6YL - ITGS VISIT "ESCUELA NAVAL"
6YL ITGS – Visits the Escuela Naval
On Thursday, June 7th, the IT department coordinated an outing where ITGS (Information Technology in a Global Society) 6YL students visited the “Centro de Simulaciones de la Escuela Naval”.
In line with the ITGS IB curriculum that covers Models and Simulations, this was a unique opportunity where the students could see in practice the concepts worked on in class concerning models and computer simulations. During our visit to the simulator, the common applications of models and simulations were explained and clearly demonstrated as well as the complexity of the model in both hardware and software.
Students had the chance to dock a ship at different ports being exposed to a wide range of variables such as wind, snow, fog among others.
The objectives of our visit were to:
- Distinguish between the model and the simulation of said model
- Describe the applications of the models and simulations
- Explain high-performance computing techniques
- Explain how a computational model is created
- Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of using a computer model
- Evaluate problems related to the accuracy and reliability of the models
The following are some of the reflections made by the students:
“The visit to the naval simulator helped us in understanding the topics we are studying in ITGS this year. We saw how the ITGS concepts we learn in class are applied in one of the areas of impact, education and training or politics and government. … I identified the attributes of knowledgeable, inquirer, reflective and thinker since visiting the Escuela Naval made us think on what we had learnt, and it was a different way of understanding the concepts. The man who gave us the talk taught us about the hardware and software needed to run the simulator as well as how it worked, the network between the computers and how the different scenarios were created, something I found really interesting. I believe the experience as a whole was very enriching. Seeing the simulator and how it works was really interesting.” Alanna Mcconnell
“I believe our visit to the Escuela Naval was very insightful as it allowed us to relate the ITGS topics learned in class to a real world situation: a simulator used for the training of marines in Uruguay. In regards to the IB learner attributes, as a group we were reflective, thinkers, knowledgeable and inquirers. We learned how the IT global navy system works, the designing of scenarios, the use of electronical nautical charts and we also had the experience to see other places in the system such as New York´s peer and harbor.” Andres Juan
“The visit to the naval simulator was very useful because it was related to a lot of topics from the course. For example, we were able to see an example of virtual reality. Also, we were able to see the room that had all the hardware that make the simulator function. I felt more identified with the “open minded” attribute because I never imagined that a simulator for boats existed, and I never thought that there was one in Uruguay. One new concept that we learned during the visit was that when students used the simulator they are recorded so that later they can see what they did wrong and correct their errors. Another concept that we learned is that having a simulator of that magnitude requires lots of servers and computers. Moreover, we learned that they bought the landscapes of each port to another company who dedicates to making landscapes of different ports around the world.” Daniel Bajac
“The visit to the naval simulator has shown me in a visual way the concepts we have been learning throughout the course. When explaining how the system works, there were factors taken into account to avoid possible issues we have studied in class, also showing us the servers and the virtual reality it uses. I felt identified with learning attributes such as knowledgeable, thinker, and reflective, because it made me realize how much information we have acquired due to the ITGS course, and every time the staff informed us about the simulator, it made me think about this knowledge and reflect in what ways it resembles to the knowledge needed to create a simulator as such. … It also showed us the advantages of learning through virtual reality, creating real situations with no real consequences, allowing students to learn without potential risks.” Macarena Cousillas
“The visit to the Escuela Naval had many positive aspects. Being able to experience the naval simulator contributed to my learning of the topic. Due to the ITGS course I could understand the subjects they discussed which before, I did not know of. Regarding the IB learning attributes, I felt more identified with knowledgeable and thinker. This visit has taught me about the requirements of the naval simulator and its benefits. There is an extensive work in Transa´s software, taking into account the scenarios and variables needed. Also, this simulation brings many advantages as students can practice, save time and in the long term, money.” Camila Del Campo
“This visit to the naval simulator helped me understand the way in which software can be developed and molded according to customer’s needs and the importance of good hardware in such cases (very good screens, the same tools as on a ship, external lights and sound that simulates alerts and much more). This visit granted me a first-hand experience with the topic model and simulations, and it helped me understand more clearly the way in which models and simulations can work making me think about other possible models and simulations for example in flight or driving simulations, in geographical catastrophe simulations, in health training, and in sports.” Giorgina Sexton
