ادغام محیط مبتنی بر وب برای آموزش شبیه سازی گسسته در سیستم آموزش الکترونیکی

This paper proposes a new web-based environment for learning discrete simulation. FONWebGPSS is an application that provides a web-based interface for creating, storing and executing discrete system simulation models in the GPSS language. The primary goal of the paper is to improve the process of learning simulation by integration of the FONWebGPSS in the existing e-learning system, Moodle. Evaluation of the developed integrated solution for learning simulation has been performed within an undergraduate course, Simulation and simulation languages, at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade on a testing sample of 208 students divided into an experimental and a control groups. The research results show that students achieve better results on the final test when using the FONWebGPSS application integrated into the e-learning system in comparison with the standard desktop version of the GPSS.

The area of computer simulation has been successfully applied to the study and modelling of processes, applications and real-world objects. A discrete system is one in which the state variables change only at a discrete set of time points, while in a continuous system the state variables change continuously over time [15] and [36]. Discrete event simulation has been successfully applied in the analysis of complex systems with discrete changes in the system’s state, such as: airports, hospitals, factories, banks, and supply chain management systems [2] and [15]. Discrete simulation enables conducting analyses of various types of systems, investigating relations and interactions among system’s components, project designing and implementation of a system, verifying different solutions and environments, testing capabilities and technical characteristics. Particularly, these tasks are very important for students in the area of management and business information systems, as they can learn how to make decisions, manage business processes, design complex information systems and applications that include a wide range of requirements [20]. Knowledge gained from simulation courses helps them understand, analyze and design systems, business processes, develop software components, test software solutions, and improve final outcomes of their work [10]. The major idea of this paper is to improve learning and teaching discrete simulation within e-learning courses through developing a new web-based simulation tool. Further, the simulation tool should be integrated with other components of the e-learning system. The subject of the research is to introduce the implemented simulation tool into the e-learning system of the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, where computer simulation has been studied in the scope of management and business information systems study programmes.

The Internet enables a distributed environment for utilizing simulation tools. By using modern Internet technologies, the transition to web-based simulation is simplified. Today, researchers are focused on finding new approaches and environments that can make learning simulation easier. The potential benefits of designing, developing, and using web-based simulations include an improved efficiency and effectiveness in the learning experience. The subject of the research was twofold: introduce a new web based environment for learning discrete event simulation tool via the web and enable a seamless integration with the e-learning system. The essential study points are summarized as follows: • Development of a new and efficient web based environment for learning discrete event simulation – FONWebGPSS. • Integration of the developed application into existing e-learning system Moodle. • Evaluation of the user interface, functionalities and performance of the developed application. • Evaluation of the FONWebGPSS application in teaching discrete event simulation. As regards the results of the experiment, we can offer the following conclusions and recommendations: • It is not surprising that the best results are achieved by students who have good results in the previous course of study and who study frequently during the semester; however it is significant that students who tend to use visual teaching materials (ppt, video) achieve better results. Teachers should encourage all students to use visual teaching materials more often, and improve the quality of non-visual materials for students with non-visual learning style. • The interface of the application is well adjusted in general. Major improvements of the application should be directed toward enhancing performance of the simulation and presentation of the simulation results. • Since current version of the FONWebGPSS does not induce collaborative work, teachers should make an effort to encourage students to work in collaboration. The future research is oriented towards improving the application interface and enriching it with graphical blocks that can be used instead of writing GPSS commands. Also, the FONWebGPSS will be improved with additional features to enable collaborative modelling of discrete systems.