Simshare methodology and progress

The project will develop an infrastructure to support the creation and release of simulation OER by:

1. Collating and disseminating existing simulation resources repurposed as open educational content.
2. Creating guidelines for the future publication of simulation projects.
3. Increasing awareness of the potential of simulation learning through staff development activities.
4. Creating methodologies to help staff see more clearly how simulation OER can be interpreted, and in particular how to:
   1. Generate or re-purpose a simulation
   2. Archive a simulation
   3. Retrieve a simulation and analyse its component parts for educational value and purpose

Three categories of data will be created for each simulation:

1. Resources as generic files – all resources will be provided in generic file formats that can be run on any simulation platform or using other media. Resources will include document sets such as letters and style templates plus other file types such as graphics, photos, videos, interactive maps and simulation blueprints. ‘Meta-documentation’ such as tutorials and sandbox activities, tutor instructions and guidelines, role and user feedback templates, and staff time analyses will also be included.
2. Simulation design viewer – users need to be able to grasp quickly the narrative of a simulation – the tasks, characters and roles, timeframe, work commitments for staff and students, supporting resources, etc. The narrative event diagram (NED) developed as part of the SIMPLE project will be repurposed to give users an immediate and comparative view of a simulation.
3. Resources in SIMPLE file format – files for each simulation will be bundled into a format that can be run on the SIMPLE toolset and platform.

Last Modified: 4 June 2010