Lately, no matter where I go there seems to be certain buzz around simulations. Whether its performance-based testing using simulations or enriching learning experiences through simulation-based exercises; individuals, schools and enterprises are all talking about simulations in one way or another.

So what's the big deal anyway? Haven't simulations been around for a long time? Why all the buzz now? Well, it seems that the vision and application of simulations have hit a critical mass, of sorts, in main stream markets. Sure, simulations have been around in one form or another in aeronautical and military scenarios for decades. Remember the flight simulators used during the earliest days of NASA? But now more and more people are discovering what NASA knew so many years ago; simulations are an effective way to train and test people.

Let's use a high-tech example to illustrate the point. Let's imagine that you need to become qualified to plan, install, troubleshoot and maintain a complicated network for a large multinational organization. The idea of just throwing the administrator into the deep end of the pool and hoping they will learn to swim would be disastrous. Yet, without hands-on experience the learner could never master a wide variety of mission-critical skills required to perform her job. So here we have the classic dilemma: "no skills no job, no job no skills". Short of reproducing the entire network for learners to practice on, it is very difficult to acquire certain skills. Let's face it, running a network is more than just memorizing information from a book. It requires effective performing specific tasks that can only be taught by repetition and hands-on experience in a variety of situations. This is where simulations come in.

Just as NASA figured out years ago, today we are discovering that learning simulations provide the opportunity for students to learn actual tasks and performance-based skills in high fidelity environments, using a variety of situations, at a fraction of the cost of learning in the real world. Safety aside, can you imagine anyone training to fly the space shuttle using the real multi-billion dollar equipment? Ridiculous. Yet until recently, many of us were satisfied to train students either using the real equipment or creating costly replications of the equipment in a lab environment.

In addition to providing many of the same hands-on learning experiences, simulations actually provide more learning opportunities than the "real thing". For example, in a live network how do you train someone to troubleshoot a broken piece of equipment without actually breaking it? This is extremely costly and very challenging to configure for each learning scenario. From this perspective, simulations have the real thing beat hands down. Simulations do not require additional equipment or configuration. This allows the maximum number of varied scenarios without any additional cost.

In fact, simulations can also provide a unique view on the tasks being learned. Simulations can be slowed down to demonstrate complex process or sped up to avoid tedious down times. So, learning tasks or developing practical skills are greatly enhanced by using cost-effective and flexible simulations.

From a testing or assessment perspective, simulations are also beneficial. For decades the standard form of assessment in many domains was the ubiquitous multiple choice question exam. Although many psychometricians will argue that a good multiple-choice test is performance-based, I am not convinced. If you want to know if someone can perform a task or not - have them perform the task. It's that simple. Besides, I can memorize answers for a multiple choice test or even guess if I have to and still typically have a 1 in 4 chance of getting the answer correct. If I have to perform the actual task required, there is not way to memorize of even guess. I must master the skill required before the assessment. In other words, I must learn how to do it.

Not only is simulation-based assessment a better way to measure performance it is also a cost effective way to test. For many of the same reasons mentioned above, simulation-based tests are easier to configure and do not require any additional hardware and software. This is no doubt why the likes of Novell, Cisco and most recently Microsoft have used simulations in their high-stakes certification exams. Can you imagine testing centers being required to acquire the hardware, maintain it and configure it for each certification examinee? Once again, ridiculous. The only way today, to effectively and efficiently test the performance of large numbers of test takers is to employ some form of simulation into the test taking process.

Finally, simulation technology has matured to the point that the mere mortal can actually benefit from it. Once upon a time, simulations were extremely expensive and therefore only organizations with the budgets like NASA or the military could afford them. Today with the advent of cost effective simulation-authoring tools, simulations are ready for the mass market. Increasingly, simulation-based labs are being bundled with books and comprehensive, online, learning solutions are using simulations as the backbone of their learning and assessment design.

So what is the buzz around simulations? Well, I guess you can say that the biggest change is that simulation technology that has been used for years is now coming to you and me. You no longer have to be Buzz Aldrin to use simulations for training and assessment.

Quinn Sutton
-Editor

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