SIMULATION (STELLA APPLICATION)

LECTURE’S NAME: ENCIK AZMI BIN IBRAHIM

GROUP : A

Name Student ID
Nurul Farain Shafiqah Binti Tadza D20151070956

Nur Afiqah Binti Mohd Hazri D20151070948

Siti Nurhaliza Binti Johari D20151070961

 INTRODUCTION

What is Simulation?

Simulation is a representation of the functioning of a system or process. Through

simulation, a model may be implanted with unlimited variations, producing complex
scenarios. These capabilities allow analysis and understanding of how individual
elements interact and affect the simulated environment. Computer simulation is the
discipline of creating a model of an actual or theoretical physical system by carrying
out the model on a digital computer and analysing the output been carried out.

Three types of simulations

Simulations generally come in three styles: live, virtual and constructive. A

simulation also may be a combination of two or more styles. Within these styles,
simulations can be science-based (where, for example, interactions of things are
observed or measured), or involve interactions with humans. Our primary focus at IST
is on the latter— human-in-the-loop — simulations.

Live simulations typically involve humans and/or equipment and activity in a setting
where they would operate for real. Think war games with soldiers out in the field or
manning command posts. Time is continuous, as in the real world. Another example
of live simulation is testing a car battery using an electrical tester.

Virtual simulations typically involve humans and/or equipment in a

computer-controlled setting. Time is in discrete steps, allowing users to concentrate
on the important stuff, so to speak. A flight simulator falls into this category.

Constructive simulations typically do not involve humans or equipment as

participants. Rather than by time, they are driven more by the proper sequencing of
events. The anticipated path of a hurricane might be "constructed" through application
of temperatures, pressures, wind currents and other weather factors. Science-based
simulations are typically constructive in nature.
 STELLA SOFTWARE

STELLA (short for Systems Thinking, Experimental Learning Laboratory with

Animation) is a visual programming language modeling introduced by Barry
Richmond in 1985. STELLA has been used in academia as a teaching tool and has
been utilized in a variety of research and business applications. This program allows
users to run models created as graphical representations of a system using four
fundamental building blocks.

Simulation is widely used in educational purposes. In such situations students

will spend time learning valuable lessons in a safe virtual environment. A food chain
is the sequence of who eats whom in a biological community (an ecosystem) to obtain
nutrition. A food chain starts with the primary energy source, usually the sun. The
next link in the chain is an organism that make its own food from the primary energy
source. An example is photosynthetic plants that make their own food from sunlight
(using a process called photosynthesis). These are called autotrophs or primary
producers. Next come organisms that eat the autotrophs; these organisms are called
herbivores or primary consumers. An example is a rabbit that eats grass.

The next link in the chain is animals that eat herbivores - these are called
secondary consumer. An example is a snake that eat rabbits. In turn, these animals are
eaten by larger predators. An example is an owl that eats snakes.

The arrows in a food chain show the flow of energy, from the sun to a top
predator. As the energy flows from organism to organism, energy is lost at each step.
A network of many food chains is called a food web. In this experiment, we want to
investigate the food chain between palm oil, mouse and owl. The palm oil plant act as
a primary producers while mouse acts as a primary consumer. The owl which eat the
mouse act as secondary consumer. We using the STELLA to conduct this experiment.
 ADVANTAGES OF SIMULATION

Stella gives many advantages in teaching and learning process. One of the
advantages is the teaching and learning process will become more interesting and
exciting as the learners can explore everything in various types of experiments.
Students also can enjoy the learning process and not just imagine on what have been
taught by the teachers.

Next, Simulation software helps students learn more interest because it contains
diagrams, graphs, interesting application and Colourful figure. It can attract students’
attention and increase the motivation to study the subject. By using the software,
students will think every subjects is easy and possible to do. It will also increase the
level of curiosity among students and will improve confidence between them and to
put more effort on it.

Stella can save the cost. This is because the educators do not need to provide the
apparatus and materials needed for the experiment. Using simulation software,
students can quickly try out their ideas at the fraction of the cost of trying them in the
real organization.

Besides, it helps student to be more active other than passive in the classroom in
the classroom as they are attracted to the stimulation and will involve directly with the
activity that will be held. The simulators can be used as an effective means for
teaching concepts to students. Simulations help students understand probability and
sampling theory. Classes in the physical sciences reinforce and build upon the
concepts and theories taught in lecture with opportunities to experiment in a
laboratory setting, courses in the social sciences often do not include similar,
hands-on learning opportunities. Instructional simulations have proven their worth
many times over in the statistics based fields. The ability to match simulation results
with an analytically derived conclusion is especially valuable in beginning classes,
where students often struggle with sampling theory. This is particularly true of
simulators that make intelligent use of computer graphics and animation. Such
simulators dynamically show the behaviour and relationship of all the simulated
system's components, thereby providing the user with a meaningful understanding of
the system's nature.
 DISADVANTAGES OF SIMULATION

There are several disadvantages of the simulation. First of all, the software is too
expensive. It very expensive to build simulation model because it requires computer
software to run the experiment and the cost of the software is about RM3000 which is
unaffordable for the school department to buy it. Most large scale simulation
languages and their environment represent a major investment. If animation is going
to be used, it will cost must include a graphic monitor.

Next, to produce or build a simulation, it requires well training from the expert,
because as we know most of the teachers only know to use a basic software in
computers such as Microsoft Office , in this case the teachers need to explore new
software and this required additional training and it might takes a long time to be an
expert. The training also might need a cost to hired an expert.

