies some aspect of the
world, allows the user to make inputs to the model, and displays the results.”
In other words, simulation is indeed a method to represent complex relations in an easier
way and in lesser time. Simulation can be performed by anyone in many areas. They just need
the software or tools to run it. In educational purpose, commercial, financial, logistics, health or
research purpose, simulation can be applied. Even children can perform simulation as their tools
of learning. In this essay, we are going to focus on the use of simulation in education as a method
in teaching and learning process.

4. 2.0 Simulation in education
Simulation is not something that new in education. It has been practiced for many
decades as a tool supporting the traditional approach of learning. Throughout this time, education
continues to evolve to meet the society demand of this globally changing world. Most of the
students nowadays have been exposed to the high technology gadgets such as smart phone, tabs,
and video games since their young age. Therefore, in education the traditional chalk and talk and
mere lecture method will give students the perspective that learning is a boring, classic, and less
interesting process. For that reason, many simulations software have been developed for
educational purposes.
The main goal of traditional teaching method is to achieve the learning objectives and to
maximize student’s content knowledge. Students are also trained to memorize the knowledge so
that they can recall the knowledge during exam. Other than can make student feel stressed and
bored, this old method also doesn’t require students problem solving and thinking skill. Not to
say that old method cannot be used anymore; in fact the old method has produced many great
scientist and thinker. But the new method of simulation should be integrated into the teaching
and learning process as the new generation needs the new the environment of learning that suit
their curious high-tech mind.
Simulation can be used in many subjects in school. The easiest example is in science
subject which require many experimentations. One example of the simulation software suitable
for learning science is the STELLA software. This software is user friendly and also suitable for
student’s age user.

5. 2.1 STELLA software and example of its usage in teaching and learning
STELLA is software developed by isee system. According to the product info of
STELLA, this software allow user to communicate with the simulation to understand how a
system works, what goes in, how the system is impacted, and what are the outcomes. A common
characteristic in simulation is that user can control or manipulate the parameter in the simulation
and see how the result is.
2.1.1 The pendulum experiment
Here is one example of STELLA application in a physics experiment, the pendulum. By
manipulating the parameter such as length of string, mass of bob, and initial displacement,
student can see the result or outcome in the form of graph.
- The first graph of the pendulum
oscillation
- String length 0.5cm
- Manipulated variable: length of string
- Constant variable: mass of bob, initial
displacement
- Second and third graph is added
- String length 1.0cm, and 1.5cm.
- Manipulated variable: length of string
- Constant variable: mass of bob, initial
displacement
-

6. - The first graph of the pendulum oscillation
- Initial displacement: 0.5cm, 1.0cm, 1.5cm
- Manipulated variable: length of string
- Constant variable: mass of bob
- The graphs of the pendulum oscillation
- Mass of bob: 0.5g, 1.0g, 1.5g
- Manipulated variable: mass of bob
- Constant variable: length of string, initial
displacement
From the graphs, it can be seen that student can manipulate the variables however they
want. In this case, student can manipulate the length of string, mass of bob, and the initial
displacement. When different value is selected, once the student hit “run”, another different
curve of graph is formed. After several trial performed, students can see the trend or pattern of
the graph formed. In addition, students also will know if a parameter is not affecting the result of
experiment. Even after manipulating the value of the parameter, same curve of graph will be
formed. It will just overlap with the existing graph; for example is the parameter of mass of bob
in graph 3. Three values of mass were used but only one curve of graphs is formed. Furthermore,
simulation also allows students to repeat the experiment over and over again until they
understand the experiment.

7. 3.0 The benefit of using simulation in teaching and learning
Simulations can be powerful active learning experiences. Finding suitable simulation
exercises is a challenge in some fields and integrating them into the content and objectives of the
course requires careful planning and execution. However, this extra work is justified given what
a good simulation can accomplish in class.
3.1 Motivate the students
The purpose of an educational simulation is to motivate the learner to engage in problem solving,
hypothesis testing, experiential learning, schema construction, and development of mental
models (Winn & Snyder, 1996; Duffy & Cunningham, 1996).
Using simulation in teaching and learning is really an effective method to motivate students and
to gain their interest towards learning. Simulation can motivate students in several ways. It
includes the ability of simulation to create a risk free environment and allow students to explore
the simulation.
3.1.1 Allow experiment exploration
Since the students nowadays are very familiar with the computers and games, using
simulation enhance their interest and motivation to learn. They need the environment of learning
that requires them to explore which suit their curious high-tech mind.
Simulations allow students to interact with the simulations. Most simulations are
designed with a flexible architecture that allows their variables to be altered. Therefore, students
can change any parameter in the simulation and observe how the simulated outcomes changes.
By directly modifying a model, students can experiment with the behavior of the models in a
number of different scenarios. By doing a simulation too, students can relate it with the content
knowledge and with the real life.

