Applications of virtual simulation and their impact in education and training Essay

By replicating experiences, role models hold great potential for educating spate or training professionals for almost any task. Research shows more accomplishment is acquired through virtual reality than through reading or lectures. antithetical from other visual technologies much(prenominal) as film, television and photography, virtual feigning is very effective in education and training beca custom it evict add interactive experience with theories and concepts. Students learn while they are situated in the context where what they learn is to be applied.They get immediate feedback as they research their understanding of the material (Hitlab). practical(prenominal) reality transports apprentices and lets them explore places they are non able to visit or experience in the real public and could also allow them to visit different places in different cartridge holder periods that they could not experience in one lifetime. Indeed, virtual reality evokes numerous possibiliti es for education and training across a whole range of disciplines. scorn prohibitive be, more and more educational institutions are exploring pretension technologies as teaching aids and research tools (Byrne, 1993).However, the benefits far outweigh the high constitutes of simulation technologies. For ideal, virtual simulation could be used to avoid the physical, safety, and cost constraints that limit schools in the types of environments they can provide for accomplishment-by-doing. To expose them to situated learning, atomic Engineering students could learn more about the thermonuclear reactor by studying simulated models with HMD and 3D gloves instead of a real nuclear reactor. Virtual reality technology facilitates constructivist learning activities and also hold ups different types of learners such as those who are visually oriented.Virtual simulation could also influence the limitations of distance learning in science and engineering education by providing virtual la boratories in place of hands-on experiments. Physical phenomena that are not easily perceived or measured in usual experiments can be presented in a virtual world and can be viewed in many different perspectives in a VR laboratory. Furthermore, virtual simulation could also address the problems of high costs and hazards of complicated experiments (Kim, et al. , 2001). Figure 2. computer simulation offers interactive demonstration of the AC and DC generators (from Kim, et al. , 2001) simulations in education boil down on specific lessons or tasks and allow the replication of abstract concepts and ideas. Simulation techniques are used to create a microworld that simulates an abstract concept and allows the learner to experiment or construct objects to facilitate understanding. A good example of a microworld is the Global Challenge Award online STEM learning sack site that teaches science concepts related to global warming and the future of energy. Virtual simulation could also be u sed, for example, by an ecology to study hydrology and world growth and decay for wildlife species in a given geographic region.An uranologist could also simulate the collision of galaxies and the formation of dark matter. Virtual simulation allows professionals to explore their fields without having to run extensive and costly physical, on site, experiments (Fishwick, 1995). The use of simulation environments has been found to be very effective educational tools because they support self-driven learning (Trindade et al. , 2002). Figure 3. Interactive demonstration of different types of waves (from Kim, et al. , 2001)Multisensory immersion would be the best way for science students to learn complex scientific concepts. In a study of virtual reality physics simulation (VRPS) conducted by Kim, et al. (2001), it was found out that students who were exposed to VRPS programs that provide rich interactive learning environments showed higher academic achievement and felt more satisfactio n and fire in the learning process. In another study done by Jensen, et al. (2004), it was shown that 3D visualizations can improve learner satisfaction due to the acute presentation, and at least maintain learning efficacy.