Simulator

to Leverage Education

Introduction
Simulation: an act of imitating the behavior of a

physical or abstract system

In networking to emphasize understanding of the

dynamics of networking aspects and design

Provides a hands-on experiments without real

infrastructure

Imminent need to change how learning process/

education system in present time

Key Components in Simulation

Educator/preceptor, student(s), key practices, simulated

environments

In network simulator: define basic components such as

nodes and links

The simulation environment needs to be set-up carefully

to produce meaningful results

Learning occurs when environment accurately reflects

reality

Why use simulation in education?

Shift from an industrial to a knowledge based society
demands that students acquire a new set of skills
Real network teaching laboratories are expensive and

harder to maintain
Time wasted for initial setup and inflexible time slot
Encourage inquiry based learning

Expectations for using simulation

Engaging simulation experiences : the actual simulation

experience, debriefing, and evaluation

Must challenge student to use problem solving &

critical reasoning skills

The educator as a facilitator, not an active participant in

the simulation

Reflects reality as much as possible

Advantages of using simulation

Facilitate building dynamic scenarios and assessing the

state of the network

Allow student/researcher to study mechanisms,

behaviour, and the performance

Enhance collaboration among students and may

stimulate students interest in exploring

Resource efficient, easier to maintain, minimizes

development time.

Conclusion
Network simulators or simulator in general, as

a valuable learning tool

Students gain more experience and better

understanding of the whole structure of

networking

As a platform to foster students creativity and

the need to know

Increased efficiency will benefits the

institution