DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

FACULTY OF SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS

UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS
SSI 3013: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN SCIENCE
ASSIGNMENT 3 : STELLA (SIMULATION)
NAME

MATRIX NUMBER

SHAFIQAH BINTI HANAFI

D20141067057

FARAH AMIRAH BINTI AZMI

D20141067058

SITI NUR ATHIRAH BINTI MOHMAD

D20141067060

LECTURERS NAME: ENCIK AZMI IBRAHIM

GROUP
: GROUP C
DATE
: 14/11/2016

Introduction
Simulation are the imitation of the operation of a real world process or system over time
(Discrete Event System Simulation, 2001). The simulation are require a model to be develop
which model presents the characteristics of behaviour and functions of the selected physical and
abstract process. The simulation are used in many contexts such as for technology, training,
educations, and video games. Besides, the simulation also can be used with scientific modelling
of natural system and human system to gain the insight into the functioning and used to show the
eventual real effects of alternative condition of actions (Simulation article).
There are software that can used to run the simulation such as Stella. Stella software are
computer programme available in three version which are great Stella, small Stella and Stella 4D
that created by Robert Webb of Australia. Stella software provides a configurable workspace
comprising several panels. Then, Stella also can be display in different view in each panel once
the model has been selected from the range available. The views can be include the
measurements, symmetries and the unfolded nets. The variety of operations may performed on
any polyhedron such as spring network relaxation, generation of convex hull and the generation
of cupolaic blends and related figure.
Advantages
There are some advantages of the simulation by using the Stella software especially in
science subject. Firstly, the teaching by using the simulation can help students to deep learning
that including scientific methods. The instructional simulation have the potential to engage
students in deep learning that empowers the understanding as opposed to surface learning that
only requires memorization. Then, this system can give students concrete formats to think like a
scientist and do a scientific work. The relationship that appear among the variables in the
simulations allows the students to change parameter values and develop thinking about the
significant of magnitude changes in the parameter. In addition, instructional simulations have
proven their worth many times over in the statistics based fields and understand that scientific
knowledge rests on the foundation of testable hypothesis.

Besides, the simulation system can also help students to learn to reflect on and extend
knowledge by actively engaging in student or instructor student conversations needed during
conduct the system. Then, student are active participants in selecting parameter value,
anticipating outcomes and formulating new questions to ask. This is can also help students to
transferring to new problem and situations. An excellent simulation is constructed to include an
extension to a new problem or set of parameters that requires students to extend what they have
learned in an earlier context.
Then, the simulation are gives the advantages for students to understanding and refining
their own thought process and seeing social process and social interactions in action. Then, the
instructor have also provide sufficient time for the student to reflect on and discuss what they
have learned by using the simulation system. This situation will integrate the course goals into
the post-simulation discussion and prevent the student from confusing about certain topics.
Disadvantage
There are several advantages of the simulation system which are involve higher software
cost. The software that are costing caused school difficult to supply the software for education
process. This situation will prevents students and teacher to explore modern technology at the
school. Then, sometimes the simulation system are difficult to conduct especially for those have
no experience about the simulation system. This situation will caused that the result and data
obtain are not accurate and difficult to interpret the data. In addition, we have a poor
understanding of how some physical systems work so that we do not have sufficient data to
produce a mathematical model. For this reason it has not been possible to create simulations that
can accurately predict the occurrence and effects of earthquakes and tsunami. Besides, the
formula and functions that are used may not provide an accurate description of the system
resulting in inaccurate output from the simulation. Lastly, the disadvantage of the simulations
system is validating a simulation which often requires multiple data sources to achieve a great
degree of confidence in representation of real-world dynamics. The process of validation is a
disadvantage for simulation when comparing to data analytics approaches, since validating
simulations is often more difficult.

