Component-based tools for educational simulations
e-Learning is an effective medium for delivering knowledge and skills. In spite of improvements in electronic delivery technologies, e-Learning is still a long way away from offering anything close to efficient and effective learning environments. To improve e-Learning experiences, much literature...
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2013
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| Online Access: | https://etd.uum.edu.my/5463/1/Ruzelan%20Khalid.pdf https://etd.uum.edu.my/5463/2/Ruzelan%20Khalid-abstract.pdf |
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my-uum-etd.54632023-02-08T02:27:59Z Component-based tools for educational simulations 2013 Ruzelan, Khalid Wofgang, Kreutzer Tim, Bell Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Canterbury TK7885-7895 Computer engineering. Computer hardware e-Learning is an effective medium for delivering knowledge and skills. In spite of improvements in electronic delivery technologies, e-Learning is still a long way away from offering anything close to efficient and effective learning environments. To improve e-Learning experiences, much literature supports simulation based e-Learning. This thesis begins identifying various types of simulation models and their features that induce experiential learning. We focus on designing and constructing an easy-to-use Discrete Event Simulation (DES) tool for building engaging and informative interactive DES models that allow learners to control the models' parameters and visualizations through runtime interactions. DES has long been used to support analysis and design of complex systems but its potential to enhance learning has not yet been fully utilized. We first present an application framework and its resulting classes for better structuring DES models. However, importing relevant classes, establishing relationships between their objects and representing lifecycles of various types of active objects in a language that does not support concurrency demand a significant cognitive workload. To improve this situation, we utilize two design patterns to ease model structuring and logic representation (both in time and space) through a drag and drop component approach. The patterns are the Delegation Event Model, used for linking between components and delegating tasks of executing and updating active objects' lifecycles, and the MVC (Model-View-Controller) pattern, used for connecting the components to their graphical instrumentations and GUIs. Components implementing both design patterns support the process-oriented approach, can easily be tailored to store model states and visualizations, and can be extended to design higher level models through hierarchical simulation development. Evaluating this approach with both teachers and learners using ActionScript as an implementation language in the Flash environment shows that the resulting components not only help model designers with few programming skills to construct DES models, but they also allow learners to conduct various experiments through interactive GUIs and observe the impact of changes to model behaviour through a range of engaging visualizations. Such interactions can motivate learners and make their learning an enjoyable experience 2013 Thesis https://etd.uum.edu.my/5463/ https://etd.uum.edu.my/5463/1/Ruzelan%20Khalid.pdf text eng public https://etd.uum.edu.my/5463/2/Ruzelan%20Khalid-abstract.pdf text eng public http://hdl.handle.net/10092/8540 Ph.D. doctoral University of Canterbury |
| institution |
Universiti Utara Malaysia |
| collection |
UUM ETD |
| language |
eng eng |
| advisor |
Wofgang, Kreutzer Tim, Bell |
| topic |
TK7885-7895 Computer engineering Computer hardware |
| spellingShingle |
TK7885-7895 Computer engineering Computer hardware Ruzelan, Khalid Component-based tools for educational simulations |
| description |
e-Learning is an effective medium for delivering knowledge and skills. In spite of
improvements in electronic delivery technologies, e-Learning is still a long way away from offering anything close to efficient and effective learning environments. To improve e-Learning experiences, much literature supports simulation based e-Learning. This thesis begins identifying various types of simulation models and their features that induce experiential learning. We focus on designing and constructing an easy-to-use Discrete Event Simulation (DES) tool for building engaging and informative interactive DES models that allow learners to control the models' parameters and visualizations through runtime interactions. DES has long been used
to support analysis and design of complex systems but its potential to enhance learning has not yet been fully utilized. We first present an application framework and its resulting classes for better structuring DES models. However, importing relevant classes, establishing relationships between their objects and representing lifecycles of various types of active objects in a language that does not support concurrency demand a significant cognitive workload. To improve this situation, we utilize two design patterns to ease model structuring and logic representation (both in
time and space) through a drag and drop component approach. The patterns are the
Delegation Event Model, used for linking between components and delegating tasks of executing and updating active objects' lifecycles, and the MVC (Model-View-Controller)
pattern, used for connecting the components to their graphical instrumentations and GUIs. Components implementing both design patterns support the process-oriented approach, can easily be tailored to store model states and
visualizations, and can be extended to design higher level models through hierarchical
simulation development. Evaluating this approach with both teachers and learners using ActionScript as an implementation language in the Flash environment shows that the resulting components not only help model designers with few programming skills to construct DES models, but they also allow learners to conduct various
experiments through interactive GUIs and observe the impact of changes to model behaviour through a range of engaging visualizations. Such interactions can motivate
learners and make their learning an enjoyable experience |
| format |
Thesis |
| qualification_name |
Ph.D. |
| qualification_level |
Doctorate |
| author |
Ruzelan, Khalid |
| author_facet |
Ruzelan, Khalid |
| author_sort |
Ruzelan, Khalid |
| title |
Component-based tools for educational simulations |
| title_short |
Component-based tools for educational simulations |
| title_full |
Component-based tools for educational simulations |
| title_fullStr |
Component-based tools for educational simulations |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Component-based tools for educational simulations |
| title_sort |
component-based tools for educational simulations |
| granting_institution |
University of Canterbury |
| granting_department |
Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Canterbury |
| publishDate |
2013 |
| url |
https://etd.uum.edu.my/5463/1/Ruzelan%20Khalid.pdf https://etd.uum.edu.my/5463/2/Ruzelan%20Khalid-abstract.pdf |
| _version_ |
1776103678381391872 |