MAXIMIZING THE POTENTIAL OF TRANSPARENT SIMULATIONS BY COMBINING PERFORMANCE GOALS WITH LEARNING GOALS AND EXPLORATORY GUIDANCE IN A DYNAMICALLY COMPLEX TASK.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	MAXIMIZING THE POTENTIAL OF TRANSPARENT SIMULATIONS BY COMBINING PERFORMANCE GOALS WITH LEARNING GOALS AND EXPLORATORY GUIDANCE IN A DYNAMICALLY COMPLEX TASK.
Authors:	Capelo, Carlos¹, Pereira, Renato²
Source:	Proceedings of the IADIS International Conference on Cognition & Exploratory Learning in Digital Age. 2021, p147-154. 8p.
Subject Terms:	Learning, Education, *Motor ability testing, System dynamics, Performance evaluation
Abstract:	Simulation-based learning environments have been proposed by researchers, as educational tools to support learning in complex business systems. However, studies have evidenced that subjects may nevertheless have great difficulty understanding and managing dynamic systems. Previous research has revealed positive learning and performance effects of using transparent simulations (that is, revealing users the structure and behaviour of the simulator model). This study explores the effects of combining exploratory guidance, learning goals, and performance goals in a transparent simulation of a dynamically complex system. We present a set of hypotheses about the influence of different goal-setting conditions on participants' performance and comprehension of the system dynamics. In a simulation experiment, participants interacted with a system dynamics model representing the growth of a business venture. Participants who previously worked higher learning goals under exploratory guidance and were then submitted to higher performance goals (compared to vague goals) achieved higher performance and demonstrated better comprehension of the model dynamics. However, participants who were only subjected to more specific, high performance goals (compared to vague performance goals) did not improve their outcomes and revealed larger differences within the treatment group. Two out of the four hypotheses were confirmed. In a transparent simulation of a dynamically complex system, setting specific, high learning goals, previously worked through exploratory guidance, positively moderates the impact of the level of performance goals on the comprehension of the model dynamics and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	Simulation-based learning environments have been proposed by researchers, as educational tools to support learning in complex business systems. However, studies have evidenced that subjects may nevertheless have great difficulty understanding and managing dynamic systems. Previous research has revealed positive learning and performance effects of using transparent simulations (that is, revealing users the structure and behaviour of the simulator model). This study explores the effects of combining exploratory guidance, learning goals, and performance goals in a transparent simulation of a dynamically complex system. We present a set of hypotheses about the influence of different goal-setting conditions on participants' performance and comprehension of the system dynamics. In a simulation experiment, participants interacted with a system dynamics model representing the growth of a business venture. Participants who previously worked higher learning goals under exploratory guidance and were then submitted to higher performance goals (compared to vague goals) achieved higher performance and demonstrated better comprehension of the model dynamics. However, participants who were only subjected to more specific, high performance goals (compared to vague performance goals) did not improve their outcomes and revealed larger differences within the treatment group. Two out of the four hypotheses were confirmed. In a transparent simulation of a dynamically complex system, setting specific, high learning goals, previously worked through exploratory guidance, positively moderates the impact of the level of performance goals on the comprehension of the model dynamics and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]