Steps in Simulation
There are several step during conduct the simulation application. Firstly, we need to have
the problem definition to define the goals of the study and determine what the problem to be
solves. Then, the problem will further defined through the objective observations of the process
to be studied. Secondly, we need to have project planning to determine whether there are
sufficient time and resource that available for the completion. Thirdly, the system definition steps
are involves identifying the system components to be modelled and the performance measures to
be analysed. Often the system is very complex, thus defining the system requires an experienced
simulator who can find the appropriate level of detail and flexibility.
Then, the next step is system analyst skills or model formulation which understanding
how the actual system behaves and determining the basic requirements of the model are
necessary in developing the right model. We can create a flow chart of how the system operate
facilities the understanding of what variables are involved and the interaction of the variables.
After that, the input data are collect and analysis. Then, the model are translated into
programming language by choices range from the general purpose languages. After that, the
verification process are make to ensure the model behaves as intended through the animation and
the validation ensures that no significant difference exist between the model and the real system
and the model reflect the reality that can be achieve through statistical analysis
Next step that involve in simulations are experimental and analysis. The experimentation
involves developing the alternative model executing the simulation runs and statistically
comparing the alternative system performance with that of the real system. The last step are the
documentation and the implementation. The documents consist of written report and
presentation. The result that obtain from the system are study, identified, recommended, justified
and discuss.

Simulation World Views

a) Pure Continuous Simulation
Pure Continuous Simulation are simulation which the state variables change in a continuous way
and not abruptly from one state to another which infinite number of states. There are two
different types of pure continuous simulation which are continuous and stochastic and
continuous and deterministic. Deterministic model is one whose behaviour is entire predictable.
The system is perfectly understood then it is possible to predict precisely what will happen.
Stochastic model is one whose behaviour cannot be entirely predicted.

Principal
Interest
Observed
Interest Rate
Simulated
Principal

Noise

Noise Seed

Sim Interest
Average
Interest Rate
Estimated
Interest Rate

Continuous and
stochastic

b) Pure Discrete Simulation

Continuous and
deterministic

Pure Discrete Simulation are simulation which the state variables change only at a countable
number of points in time. The point in time are the ones at which the event occurs and change in
states. There are two different types of pure discrete simulation which are discrete and stochastic
and discrete and deterministic. Deterministic model is one whose behaviour is entire predictable.
The system is perfectly understood then it is possible to predict precisely what will happen.
Stochastic model is one whose behaviour cannot be entirely predicted.

Discrete and

Simulation
by using Stella Software
deterministic
Condition : One variable decrease and one variable increase
Rat : 11000
Owl : 15

Discrete and
stochastic

Condition : Both variable are decreases

Rat : 6000
Owl : 6

Based on the experiment are conducted by using the Stella software, the number of the rat
are 6000 and the number of the owl are 6. The number of both variable are decrease. The graph
shown that the number of owl are appear not enough one year and the number of the rat are
continuously increase throughout the year. However, the palm source are increase from the first
year and decrease starting at 20.500 years. This is because when the number of the rat increase
and the number of the owl decrease, the number of the palm source will decrease due to larger
amount of the rat that eat the palm source. Then, based on the table, the number of the palm

source are increase from 207000,000.00 to 602,000,639.64 in 20 years old. However, the number
of palm source start decreases from 602,000,639.64 at years 20 to 348,697,876.96 at final years.
After that, the number of rat are continuously increase from the first year with amount 6000.00 to
2977,740.68 at final year. Besides, there are different amount of producing the good crop and
damage crop. The producing of the good crop are increases until the year 20 with number
60,185,913.89 and then decrease until 40,072,604.95 at year 24.500. Then, the number of the
damage crop are increase through the year because of the increase number of the rat at the
location. In conclusion, the lower the owl will increased the number of rat and caused the palm
source decreases at year 20.500 due to the absent of the owl.

Condition : Both variable are increase

Rat : 30000
Owl : 18

Conclusion
In conclusion, there are three different variable that used and run by using the Stella
software for a population of rat, owl and palm source. Based on the experiment conducted, the
different variable produce different types of graph pattern and answered for the population. This
situation will help students to identifies and interpret the different data based on the graph from
the different variable. The simulation will increase the critical thinking of the students by
analysis and interpret data by using Stella software. In addition, this application will increase the
motivation of the students to conduct the experiment and interest with the lesson.
Reference
1. J. Banks; J. Carson; B. Nelson; D. Nicol (2001). Discrete-Event System Simulation.
Prentice Hall.

2. BASIC STEPS AND DECISION FOR SIMULATION. (2016). Retrieved from

http://www.uh.edu/~lcr3600/simulation/steps.html
3. Duzevik, D. (2014, DECEMBER 23). Concentric. Retrieved from Advantages and
disadvantages

of

simulation:

https://concentricmarket.com/blog/advantages-and-

disadvantages-of-simulation/
4. stella

software.

(2016,

march

4).

Retrieved

from

Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_(software)
5. Wikipedia.

(2016,

October

24).

Retrieved

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_simulation

from

continuous

simulation: