SSI3013 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

TECHNOLOGY IN SCIENCE
FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
TITLE : SIMULATION
LECTURER’S NAME: Encik Azmi bin Ibrahim
NAME GROUP MATRIC NO
NOR AMIRA BINTI WAHAB B D20151070986
NURSHAHIRAH BINTI ZULKIPLI B D20151070955
FATIN MAISARAH BT AHMAD B D20151070999
TARMIZI

NURNABILAH SYAHIRAH BINTI B D20151070964

JAFRI
1.0 INTRODUCTION

 What is simulation?

A computer simulation is the usage of a computer for the imitation of a real-world

process or system. The dynamic responses of one system are represented by the behaviour of
another system, which is largely modeled on the former. A simulation requires a model, or a
mathematical description of the real system. This is in the form of computer programs, which
encompass the key characteristics or behaviours of the selected system. Here, the model is
basically a representation of the system and the simulation process is known to depict the
operation of the system in time.

Computer simulations find usage in the study of dynamic behaviour in an environment

that may be difficult or is dangerous to implement in real life. Say, a nuclear blast may be
represented with a mathematical model that takes into consideration various elements such as
velocity, heat and radioactive emissions. Additionally, one may implement changes to the
equation by changing certain other variables, like the amount of fissionable material used in
the blast. Simulations largely help in determining behaviours when individual components of
a system are altered. Simulations can also be used in engineering to determine potential
effects, such as that of river systems for the construction of dams.

Simulation of a system can be done at many different levels of fidelity so that whereas
one reader will think of physics-based models and output, another may think of more abstract
models which yield higher-level, less detailed output as in a queuing network. Models are
designed to provide answers at a given abstraction level, the more detailed the model, the
more detailed the output.
2.0 Advantages

The advantage of Simulation for students

The advantage of simulation for students is that they allowing learners to develop
experience of specific situations by applying their wider learning and knowledges. This is
where students are able to experience a hands on, yet systematically experiment through
simulation. This will develop new idea and skill for students in order to create a creative and
critical thinking mind of students. This would accurately model the real-world environment
the students are likely to work in, where clients change their requirements and priorities
during a project as a result of complex factors. A similar exercise would also work well in
other disciplines that involve the creation of artefacts for clients, such as graphic design,
architecture, contract law, etc. For a simulation exercise to be successful, it is essential that
the scenario reflect actual practice and genuine situations as closely as possible.

Simulation is effective for teaching and demonstrating concept to student. This is

where the true simulation provide students to make intelligence use of computer graphics and
animation. Besides, it useful to provide students a meaningful understanding of the system’s
nature. For example of the circuit simulator, this is where simulation acts as showing the
paths taken by signals as inputs are consumed by components and outputs are produced over
their respective fan out, student can see what is happening within the circuit and is therefore
left with a better understanding for the dynamics of the circuit. Such a simulator should also
permit students to speed up, slow down, stop or even reverse a simulation as a means of
aiding understanding. This is particularly true when simulating circuits which contain
feedback loops or other operations which are not immediately intuitive upon an initial
investigation. Therefore, student-teachers are helped in a variety of ways through simulated
training. It helps in developing self-confidence among them. In the other hand, this
simulation technique helps in linking theory with practice of teaching so that students will
develop their knowledge more efficiently. We can see that simulation give an opportunity for
students to study and analyse critical teaching problems through simulation systems and
database.

Provide learners to reset the scenario thus try alternative strategies and approaches.
Simulated training provides feedback to student teachers to modify their behaviour. The
process of simulating a scenario to practice different responses and actions to a real life
situation, is extremely effective in knowledge retention. This is because knowledge is not just
in theory but the user needs to apply it in a real-life situation. Adding a simulation to the
learning process can either “seal the deal” or simply act as the real-time practice many
employees long for.

Simulations are a proven and useful tool to improve learning as well as a tool that
creates a safe and enjoyable learning environment, where experimentation and failure are
possible, something that is often missed when we talk about workplace learning. Simulation
helps students to create their own learning experience by branching out into different
scenarios according to answers. In human behaviour, there are not always rights and wrongs
and often different approaches lead to different key points one needs to master. In conclusion,
simulation helps in developing social skills like social manners and etiquettes among the
student-teachers.

3.0 Disadvantages

1. Required long period to develop

For each model that is establish required a lot of phase before being publish. Each model
need to be tested so that it is useful and can be used for everyone. Most important the model
can be used in education to make it more interesting and attract student attention.

2. Expensive

Some cases to develop a stimulation model can be very difficult, complex and challenging.
Moreover, it takes a long period in order to develop a stimulation model so that it is in a good
shape and ready to be used. Other than that, in order to develop stimulation model, it required
a few software which some software is highly cost. If animation is being added, the graphic
and all thus stuff surely have cost too. To be conclude that, more spending on the
development of stimulation model the expensive it is. As their process of development is
difficult too.

3. Less optimal to solve the problem

Future is something that unpredictable by people. Because of that the number of problems in
real life keep rising. The pattern for the highest probability phenomena can occur still can be
study. However, the outcomes from the stimulation used cannot be fully trusted by users.
This is due to many factors which may be influence the results obtain in real life. Some
theoretical rules and assumption can be used in real life. For example, aerodynamic wind
tunnels. This is used to study the effect of air moving past the solid object.

