As this week's reading suggests, simulations have been shown to increase student achievement and are a new way to engage students in the material. According to Wieman et al (2008) simulations are powerful tools but not necessarily beneficial. If a simulation is not designed properly and there is something about the simulation that a student interprets differently than what is intended, they can learn the wrong idea. So before teachers use just any simulation in the classroom you must be careful as to what one you choose to use. These are usually designed by experts in the subject area and students may perceive what is happening in the simulation differently from the designers.
The research also suggests using the simulations in a variety of ways. These include lecture, such as an interactive lecture demo or concept tests or labs, recitation and homework. Wieman et al (2008) found that "simulations work best when coupled with activities that allow students to work directly with the program to construct their own conceptual understanding of science through exploration." So teachers must be aware of the pedagogical impact of simulations and incorporate them properly in the class they are not meant to replace the teacher or hands-on lab activities but supplement learning.
Here is a link to some great research articles on simulation design, using simulations in the class and student perceptions of learning: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/research
References
Wieman, C., K. Perkins, W. Adams. (2008). Oersted Medal Lecture 2007: Interactive simulations for teaching physics: What works, what doesn't, and why. American Journal of Physics. 76 (4&5), April/May 2008.
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