A Comparative Study for Determining the Impact of Simulation-based, Handson and Feedback Mechanisms on Students' Learning in Engineering Technology and Computer Networking Programs.

The use of Simulation-based labs has been gaining currency in the domains of engineering technology and IT programs. In Simulation-based teaching, various feedback mechanism play a vital role for improving student learning as it guides and refines learning through scaffolding. A number of studies in literature have shown that students' learning is enhanced in Simulation context when feedback is incorporated How effective is simulation-based teaching methodology in comparison to traditional hands-on activity based labs? This paper compares the findings of two studies conducted to determine the effectiveness of simulation-based, hands-on and feedback mechanism on students learning by answering the following questions: 1). Does the use of simulation improve students'learning outcomes? 2). How do faculty members perceive the use and effectiveness of simulation in the delivery of technical course content? 3). How do students perceive the instructional design features embedded in the simulation program such as exploration and scaffolding support in learning new concepts? 4.) What is the effect of feedback mechanisms on students' learning in the use of simulation-based labs? The paper also discusses the other aspects of findings which reveal that simulation by itself is not very effective in promoting student learning. Simulation becomes effective when it is followed by hands-on activity and feedback mechanisms. Furthermore, the paper presents recommendations for improving student learning through the use of simulation-based, hands-on, and feedback-based teaching methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]