A Semi-Fidelity Training Simulator: Promising Opportunities For Student-Centered Learning

The most training simulators are high fidelity ones, which means that they look and function similar as the real one (i.e. the machine that is simulated for training purposes). Those simulators are useful for learning situations. As they are expensive, they are not commonly used. One alternative is a semifidelity simulator, which includes some elements of the real one but lacks some other elements. Creation and modifying such simulator is inexpensive and quite quick. We study whether a semifidelity training simulators are useful in education. This is done by focusing on users’, i.e., students’ and teachers’, views on how a semi-fidelity simulator can be used in education. In our study, a group of test users individually used the training simulator. Afterwards the participants were interviewed. Based on a phenomenographical analysis of the interviews, we found that the users had five alternative understandings of the training simulator. Three of those understandings are categorized mainly as teacher and technology centered, and the last two as learner centered. Our result supports the idea to promote and develop semi-fidelity simulator training as their exploitation area was seen versatile.