INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN BIOLOGY

(SBI 3013)

ASSIGNMENT 3

SIMULATION AND MODELLING IN EDUCATION

(STELLA)

GROUP MEMBER

NAME MATRIC NO
AZZAHRA BINTI ABDUL GHANI D20152071988
SAKINAH BINTI JAHIDIN D20152071980
LOGESVARI A/P MANIAM D20152071985

LECTURER NAME
ENCIK AZMI BIN IBRAHIM
INTRODUCTION

MODEL AND SIMULATIONS

Model and simulation have a lots of benefits in education. Model and simulation are the
best way to provide a foundation of an effective integrating of teaching and learning. It also can
give some kind of virtual reality in education. Through modelling and simulation, it will increase
the level of understanding of a students and provide fun learning environment. Students will be
more interested to learn and make the learning and teaching process more effective. Then, it will
helps students to learn in a better way with the used of modelling and simulation.

Modelling is an instructional strategy in which the teacher demonstrates a new concept or

approach to learning and students learn by observing. Modelling is one of an essential teaching
tool and it is similar to but it simpler than the system it represents. However, it should not be so
complex that it is impossible for students to understand and experiment with it. A model is a
simplified representation of the actual system intended to promote better understanding. Whether
a model is a good model or not depends on the extent to which it promotes understanding.

Simulation is a particular type of modelling. A simulation of a system is the operation of a

model of the system. The model can be reconfigured and experimented with. The operation of the
model can be studied hence, properties concerning the behavior of the actual system or its
subsystem can be inferred. In its broadest sense, simulation is a tool to evaluate the performance
of a system, existing or proposed, under different configurations of interest and over long periods
of real time. Simulation model programs give the opportunity to experiment with phenomena or
events and a sense of reality in abstract fields, like information science. The use of simulations
represents the natural way of learn by doing. Just as children do simulation activities by role
playing, adults use computer simulations in order to understand complex systems, real situation or
dynamic processes.
WHAT IS STELLA?

STELLA is a software that can be used to simulate a system over time. It enable students
to creatively change systems and teach the students to look for relationships. It also clearly
communicate system inputs and outputs and demonstrate outcomes. It provide a practical way to
communicate and visualize on how complex system work.

Some key features of STELLA are it has mapping and model that support the common language
of systems thinking and provide insight into how systems work. For example, it has diagrams,
charts, and animation to help visual learners discover relationships between variables in an
equation. Next is simulation and analysis that can be run over a time. It shows a results presented
as graphs, tables, animations, QuickTime movies, and file. Then, communication that describe
model components and facilitate manipulation included input devices such as knobs, sliders,
switches, and buttons and output devices such as text, graphs, tables, and reports.

ADVENTAGES OF SIMULATION AND MODELING

Simulation models could be used as a tool in education system, from primary and
secondary school implemented from the users with educational and fun purpose, up to a high
school system where use of specific simulation models helps certain research, helping in decision
making, or in the course relation to creation of simulation models. Through simulation and
modelling, it can attract the attention of the student thus increase their interest on the subject in
turn sharpened the student understanding on the subject. Compare to traditional way of teaching,
simulation and modelling help to live up the class thus can create a two way process of teaching
and learning that enhance the understanding of student.

The simulation help the teacher to explain to the student by frame of motion process
thus overcome misconception of the student. By simulation, teacher can show what really
happened to the normal force, gravitational force and tension force when the degree of the plane
board are increase. It also help the student to relate the relationship between changes in degree of
the plane board with the three forces. Students had the advantage to use the simulation tools,
animations, and learning modules to get more understanding about the concept of the course. It
will help the student to imagines something that they cant see with their naked eye. For instance,
student cannot see force, thus with this kind of simulation, student are be able to understand more
about the topic. Through simulation the student can virtually observe what happened to the force.
The system is already virtually have been set up and the student will only have to observe the
changed or the outcome of the process.

Next, simulation and modelling can increase student motivation. Students will be more
motivated because they are able to explore the experiment by themselves. It can give them a new
experience and knowledge through this simulation and modelling. They also can learn more. The
students are also be able to carry out the experiment by their own and they can learn more about
the experiment. While doing the experiment, they can easily change and adjust the parameter given
for more understanding. Besides that, it will help students to make predictions and expectations in
an experiment for a certain cases. Thus, learning by using simulation give many benefit for
students such as the students will feel happy to learn something and the process of teaching and
learning become more meaningful. The students become very well motivated and interested in the
course.

SAMPLE MODEL AND DISCUSSION

Predator prey dynamics

Animal that living animals in an organization definitely will have prey and predator system.
The prey is the organism which the predator eats. So this experiment is about to study the
relationship between prey and predator that is rat and owl in palm oil area. This simulation is used
to test this assertion. In this simple predator-prey system, experiment with different predator
harvests, and the effects on both the predator and prey populations over time can be observed.
What really happens to them, if we adjust the population of rat over owl? For Example, what will
happen to owl population if rat increase and vice versa.
Graph 1: Relationship between rats versus owl in Palm Oil area. Original Graph
 In this original graph, it shows that population of rat 13,000 and the Owl is 10. The
relationship of rat and owl produced is positive. Observing the graph, when the rat population
deteriorates the owl population follows the same pattern as rat due to the lack of food supply.
In timeframe of 1.25 years, the rat population increases back whereby in line with the
Increment of palm-oil resource. In year 12, the rat population is found falling down because of
nutrition rate by owl is higher than the rats birth rate.

Graph 2: Relationship Between Rat and Owl if population of rat increase and population of
Owl decrease

In this manipulated graph, it shows that population of rat 31,000 and the Owl is 9. The
relationship of rat and owl produced is not stable. Observing the graph, when the rat population
increase over the owl population on the year of 12.5. Follows the same pattern as rat due to the
lack of food supply. The rat population will lack of food while owls have much foods and can
increase their reproduction .Population of rat increase due to increment of palm-oil resource. After
year 12.5, the rat population is found falling down because of nutrition rate by owl is higher than
the rats birth rate. Production of palm oil will decrease.

Graph 3: Relationship Between Rat and owl if population of Rat decreases and owl
increase.

In this manipulated graph 3, it shows that population of rat 10,000 and the Owl is 16. The
relationship of rat and owl produced is not stable. Observing the graph, when the rat population
decrease over the owl population on the year of 6.25 year but still the graph shows over the owl.
After year of 12.5 year number of rat started to increase over owl. Owl will lack of food supply
and then reproduction will decrease.
CONCLUSION

Simulation and modelling offer many key advantages over real life and education. It give
many benefit and help us to visualize the data. We are able to see the pattern and draw a
conclusions from the experiment. Through simulation and modelling it can promote the deep
learning that can enhanced the understanding. Moreover, students can know the relationship
between the variables in the model. For example, in this simple model, student can change the
parameter and see the result from the graph. The simulation also make the students understand
better about the interaction among preys and predator.
Besides that, student are able to conduct the experiment easier and faster. Simulations help
students understand probability and sampling theory. Even though, there are some disadvantage
of simulation such as it can be expensive to measure how one thing affects another, to take the
initial measurements, to create the model itself ,and limited portability but still simulation and
modeling provide us with many advantages.

REFERENCE

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ict/modelling/1computersimulationrev3.shtml

http://www.iseesystems.com/community/downloads/tutorials/ModelBuilding.aspx
https://ijair.org/administrator/components/com_jresearch/files/publications/IJAIR-1202_final.pdf