References & Comments

These references to articles, web-sites and abstracts tells us how others - than our selfs - thinking and writing about parallelism and the PI theory; and all that what combines that in relation to the people's short memory, (procedural) tasks en/of performance (of systems).

Min, R. (1992). Parallel instruction, A theory for educational computer simulation. Interactive Learning International, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 177-183.

The basics about the Parallel Instruction Theory in doing, working and learning environments.

Min, R. (1994). Parallelism in open learning and working environments. British journal of Educational Technology, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 108-112.

The basics about the concept of parallelism in media (in common).

Min, F.B.M., (1999). Interactive Micro-worlds on the World Wide Web. Int. J. of Continuing Engineering Education and Long-life Learning, Vol. 9, no. 2/3/4, p. 302-314.

The basics about software products (applets) built with the design system JavaTHESIS and based on parallelism and the Parallel Instruction Theory.

Mousavi, S. Y., Low, R., & Sweller, J. (1995). Reducing cognitive load by mixing auditory and visual presentation modes. Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 87, pp. 319-334.

The use of partly visual mode of presentation for geometry worked examples. The logic was based on the split attention effect and the effect of presentation modality on working memory. Split attention between multiple sources of information.

Baddely, A. D. (1992, January 31). Working Memory. Science, 225, 556-559.

Baddeley, A. D. (1993). Human Memory: Theory and practice. Cambridge: Lawrence Erlbaum Assiosates.

Schneider, W. and Shiffrin, R.M. (1977). Controlled and automatic human information processing: I. Detection, search, and attention. Psychological Review, 84, 1-66.

Shiffrin, R. M. and Schneider, W. (1977). Controlled and automatic human information processing: II. Perceptual Learning, automatic attending, and a general theory. Psychological Review, 84, 127-190.

Sweller, J., van Merrienboer, J. J. G., and Paas, F. G. W. C. (1998). Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design. Educational Psychological Review, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 251-296.

The cognitive load theory assumes a limited capicity working memory that includes partially independent subcomponents to deal with auditory/verbal material and visual/2- of 3-dimensional information.

Benshoof, L.A., en S. Hooper (1993). The effectes of single- and multiple-Window Presentation on Archievements During Computer-Based Instruction'. J. of Comp. Based Inst. vol. 20, no. 4, p. 113-117.

Benshoof and Hooper investigated the effects of using single- and multiple-window presentations on archievement and window-use.

Merrienboer, J. J. G. van, J.G. Schuurman, M.B.M. de Croock and F.G.W.C. Paas (2002)
Redirecting learners' attention during training: effects on cognitive load, transfer test performance and training efficiency. Learning and Instruction, Vol.12, No.1, p.11-37.

Barfield, L. (1994). Learning about user userinterfaces for learning; science, art of craft? Interact, vol. 1, no. 4, 8-10.

Bly, S. A., & Rosenberg, J. K. (1986). A comparison of tiled and overlapping windows. Proceedings of the CHI 86, human factors in computing systems conference, pp. 101-106. New York: Assiociation for computing machinery.

Cohen, R. L. (1981). On the generality of some memory laws. Scandinavian journal of psychology, 22, 267-281.

Chandler, P., and Sweller, J. (1996). Cognitive Load while learning to use a computer program. Appl. Cogn. Psychol. 10: 151-170.

Chi, M. T. H. (1978). Knowledge structures and memory development. In R. S. Siegler (Ed.), Children's thinking: What develops?, 73-96. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Sweller, J., van Merrienboer, J. J. G., and Paas, F. G. W. C. (2001). Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design. Educational Psychological Review, Vol. 10, No. 3, p. 251-296.

The Cognitive Load theory (CLT) (according Schweller and others) give us a theoretical basis to the Parallel Instruction Theory of Min (the PI theory), on the basis of human memory theories. According to the Cognitive Load Theory users may get an information overload when there is too much information that is presented parallel (Schneider and Shiffrin, 1977; Shiffrin and Schneider, 1977). However, if the effort used to process large portions of information enhances learning, cognitive load theory speaks of germane cognitive load.
Several instructional rules, with respect to parallel presentation of information, were derived from CLT:
• Split-Attention Effect: if two sources of information, that have to be integrated to be understood, are provided separately (for example, a diagram and accompanying statements), 'students' perform worse than if these sources of information are integrated physically (Mousavi, Low, and Sweller, 1995).
• Redundancy Effect: if two sources of information, that each represent the same information in a different manner, are provided simultaneously, 'students' perform worse, than if only one of these sources is used.
• Modality effect: if visual information is presented simultaneously with auditory information, information processing is better than if visual information is presented simultaneously with visual information (Baddeley, 1992).

