Tag: Simulations

  • Transform Learning With Accurate Networking Simulations

    Transform Learning With Accurate Networking Simulations

    Reading Time: 6 minutes

    Today, I want to talk about an innovative and exciting tool for teaching and learning the subject of computer networking. I’ve been teaching and learning the expansive subject of computer networking for more than 25 years at the community college level. I also write networking and operating system textbooks for Cengage. I’ve always wished there was a tool available that offers accurate networking simulations while not being overly complicated for introductory students; that was focused first and foremost on teaching and learning the sometimes-difficult topic of networking.  LabHUB Network Emulator from DTI Publishing is just such a tool.

    I recently retired from full-time teaching, and I feel cheated that I will miss out using this tool in the classroom with my students. The good news for me is that I’m still writing networking textbooks, and this tool will be my go-to for developing virtual networking labs as a supplement to physical networking equipment labs. 

     

    What is LabHUB Network Emulator?

    Network Emulator is a web-based networking simulation tool that anyone with a web browser and internet connection can access — no software installation required. For students, it’s easy to use. It visually shows the movement of network data through the network and allows students to configure network devices and topologies. It also gives immediate feedback as students work through lab exercises. For instructors, it’s fully customizable. While a library of pre-created, self-grading labs will be available with certain textbooks from Cengage, instructors can create their own labs to focus on the topics they feel are most important for students to grasp.  

    In addition, instructors can create self-check questions that provide immediate feedback with detailed explanations to validate learning outcomes as students work through lab steps. As I mentioned, this tool is focused on teaching and learning, so if a student gets stuck on a task, there’s a “Show Me” option that provides an explanation or plays a short video about the task at hand. 

     

    The vision behind Network Emulator

    Every feature of Network Emulator was developed with teaching and learning in mind, and that has been the focus of the founder of DTI Publishing, Pierre Askmo, with all of DTI’s products.  There are a few competing products in this space, and I asked Pierre why he decided to take on the competition and develop Network Emulator. 

    “We saw a need in the space between educational platforms with a fair amount of learning components but were static, and highly interactive professional network simulators geared towards engineers, which had hardly any learning features. The LabHUB Network Emulator merges the two to offer a highly interactive and educational network emulation platform.” 

    I pressed him further by asking what makes Network Emulator unique amongst the competition. 

    “It’s the ability to add educational features to a network emulation tool. Our tool was developed with students and instructors in mind. It enables instructors to insert questions, hints, and remedial texts while getting complete grading of the student’s actions. The LabHUB Network Emulator is an emulator developed for education.”

    From what I have seen so far, that’s spot on. 

    Network Emulator has a clean, straightforward interface, as you can see from the figure. Moving from left to right in the figure, the lab written instructions are on the left, and you see a menu of devices and other options next, followed by the workspace. At the top are some controls including the Show Me option I mentioned before. The workspace can be pre-populated with devices as in the figure, and devices can be partially configured if desired depending on the learning objectives of the lab. The workspace can also be left completely empty so students can add and configure the necessary devices to complete the objectives of the lab. 

    Feedback in action: guiding students to understand networking concepts

    One of the great things about Network Emulator is the feedback students get as they watch packets travel from device to device. The next figure shows a ping reply packet as it travels through the network from Computer B to Computer A. At the top right of the workspace, you see the current status of the packet, the source and destination devices, and the type of packet. At the very top of the workspace is the Network Log which is a running narrative of what is happening as the packet makes its way through the network.  

    Students can click the arrow at the top right of the screen and see the narrative history to better understand what occurred to get to this point in the packet’s journey. The Send control at the top of the workspace sends the packet so students can watch it traverse the network automatically. The Move to next device control simply forwards the packet to the next device, allowing students to click on the packet to see the packet details at any device. 

    Screenshot from Network Emulator demonstrating the "Send" and "Move to next device" controls.

    The next two figures show packet contents and a partial view of the expanded Network Log. You can use the scroll bar to see the full log. When a packet reaches its destination, you’ll see a green checkmark and the status line reports “Successful.” 

