I found an interesting site on space simulations for school children called the Educational Space Simulations Project. The interior of the space shuttle used in this simulation provided the right atmosphere (no pun intended) for the simulation. During the 24-hour simulation, the students used various forms to gather and distribute "relevant" information, and communicated through various means. I think I would have enjoyed this activity as a kid.

As an adult, I have enjoyed "simulations" more when I am looking for the answer to a question (self directed). I use the word "simulation" even though the purpose of the software systems I've used (e.g., environmental/acoustic modeling software, enterprise resource planning software) is not to function as a simulator. When confronted with a question/problem/knowledge gap, I enjoy setting up the "test" conditions in the system and analyzing the outcome in order to be able to make future predictions. It's this aspect - immediate personal relevance - that I think will be difficult to capture in a simulation.