The Effectiveness of Simulation-Based Learning from the Perspective of Knowledge Structure: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Prior research on the use of simulations and serious games for teaching sustainability, as well as simulation-based learning in general, has rarely distinguished between different types or structures of knowledge when assessing learning outcomes. This paper aims to offer a conceptual framework and provide examples that can assist researchers and practitioners in developing and assessing the effectiveness of simulation-based learning in relation to knowledge-related outcomes: declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and conditional knowledge. The significance of this paper is to emphasize the necessity of rigorously conceptualizing and measuring knowledge as learning constructs in empirical research that utilizes simulation and gaming, which hopefully contributes to the research on the effectiveness of simulation-based learning.