SMISLE: System for Multimedia Integrated Simulation Learning Environments

Abstract

The SMISLE project (System for Multimedia Integrated Simulation Learning Environments) has two main objectives. First, it aims to define exploratory learning environments based on simulations that incorporate instructional support for learners in such a way that effective and efficient learning will result. Second, it aims to provide authors of these simulation learning environments with an authoring toolkit that not only presents technical, but also conceptual support. Providing support to the learner can be done in many different ways. The project started with an inventory of potential instructional support measures and selected four types of measures that now have been implemented: progressive model implementation, assignments, explanations, and hypothesis scratchpads. The simulation environments that incorporate these support measures are designed around five different models each carrying a specific function. The runnable model is an efficient representation of the domain that will make the simulation run; the cognitive model is the representation of the domain that is tailored to learning and instruction; the instructional model incorporates the instructional support; the learner model keeps track of knowledge and characteristics of the learner; and the interface model decides upon the appearance of the simulation environment to the student. Together these models form the resulting application for the learner, which is called a MISLE (Multimedia Integrated Simulation Learning Environment). The main task of an author is to create the different models in the MISLE, with the exception of the runnable model which is automatically generated from the cognitive model. Creating the different models essentially means that an author has to select, specialise and instantiate generic building blocks (that can be regarded as generic templates) that are offered in libraries of building blocks. For each of the models there is a separate library of building blocks and a set of dedicated editors for specialising and instantiating the building blocks. Additionally, authors are guided through the authoring process by a methodology and they have access to instructional advice which provides them with ideas on which instructional support measures to apply.