8. The main goal of simulation is to allow the motivated students to have a deeper
understanding of the experiment or model they simulate. With the animated outcomes such as
graph plotting, charts, relations, and diagram, students will have a better picture of the process.
Other than that, of course animated and interesting interface of the simulations can attract the
students’ interest to learn.
3.1.2 Provide risk free environment
There is nothing like risk free environment in the real life. In fact, failure is seen as a
necessary experience for learning. However, in school, one of the factors that make students
feels lazy to learn something is that because they fed up of being wrong and to fail without the
chance to improve. This is mostly because of the time constraint in carrying out experiment in
school. Cost involving the materials and set up of the experiment also caused the experiment
cannot be done repeatedly. By using simulation, students do not come to fear failure. If they fail,
simulation provides them with the chances to go back and modify their strategy until they have
achieved a successful result. Therefore they will be motivated to learn and treasure more
knowledge. Consequently, failure will become part of the learning process that will lead to
students’ improvement in that area of knowledge, not the end of their involvement in it.
Using simulation also allow students to improve the skills of learners in a way that does
not affect actual outcomes. There are situations where the materials used and skills performed
may affect health and risk the safety of the students as well as the apparatus or materials
involved. When in real life the cost of failure is often extremely high, simulation can be an
advantage. Simulation allows students to carry out the simulated experiment and allow them to
fail occasionally in their course of their learning process but not affecting them in the real world.

9. 3.2 Allow student to analyze data and predict future outcome
Simple analysis to predict something can be done by anyone. However, as the complexity
of the analysis increases, so does the need to employ computer-based tools. One of the tools is
simulation. With all the necessary study data, simulation can be useful in predicting the future
outcome.
In real life no one can predict the future accurately, but we still can study the pattern for
the highest probability that it will occur. By using simulation, students can study the trend of the
outcome whenever they manipulate any variable. The outcome for example in the form of graph
is usually observed over time. When the simulation is run several times, students can see the
trend of the change in the graph. Take the graph from the pendulum experiment, it can be seen
that the graph have certain pattern and the next graph can be predicted.
Analyzing and predicting data using simulation can enhance students’ thinking skills and
also problem solving skill. Other than that, this process also can give student the introduction on
how to do a research, which they will do in their higher level of education later.
3.3 Student can practice problem solving skills
Learning will be more meaningful when students can relate what they study with the real
world situation. Simulation is tools that can make students feel closer to the real world. It is
probably impractical to consider transforming every classroom setting into a situated learning
environment. However, it is possible to bring some of the benefits of situated learning into the
conventional classroom setting by using simulation. Simulations facilitate situated learning by
providing interactive practice of real-world skills, focusing on the essential elements of a real
problem or system.
Problem solving skill is an important skill that everybody should acquire. Students can
develop this skill through real life experience, and training. One of the other ways to develop this
skill is through learning with the assistance of simulation. In simulation, there are often scenario-
based problems that reflect a situation the learner would encounter in the real world. The

10. simulation presents the environment, authentic information sources and the tools to let the
student solve the problem and test their knowledge.
4.0 Computer simulation in science education
In science education, computer simulation is used because simulations are simplified
versions of the natural world. They are usually used to represent the experiment that is hard to be
carried out in laboratory because of the factor of time, safety, and cost.
4.1 Help students visualize “invisible” science process
Sometimes, students are hard to understand science concept that literally cannot be seen
through the lens of their eyes. Therefore, they need some visualization to help them see and
understand the phenomena or processes of the science concept. That is why simulation is
integrated in teaching and learning science. To help students visualize and get a big picture of
what they are learning. Processes that usually need simulation to visualize are the process that is
too small to view such as the reproduction of bacteria, too big such as the tectonic shifting, too
fast such as chemical reactions, too slow such as evolution, too far such as the movement of
planets in the outer space, or too dangerous such as nuclear reactions.
4.2 Teacher has more time to interact with students
Obviously, simulations are very convenient to use. They are safe to use, save time and
help deep understanding in students. Other than that, simulations also give more time to teacher
to interact with students instead of dealing with the management of the experimental setup. With
this quality time, teacher can deliver more detailed knowledge to students while at the same time;
the students also can experience and visualize the real world through simulation.

