A simulation is a computerized model of a real or imagined thing or scenario. Simulations are made to make users choose tasks or a certain order in which to do things. There are two main simulations: those that teach about something and those that teach how to do something. The "about" simulations are split into physical and repetitive types, while the "how to" simulations are split into procedural and situational types.

Selecting Good Simulations

Due to how many types of simulations there are, a general set of criteria is not possible. What is needed for a simulation is largely dependent on the teacher and their wants and needs. Some teachers prefer simulations that have a realistic and accurate representation of the information being taught, while others only need to have elements that represent what is being taught. No matter which type teachers need, it is important that all simulations have clear and direct instructions for students to follow during the simulation.

Benefits of Simulations

The field of science benefits from simulations more than any other subject in school. The benefits of simulations in the classroom are:

• Compress time - this is important when studying things, like natural life, that take some time to grow or mature
• Slow down processes - simulations can model things that move so fast that they are nearly imperceptible by the human eye
• Get students involved - can capture students' attention and keep them engaged
• Make experimentation safe - a lot of science experiments can be quite dangerous to implement in the classroom, so simulations can be a necessary alternative for these lessons
• Make the impossible possible - often, teachers do not have access to the necessary resources needed to do a lesson
• Save money and other resources - by using simulations, teachers and schools can save on money and other resources that may be needed for a lesson
• Allow repitition with variations - students can replay simulations different ways to see different outcomes
• Allow observation of complex processes - events like real-life events can be very complex to witness outside of a computer screen, so using simulations allows students to replay events and focus on different things during the event

Limitations and Problems with Simulations

Even though simulations have a lot of benefits, there are a few concerns to consider with using them:

• Accuracy of models - although simulations can closely resemble real life events, it may make students have inaccurate perspectives of the situation and cause the students to think they know all about the event because they did it in a simulation
• Misuse of simulations - some people believe that simulations are being overused, sometimes being used for concepts that can be just as easy to show students on paper