INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN SCIENCE

(SSI3013)

REPORT

STELLA SIMULATION SOFTWARE

Name NOR FARHANA ADILIN BT BASRI

(D20152072043)
SYAZWANIE ADILA BT MAT YAZID
(D20152072023)
PUNITHA A/P NARAYANASAMY
(D20152072028)
Lecturer ENCIK AZMI BIN IBRAHIM

Group B

Date 30 / 04 / 2018

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 LIST OF CONTENT

1.0 Introduction ………………………………….................................... 2-3

2.0 Application ………………………………………………………… 3-4

3.0 Advantage ………………………………………………………… 4-5

4.0 Disadvantage ………………………………………………………… 5-6

5.0 Simulation By Stella Software …………………………………………. 6-10

6.0 Conclusion …………………………………………………………. 10

7.0 Reference ………………………………………………................. 11

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

Model and simulation give a lot of benefits in education and has become a part of advanced
learning environment. Model and simulation are the best way to provide a foundation of an
effective integrating of teaching and learning. It also can give some kind of virtual reality in
education. Through modelling and simulation, it will increase the level of understanding of as a
student and provide fun learning environment. Students will be more interested to learn and make
the learning and teaching process more effective. Then it will help students to learn in a better way
with the used of modelling and simulation. Modelling is an instructional strategy in which the
teacher demonstrates a new concept or approach to learn and students learn by observing.
Modelling is one of essential teaching too land it is similar to but it simpler than the system is
represents.

Simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system. The act of
simulating something first requires that a model be developed; this model represents the key
characteristics, behaviors and functions of the selected physical or abstract system or process. The
model represents the system itself, whereas the simulation represents the operation of the system
over time.

Simulation is used in many contexts, such as simulation of technology for performance

optimization, safety engineering, testing, training, education, and video games. Often, computer
experiments are used to study simulation models. Simulation is also used with scientific
modelling of natural systems or human systems to gain insight into their functioning, as
in economics. Simulation can be used to show the eventual real effects of alternative conditions
and courses of action. Simulation is also used when the real system cannot be engaged, because it
may not be accessible, or it may be dangerous or unacceptable to engage, or it is being designed
but not yet built, or it may simply not exist.

Key issues in simulation include acquisition of valid source information about the relevant
selection of key characteristics and behaviors, the use of simplifying approximations and
assumptions within the simulation, and fidelity and validity of the simulation outcomes.
Procedures and protocols for model verification and validation are an ongoing field of academic
study, refinement, research and development in simulations technology or practice, particularly in
the field of computer simulation.

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 Besides, simulation is a representation of the functioning of a system or process. Through
simulation, a model may be implanted with unlimited variations, producing complex scenarios.
These capabilities allow analysis and understanding of how individual elements interact and affect
the simulated environment.

2.0 APPLICATION

There are a few things that was so interesting about the application of simulation. Basically, these
application of simulation modeling is a structured approach to discovering key variable
relationships within a system. Systems take on many forms across sectors, from agriculture to
aerospace and defense to zoology. these systems are generally finite and operate within a set of
defined business rules, often forcing decision makers to make difficult tradeoffs that can result in
a range of profitable, or costly, outcomes.

The other application of the simulation is evaluating design for service organizations such as
hospitals, post offices or fast food restaurant and analyzing financial or economic systems.
Computer simulation will help to give motivation to the student in the class. This is because
simulation can be defined as interactive multimedia with dynamic-element that are under user
control. One of the computer simulation is Stella System. This simulation will help student to
increase their motivation in the learning. For an example from the graph,

Student can predict the outcomes by analyze the coloration between prey and predators. Like
we know predator is an organism that eats another organism and prey is the organism which the

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predator eats. Some examples of predator and prey are snake and rat, lion and zebra, bear and fish,
and fox and rabbit. So the relationship between prey and predator can be interpret by doing the
computer simulation. In the same time student will be more interested on the topic that they are
learn. It is because by through this simulation they can adjust and run the simulation by themselves.
Besides, student will get higher intrinsic motivation if compared with just looking through the
pictures. Normally, with using this simulation the teaching lesson will be more interactive. It is
because they can freely adjust the parameter of this experiment. By doing this student can identify
the changes of the pattern by analyze the graph and do a prediction.

3.0 ADVANTAGE

Stella simulation is one of the software that give a lot of benefits to user especially student.
Nowadays, it is actively used by the science student in the school. Teacher chose to use stella
simulation because it is very clearly to show the student about changing condition by see the
variable that had been stated. For beginner, the teacher will act as facilitator to teach student how
to work with stella. From that, the interaction between teacher and student especially
communication will improve. Stella simulation usually used by student in group so that the
cooperative learning turned. An intelligent student will help weak student to catch up what actually
happen in the experiment and what the stella showed. Addition to this, student-student interaction
also can improve while they use the stella simulation.

