Resimion, or more specifically ‘Resim games’ have a variety of modes that they can be played in depending on the context and the need of the coach and learning session. We cover Online and Realtime here.

Running a Resim in ‘Online Mode’ allows learners to access a Resim in their own time. Outside of lecture or tutorial group settings, individual learners play without the need for activation by a learning lead or coach. Within the app, the learner enters the code for the Resim they want to play, either by logging in as themselves or anonymously. The simulation runs without needing to synchronously play with other participants, so they can practise at a time of the learner’s choosing and without the pressure of knowing the performance of their peers, like in ‘Realtime Mode’.

‘Realtime Mode’ in a more formal setting, for example a lecture or tutorial, facilitates a group of learners participating or competing in a Resim simultaneously with a specified time constraint. When joining a Resim in a class, the learner will reach a ‘Wait’ screen until the simulation is activated by the learning lead. The simulation starts simultaneously for everyone and ends when all the time has elapsed, or in some cases when the student has selected a final diagnosis. Learners playing together get to see how they size up against others, both at the end of the Resim, and in realtime on the main presentation screen (if it’s in use). This does not occur in ‘Online Mode’, since the learner is in control of how long they spend thinking about their choices and is not playing against others.

Practise through Resim’s ‘Online Mode’ is valuable for learners who want to revise lecture content, prepare for a ‘Realtime’ Resim group challenge in the future or work through example case studies before an assessment. Engagement with the app in this mode complements the experiential learning theory where knowledge creation is rooted in a cycle of reflection, theory generation and application of the knowledge gained through direct exposure (Kolb, 1984). With this, ‘Online Mode’ is suited to practising theory in a simulation, giving learners the space to reflect on their understanding and thinking processes before applying them to other contexts, perhaps in a different Resim or assessment.

References

Kolb (1984), Experiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.