Simulation & Gaming (S&G): An International Journal of Theory, Practice and Research

Luchini, Pedro Luis; Cresci, Karen Lorraine

doi: 10.1177/10468781261416273pmid: N/A

BackgroundSimulation tasks have become an increasingly popular pedagogical tool across various educational contexts, since they replicate real-world scenarios that foster active learning. Simulations encourage students to apply theoretical knowledge, make decisions, and develop skills that are directly transferable to academic and professional settings. In second language education, simulations are particularly valuable for developing higher-order skills, such as critical thinking, communication, and argumentation.AimThis study investigated whether a mock trial simulation contributes to the enhancement of argumentative skills among advanced L2 learners.MethodThe simulation, conducted in the context of an advanced language development course, provided student teachers with a platform to practice constructing, presenting, and defending arguments. Nineteen students participated, using The Handmaid’s Tale as the basis for their legal case. Data were gathered through a post-simulation questionnaire, which included both quantitative and qualitative components.ResultsThe quantitative results indicated significant improvements in students’ use of evidence, logical reasoning, and ability to respond to counterarguments. Qualitative feedback revealed that students desired clearer guidelines, more preparation time, and more balanced participation.ConclusionOverall, the findings highlighted the value of simulation tasks as effective pedagogical tools that foster critical thinking, language proficiency, and argumentation skills. While the mock trial yielded positive outcomes, future studies should explore the use of such simulations with different populations and in varied educational contexts to further refine and extend this pedagogical tool. The study demonstrated the potential of simulations like mock trials as innovative methods for advancing both linguistic and cognitive skills in language learning environments.

O’Keeffe, Spencer; Thomas, Bruce H.; O’Hehir, Jim; Rombouts, Jan; Patzel, Dianne; Weber, Delene; Baumeister, James; Cunningham, Andrew

doi: 10.1177/10468781261422081pmid: N/A

BackgroundSilviculture education requires understanding complex, spatially distributed ecological processes and the long-term effects of forest management decisions. These concepts can be difficult to convey through traditional teaching methods. Virtual Reality (VR) offers an immersive, interactive way to explore complex systems in domains such as silviculture, and design considerations, such as diegesis, may influence learning outcomes.AimThis study introduces SilVR, an immersive VR simulation for teaching silviculture concepts, and investigates the effect on user engagement, usability and learning outcomes of two user interface (UI) paradigms: diegetic (lesson components and controls integrated into the virtual environment, e.g., physical buttons, maps) and non-diegetic (elements presented in a consistent, non-immersive format, e.g., transparent panels, floating text).MethodSilVR was developed using a predictive forest growth model, allowing users to explore forest outcomes under different management regimes. A between-participants study was conducted as part of a graduate training workshop, with factors of diegetic and non-diegetic information presentation. Nineteen forestry students participated in the study. Each participant completed a pre- and post-intervention knowledge assessment. The system captured user behaviour, and participants completed self-report measures: Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), presence, and a general feedback questionnaire.ResultsKnowledge scores significantly improved following the intervention. While there was no significant interaction effect due to diegesis on knowledge, students in the diegetic condition progressed through scenes more quickly and exhibited stronger preference behaviour.ConclusionImmersive VR effectively supports learning in complex domains such as silviculture. Design considerations, such as diegesis, play a key role in learner engagement and interaction. These findings offer implications for the design of educational VR simulations for forestry and other complex system domains.

Kok, Arno; Martinetti, Alberto; Braaksma, Jan

doi: 10.1177/10468781261438163pmid: N/A

BackgroundThe convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) in physical assets offers significant benefits but also presents challenges, particularly in aligning the lifecycles of IT and physical assets. A review of 24 serious games related to asset management and rail revealed a research gap in synchronising the separate IT and OT lifecycles, highlighting the need for a serious game specifically addressing this issue. Consequently, a serious game has been developed to educate professionals on lifecycle alignment within IT/OT convergence.AimThis study aims to iteratively design and evaluate an artefact, the IT/OT Railway Game, to address IT/OT convergence challenges, with an emphasis on understanding the potential of IT/OT lifecycle alignment, assessing strategies, and applying them in a simulated railway context.MethodThe game was developed using the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) and evaluated using the Framework for Evaluation in Design Science (FEDS). Four design iterations and three evaluation cycles were conducted, with 118 participants across 14 sessions. The evaluation focused on playability, game mechanics, and achievement of intended learning outcomes.ResultsThe study designed and evaluated a serious game to educate practitioners on IT/OT lifecycle alignment. A three-step evaluation assesses playability, game mechanics, and learning outcomes to measure learning effectiveness. Findings show a measurable improvement in participants’ knowledge and ability to apply IT/OT lifecycle alignment strategies in practice. Furthermore, the study suggests that participatory design can be used not only in serious game development but also as a learning strategy.ConclusionThe IT/OT Railway Game demonstrates the potential of serious games as practical tools for addressing sociotechnical challenges, such as IT/OT lifecycle alignment. While developed for the railway industry, its principles are transferable to other sectors. Future research should explore its adaptability and effectiveness in broader industrial and academic contexts.