Basically, problems faced by the old teachers who are not interested in the use of
the technology they are more comfortable with traditional methods that they use ever
since. From previous studies also found a teacher who has been blended with
traditional methods and difficult to adapt instructional technology (Becker & Watts,
1996). The explosion of ICT technologies present new challenges to the teaching
profession and the education system in secondary schools who have yet to experience
a drastic change in terms of the adoption of new technologies, including computers,
digital, e-Learning and so on.

Lastly, the simulation cause students to lack in science process skill which is also
important in the real life. If learning process depends too much on simulations,
students will not be able to handle hands on experiment successfully. In science
experiment, students need to know and expert in the way of measuring substance,
how to handle the apparatus, how to use microscope, correct way of taking reading;
all of these are essential as a basic scientific skills. Simulation can give result, analyze
data, and mimics the real world process, but simulation cannot develop students’
emotional and intuitive awareness of the importance of what they have learned. Since
simulation can simplify many of the students’ work, students tend not to appreciate
the knowledge and the value they gain.
 GRAPH 1

 The observer first adjust the mice knob (increase) in the Stella stimulation.

 Then click the button for “run the experiment”

 Lastly the graph will demonstrate the result that happen to the variable.

Interprets data:

Owls do not have enough source of food (mice) as the population of mice decreased.

At the beginning of experiment the production of palm oil is low causing the
decreasing population of mice and owls. This is because the palm oil is the producer
of this food chain and they are also become source of food to mice.

At certain point, the population of mice increased as the population of owls decrease
(facing extinction). This make population of owls increase as the population of mice
increase.

Lastly, the production of palm oils increase when the population of mice decrease
because its been eaten by the owls.
 GRAPH 2

 For second graph, the observer adjust the owls knob (increase).

 Then observer click the “run the experiment”.

 Lastly the graph will demonstrate the result that happen to the variable.

Interprets data:

The size population of mice low at first as the population of the owls high.

At certain point, the population of owls become decrease rapidly as the population of
the mice decrease because they do not have sufficient food to survive.

As the production of palm oils increasing , the production of mice also increase

Lastly, the production of palm oils become decrease due to the population of mice
increase.
 GRAPH 3

 Last graph, the observer adjust both of the knob cause increasing of parameter
value of mice and owls.

 Then observer click the “run the experiment”.

 Lastly the graph will demonstrate the result that happen to the variable.

Interpret data:

The population of the owls is decreasing rapidly due to the low number population of
the mice.

The production of palm oils become increase as the population of mice low.

At certain time, the population of mice increase because of higher production of palm
oils as their source of food.

At last the production of palm oils decrease as they being eaten by the mice.
 HOW STUDENT CAN LEARN FROM STELLA

Stella helps students can predict the shape of graph in real life situation for
determine the experiment on biological control of the production of palm oils and the
population of mice and owl. They can understand the relation between population of
palm oils, owls and mice better as they can see the plotting of graph immediately
when they just click ‘run’. Hence, students will be able to relate the result to real
experiment by analysing the graph from simulation if it were to be conducted. This is
an effective way to teach students about what will happen to the food chain if any
population of three organisms changes whether increase or decrease in the field of
biology and enhance their understanding towards this topic instead of just studying
theoretically.

Students can learn that the change in population will affect the outcome of
experiment. They will easily understand that the increased in population of owls will
decrease the population of the mice over the same period of time. This helps students
to understand and analyse the graph better because they can actually carry out the
experiment by just running the system as if they are doing the experiment in the real
world. This learning is more effective than just studying the books which is all fixed.
With this, students can predict the outcome of increasing population in real situation
by studying the pattern of the graph from simulation.

Students can learn from this simulation by predicting the outcome of the graph by
changing the parameter. Students will be able to understand the meaning of food
chain and how it affects the ecosystem. Students will be also able to conclude that by
using the graph as a lesson material, students will be able to construct their own
understanding on how different population of species can affect the production of
different species in the food chain. Students will be able to predict the changes in
population species and altering the parameter.
 Students can understand what the graph indicates when the curve increases or
decreases. They can also explain the increasing or decreasing trend of curve in the
graphs. Furthermore, students can observe and state the different number of
population at the end of this experiment by analyzing the graphs. Teachers also will
explain what will happen to the population of the owls and palm oils if the mice
increase and make the students interested to learn it. When the number of owl increase,
the number of mouse decrease and the number of palm oil increase. When the number
of owl decrease, the number of mouse increase and the number of pal oil palm oil
decrease.

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to draw out a conclusion on the
relationship between the he relationship between palm oil,mouse and owl in the food
chain.. Students can achieve a higher order thinking skills by analyzing the graphs and
comparing the graphs when different species in food chain is applied.
CONCLUSION

As a conclusion, Systems Thinking for Education and Research or also known as

STELLA has a lot of benefits for us to use it in our teaching and learning process. As
we know, this software is a modeling software package that diagrams, charts, and uses
animation to help visual learners discover relationships between variables and helps
simplify model building.

In addition, Stella handles time series, sensitivity, and simulation models well and
has a 'drag and drop' modeling interface. By using this software in class, teaching and
learning process can be more attractive thus can attract student attention to be more
active and participate in the class and become more motivate to learn the subject.

From the simulation of STELLA, the graph shown the relationship related the
food chain between palm oil, mouse and owl. Student can see the changes of the
pattern clearly due to less error when using the computer simulation. The
collected data more precise.