4. Students lack of science process skill (manually conduct)

As we know that stimulation provide a data, analyse and mimicry the real life process.
However, worst come to worst when it is fully used in the education especially experiment.
When stimulation is being implement, students will not have their opportunity to carry out
their own experiment, to analyse their own data, to observe and so on which encourage
scientific skill. Lack of scientific skill can give big impact in future which they need to
conduct experiment or research. Other than that, the emotional and awareness on important of
studying on that topic is being fade from time to time as the depend totally on the stimulation
result.

5. Difficulty using the stimulation

When a model is being introduced, the manual on how to use is being provide. Somehow,
they need to give a talk or held a seminar on how to handle or use the stimulation model in
classroom. Some of the model stimulation does not provide manual for their model or
provide but the language used are not appropriate. This happen when senior teachers used the
model but not truly understand what are the functioning which later may afraid themselves
from using a technology in education.
4.0 Discussion

Graph 1

As for Graph 1 (normal graph), the value of mice and owl are directly proportional at
the beginning of the simulation. The amount of the owl drop drastically to 0 because of
insufficient of mice as the prey of the owl. When the amount of mice decrease as mice is
eaten by the owl, the amount of palm production increase because there is no mice will eat
the palm fruit. After 13 years, the amount of mice increase steadily while the amount of palm
fruit production still increase within time because the little amount of mice. After 19 years of
the increasing of mice number, the amount of palm fruit is at the peak for maximum value
due to few amount of mice at that time. However, after 20 to 25 years, the amount of palm
production decrease drastically because the sudden increase of the mice number in that area.
The amount of mice is continue to reproduce until the peak at the 25 years.
 Graph 2

For the Graph 2, the value of mice and owl are directly proportional at the beginning
of the simulation. We set up value of owl as 16 while the value of mice as 0. At the beginning
of simulation, the amount of owl is 16 but the amount starts to drop drastically to -8 because
of insufficient of mice as the prey of the owl. When the amount of the mice decrease as mice
is been eaten by the owl, the amount of the palm fruit production increase because there is no
mice that will eat the palm fruit. Within time, when the amount of the owl decrease to -8, the
amount of the mice increase steadily. After 10 years, the amount of the palm fruit production
still increase steadily within time because the little amount of mice. 4 years later, the amount
of palm fruit production begins to drop as palm fruit is been eaten by the mice. The number
of mice continue to increase for the time being. The value of damage crops is increase per
years. This is because the increase of number mice and zero number of owl in the area of
palm fruit. However, the amount of palm fruit that harvested are also increasing.
 Graph 3

For Graph 3, the value of mice and owl is decrease at the beginning of the simulation.
We set up the value of owl for is 12 while the value for mice is 10000. At the beginning of
simulation, the amount of owl is 12 but the amount drop drastically to 0 because of
insufficient of mice as the prey of the owl. When the amount of mice decrease as mice is
been eaten by the owl, the amount of palm fruit production increase because there is no mice
that will eat the palm fruit. Within time, when the amount of owl decrease to 0, the amount of
mice increase steadily. After 10 years, the amount of palm fruit production still increase
within time because the little amount of mice. However, 15 years of the increasing of number
of mice, the amount of owl begins to increase and the number of mice drops drastically
because been eaten by owls. Its increasing until there is no enough mice to eat and they starts
to drops. Within those time, the palm fruit production still increasing steadily. Until year 20
to year 25, the number of mice, owl and palm fruit production increasing gradually together.
For Table 3, the value of damage crops is increase per years. This is because of the increasing
number of mice and 0 number of owl in the area of palm fruit. However, the amount of palm
fruit that harvested are also increasing.
HOW STELLA SOFTWARE CAN HELP STUDENT?

Stella as a simulation software can be powerful and convenient active learning

experiences for student. Finding suitable simulation exercises is a challenge in some fields
and integrating them into the content and objectives of the course requires throughout
planning and execution. However, this extra work is justified given what a good simulation
can accomplish in class.

1. MOTIVATE THE STUDENTS

The purpose of an educational simulation such as Stella is to motivate the learner to engage
problem solving, hypothesis testing, experiential learning, schema construction, and
development of mental models.

Using STELLA in teaching and learning is really an effective method to motivate

students and to gain their interest towards learning. Simulation can motivate students in
several ways. It includes the ability of STELLA to create a risk free environment and allow
students to explore the simulation.

 Allow experiment exploration

Since the students nowadays are very familiar with the computers and games, using
simulation enhance their interest and motivation to learn. They need the environment of
learning that requires them to explore which suit their curiosity and high-tech mind.

Stella allows students to interact with the simulations. Most simulations are designed
with a flexible architecture that allows their variables to be altered. Therefore, students can
change any parameter in the Stella and observe how the simulated outcomes changes. By
directly modifying a model, students can experience with the behaviour of the models in a
number of different scenarios. By doing a simulation using Stella too, students can relate it
with the content knowledge and with the real life.