Yiannakoulias, Niko

doi: 10.1177/10468781261443352pmid: N/A

BackgroundLearning from feedback is an important part of skill improvement. A common assumption is that failure offers superior learning opportunities when compared to success. However, this assumption remains underexplored in natural time-constrained settings.ObjectiveTo examine the impact of self-analysis on performance improvement in online speed chess, with a focus on whether analyzing wins versus losses differentially predicts gains in player ratings.MethodsUsing observational data from roughly 2 million online speed chess games, we studied the association between analysis and performance using regression.ResultsAnalyzing game outcomes was positively associated with rating improvement, with stronger effects observed when players analyzed wins rather than losses. The total number of games played showed only a weak association with improvement, indicating that repetition of an activity alone is insufficient without reflective practice.ConclusionsThe findings challenge the notion that failure is inherently more instructive than success, suggesting instead that success-based analysis may also offer opportunities for learning improvement. While based on observational data, this study contributes to understanding how feedback mechanisms support learning and performance, particularly in domains requiring rapid, repeated decisions under time constraints.

Davies, Amanda

doi: 10.1177/10468781261445511pmid: N/A

The study presented here explores the nuanced design elements of the ADELIS© model to create inclusive educational simulation-based learning exercises and environments. The ADELIS© model offers a framework that guides the design of learning experiences to enable scalable adaptations across cognitive levels and abilities, premised on educational rigour and authentic, fit-for-purpose exercises and environments. Pivotal expectations for simulation-based learning are for learners to engage in experiential, risk-free practice that enhances critical thinking, decision-making, develop an understanding of how to transfer learning from the classroom to the field of operation and support learning efficacy.PurposeThis paper proposes an expansion of the design process to enable accessibility principles to accommodate diverse learning needs, including individuals with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities be designed into the ADELIS© model. In the focus on creating authentic, replicated real-world experiences through simulation, the nuanced characteristics of the learners can be unintentionally overlooked when the design is built for a generic application and guided by false assumptions that one size fits all.MethodThis paper explores combining two fundamental design paradigms – educational fidelity and learner inclusivity and offers a guide for educators, instructional designers, and learning facilitators to achieve recognition of learner attribute diversity.Findings and ConclusionWhilst oriented in the simulation-based learning domain, the guide is equally applicable across the serious games field, and the range of formats utilised to deliver authentic learner-centric experiences and promotion of inclusive participation.

Quilliam, Gregory; Quilliam, Allison

doi: 10.1177/10468781261437540pmid: N/A

Background. Modern Defence forces require adaptable training and simulation environments capable of responding rapidly to shifting operational and geopolitical demands. Legacy, sequential acquisition models often limit responsiveness. Simulation-enabled training, if delivered through agile, system-based practices, can improve readiness and interoperability across Defence domains.Objective. This study examines how the integration of Team and Technical Agility (TTA) and Systems Thinking, operationalised through the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and reinforced by generative leadership cultures, can enhance Defence simulation delivery and align capability outcomes with the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) and National Defence Strategy (NDS) imperatives.Methods. Using practice-based qualitative analysis, experiential Defence case studies were synthesised and compared against criteria derived from open-source literature workflow efficiency, adaptability, and interoperability. Each case was evaluated to identify how organisational culture and leadership behaviours affected delivery outcomes.Results. Case studies that embedded TTA within SAFe demonstrated faster integration cycles, improved reliability, and stronger cultural alignment with mission needs. Conversely, traditional sequential programs exhibited delays and reduced adaptability.Conclusions. Empowered leadership, cadence-based planning, and DevSecOps-enabled workflows underpin the responsiveness required for future Defence simulation. Embedding technical agility and systems thinking transforms simulation from a support function into a mission-critical capability, enabling joint and coalition readiness.

Al-Hassan, Mohammed Adnan; Al-Omari, Elham; Safi, Ihab

doi: 10.1177/10468781261437347pmid: N/A

BackgroundSimulation in nursing education is widely used to develop technical competence, yet its theoretical framing often neglects deeper ontological dimensions of learning.PurposeThis article reconceptualizes simulation as an ontological pedagogy that fosters professional identity formation beyond procedural skill.MethodsDrawing on phenomenology, transformative learning, and threshold concepts, this paper introduce the Simulation as Ontological Nexus of Transformation (SIM-ONT) Framework, supported by an integrative review of literature and conceptual analysis.FindingsSIM-ONT comprises five interrelated dimensions, liminality, embodiment, relationality, moral activation, and professional becoming, that position simulation as a transformative space where learners negotiate uncertainty, ethical complexity, and identity shifts. Conceptual vignettes illustrate how simulation activates moral agency and presence, moving beyond performance metrics to cultivate reflective, ethically grounded practitioners.ConclusionsReframing simulation through an ontological lens expands its pedagogical purpose from technical rehearsal to holistic formation. SIM-ONT offers educators practical strategies for scenario design, debriefing, and curriculum integration that prioritize identity development and moral resilience. This theoretical contribution invites future research to explore ontological phenomena in simulation and operationalize identity-focused outcomes in nursing education.

