Simulations.net Blog

6-Step Workflow for Creating a Simulation The most successful Simulation creators spend time planning before they start adding content and questions to ensure it helps people engage with the Simulation's  goals . You're not required to follow this process exactly, but you may find this workflow helpful.  Step 1: Create an outline, add a title, and add Rounds First, use a tool like Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or something similar to start an outline  or use our free (Google Docs) Simulation outline template . Then, after thinking about who will likely participate and what they need or want to learn about the topic, write the title and divide the Simulation into Rounds. As a reference point, here's an example of a Simulation outline that's well-developed and makes use of most of the Simulation features available to you. Write a straightforward title The best titles are often simple. Examples: Your Day as a Barista at Stellar Coffee Hiring a New Accounting Manager Manage...

A Workflow to Develop Preview Content Here's workflow you can use to develop content for your Simulation's preview. This could be used to develop text or to write a script for a video: First, grab the person's attention Add an introductory 2-3 sentences at the beginning of your description. Try starting with a question, statistic, story, or otherwise compelling information about the topic of your Simulation that will capture the person's attention.  Example Simulation Topic: Simulate Hiring a New Accounting Manager Did you know that, according to  Link , the costs associated with hiring someone can reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars? Stakes that high make hiring the wrong person an expensive mistake... and they make people who  can  make good hires extremely valuable.  Second, tell them why this Simulation exists Introduce you or your company are and tell the person why this Simulation was created. For example:  What made you want to share this...

These are likely to be the only three concepts that will be new to you if you're just getting started as a creator or participant on Simulations.net: Choices Choices are the building blocks of Simulations and are associated with a question. Simulations.net forces participants to make a single choice in response to a Question--the Platform doesn't support "pick all that apply" approaches to questions. When a Choice is selected in response to a Question, it impacts on the participant's score and, potentially, triggers Side Effects. Choices can be scored using either a basic or a scenario-weighted approach. See more about Choices and scoring here . Rounds A Round can be thought of as a "phase" of the Simulation. It holds content (text, videos, and/or attachments) where the Simulation creator brings a context to life and then poses questions where participants are forced to make Choices. Side Effects Creators can add Side Effects to Choices as a way of helpi...

What's a Side Effect? Creators can add Side Effects to Choices as a way of helping participants understand that making a Choice may have indirect consequences. There are two kinds of Side Effects: extra feedback and point modification. The former causes Choice-specific feedback to be shown to the participant in their results and the latter causes their score to be modified positively or negatively. Why we added the Side Effects feature We created Simulations.net so that learners can participate in meaningful digital learning experiences that more-closely resemble real life. In life, often times our choices have side effects that are only realized later. For example, we decide to attend a professional conference to generate sales leads and, as a side effect, meet someone who may be a good hire. Or, alternatively, we decide to take out a loan now and have to pay interest on it later. You can simulate these experiences by adding Side Effects to your Simualtion's Choices. How to u...

Choices, Points, and Scoring Settings Choices are fundamental to Simulations on Simulations.net. When a participants select a Choice, it's used to tabulate their score, show them feedback, and, (potentially) to trigger side effects. All of these elements are what make participating in the simulation interesting and enable participants to make progress on their learning goals. Two Scoring Options: Basic and Scenario-weighted When you add a Choice to a question, you have to determine, at minimum, what score will be associated with that Choice. You can either cause Simulations.net to score the Choice simply (basic scoring) or cause it to include randomness in how its scored (scenario-weighted scoring). Basic Scoring: Keeping it Simple Basic scoring is pretty straightforward. It will cause the Simulations.net to add the value of the Choice to the participant's total score when they complete the Simulation. Scenario-weighted Scoring: Adding Randomness When you set up scenario-weight...

Why are Simulation goals so important? Simulation participants are making a commitment. They’re spending their time and are hoping to gain something in return. It’s crucial for designers to create simulations that address the needs of your ideal participants. Maybe they're are trying to get better at their job, to learn  more about a passion, or are gain experience doing something they're unfamiliar with. Goals define what participants will take away from the Simulation. A good goal is one that the participant could, after participating in the Simulation, easily tell a friend or colleague about. For example, "I feel more comfortable about deciding which candidates to bring in for interviews now" or "I know a little more about what it feels like to skip reviewing the contract before signing." Guide to writing your Simulation goals When writing your goals, first list the key concepts or skills a participant would need to navigate the Simulation ( Round by Rou...