An Introduction to Simulation Training Through the Lens of Experience and Activity Analysis

Abstract

This opening chapter offers an overview of the conditions under which experience and activity can be fruitful objects for examining what occurs in simulation training, understanding participants’ learning and development processes, and deriving robust design principles. It is argued that this approach is particularly useful in the field of simulation training, especially when achieving high standards of operational performance is complicated by critical issues (health, safety, security, protection, etc.) and difficult working environments (dynamic, uncertain, high-risk, etc.). We show that this approach is able to integrate authentic, embodied, and embedded practice experiences with domain-related or cross-cutting learning content. We also provide key concepts that can guide readers in understanding how simulation-enhanced learning and development processes are studied and how the different ways of enabling trainees to construct usable knowledge in verisimilar contexts are derived from these studies. The organization of the book sections and chapters are then presented. In sum, this opening chapter introduces the purpose of the book, explains why the research presented here fills an important knowledge gap, and suggests ways that readers might profitably engage with its contents.