Complex systems, as the name indicates, are notoriously difficult to grasp until a high level of experience is obtained. Thus, they are not an easy topic for students even at the university level. Experience-based learning can overcome this difficulty, but risks of errors block the use of real-world experience. An alternative is the use of simulations in which students can participate. Especially agent-based simulations, in which the different parts of complex systems can be explicitly modelled to study the emergent effects of their interaction, is highly suited for this. A next step is the use of computer games that make the experience more believable and thereby closer resemble real-world experiences. This talk will address both the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches to developing understanding for complex systems.
Presenter: Harko Verhagen, Associate professor, Department of Computer and System Science, Stockholm University, Sweden
Organisers: The SimFish project, the BRIDGE research group at NFH, and the European Social Simulation Association Special Interest Group on Social Simulation and Serious Games