government - netsim

Detailed Description:

NetSim is intended to be a game-like program, which allows students the freedom to experiment with building a network in a "safe" environment. Due to the nature of the program, the students are really setting their own goals for how simple or complex of a network they want to construct. Students set the level of challenge by selecting beginner, intermediate, or advanced. At the varying levels, the tasks become more complex and new variables are added to the network components menu. Students assess themselves by running tests in the test center. They can evaluate their own success and make adjustments to their configurations based on the results of the test. The program can also be set up to provide feedback with suggestions for improvement in the design, depending upon the level of scaffolding desired. The goal is for students to be able to self-evaluate and apply the usefulness of errors to troubleshooting the network.

If the program is being used as a lab in conjunction with a network design class, then the instructor may have imposed certain criteria or presented students with specific scenarios in the former of instructor tasks. In such a situation, the instructor could help the student assess the validity of their design and provide appropriate feedback, depending on the level of scaffolding required. In a classroom environment there would also be opportunity for peer evaluation. Students could be asked to write reflections and/or lessons learned using the notepad feature of NetSim.

Learning Outcomes:

The learner will be able to:

Identify the hardware and physical media used to build a network.
Develop planning and decision-making skills associated with designing a network.
Strengthen troubleshooting skills.