This software provides us technology that we can manipulate the parameter. Student
allowed to change and play with the parameter and they will notice the changing of the result.
Based on that, student learn what actually happen in the experiment and the factor that affected
the result. Student also can explore themselves by trying to adjust the parameter. So, stella
simulation clearly show to student the relationship between the manipulated, responding and
constant variables. Stella also provide the graph to show increasing and decreasing by changing
the variables absolutely. Student will attract to focus in doing experiment and catch up the result
from stella because they can see the changing in easily way. Addition to this, we will help the
student who think science is a though subject to learn to learn it in interesting way.

Stella simulation also help student to motivate in study. This is because they can try and
error by changing the variable to see the changing by their own. So, student did not give up easily
because they have a chance to work with stella many times. From this, we can prove to our student

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not right and wrong answer in doing experiment. Student allow to learn in interesting and
comfortable environment because they can explore anything with not limited time. Beside, student
will learn not only based on theory but they can explore new things.

Next, stella simulation also provide student to predict the result from the experiment. This
is because after run the simulation, student will think what will happen and they will come out
with new idea. User that use stella simulation can gives a unique idea because they think the reason
of changing by related to the theory or application in their daily life. Addition to this, the student’s
cognition and affection performance will be improved. By doing the stella simulation, it will
encourage creatively thinking. They will think out of the box not depend to the book only. They
also will improve their skill that related to their field of study. For example, as a science student,
they should know how to manipulate data and discuss scientific reason on changing of the result.
From that, student also can develop this skill through real life experience through the simulation.

4.0 DISADVANTAGE

Stella simulation have it disadvantages due to the several factor. First, costly factor in buying or
own this software. Everyone that want to install must to spend about RM3000. So, as a student
they not affordable to own this software. Because of that, not every school provide this software
for learning process. Teacher also will have problem when choose this software to teach because
not all student can use it in a class. Addition to this, as we know stella simulation also need user
to have computer to install this software. Same as what we mentioned above, the computer also
cannot be provided by school or company to each student at the school. In rural area, the computer
of course cannot be provide as needed to work with stella software. Because of that, teacher
nowadays choose to use traditional ways which are chalk and talk rather than use this software.

Beside, this software also has the weakness in provide an expert person to handle the
software and teach a beginner to work with stella simulation. School or company will have problem
to provide person which have fulfill training about this software due to cost and time. For example,
if school send their teacher to a stella simulation courses, what will happen to the time that teacher
should do in teaching and complete their work in school. Lacking of expert person in stella
simulation will spoil to make sure it can be use in teaching and learning process especially in
school.

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 Next, this simulation also cannot be done in a short time. We need to spend a lot of time to
catch up the result from stella simulation. In a school, we have specific time to finish the topic so
that teacher will not an enough time to make sure student can use the stella simulation a good way.
If we use the stella simulation, we need to set up in beginning and control the software
continuously. We also need to consider when working with computer and software, there are
something that will interrupt their function for example broken of the computer because the viruses
attacked.

5.0 SIMULATION BY STELLA SOFTWARE

STELLA stands for Systems Thinking, Experimental Learning Laboratory with Animation is
a visual programming language for system dynamics modelling and this software is also a
modelling software package that diagrams, charts and uses animation help visual learners discover
relationships between variables and helps simplify model building. Besides that, this software
allows user to run models created as graphical representations of a system using four fundamental
building blocks. Stella have been used in education because of its simplicity relative to more
complex modelling languages as a teaching tool and also used in academia to utilized in a variety
of research and business applications.

Stella is a computer simulation program which provides a framework and an easy-to-

understand graphical interface for observing the quantitative interaction of variables within a
system. The simulation models are made up with four buildings block which are stock, flow,
converter and connector. The Stella model is pictured as below.

The four building blocks are defined as below:

I) Stock is a generic symbol for anything that accumulates or drains.

II) Flow is the rate of change of a stock.

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III) A converter is used to take input data and manipulate or convert that input into some output
signal.

IV) A connector is an arrow that allows information to pass between converters and converters,
stocks and converters, stocks and flows, and converters and flows.

There are several step to get started the simulation. The first step is to define the purpose.
Before you start to build the model, you must define your purpose for the model in the first place.
You need set the goal in mind how is the model would be and the reason of creating it. This purpose
will also guide you in your decisions regarding how much certainty you require in your numbers,
where to set your model boundary and many other aspects of your model.

Secondly you need to identify key variables in the system. You have to know what is the
factors that would affect your systems as you need to be very careful the naming your model
variables. Use names that can be associated with a real quantity such as fish, cows or account
balance. Model elements can also represent soft variables, but be sure to use something that can
be scaled, like happiness. Thirdly is need to describe the behaviour of the key variables. We should
know how do the key variables behave in real life and we should at least define some constraints.
This is an important step because it helps to evaluate and improve the model later on. The next
step is to identify the stocks and flows in the system. We need to have knowledge about the level
of the systems and the flow would affect the systems.

The fifth steps are map the stocks and flows on the Stella diagram pad. Begin building the
model in Stella with the stocks and flows. We need to define the flows. Recall that the flows are
defined only by the stocks in the system and constants. There may be several intermediate steps,
but each flow must be dependent only on the stocks and the constants. Model these relationships
in Stella model. After we construct the flows, we must include the quantitative information such
as enter the equations for the model elements. Many relationships are simple and intuitive.
Sometimes, the relationship between two variables is too complicated for a simple equation. If so,
we will have to define a graph to represent the relationship.