According to Baddeley (1992) working memory consists of an 'auditory part' (phonological loop) and a 'visual part' (visual-spatial scratch pad). These memory parts are considered as independent traces. As a consequence a combination of visual and auditory information results in better processing than the combination visual (text) and visual (picture) (see Chandler and Sweller, 1996).

According to the Cognitive Load Theory users may get an information overload when there is too much information presented in parallel. However, if the effort used to process large portions of information enhances learning, cognitive load theory speaks of germane cognitive load (Sweller, van Merrienboer, and Paas, 2001).

Parallel presentation of visual information: The benefits and losses of presenting visual information in a parallel manner are:

Benefits:
• Serves as external memory
• Provides context information
• Decreases search for relevant information
• Increases possibility to compare and associate related information
Losses:
• Shallower information processing
• Increases chance of an information overload

Sweller, J. (1994). Cognitive Load Theory. Learning & Instruction. vol. 4; pp 295-312.

Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive Load during problem solving. Cognitive Science. vol. 12; pp 257-285.

Chandler, P., and Sweller, J. (1996). Cognitive Load while learning to use a computer program. Appl. Cogn. Psychol. 10: 151-170.

Besides the simultaneous presentation of information in different windows (visually), information can be presented parallel via different modalities. According to Baddeley (1992) working memory consists of an 'auditory part' (phonological loop) and a 'visual part' (visual-spatial scratch pad). These memory parts are considered as independent traces. As a consequence a combination of visual and auditory information results in better processing than the combination visual (text) and visual (picture) verbal (see Chandler and Sweller, 1996).

Mayer, R. E. and R. Moreno (2000). A split attention Effect in multimedia Learning: Evidence for Dual Processing Systems in Working Memory. J. of Educ. Psych., Vol. 90, no. 2, p. 312-320.

Mayer, R. E., and R. Moreno (2000). Aids to computer-based multimedia Learning; (preprint; electronisch).

Mayer, R.E., and .... (....). Aids to computer-based multimedia Learning; (preprint; electronisch)

Mayer, R.E., and Anderson (1991). Animations Need Narrations: An Experimental Test of a Dual-coding Hypothesis. J. of Educ. Psych. Vol. 83, no. 4, pp. 484-490.

An article about the Dual Code Theory. It describes two experiments: with verbal instruction before and during an animation of an animation of a pump; and in conection with visuals and verbal stimuli.

Mayer, R.E., and Anderson (1992). The Instructive Animation: Helping students build connections between words and pictures in multimedia learning. J. of Educ. Psych. Vol. 84, no. 4, pp. 444-452.

An article about .... It describes some experiments: with a pump.

Paivio, A., (1986). Mental representation: A dual coding approach. Oxford England. Oxford University Press.

The article about the Dual Code Theory.

Ainsworth, S. (1999). The functions of multiple representations. Computers and Education, 33, 131-152.

The effect of simultaneously presented information differs per study, because the types of representations that are presented simultaneously differ. In this study a functional taxonomy of multiple representations is given. There are representations that are used as complementary information, there are representations that are used to constrain possible (mis)interpretations and there are representations that are used to encourage learners to construct deeper understanding of a situation.

Barfield, L. (1994)
Learning about user userinterfaces for learning; science, art of craft? Interact, vol. 1, no. 4, 8-10.

Mayer & Anderson, 1991, Experiment 2a;

Mayer & Anderson, 1992, Experiments 1 and 2

Moreno, R., and R.E. Mayer (1999). Cognitive Principles of Multimedia Learning: the role of modality and Cogniguity. J. of Educ. Psychology, vol. 91, no. 2. pp. 358-368.

Moreno, Mayer, Boire and Vagge (1999). J. of Educ. Psychology, vol. 91, pp. 638-643.

Moreno, R., and R.E. Mayer (1999). Multimedia supported Metaphors for meaning Making in Mathematics. Cognition & Instruction, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 215-248.

Mayer and Moreno (1999) about ... and ....

Moreno, R., and R.E. Mayer (1999). Cognitive Principles of Multimedia Learning: the role of modality and Cogniguity. J. of Educ. Psychology, vol. 91, no. 2, pp. 358-368.

Mayer and Moreno (1999) about multimedia learning and modality principles.

