History – the study and investigation of past events
“Writing notes is boring and it is way easier this way. We can also do it at home so we can use it to study. Good!” Adam Mangu, Class 4J, Auckland Grammar School- 83% of the group wanted more of these sims in their future education
Objectives
These are simulations designed for year 12 history students and are based on NCEA level2 curriculum and Cambridge International A levels.
- The simulations tests students history knowledge and gets them to use what they have learned in simulated problems.
- Learned material can be aggregated into bigger “chunks” and then applied holistically to broader problems.
- The pilot sim covers the 1967 Arab Israeli war. There is a news room where background information is provided, a sim where decisions are made, and a debrief room where learning is tested.
- The simulations assist teachers by providing real time/rapid feedback of student’s performance that shows them what areas the class is having problems with, and which individual students are having trouble with the course.
- The simulations should be done as the content is covered in class.
- The simulation works well as homework, the teacher can easily check the homework is completed and see where students had trouble.
- The simulations can be run at home or in the classroom with students working individually or as teams.
The simulations are based on the qualifications as shown in the table below.
History: NCEA Level 2 Achievement Standards
| AS | Description | Sim Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Plan and carry out an historical inquiry | Historical inquiry |
| 2.2 | Communicate historical ideas to demonstrate understanding of an historical context | Understanding a historical context |
| 2.3 | Examine evidence in historical sources | Historical sources |
| 2.4 | Examine perspectives and responses of, and demonstrate empathy for, people in an historical setting | Perspectives and responses of people in an historical setting |
| 2.5 | Examine how a force or movement in an historical setting influenced people’s lives, in an essay | How a force or movement in an historical setting influenced people’s lives |
| 2.6 | Examine individual or group identity in an historical setting, in an essay | Individual or group identity in an historical setting |
History: Cambridge International A Levels
| Topic | Sim Title |
|---|---|
| Modern European History, 1789-1939: French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Nationalism, Russian Revolution | Modern European History, 1789-1939 |
| Cold War | Cold War |
| Rise of Hitler | Rise of Hitler |
| Southeast Asia: From Colonies to Nations, 1870-1980: Colonial rule and impact, Nationalism, Decolonisation and independence, Nation building | Southeast Asia: From Colonies to Nations, 1870-1980 |
*Note: availability of some simulations based on certain achievement standards are limited due to authoring time constraints. However all simulations will be completed by December 2010.
This video provides an example of a history simulation in action. It is the sim that was used in the pilot at Auckland Grammar School and the main features of this are described. It describes the 1967 Arab Israeli war.
Components of a Sim
A sim consists of a teacher briefing, a student briefing, a video introduction, pre and post tests, the simulation, and use of the platform. Clicking on the active links above gives the resources used in the pilot and below is an image of the history pilot simulation.
History Pilot Feedback Summary
The majority of the students found the pilot programme above average with the main benefits being the ease of use, the aspect of fun, and having the ability to learn on a computer rather than normal work.
- 83% of the group wanted more of these sims in their future education
- “It is fun and interesting. Builds attention! It was overall awesome.” Vipul Taneja, Student, Auckland Grammar School
- “You can re enact these historic events” Chris Hooke, Student, Auckland Grammar School
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