Simulation-based learning in higher education and professional training: Approximations of practice through representational scaffolding

In this article, we reviewed the nine studies included in a special issue that addresses the assessment and evaluation of simulation-based learning in higher education and professional training. We discussed the results of each study, integrated them in terms of their individual and collective contributions to evaluating the effectiveness of simulation-based learning, and related the studies’ results to the presage, process, and product factors of simulation-based learning. We concluded that research on simulation-based learning can benefit from employing a variety of methodological approaches and venturing beyond its primary focus on cognitive processes and outcomes to analyze the different types of process indicators and learning outcomes. Moreover, we identified a promising direction for future research: the selection and adjustment of representations of practice included in simulations by means of representational scaffolding. By proceeding with increasingly detailed analyses of simulation-based learning, research can further advance our understanding of the relevant learning mechanisms.