Do Simulations or Games Enhance Learning?

Simulations or Games might be appropriate to use to enhance learning in a lesson when they are relevant to the learning goal.  The simulations or games should also provide explanatory feedback and self-explanation questions; which are proven instructional strategies.  The games and simulations  designer should also be aware of the cognitive overload that can be caused therefore the complexity of the game should be managed.

When simulations and games are added to a lesson they may very well keep the attention of the learner.  Therefore in order for the game to be able to enhance learning it must be relevant to the teaching goal.  It makes no sense to have a game about the alphabet in a lesson about fruit from around the country.  One has nothing to do with the other.  You might as well place the game or simulation in the decorative category of media.

As the learner plays the game they should be given the opportunity to show what they have learned and explain their responses.  If for some reason their response is off or incorrect the game should be able to give the learner feedback as to why their answer is incorrect.  This gives the learner the support that they would otherwise receive from sitting in a classroom. Being able to understand why you got an answer wrong brings clarity and understanding to your work.

Lastly the game or simulation should not be too complex.  If the game starts off slow and easy it should gradually become complex still offering feedback, but it has also provided the learner the tools they need to complete the task.

Research Based Guidelines

In order for me to produce a successful e-learning lesson, I had to incorporate some research based guidelines.  A few of the guidelines utilized through out the lesson is the inclusion of the multimedia principle, contiguity, navigation options as well as the guidelines for games and simulations.  Providing the learner a lesson that included these principles and their guidelines helped to enhance the learning.

Multimedia can be looked at from several aspects.  This is not just a picture or video, this includes the use of podcasts, vodcast, music, animated graphics and graphics with words.  Being able to offer the learner various ways to learn a subject shows you are trying to reach more than one type of learner.  The contiguity principle allows for the learner to see words along side the picture that they should be focusing on.  This keeps the learner from being distracted and allows them to put two and two toegether. 
 
The Navigation options through out the lesson also gives the learner the opportunity to either search within the lesson or outside the lesson for clarity or to bring in new relevant information to incorporate with what they have already learned.  This too gives the learner the control over how they are learning and the choice to choose how long they stay on a particular page of the lesson.

The learner is not forced into a pace that they can not handle.  The learner should feel in full control yet well informed and fully supported during this experience.

Critical Thinking in Storyboard Lesson

There are several e-learning principles that my lesson includes which help to promote critical thinking.  I have incorporated three different pieces which are personalization of the lesson, segmentation and worked examples.  Applying these three principles to my design offers the learner the opportunity to gain a hands experience through auditory explanations, informative graphics, and feedback for clarity.

As I use the audio pieces in the lesson I provide information needed by the learner in order to move from one segment to the other.  The audio pieces ask questions that are related to previous information provided to the learner to help them make the connection.  By segmenting the lesson I am able to break down a large piece of information which gives the learner the opportunity to grasp the information bit by bit and then bring it all together within the worked example piece.

The questions that I ask within the lesson offer real world issues from real people.  By giving the learner this opportunity they are able to problem solve on a realistic level optimizing the learning experience.  Prior to hearing the questions the learner is provided an overview of requirements for staff and family to enroll in the head start program.  The learner has heard and seen the answers before they were given the questions.  The learner was also given the opportunity to answer the questions at their own pace; in which they could look up the information or discuss the questions with peers.

As the learner progresses through the lesson the work requires them to think critically.