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Integrating human behavior into agent-based models has been challenging due to its diversity. An example is strategic coalition formation, which occurs when an individual decides to collaborate with others because it strategically benefits them, thereby increasing the expected utility of the situation. An algorithm called ABMSCORE was developed to help model strategic coalition formation in agent-based models. The ABMSCORE algorithm employs hedonic games from cooperative game theory and has been applied to various situations, including refugee egress and smallholder farming cooperatives. This paper discusses ABMSCORE, including its mechanism, requirements, limitations, and application. To demonstrate the potential of ABMSCORE, a new application example is given, which is based on a complex version of the Thomas Schelling's segregation model. The intent of the paper is to provide the potential user with enough information so that they can apply ABMSCORE to their simulation products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population of Manitoba classrooms has expanded to include a wide range of diverse learners. While this diversity brings with it opportunities for educators, it can also pose significant challenges. Several key components of professional practice enable teachers to promote and implement a fully inclusive classroom environment. An educator's capacities to use differentiated instruction, support emotional needs, and provide professional supports within a larger framework, are necessary for inclusion. The underlying structure in which these components exist may differ, whether labelled under Response to Intervention or Universal Design for Learning, but their commonalities define best practice.

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruption to education enterprises throughout the world, the main response by educational institutions was to move to online learning environments. The purpose of this study was to understand better how instructors could improve online learning for a professional-level week-long short course in a highly technical area (data analytics), which had, pre-COVID, been a hands-on computer, laboratory-based learning experience. The authors used self-study of professional practice to elicit and understand the major issues and concerns of the transition to an online learning environment. Under the guidance of a colleague in teacher education, three course instructors recorded and analyzed their experiences and, through discussion and data analysis, gained a deeper understanding of three challenging dimensions: course adaption to the online environment, personnel considerations, and technological considerations. Through the reflection that self-study provided, several of these challenges were addressed in subsequent courses. Self-study provided the instructors with an opportunity to reflect on the transition of the course to an online environment. This, in turn, provided an opportunity for course improvement and, arguably more importantly, an opportunity for the instructors to better understand each other's concerns and desires as it pertained to the course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Validation is the process of determining if a model adequately represents the system under study for the model’s intended purpose. Validation is a critical component in building the credibility of a simulation model with its end-users. Effectively conducting validation can be a daunting task for both novice and experienced simulation developers. Further compounding the difficult task of conducting validation is that there is no universally accepted approach for assessing a simulation. These challenges are particularly relevant to the paradigm of Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation (ABMS) because of the complexity found in these models’ mechanisms and in the real-world situations they attempt to represent. To aid both the novice and expert in conducting a validation process for an agent-based simulation, this article reviews nine methods that are useful for this process, including foundational topics of docking, empirical validation, sampling, and visualization, as well as advanced topics of bootstrapping, causal analysis, inverse generative social science, and role-playing. Each method is reviewed with respect to its benefits and limitations as a validation-supporting method for ABMS. Suggestions that may support a validation plan for an agent-based simulations, are also provided. This article is an introductory guide for understanding and conducting ABMS validation for developers of all experience levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulation modelling is applied to a wide range of problems, including defence and healthcare. However, there is a concern within the simulation community that there is a limited use and implementation of simulation studies in practice. This suggests that despite its benefits, simulation may not be reaching its potential in making a real-world impact. The main reason for this could be that simulation tools are not widely accessible in industry. In this paper, we investigate the issues that affect simulation modelling accessibility through a workshop with simulation practitioners. We use Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA), a problem-structuring approach that allows for the stakeholder views to be expressed and linked in a systematic way. The causal map derived represents the emerging concepts and their effects, with the view to identifying their impact on the accessibility problem. We present our analysis of the issues and options identified. Based on our findings, we discuss the implications and recommendations for the future uptake of simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The American scientist Carl Sagan once said: "You have to know the past to understand the present." We argue that having a meaningful dialogue on the future of simulation requires a baseline understanding of previous discussions on its future. For this paper, we conduct a review of the discrete event simulation (DES) literature that focuses on its future to understand better the path that DES has been following, both in terms of who is using simulation and what directions they think DES should take. Our review involves a qualitative literature review of DES and a quantitative bibliometric analysis of the Modeling and Simulation (M&S) literature. The results from the bibliometric study imply that demographics of the M&S community are rapidly changing, both in terms of the nations that use M&S and the academic disciplines from which new simulationists hail. This change in demographics has the potential to help aid the community face some of its future challenges. Our qualitative literature review indicates that DES still faces some significant challenges: these include integrating human behavior; using simulation for exploration, not replication; determining return on investment; and communication issues across a splitting community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial in the "Systems Engineering" journal discusses the importance of simulations in modeling systems dynamically, providing insights for analysis, design, maintenance, and training. Computer simulations have grown significantly over the last 60 years, with applications in various engineering domains, including defense, design, energy, manufacturing, and transportation. The editorial highlights different simulation paradigms and their applications, with a focus on the connection between systems engineering and simulation in various fields such as defense, healthcare, manufacturing, and artificial intelligence. The special issue covers a range of simulation modeling techniques and application domains, showcasing the increasing global reach and impact of modeling and simulation in systems engineering. [Extracted from the article]

Hedonic games have gained popularity over the last two decades, leading to several research articles that have used analytical methods to understand their properties better. In this paper, a Monte Carlo method, a numerical approach, is used instead. Our method includes a technique for representing, and generating, random hedonic games. We were able to create and solve, using core stability, millions of hedonic games with up to 16 players. Empirical distributions of the hedonic games' core sizes were generated, using our results, and analyzed for games of up to 13 players. Results from games of 14–16 players were used to validate our research findings. Our results indicate that core partition size might follow the gamma distribution for games with a large number of players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]