Fraile-Jurado, Pablo; Llovet-Ferrer, Marc

doi: 10.1177/10468781261442622pmid: N/A

IntroductionCity-building games, despite their niche status compared to mainstream action titles, significantly influence players’ conceptions of urban dynamics, governance, and spatial organization.ObjectiveThis study critically analyzes how selected urban simulation games represent the production and management of urban space, highlighting implicit ideological assumptions embedded within their spatial, political, and aesthetic dimensions.Method and resultsUtilizing qualitative methodologies from critical game studies and urban geography, this paper reveals that most city-building games represent urban development as a centralized, depoliticized process governed by rational managerial authority, often omitting representations of conflict, informality, and social inequality. Through procedural rhetoric, these games naturalize neoliberal and technocratic urban paradigms, reinforcing visions of cities as territories optimized for efficiency rather than as contested spaces shaped by socio-political struggles. While some titles attempt complexity by introducing alternative political systems or ideological conflicts, these remain largely superficial.ConclusionsThe findings underline the potential of city-building games as influential cultural narratives about urbanism, power, and society, calling for greater engagement between critical urban theory and digital game design to foster more nuanced and socially-aware urban imaginaries.

Khan, Burhan; Johnstone, Michael; Hosen, Mohammad Anwar; Zhang, James; Le, Vu; Creighton, Douglas; Coenraads, Adam

doi: 10.1177/10468781261422075pmid: N/A

BackgroundLong queues at polling stations reduce voter satisfaction and raise the cost of running elections. In Australian federal elections, unpredictable arrival patterns and early-voting behaviour make traditional staffing estimates unreliable, often resulting in either under-utilised staff or wait times that exceed an hour.Objectives(1) Build a framework that couples an agent-based simulation of a polling station with a multi objective optimisation engine to reveal trade-offs between operational resources and voter wait times. (2) Generate Pareto-optimal solutions that balance the number of ballot issuing officers with queue waiting duration. (3) Identify which evolutionary multi-objective algorithm provides the best performance for this problem.MethodsAn agent-based model of a polling station was created in AnyLogic using arrival profiles and processing times collected from the 2017 Bennelong by-election. Six integer decision variables describe the numbers of ordinary and declaration issuing points, screens and lookup methods. The model was linked to the jMetal library and evaluated with three evolutionary algorithms: NSGA II, SPEA2 and IBEA. Experiments covered voter turnouts from 600 to 2000 in steps of 100, using a population of 50 and 30 generations per run. Solutions were assessed with the hypervolume indicator and a hard constraint that average waiting time must not exceed 25 minutes.Results and ConclusionThe optimisation produced sets of trade-off solutions for each turnout level. NSGA II and SPEA2 consistently achieved higher hypervolume values than IBEA, indicating better convergence and diversity. The Pareto-fronts show that adding issuing points shortens peak-time queues but increases staffing costs, while fewer points lengthen waits. The proposed framework delivers scalable, evidence-based staffing recommendations that improve voter experience and control election costs.

Farber, Matthew; Merchant, William

doi: 10.1177/10468781261457058pmid: N/A

BackgroundPostsecondary education (PSE) opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are expanding through Comprehensive Transition Programs (CTPs). However, approaches that authentically capture these students’ voices and lived experiences remain limited. Participatory game co-design, particularly through micro tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), offers a novel and inclusive method to engage students in reflecting on their academic, social, and personal transitions.PurposeThis study investigated the use of micro TTRPG participatory co design as a tool for eliciting perceptions of PSE students with IDD, focusing on their experiences in a CTP.MethodStudents enrolled in a CTP collaborated with a staff facilitator to co-design three micro TTRPGs centered on academic, social, and personal challenges. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through the design process, including the game topics generated, student surveys, and a semi-structured staff interview. Additionally, students and staff shared perspectives on the potential utility of micro TTRPGs for supporting perspective-taking and transition-related discussions.ResultsThe co-design process yielded three micro TTRPGs that highlighted key challenges and opportunities faced by students with IDD in their CTP experience. Data revealed that the games fostered student voice, emphasized their lived experiences, and encouraged reflection on transition supports. Both students and staff identified micro TTRPGs as a promising strategy for promoting engagement and dialogue around academic and social transitions.Discussion and ConclusionFindings underscore the potential of participatory micro TTRPG co-design as a meaningful and inclusive approach to transition support for students with IDD in PSE contexts. By centering student voices in creative and collaborative design processes, micro TTRPGs may inform future program development, enhance student engagement, and strengthen practices that support inclusive postsecondary pathways.