Moreno, R., and R.E. Mayer (2000). A coherence Effect in multimedia learning: the case for minimizing irrelevant sounds in the design of multimedia instructional messages. J. of Educ. Psychology, vol. 92, no. 1, pp. 117-125.

Mayer and Moreno (2000) investigated the current status of multimedia learning. They did experiments to find out whether multimedia, consisting of words and pictures that both contain the same contents, works with respect to problem-solving transfer. They discovered that, when spoken words are used in combination with pictures learners learn better than when they are solely confronted with verbal explanation. "In three out of three separate tests, students learned more deeply from narration and animation than from animation alone (Mayer & Anderson, 1991, Experiment 2a; Mayer & Anderson, 1992, Experiments 1 and 2).

Their explanation is that when provided with animation and verbal explanation, learners are more likely to develop verbal and visual representations and to make connections between them. In short, as to problem-solving transfer multimedia presentations can result in better transfer.

Mayer and Moreno also discovered that not all kinds of multimedia presentations work equally effective. They investigated the effect of:

• Successive presentation of animation and verbal explanation versus simultaneous presentation of animation and verbal explanation: Simultaneous presentation is more effective, because if information is provided simultaneously, learners are more likely to hold the animation and narration in working memory at the same time, and to select, organise and integrate relevant words and images into coherent verbal and visual representations.
• Simultaneous presentation of animation and verbal explanation plus embellishing side information (additive information and/or sounds) versus simultaneous presentation of animation and verbal explanation: Simultaneous presentation without embellishing information is more effective (see also, Garner, Gillingham & White, 1989; Harp & Mayer, 1997), because the connecting of information was interfered by embellishing information, it caused an information overload in working memory.
• Simultaneous presentation of animation and verbal explanation versus simultaneous presentation of animation and on-screen text as explanation: Simultaneous presentation with verbal explanation is more effective, because of the split attention effect (see also, Mousavi, Low, and Sweller, 1995).
• Simultaneous presentation of animation and verbal explanation versus simultaneous presentation of animation and on-screen text as explanation versus simultaneous presentation of animation and verbal explanation and on-screen text as explanation: Simultaneous presentation of animation and verbal explanation is more effective, because of a redundancy effect.

Kandogan, E., (1998). Kandogan: Hierarchical multi-window management with elastic layout dynamics. Thesis/dissertation.

Kandogan heeft het in zijn dissertatie en zijn artikel op internet over 'multi-windowing managment' en de 'overlapping windows approach'. Hij noemt zijn methode: 'elastic windows'. Er is in zijn windows een 'semantic relationship'. Hij heeft het over 'fast task-switching' en 'essential spatial relationship'. Hij zegt dat: The Elastic Windows approach is "a spatially and operationally scalable alternative to current systems". Hij heeft onderzoek gedaan met (aantal ?) proefpersonen naar 'complex task situations'.
Hij signaleert dat gebruikers altijd een 'rapid access' tot iets willen hebben bij het uitvoeren van een taak. Hij heeft het over 'to manage larger amounts of information' en een 'significant impact in productivity'.

In zijn werk signaleert hij het feit dat users en ontwerpers nu eenmaal meerdere windows op een beeldscherm willen, maar dat daarbij het onderliggende probleem meestal is om met al die aparte windows om te kunnen gaan. "Het managen is het probleem". Hij spreekt over dit soort fenomenen in termen van 'design principles'. Hoewel multi-windowing geen directe oplossing is van problemen bij ons parallellisme project, is het fenomeen van windows verklaarbaar uit de behoefte van de mens om alles te willen en te kunnen overzien. In een ander artikel heeft hij het over 'rapid multiple window managment'. In dat artikel zijn vele fraaie afbeeldingen opgenomen waar we in ons onderzoek wat aan kunnen hebben. Er is een fraaie publicatielijst opgenomen. Hij publiceert o.a. in de 'SIGCHI bladen en onder de kopjes 'human factors in computing systems' en 'Advanced Visual Interfaces'. Conclusie: We moeten zonder meer contact zoeken met deze onderzoeker.

Relan, A., (1991). The Desktop Environment in Computer Based Instruction: Cognitive Foundations and Implications for Instructional Design. Educ. & Techn., vol. ..., no. ..., pp. 7-14

The article about the Desktop Philosophy of Xerox (first) and Apple (second). They explain the word: multi-modal presentations; the use of multiple modalities. See there for the references about that.

