MUPPETS: multi-user programming pedagogy for enhancing traditional study
CITC4 '03 Proceedings of the 4th conference on Information technology curriculum
Coupled human and natural systems: A multi-agent-based approach
Environmental Modelling & Software
Short communication: Simulating the urban water and contaminant cycle
Environmental Modelling & Software
The impact of a simulation game on operations management education
Computers & Education
Forage rummy: A game to support the participatory design of adapted livestock systems
Environmental Modelling & Software
Digital educational game value hierarchy from a learners' perspective
Computers in Human Behavior
Hi-index | 0.01 |
An increased interest in coupled natural and human systems motivates the simulation of dynamic interactions between humans and their environment. Simulation games often include this capability suggesting their use as research and/or educational tools, but this requires a somewhat realistic representation of environmental processes. This paper reviews the hydrology in the simulation game SimCity 4. The components of the hydrologic cycle included in the game relate mainly to drinking water supply, treatment and distribution. Groundwater, the sole source of drinking water, is present in unlimited quantity, but becomes polluted as a result of agricultural and industrial land uses. Water treatment plants are included, but in a somewhat unrealistic manner, in that they rapidly clean up aquifers in situ. The drinking water distribution infrastructure consists of water towers, pumps and pipes, but again, they are included in a somewhat unrealistic manner. Water towers and pumps both extract groundwater and are differentiated solely by their capacity, power usage and cost (rather than function). Besides for entertainment, the game should be valuable for educational purposes in lower level undergraduate courses to illustrate that/how water supply affects a city and vice versa. The general game architecture is capable of a more realistic representation and inclusion of additional components of the urban hydrologic cycle, which are discussed.