Once we have set the all the steps, we must run the model to ensure all the flows are in
order and we may need to return to one of the previous steps at this point and correct any problems
you come across. Evaluate the models after we run it. During the set the step in building the model,

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we may have made some mistakes which are solution interval (DT) is too large, a flow that should
be bi-directional is defined as a way flow, a stock is incorrectly defined as non-negative, incorrect
flow direction. Dividing instead of multiplying or a similar mistake is easy to do and will make
the model behave incorrectly. If there are some problems we encountered, we should improve the
model. Try to find causes of any anomalous behavior, then modify the model so it produces an
appropriate behavior. Once we get an appropriate behavior, try a few different scenarios to test the
model under varying conditions.

In the Stella simulation, we are focusing on the model of relationship of prey predator
between oil palm production-rats and rats owl in biological control technique in palm plantation
ecosystem. In this simulation, we going to find the do the presence of pest especially rats can cause
a great damage and negative impact to the production of national palm-oil resource. The objective
of this simulation is to see the resulting balanced relationship between the three entities. Then,
inferences can be made based on the resulted gain to make conclusion the uses of biology control
for the particular period of time. The graphs below that have been provided was created by using
Stella software is about control in oil palm ecosystem.

Graph 1: Production of oil palm in stable interaction between the population of rats and population of barn owl.

In the order to run this simulation in the beginning the number is of the population is set at 20000
in while number of population of owl is set at 12. Form the graph, er can predict that the predation
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occurred between rats and owl. Based from the overall view, the graph shows that there is
interaction ecosystem occurred between three variables in the ecosystem, palm oil tree in, rats and
owl increased over at particular time.

When the population of rats and owls increased.

Graph 2: Production of oil palm in unstable interaction between the population of rats and population of barn owl as
both populations increasing over time

On the next graph we have manipulated the number of population of rats and owls by
increasing rapidly the amount of rats up to 28000 and the amount of owls up to 18. The pattern of
the is most likely changed over same particular time. From the graph, we finds the rats population
is increased and the population of owl declined to zero and over time and be constant. The reason
of decline the number of owl is maybe the owl migrate to other place to finds a new food resources
and or migrating for mating seasons. Meanwhile rat populations keep increasing over time because
the declined of barn owl as predators.

When the population of rats and owls decreased.

Graph 3: Production of oil palm in unstable interaction between the population of rats and population of barn owl as
both populations decreasing over time.

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On the next graph we have manipulated the number of population of rats and owls by decreasing
the amount of rats down to 20000 and the amount of owls down to 16. The pattern of this graph
also most likely changed over same particular time. From the graph, we finds the rats population
is increased the pattern for the population of owl declined and over time and be constant at 4 until
the end. While the palm-oil produced increased at the first 18.75 years but slightly drop as at the
end the population of rats start to increased rapidly. Based from these three graph, what can be
concluded is the simulation performed proves us that the equilibrium of relationship among the
palm-oil, rat and owl. Thus, the method of biological control can be planned in order to control the
rat’s population not even for now but also for long 25-year period ahead.

6.0 CONCLUSION

As a conclusion, stella software have the advantages and disadvantages. So, we as a user can
choose to work with it in correct way in suitable condition. Stella simulation actually help the
student in manipulate the parameter by their own, increase innovation and can predict by
themselves. The creativity performance in cognitive and affective of student can be improve by
working with stella simulation. Beside, stella simulation can encourage student to come out with
the new idea by adjust the variable by themselves. Other than that, it also can help student in
engaging student interaction because in doing stella simulation, student will communicate with
their friend and their teacher.

Next, the stella simulation have weakness in costly factor. User need to spend a lot of
money to install this software to their computer. Addition to this, user also need to provide the
computer to run the stella simulation software. Beside, other weakness is in provide an expert in
stella simulation. It is not easy to train person to expert in something because we need to consider
the cost and time taken especially in the school.

Last but not least, science student are encourage to use the stella simulation in teaching and
learning process to improve their scientific skills. Student can see the pattern of the graph that will
answered our hypothesis. It also helps student especially in identify and interpret data based on the
graph from the stella simulation software. Addition to this, stella simulation software provide
interesting learning to student also to a teacher in the school.

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7.0 REFFERENCE

Angela B. Shiflet and George W. Shiflet (2006). Introduction to Computational Science:

Modeling and Simulation for the Sciences. Princeton University Press.

C. Blake & E. Scanlon.(2007). Reconsidering simulations in science education at a distance:

Features of effective use. Education and Educational Technology (CREET), The Open
University, Milton Keynes, UK

Ricki G. Ingalls. (2008). Introduction to simulation . Oklahoma State University Stillwater,

OK 74078, U.S.A.

Simulation. Retrieved on April 28, 2018 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation.

What is simulation. Retrieved on April 28,2018 from

http://www.simulationaustralasia.com/about/what-is-simulation

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