When will simulation software be used for education/training purposes?
Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:43 am
I think not right now since not a lot of programmers have the time to make an actual large scale simulation of a program like MS Office, or Windows XP.
Maybe in a few years there will be a Windows XP emulator online like the Windows 3.11 emulator : http://209.213.121.56.nyud.net/
Aviation and Motor sports are using simulations to train pilots and drivers, and for making vehicles which are more aerodynamic and have better handling, so I sometimes wonder why there are not a ton of simulation software for online tutorials, and basic computer training. I guest it is because of a lack of funds to hire talented programs to make a real working model of Windows and other popular programs like Office.
I remember when I was doing homework for my IT certificate. I had to do some of my assignment on the internet which include using a Microsoft excel simulator on a website. I believe it was made with something like Flash, Java, or Javascript. It was pretty good. It had a video which has text bubble and arrow pointers to tell the student where to click, and if you did something wrong the software simulator taught you how to correct yourself by blinking on the screen where to click. If you did it wrong, you could not advance in the video tutorial until you learned it.
It is sort of similar to those Mavis Beacan typing programs, but the program teaches you excel keyboard tricks and button locations for all the features.
What I like about simulators is you can't break it like Virtual machines or OSes installed on the actual hard drive not a virtual hard drive. All I do is refresh the webpage and I can start fresh or go back to where I left off.
Maybe in a few years there will be a Windows XP emulator online like the Windows 3.11 emulator : http://209.213.121.56.nyud.net/
Aviation and Motor sports are using simulations to train pilots and drivers, and for making vehicles which are more aerodynamic and have better handling, so I sometimes wonder why there are not a ton of simulation software for online tutorials, and basic computer training. I guest it is because of a lack of funds to hire talented programs to make a real working model of Windows and other popular programs like Office.
I remember when I was doing homework for my IT certificate. I had to do some of my assignment on the internet which include using a Microsoft excel simulator on a website. I believe it was made with something like Flash, Java, or Javascript. It was pretty good. It had a video which has text bubble and arrow pointers to tell the student where to click, and if you did something wrong the software simulator taught you how to correct yourself by blinking on the screen where to click. If you did it wrong, you could not advance in the video tutorial until you learned it.
It is sort of similar to those Mavis Beacan typing programs, but the program teaches you excel keyboard tricks and button locations for all the features.
What I like about simulators is you can't break it like Virtual machines or OSes installed on the actual hard drive not a virtual hard drive. All I do is refresh the webpage and I can start fresh or go back to where I left off.