Schaffer en Sorflaten .... (1998)

Schaffer en Sorflaten hebben het in hun artikel op internet over 'window lay-out'. Zij hebben het over 'human factors'. Zij signaleren een probleem dat gewone mensen (hier: slachtoffers) iets moeten bekijken (gezichten van misdadigers) en onthouden; en dus steeds dingen op een beeldscherm moet kunnen vergelijken (een identificatie-probleem). Dat geeft specifieke problemen. Zij spreken in termen van 'screen design' en van een 'war against GUI's'. Zij signaleren ook een 'different strategy' to 'understand' 'something on the screen' bijvoorbeeld als er bepaalde 'woorden' in relatie tot hetzelfde begrip, maar dan in de vorm van 'pictures' naast staan. Hoewel dat aspect van hun onderzoek niet veel met ons onderzoek aangaande 'parallellisme' te maken heeft, spelen dit soort dingen er wel een rol bij.

Marsh, Sebrechts, Hicks & Landau (1997). Processing strategies and secondary memory in very rapid forgetting. Memory & Cognition.

Marsh, Sebrechts, Hicks & Landau schrijven in hun artikel 'processing strategies and secondary memory in very rapid forgetting' in 'Memory & Cognition' (1997) over het primaire en secudaire geheugen. Zo hebben onderzoek gedaan met 'orientation tasks'. Zij hebben het over het 'Brown-Peterson paradigma' (een soort herinnerings-functie?) (nog verder uitzoeken).

Diehl & Mills (1995). The effects of interaction with the device described by procedural text on recall, true/falls, and task performance. Memory & Cognition.

Diehl & Mills hebben het in hun artikel over dat "information available while reading leads to diffenrential development of representations in memory, which, in turn, causes differences in perfomance on various measures". (Een 'task' is 'read and do' of 'read and see experimenter do' of 'read and imagine' of 'read and see' of 'read only'.)

(Tip: Wij kunnen zelf - in ons onderzoek - ook wel eens een instructietekst met en zonder plaatjes gaan vergelijken. Maar dat zal al wel veel gedaan zijn; uitzoeken dus.) (Van Dijk (1983) wordt in dit artikel aangehaald; die suggereert dat als je propositionele en situationele representaties - plaatjes - bij een tekst hebt het lange termijn geheugen beter wordt geactiveerd.)

Potter (1993). Very short-term conceptual memory. Memory & Cognition

Potter van het MIT schrijft in zijn of haar artikel 'very short-term conceptual memory' in 'Memory & Cognition' (1993) over het 'long term memory' (LTM) en het very short-term memory (CSTM); een soort state of the art. Potter is een beroemdheid op zijn gebied. Hij heeft gepubliceerd over 'rapid sequential reading' en 'representional buffers'. Dat laatste moeten we eens onderzoeken in relatie tot iets - met de ogen - panisch vast proberen te houden op een beeldscherm.

Frick, (...). Testing visual short-term memory: simulaneous versus sequential presentations.

Frick schrijft in een artikel dat: "sequential presentation may not optimize use of visual short-term memory and that simultaneous presentations should be tested".

Lieu (1998). Student Reaction To an Interactive Compact Disk on Engineering Graphics. Engineering Design Graphics Journal, vol. 62 no. 1 pp. 19-27.

Lieu schrijft in een artikel iets over parallelle instructie: "Examines the reactions of freshman engineering graphics students to an conjunction with a textbook and a student survey is used to assess reactions to the material". Results indicate that the material helped in understanding the course material. Dat wil zeggen: parallelle instructie. (Abstract uit ERIC; nog niet gelezen.)

Benshoof, L.A., en S. Hooper (1993).

Benshoof en Hooper write in 'The effectes of single- and multiple-Window Presentation on Archievements During Computer-Based Instruction'. J. of Comp. Based Inst. vol.20, no.4, 113-117: "There are several underlying reasons to base this theory on". "Simultaneously presented information can serve as an external memory". This decreases the chance of forgetting relevant information.

Tombaugh, J., Lickorisch, A., & Wright, P. (1987). Multi-window displays for readers of lengthy texts. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 26, pp. 597-615

Tombaugh et al. write in this article: "Parallel information can also provide users with continuously available context information, such as spatial and informational cues". An example of spatial information is the 'online lay out '- option in Word that continuously presents a document's lay out while one is working with this document. This helps users to orient. An informational cue could, for example, be the time clock that stays active during working in a document. Another advantage of the direct availability of parallel information is that it decreases the search length for needed information, because it is already present or directly available. Moreover, it increases the possibility to compare and associate this close at hand information.

