Using Simulations to Promote Learning in Higher Education: An Introduction (review)

In the national report titled Greater Expectations (2002), representatives from the End Page 443 Association of American Colleges and Universities describe the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of an "intentional, self-directed learner." Among these competencies are: "interpreting, evaluating, and using information discerningly . . . resolving difficult issues creatively. . . deriving meaning from experience . . . transforming information into knowledge and knowledge into judgment and action . . . and working well in teams" (p. 22). Actualizing this "new vision for learning" is no small task; creative approaches will be necessary to transform traditional higher education practices into those that can be considered successful under these complex terms. John Hertel and Barbara Millis' book Using Simulations to Promote Learning in Higher Education offers readers a window into one teaching method that has the potential to aid us (and our students) in meeting many of these educational objectives: simulations.