Simulation: Some Implications of Skill Theory

Decision-Making in Simulation Games

“…An important research problem is whether decision-making processes can be taught which people can transfer to situations other than the specific one used as the training context. Jamieson (1973) observed that transfer of learning takes place more readily when students transform and integrate their experiental learning into a conceptual structure. This necessary conceptualization probably does not occur in many cases.…”

“…Without explicit guidelines to shape their behavior, it seems unlikely that participants will make systematic judgments in the press of simulated events. A highly specified decision-making procedure can provide cues for the naive decision-maker so that he or she can be guided in the procedure's use until adequate learning has taken place (Jamieson, 1973). VanSickle's finding (in press) that a highly specific decision-making procedure did not lead to greater comprehension of the decision-making criteria, however, does not support the sufficiency of this condition.…”

“…Perhaps students must encounter the problem to be solved in the simulation game in much the same manner that it is encountered in real-life, not in a pre-game briefing session. Similarly, if data must be collected, then the data collection process probably must be analogous to the actual situation (McGuire, 1973;Jamieson, 1973). Thus, it can be hypothesized that intellectual skill learning will be maximized if the simulated decision-making context and procedure are closely parallel to the actual context and procedure.…”