Simulation Technologies

Abstract

The implementation of simulation assessments consists of three stages: content creation, authoring, and deployment. This chapter reviews each of these stages from the point of view of simulation designers. The method of content creation is dependent upon the type of simulation being created: character-based simulations, depicting human interactions, require animation or video footage to be created, while screen or desktop simulations aim to replicate an office-like working environment, and their visual sophistication may range from simple to complex. Virtual environment-based simulations can deliver an immersive and sometimes nonlinear experience for the candidate. Several approaches are described to standardize the candidate experience in such simulations. Authoring and deploying simulations for remote administration via the Internet present specific challenges due to the differing hardware and software that the simulations will be running on. Consideration must also be given to the needs of candidates to ensure that accessibility is maximized. Finally, links to a number of resources are provided for further information about the tools and the techniques discussed.