7 Some preliminary results
7.2 Game-based social simulations
The progress of the social simulations and games played by the students proceeded mainly in accordance with the peda-gogical model, utilizing the simulations incorporated in the planning. A smaller student group than that anticipated obtained benefit, adapting a game-based approach to its studies. If there is a wish that the types of game-based social simulations now realized can be genuinely utilized for benefit in the future as a support for teaching, the challenge lies particularly in the effective planning and realization during the orientation phase. Social simulation and role-play in a net environment appear to require, time-wise, a careful and sufficient pre-orientation, i.e., background provision and a motivational phase that is sufficiently long. More ready concepts and instructions on the teaching usage of games and simulations were also yearned for as support for desiging.
The implementation of game-based social simulations ideas require emotional courage and dedication from the stu-dents. This would appear to be, from the perspective of social simulation, a central influential factor for learning. The social relationships between the students and the backgrounds of the players exerted an impact on the success of role-play. The players knew each other, and they had previous experience of role-playing and methods for empathy. This enabled the successful implementation of the game. In particular, community and sociality emerged as team play and with the game being shaped in accordance with their own preferences.
3,7
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8 Conclusions
The military context of the defence forces was a natural place for an experiment in collaborative learning and new kinds social simulation modes, as well as game-playing. Collaborative learning was experienced as motivating and inspiring for the study of leadership and military pedagogy in a net environment. The organization of studying in accordance with the model helped to distribute ideas. In studying in line with the group investigation model, no special problems emerged: this was due to the fact that the students knew each other from before. Game-based social simulations and role-playing on the basis of the data can be regarded as an interesting vehicle of reflective teaching and purposive study-ing, which has been beneficially utilized rather minimally in its currently implemented form. In the future, this could be a valid way to develop student-oriented teaching. At the same time, the amount and strength of rich experience obtained via emotions and feelings can be increased. In the instruction-related use, the pivotal aspects of simulations and games were 1) goal orientation, 2) pre-planning and acquaintance with the background and 3) the relationship of simulation with the students’ own real-life experiences. Role-play and social simulation encouraged the students towards func-tional action, risk-taking, independent thinking and creativity. Through the aid of the data analysis and experiences gained from the course, a new implementation model will be developed for the support of NBE in the defence forces.
As a product of research-related continuing analyses, there is a theoretical model as well as practical instruments for designers, implementers and developers. One of the future challenges is to explore, how the use of pedagogical models, practices and reusable learning objects based on games and social simulations help to design experiential TSL processes and to combine emotions better in NBE.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the Finnish Defence Forces, especially the National Defence College, and R5 Vision (Currently Tieturi Vision) for fruitful coopera-tion, and for making this case study feasible.
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INTRODUCING ICT IN HIGHER EDUCATION: 1 THE CASE OF SALAHADDIN/HAWLER UNIVERSITY
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ONE PRCTICAL ALGORITHM OF CREATING TEACHING ONTOLOGIES DIGITAL GAMES TO SUPPORT EDUCATION IN A PLAYGROUND CONTEXT –