The main goal of simulation is to allow the motivated students to have a deeper
understanding of the experiment or model they simulate. With the animated outcomes such as
graph plotting, charts, relations, and diagrams, students will have a better picture of the
process. Other than that, of course animated and interesting interface of the simulations from
the Stella can attract the students’ interest to learn.
  Provide risk free environment

There is nothing like risk free environment in real life. In fact, failure is seen as a
necessary experience for learning. However, in school, one of the factors that make students
feels lazy to learn something is that because they fed up of being wrong and to fail without
the chance to improve. This is mostly because of the time constraint in carrying out
experiment in school. The cost involving the materials and set up of experiment also caused
the experiment cannot be done repeatedly. By using Stella, students do not come to fear
failure. If they fail, Stella provides them with the chances to go back and modify their
strategy until they have achieved a successful result. Therefore they will be motivated to
learn and treasure more knowledge. Consequently, failure will become part of the learning
process that will lead to students’ improvement in that area of knowledge, not the end of their
involvement in it.

Using Stella also allow students to improve the skills of learners in a way that does
not affect the health and risk the safety of the students as well as the apparatus or materials
involved. When in real life, the cost of failure is often extremely high, but Stella can be an
advantage. Stella allows students to carry out the experiment and allow them to fail
occasionally in their course of their learning process but not affecting them in the real world.

2. ALLOW STUDENT TO ANALYZE DATA AND PREDICT FUTURE OUTCOME

Simple analysis to predict something can be done by anyone. However, as the complexity of
the analysis increases, so does the need to employ computer-based tools. One of the tools is
simulation. With all the necessary study data, simulation can be useful in predicting the future
outcome.

In real life, no one can predict the future accurately, but we still can study the pattern
for the highest probability that it will occur. By using Stella, students able to study the trend
of the outcome whenever they manipulate any variable. The outcome for example in the form
of graph is usually observed over time. When the simulation is run several times, students can
see the trend of the change in the graph. Take the graph from the pendulum experiment, it can
be seen that the graph have certain pattern and the next graph can be predicted.
 Analyzing and predicting data using Stella can enhance student’s thinking skill and
also problem solving skill. Other than that, this process also can give student the introduction
on how to do on a research, which they will do in their higher level of education later.

3. STUDENT CAN PRACTICE PROBLEM SOLVING SKILL

Learning will be more meaningful when students can relate what they study with the real
world situation. Stella is a tool that can make student feels closer to the real world. It is
probably impractical to consider transforming every classroom setting into a situated learning
environment. However, it is possible to bring some of the benefits of situated learning into
the conventional classroom setting by using Stella. Stella facilitates situated learning by
providing interactive practice of real-world skills, focusing on the essential elements of a real
problem or system.

Problem solving skill is an important skill that everyone has to acquire. Student can
develop this skill through real life experience, and training. One of the other ways to develop
this skill is through learning with the assistance of simulation such as Stella. In Stella, there
are often scenario-based problems that reflect a situation the learner would encounter in the
real world. The simulation presents the environment, authentic information sources and the
tools to let the student solve the problem and test their knowledge. As mentioned before,
Stella provides risk free environment, student or teacher does not have to worry about any
risky outcome may be happened.

4. HELPS STUDENT VISUALIZE ‘INVISIBLE’ SCIENCE PROCESS

Sometimes, students are hard to understand science concept that literally cannot be seen
through the lens of their eyes. Therefore, they need some visualization to help them see and
understand the phenomena or processes of the science concept. That is why Stella can be
integrated in teaching and learning science. To help students visualize and get a big picture of
what they are learning. Process that usually needs simulation to visualize is the process that is
too small to view such as reproduction of the bacteria, too big such as the tectonic shifting,
too fast such as chemical reactions, too slow such as evolution, too far such as movement of
planets in the outer space, or too dangerous such as nuclear reactions.
5.0 Conclusion

By using STELLA, we can easily predict the outcomes in the future so that we can be prepare
for the worst and avoid it. Other than that, by using simulation also can provide the real
visual to student on the topic of ecosystem chain which they can try and error by using
simulation to real estimate the outcomes and become more understanding. Simulation is
every important for those in agriculture especially to increase their production such as corn
production, palm oil and so on. They can easily estimate the number of production in order to
overcome the insect that attack their plantation.

References

STELLA (Systems Thinking for Education and Research) | DataONE. (2018). Dataone.org.
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systems-thinking-education-and-research

What is a Computer Simulation? - Definition from Techopedia. (2018). Techopedia.com.

Retrieved 26 April 2018, from
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/17060/computer-simulation

What is STELLA?. (2018). Minerva.union.edu. Retrieved 26 April 2018,

from http://minerva.union.edu/rices/stella/stella_intro.html

Advantages of Simulation. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://web.cs.mun.ca/~donald/msc/node6.html

Farooq, U. (12 April, 2013 ). Advantages and Disadvantages of Simulated Teaching Method.
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Rimon, G. (22 November , 2016). 4 Benefits Of Learning Simulations. Retrieved from

eLearning Industry: https://elearningindustry.com/4-benefits-of-learning-simulations