    Screenshot of packet contents and a partial view of the expanded Network Log.Screenshot of packet contents and a partial view of the expanded Network Log.

    So, what happens if something goes wrong? For example, what if a student tries to send a ping packet, but the devices are not properly configured for a successful transmission? Again, feedback is the key. In the next figure, a ping was attempted between Computer A and Computer C. But, since a router is in between the computers, more configuration is required. The status bar at the top reports that the packet cannot be sent and if you hover your mouse over the exclamation point, you see a message: “No default gateway configured.” This type of feedback is excellent for students who are learning the basics of networking.  

    Screenshot demonstrating the feedback a student receives when they make a mistake; the status bar reads "Cannot send packet from Computer A to Computer C"

     How instructors can build a personalized learning experience with Network Emulator

    For instructors, Network Emulator allows them to create their own labs. Instructions can be written in Edit Lab Mode and audio instructions can be included. This is also where instructors can include a Show Me which can include a text narrative, a video, and audio. 

    Screenshot that demonstrates how instructors can create their own labs, including text, audio and video instructions if desired.

    In Studio Mode, instructors can design the topology with an initial state that students will see when they start the lab, and a correct state which is the state of the topology when the student completes the lab step.  

    Screenshot of Studio Mode, where instructors can see an initial state that students will see when they start the lab, and a correct state which is the state of the topology when the student completes the lab step.

    Studio Mode is also where you can create self-check questions and configure grading criteria. After each step, instructors can create a self-check question to reinforce the learning objective for the lab step. Students will get instant correct/incorrect feedback and an explanation for the correct answer. In the Grading Settings, instructors can choose which configuration tasks are graded for each step. The next two figures show the grading settings and a self-check question. 

    Screenshot of the Grading Settings screen. Screenshot of the Grading Settings screen.

     

    There isn’t room on this blog post to show all the features of LabHUB Network Emulator, but what I’ve seen so far has me excited to incorporate Network Emulator labs into my Guide to Networking Essentials book. It has the right mix of accurate networking simulation capabilities and teaching and learning features for most introductory networking courses and certifications. And development is ongoing, so new features and capabilities are being added based on instructor and student feedback.  

    Speaking of development, I had a conversation with the chief architect of Network Emulator and asked him what was the most challenging aspect of developing the tool. He said, “I’d say the most challenging aspect was providing a SaaS platform where authors could create a multitude of diverse labs visually that students could access from anywhere in the world.” I bet that was a challenge! And it’s one of the things that makes Network Emulator so unique; whether you’re a student or instructor, if you have a web browser, you can use it.

     

    Written by Greg Tomsho, author of “Guide to Networking Essentials” 9e and “Microsoft Exam AZ-801: Guide to Configuring Windows Server Hybrid Advanced Services” 1e. 

     

    Coming soon: the LabHUB Network Emulator will be available in MindTap for our next edition CompTIA Cloud+ and CompTIA A+ titles. In the meantime, visit our Computing & Information Technology page to find more engaging course materials from Cengage. 

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  • Simulations and AI: Critical Thinking Improvement

    Simulations and AI: Critical Thinking Improvement

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    As an educator teaching undergraduates and graduates, both online and face-to-face, it’s always a challenge to find meaningful ways to engage students. Now that artificial intelligence has come into play, that challenge has become even greater. This has resulted in a need to address ways to create “AI-proof” assignments and content.

    Simulations in different types of courses

    According to Boston College, simulations are designed to engage students “directly with the information or the skills being learned in a simulated authentic challenge.” In my teaching over the past decade plus, I have gone from using simulations in one primary operations management course to using them in almost every course I teach. And I don’t necessarily use them in a stand-alone assignment, although they can be used as such. How I use a simulation is course dependent.

