Recently, we have seen a dramatic decline in students entering engineering degrees in the USA, Europe and Australia. For example, there has been nearly a 50 per cent drop in students enrolled in electronic engineering in the UK between 2002 and 2008.
A huge percentage of those who choose engineering continue to fail or drop out. Many students feel that the engineering studies are dry and boring. Simulation games have been shown to be an ideal medium for engaging and active learning. A growing number of educators are considering how to use simulation games to enliven engineering education.
Benefits of Simulation Games in Engineering Education
University engineering curricula and teaching methods based on lecturing do not appeal to Gen Net students. They are interested in experiential learning and careers with social impact. Universities have not been able to excite students about engineering careers and to show how egineering can make the world a better place. Gen Net students are used to learning by doing, interacting and having fun. Research shows that simulation games can be both engaging and effective in education and as such are ideally suited to meet new students’ demands. Simulation games can be effective in developing both specific knowledge and higher order cognitive skills. These are the key skills that can be developed
- Incite interest
- Teach field knowledge
- Develop problem solving skills
- Boost retention in engineering programs
- Increase innovation
- Visualise difficult concepts
- Integrate components into systems
- Teach communication skills
- Develop cooperation
Challenges in Using Simulation Games in Education
Though there is a large volume of research showing the value of simulation games in general education (Randel 1992, Funk 2002, Aldrich 2003, 2004, Johnson 2005), and in particular in engineering education, there are not enough simulation games available to cover various engineering areas and subjects. Further collaboration between academic researchers, gaming industry and policy makers is needed to develop effective simulation games in education, in particular to demonstrate the role of engineering in solving main global challenges.
Another area for improvement is education of university teachers in pedagogy, education technology, simulation games and instructional design.
How to Effectively Use Simulation Games in Engineering Education
Teachers might face difficulties in finding simulation games that match the course content and learning outcomes. They can customise the off-the-shelf commercial games, virtual labs and develop scenario based learning activities to make them relevant to specific course objectives. They can be integrated into a variety of teaching approaches as pre-labs, alternatives to textbook homework, and in-class activities for individuals or teams.
Simulation games need to be incorporated into the course and blended with other teaching methods. They can be used as alternatives to in-class activities and homework. Students need to get familiar with new concepts by getting information through reading, listening to lecture or watching a video. Simulation games can be used as pre-labs, to provide motivation, bring theory to life and integrate skills from various subjects. In many cases simulations and simulation games are followed by project work, involving building circuits and systems. Simulations are useful for getting students trained so that they do not harm themselves and waste too much material in project work. Learning is more effective if students are working in teams, taking different roles and interacting. Tutors need to provide support, feedback and conduct de-briefing sessions after simulations.
Examples of Simulation Games in Engineering Education
Mission Critical Chemistry
In this simulation game, chemistry students from Carnegie Mellon University develop a next-generation fuel for a NASA mission to Mars.
In this simulation game students virtually design and test a bionic arm. In the design process they develop skills in electronics, robotics and biotechnology, make arm components and assemble them to recover the functions of a human arm. A bionic arm can improve the lives of millions of people with missing limbs.
This Cisco game engages students in wireless network education. They configure wireless local area networks (WLANs), structured wireless aware networks (SWANs and learn about antenna types, repeaters and telecommunication bridges. In the game, students travel in a spacecraft equipped with wireless technologies to planet Berelllius Prime. They meet aboard a group of alien scientists. As part of an inter-galactic cultural exchange program, the Berellius Prime scientists are sent to study the latest telecommunication technologies on earth. You mission is to configure open wireless access to the ship’s mainframe correctly for each alien.
This is a simulation game for software engineering education. Its aim is to bridge the gap between the theoretical software engineering knowledge presented in lectures and limited opportunities to apply this knowledge in real world projects. SimSE enables students to simulate software engineering processes and through graphical interactions and feedback learn the essential relationships in complex software systems.
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