ABSTRACT
Introduction The term ‘simulation’ refers to a wide range of experiences and concepts. M.E. Gredler distinguishes between experiential and symbolic simulations, whereby the former place the learner/user in a professional role or social function (for example, a doctor) that requires deliberation to accomplish a task in a context rife with problems. The latter provide the learner/user with space for experimentation, in which the learner/user can try different strategies and observe and interact in environments that are typically not available or dangerous (for example, subatomic particles and radioactive materials) (Gredler 1996). Both experiential and symbolic simulations contain game features, such as a realization that actions taken by the learner/user will not have real-life implications. However, as Dennis Charsky argues, simulations require such characteristics as competition and fantasy to create an entertaining game experience (Charsky 2010). Simulations differ technologically: physical simulations use objects that substitute for the real thing or process, whereas computer simulations produce mathematical models that replicate real-life situations, or recreate hypothetical analogs.
