Research shows experiential learning happens in simulations

November 20, 2024

Future teachers are stepping into virtual worlds to learn real-world consequences through simulations using SchoolSims software.

Dr. David De Jong, dean of the College of Education & Human Performance, collaborated with Dr. Sara Dexter of the University of Virginia, an international leader in simulation research, to publish a research paper on this topic. "Experiential learning through simulations in fully online asynchronous courses: Exploring the role of self-debriefing," has been accepted for publication in The Internet and Higher Education.

SchoolSims provides a library of simulations that allows educators and aspiring educators to walk through different scenarios with options on how to respond.

"I believe that experience is the best teacher, which is the mission of SchoolSims," he said.

He added, "I began using simulations from SchoolSims in 2015, and the more I used them, the more I liked them."

He has conducted similar research studies in the past and found they provide a safe environment, with opportunities to analyze the decisions made throughout.

"This study provides evidence that people completing simulations in an online, asynchronous format still have a genuine life experience, as explained by Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory," De Jong said.

Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory is a model that breaks down learning into four cycles: experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting.

"After spending hundreds and hundreds of hours on this project, it is humbling to get this accepted in a high-impact journal," he said.

De Jong has presented this and earlier research on panels and at conferences, and often serves as a facilitator, leading other educators through the simulations nationally and internationally.