Burg, B., and Groenewoud, U. A. (1996). Effect van mate van parallelisme op taakuitvoering en gepercipieerd gebruikersgemak. [Effect on measure of parallelism on task performance and perceived user comfort]. Proceedings of the symposium within the framework of the subject 'Research Assignment' (196037). Internal paper. Twente University, Faculty of educational science and technology (The Netherlands).

Burg and Groenewoud investigated in them rapport the effect of information that was simultaneously presented on multiple screens (condition 1), compared to information that was presented on one screen with multiple windows (condition 2). On the screen with multiple windows the information was not continuously presented parallel, but was continuously directly available (second order parallelism). Subjects had to perform a task with a simulation program, CARDIO, about the cardiovascular system and the blood pressure regulation of the human body. In this program medicines had to be administered so that the blood pressure changed. These changes had to be registered in tables. Results showed that task performance (percentage correct answers) was better in the first condition with multiple screens. A questionnaire showed that subjects (students at the University of Twente) also slightly preferred information that was presented on two screens. In addition, although there were no differences found in working speed and perceived usability comfort, subjects thought they had worked faster in the multiple screen condition. Thus, for this particular task the more first order kind of presentation elicited better task performance than second order parallel presentation. As mentioned earlier these research results cannot be generalized to all tasks in general. This is proved by research from Benshoof and Hooper (1993). Their experiments showed that second order information presentation elicited better task performance from high ability students than first order parallelism. Low ability students performed equally for single- (1st order), and multiple (2nd order) window treatments. In this case the task was more memory intensive than performing actions like registering gained information (Burg & Groenewoud). Here, subjects had to apply a formula in different situations (rule-based). The formula consisted of ciphers that were represented by symbols. To calculate sums subjects had to remember or look up which cipher was represented by a certain symbol. In the multiple window case subjects had to rely more on their short term memory than in the condition where the meaning of symbols was available on the same page as the sums.

Case, R. (1985). Intellectual development: Birth to adulthood. New York: Academic Press Inc.

Chi, M. T. H. (1978). Knowledge structures and memory development. In R. S. Siegler (Ed.), Children's thinking: What develops?, 73-96. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Benshoof and Hooper presumed that the former manner of presentation was more demanding with respect to student's memory strategies. It forced students to process information more deeply and accurately resulting in better task performance. This explained why high ability students that used short-term memory processing strategies more effectively (Case, 1985) performed better than low ability students when they were forced to use their own learning strategies. In addition, high ability students could process more information at one time in working memory, because their memory strategies were more efficient (Case, 1985, Chi, 1978). Thus, the external memory of simultaneously presented information, increases the chance of using shallower information processing, which in turn increases the chance of forgetting.

Elbro, C. and J. Christoffersen (1988)
Reading in a moving text-window: differences between fast and slow adult readers. Univ. of Copenhagen. Paper in bezit van indieners.

Oliver, R. (1994)
Proof-reading on paper and screens: The influence of practice and experience on performance. J. of Comp. Based Instr., Vol. 20, no. 4. (118-123).

Bly, S. A., & Rosenberg, J. K. (1986). A comparison of tiled and overlapping windows. Proceedings of the CHI 86, human factors in computing systems conference, 101-106. New York: Assiociation for computing machinery.

Cohen, S., Ward, L. M., Enns, J. T. (1994). Sensation and perception. Florida: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

Cohen, R. L. (1981). On the generality of some memory laws. Scandinavian journal of psychology, 22, 267-281.

Web-based references

http://www.cs.umd.edu/projects/hcil/Research/1997/tcw.html

door Chris North, Graduate Student Computer Science and prof. Ben Shneiderman, Professor, over tightly coupled windows

http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/elastic-windows/

door Kandogan, Graduate Student Computer Science and prof. Shneiderman over elastic windows for Rapid Multiple Window Management.

http://www.omg.unb.ca/hci/projects/gv3d/overview.html of http://www.omg.unb.ca

online artikelen van Dept. Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

http://zeus.gmd.de/projects/diva.html
zoek daar ter plekke met zoekterm: window of windows.

http://www.humanfactors.com/Xjournal/layout.htm

with E. Schaffer about: Window Layout: Cures for Cryptovision

http://lap.umd.edu/LAPFolder/NSFIA/proposal.html

Interface Apparency and Manipulatability: Cognitive Gateways through the Spatial Visualization Barrier in Computer-Based Technologies
Principal Investigator: Kent L. Norman, Department of Psychology and the Human/Computer Interaction Laboratory, Center for Automation Research, University of Maryland

ftp://ftp.cs.umd.edu/pub/hcil/Reports-Abstracts-Bibliography/3784html/3784.html

met J. Corde Lane, Steven P. Kuester, and Ben Shneiderman, Space Systems Laboratory & Human-Cumputer Interaction Laboratory, Department of Computer Science & Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland

ftp://ftp.cs.umd.edu/pub/hcil/Reports-Abstracts-Bibliography/3695html/3695.html

met Eser Kandogan and Ben Shneiderman. Department of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory, Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland.

