Simulation and game-based learning is an essential learning application especially as it pertains to a high-stakes field like emergency and disaster management. Introducing real-life learning applications into the classroom allows the learner to make critical decisions at different points throughout a simulation providing practical learning that leads to a cognitive understanding of the material. These simulated practices ensure memory and longer retention of these events or tasks, a requirement to ensure that learning transpires. Likewise, these simulations also place the learner under acute stress, something that replicates the stress felt during real-life disasters. Therefore, it is crucial to have students apply what they have learned in simulations as a demonstration of their learning. These learned skills are essential for students to be marketable and thrive in a career field where decision-making, problem-solving, and critical thinking are vital for their success.
Higher education has seen a dramatic increase in the number of courses and programs offered in an online environment over the past two decades. As most online educational courses are asynchronous in nature, ensuring that applied learning happens in scenarios that replicate real-life events is of utmost importance especially in certain disciplines such as emergency and disaster management. With the advent of newer and advanced technologies, online gamifications and simulations offer a learning method that requires the students to use decision-making, problem solving, and critical thinking skills in a fictional scenario that imitates events that individuals in the particular career field will experience. This chapter is an examination of the use of gamifications and simulations in online higher education highlighting a holistic approach to gaming and simulations designed and implemented across an undergraduate emergency and disaster program.
Higher education has seen a dramatic increase in the number of courses and programs offered in an online environment over the past two decades. As most online educational courses are asynchronous in nature, ensuring that applied learning happens in scenarios that replicate real-life events is of utmost importance especially in certain disciplines such as emergency and disaster management. With the advent of newer and advanced technologies, online gamifications and simulations offer a learning method that requires the students to use decision-making, problem solving, and critical thinking skills in a fictional scenario that imitates events that individuals in the particular career field will experience. This chapter is an examination of the use of gamifications and simulations in online higher education highlighting a holistic approach to gaming and simulations designed and implemented across an undergraduate emergency and disaster program.
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