    Face-to-face

    In some face-to-face courses, I will run the simulation in class with everyone participating. Sometimes I will have teams work in a “department,” or have true, open discussions. Sometimes I will run the room, ensuring every single student is paying attention and contributing. Using simulations in this fashion gives flexibility in the classroom. It shows me who truly gets the concepts and who is going through the motions. The dynamic of the class itself can dictate how I run the simulation.

    Online

    In online courses, I typically assign simulation work. This can be one simulation assignment or a progressive unit of simulations. It’s a great way to see students improve as they move through various concepts, ideas, and applications of the topics covered. Creating assignments which are both relative to the simulation and comparative to the work environment make assignments AI-proof. Students must think about what they have actually done in class and relate it to their workplace environment and/or position.

    Why simulations work for all levels

    There are many simulations that can be used and incorporated in both undergraduate and graduate level courses. As much as we don’t think of graduate students relying on AI to complete work, I have seen this happen multiple times. The results aren’t always ideal. Using simulations at the graduate level, and ensuring your assignments reflect both the simulation and real-world comparisons, can help your students use AI to gather thoughts, but not rely on it for the answers.

    Student benefits

    Using simulations will have many benefits for your students. I have gotten feedback from many students over the years regarding their ability to make decisions and see the results that simulations give. My capstone students often want to continue running the simulation, just to see how well they can do with their “business.” I have had students in lower-level management courses ask me how they can get full access to run these when I have them as “in-class only” options. The majority of feedback includes:

    1. Anything is better than lecture!
    2. Being able to see how students’ decisions impact other areas can be very helpful for them. They actually remember it, enforcing more than reading or watching can do.
    3. Students want more simulations throughout their courses, rather than just one or two. They will have the ability to make those decisions and see those impacts. And they feel it will prepare them even more for the workforce.

    As a retention and engagement tool, simulations seem to be one of the best I have found. Are there students that don’t like them? Yes, there always are. Even so, they’re forced to think through solutions and determine a best course of action to get that optimal result. From an instructor’s perspective, there’s nothing better than seeing those wheels turn. Students are guided on how to recover from an issue, and are advised on what may happen if different solutions were attempted. The questions gained are often better than the results.

    Instructor benefits

    For instructors, there are many benefits. As I stated earlier, you can see improvements in student behavior. They ask questions and have a defined interest in the results of their actions. In classes when you have teams, it can become friendly competition. If they are individual assignments, you get more questions, which is something we always want to see. More questions show interest.

    Ease of use

    Although I usually include recorded instructions and tips for simulations in my online courses, I prefer my personal recordings, since I also give examples relevant to student majors and interests. For example, in an entrepreneurial class, I would go through a simulation piece and include how this might affect the new business in the market vs. how it might impact an established business.

    Auto-grading

    When assigning simulations, they are usually auto-graded. This can drastically lighten our workload. I personally have around 150-200 students each term, so being able to streamline the grading function is a huge benefit. However, with this, there are trade-offs. Since I also create simulation-based questions and assignments, there are no textbook answers to refer to. You must know the simulations and be the content expert, so you can effectively guide your students.

    Thoughtful responses

    AI can be a great tool when used productively. But seeing overuse of the tool is what led me to learn more simulations. This adjustment on my end has resulted in students presenting me with more thoughtful, accurate, and relevant responses. Feedback from students has been positive.

    Sims for all industries

    An additional benefit of simulations is that there are basically sims for all industries. Pilot and healthcare sims have existed for a very long time. But even if you only have access to one or two, you have the ability to make it relatable to any field. If you’re like me and teach a variety of classes, you can use one simulation for almost any class.

    Overall success

    I was using simulations before AI became so influential. The extensive and current use of AI has driven me to use more simulations in all of my courses. By adjusting what tools I use, I have been able to encourage more thorough problem solving, active listening and reasoning. Plus, I get strategic and effective questions from my students. The overall results include intense engagement, better critical thinking skills, and content retention.

     

    Written by Therese Gedemer, Adjunct Instructor and Workforce Development Trainer, Marian University, Moraine Park Tech College and Bryant & Stratton College

     

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