11. 5.0 Limitation of simulation
Although that simulation is seen having a good potential to be integrated in school in the
future, right now there are still some limitation in it. First, not every teacher is familiar with
simulation. To use simulations in class could be a burden to them as they need long time to
explore the simulation. When the teachers do not really know how to use a simulation, they tend
to spend more time trying to explore the simulation. This could later lead to an environment of
unsure teacher and confused students. Therefore, without expertise in using simulation, it can be
rather wasting time than saving time as it should be.
Other limitation of simulation is that simulation can cause students to lack in manual
science process skill which is also important in the real life. If learning process depends too
much on simulations, students will not be able to handle manual process experiment
successfully. In science experiment, the way of measuring substance, how to handle the
apparatus, how to use microscope, correct way of taking reading; all of these are essential as a
basic scientific skills. Lacking on these skills can cause difficulty to students when they need to
do real scientific experiment or research later in their real life.
Simulation can give result, analyze data, and mimics the real world process; but
simulation cannot develop students’ emotional and intuitive awareness of the importance of what
they have learned. Since simulation can simplify many of the students’ work, students tend not to
appreciate the knowledge and the value they gain.
Other limitation of simulation is computer simulation cannot react to unexpected 'sub-
goals' which the student may develop during a learning process. These sub-goals would be
brought up during a teacher-student interaction but they remain unsaid during the individual
student use of a simulation.

12. 6.0 Conclusion
Simulation is a powerful tool in assisting the teaching and learning process in school.
They provide interesting and exciting mode of learning to the new generation students. Not only
to attract the students’ interest, simulation also promoted constructivism learning to students.
Through simulation, students can explore the content of the simulation. They have the freedom
to change any parameter in the simulation and observe the result. Students can construct
themselves to gain their knowledge when they try to understand and justify their observation of
the results. Through simulation too, the impossible to do experiment is also made possible in
simulation to give students better visualization and understanding. In shorts, with the use of
simulation, students can be motivated to learn and learning will be an interesting and fun.
Since there are still limitations in applying simulation in education, many aspects should
be considered before applying simulation in a class. Teachers need to be trained, not only so that
they can use simulation to aid their teaching process; but also to let them know when to apply
simulation wisely in teaching and learning session. Although the technology is very important,
some of manual skills are also not less important. Integrating simulations in teaching and
learning is supposed to give advantages, and complete what is incomplete in the old method; not
to suppress the benefit of old teaching and learning method can provide to students.

13. Reference
Kevin B Korb, The Philosophy of Computer Simulation, Clayton School of Info Tech Monash
University, retrieved on November 11, 2012 from
http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~korb/lmps.pdf
Ruth Thomas, What are Simulation?-The JeLSIM Perspective, retrieved on November 11, 2012
from http://www.jelsim.org/resources/whataresimulations.pdf
Michael Magee, (2012), Simulation in Education, Alberta Online Learning Consortium
Calgary AB, retrieved on November 12, 2012 from http://www.ccl-
cca.ca/pdfs/StateOfField/SFRSimulationinEducationJul06REV.pdf
Dylan Marks, (2012), Commentary on Simulation in Education, retrieved on November 13, 2012
from http://www.stanford.edu/class/symbsys205/
commentaryonsimulationineducation.htm
M.K. Akinsola (2007), The Effect of Simulation-Games Environment on Students Achievement
in and Attitudes to Mathematics in Secondary Schools, The Turkish Online Journal of
Educational Technology, Vol 6(3), retrieved on November 16, 2012 from
http://www.tojet.net/articles/v6i3/6311.pdf
Les M. Lunce, (2006), Simulations: Bringing the benefits of situated learning to the traditional
classroom, Journal of Applied Educational Technology, Vol 3(1) retrieved on November
16, 2012 from
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