Personalizing simulation-based learning in higher education

As digitalization progresses and technologies advance rapidly, digital simulations offer great potential for learning professional practices in contexts such as medical or teacher higher education. The technological advancements increasingly facilitate the personalization of learning support to meet the individual needs of learners, whose diverse prerequisites influence their learning processes, activities, and outcomes. However, systematic approaches to combining technologies with educational theories and evidence are scarce. In this article, we propose to use data on relevant learning prerequisites and learning processes as a basis for personalizing feedback and scaffolding to facilitate learning with simulated practice representations. We connect theoretical concepts with methodological and technical approaches (e.g., using artificial intelligence) for modeling important learner variables as a basis for personalized learning support. The interplay between the learner and the simulation environment is outlined in a conceptual framework which may guide systematic research on personalized learning support in digital simulations.

Educational relevance statement

This paper introduces a conceptual framework, which aims to advance personalized simulation-based learning in higher education. Digital simulations can provide tailored learning experiences that adapt to students' individual differences and needs, using artificial intelligence and other technological advances. This approach might have the potential to transform learning in higher education by increasing student engagement and the effectiveness of learning professional knowledge and skills. The framework is discussed along five central questions of personalized learning, which may guide systematic research on how simulations can accommodate learners' diverse prerequisites and processes. In doing so, the framework provides a starting point for interdisciplinary research collaborations aimed at developing design principles for personalized simulation-based learning in higher