http://turing.acm.org/sigchi/chi96/proceedings/videos/Fertig/etf.htm

met Fertig, Freeman, Gelernter over "Lifestreams: An Alternative to the Desktop Metaphore.

http://www.cs.umd.edu/projects/hcil/pad++

met University of Maryland over "Pad++, Zooming User interfaces(ZUI's).

Wibe-sites

The Pennsylvania State University, een instituut gespecialiseerd in leren en instructie

Neat Links: Op deze site staat een vermelding van/naar ons werk. (Zoek met zoeksleutel: "Rik Min") (bellen/mailen dat link niet klopt)

Universiteit van Oldenburg, een instituut gespecialiseerd in simulaties

Hier staat een vermelding van/naar ons werk. (Zoek met zoeksleutel: "Rik Min")

Phuong Phan, een instituut gespecialiseerd in leren

Op deze site staat een vermelding van/naar ons werk. (Zoek met zoeksleutel: "Rik Min")

(idem? 1) (2) (3)

Stieve Hunt

Op deze site staat een vermelding van/naar ons werk. (Zoek met zoeksleutel: "Rik Min")

Greg Kearsley

Op deze site staat onze theorie vermeld en staat een link naar ons werk onder 'Other related web sites'.

http://www2.mtroyal.ab.ca/~sking/Simulat.htm

by Shirley L. King, 1999 about: "Computer Simulations: Considerations for Instructional Designers". Hier staat iets over ons werk, en m.n. mijn boek, over simulaties en parallellism.

http://www.oc.utwente.nl/eciu/ICT_in_courses/CAI/Simulations/simulations.html

door het Onderwijskundig Centrum (OC) c.q. het Dinkel Instituut, te Enschede. Hier staat iets over ons werk: over simulaties en niet specifiek over parallellism.

More personal reactions about our research

Albert Ip; Comment:

Thank for the pointers to your papers and simulations. We share a very similar conceptualisation of learning. Your PI model is a dimension I have intuitively felt, but never able to articulate. When I talked about the "time" element in the IFET discussion forum, I was focussing on the effect of time pressure in the learning situation and the working situation. Your parallel model definitely address a limitation of the human cognitive.

I have done a bit of work in creating an envrionment for rule-based (model-based) simulation, focusing primarily on creating inter-operatable small components in order to allow teachers to build model-based simulation. http://www2.meu.unimelb.edu.au/virtualapparatusframework/

Currently, my focus is on role-play simulation (hence my distinction between role play and rule-based). I have posted my website in the IFET group and is repeated here http://www.roleplaysim.org/papers/

I agree with you that cost, technical expertise and huge time requirement are current economical barriers to simulation (both model-based and roleplay). My company's work http://www.fablusi.com/ hopes to address that for the roleplay simulation.

I believe there are lots of common ground that we can develop collaboration (both academically and may be commercially), keep in touch

Regards
Albert Ip ; E-mail: Mon 4 dec. 2000 11:47 PM

Ken Myers (IFETS-discussion Digest 62):

Very interesting prototype. Certainly this does allow for some higher order performances. It is also interesting that the example is using content from the medical field. I have great respect for the ability of medicine to stay on the leading edge of simulation-based training. The criticality of the subject matter and the funds available to build and disseminate training are advantages medicine has over many other disciplines.

However, even here this is only one piece of the total solution. I would assume there is an instructional sequence that precedes this simulation to prepare the learner to correctly manipulate and/or predict trigger points, actions to take, and expected outcomes. Thanks for sharing your work. My comments are not prompted because I need a solution to this problem. NETg is actively working to improve the integration of TBT into other types of mentored instruction. I was offering my position as food for thought. Too often, technology entices one to think about the mechanics of a solution and the appropriateness of the solution is a secondary consideration. I merely wanted to elevate the discussion to consider the impact of the solution on learning.

Ken Myers
Associate Director of Research & Development;
NETg, Inc.; 1751 W. Diehl Rd.; Naperville, IL 60563
E-mail: Friday, October 20, 2000 5:11 PM

Others: IFETS-list; discussion with students, aug. 2003