Integrative Modelling

Snapshot of a DiDIY computer simulation

One of the innovative aspects of the DiDIY Project is the use of integrative modelling. Integrative modelling is a particular way of doing computer simulations: Researchers take data from a wide variety of sources (e.g. interviews with experts, statistical databases, or surveys of the public) to develop a detailed simulation model. In such a model, individual persons and their interactions are represented similar to a (serious) computer game.

Experimenting with simulation models of DiDIY we can track how people might cooperate, how they might construct things, share plans, or learn to make better plans. This helps us to understand what the consequences of these interactions are.

The image above shows a snapshot of one of the DiDIY models. This one simulates a workshop where workers (the brown squares) use machines (the small coloured squares) to build different things (represented as sequences of letters). With this model, we have been investigating different patterns of work organisation, from strictly top-down to peer-to-peer cooperation.

To find out more about using computer simulations within the DiDIY project, we suggest you have a look at the following resources, listed here in order from the least to the most complex:

DiDIY VOCABULARY KEYWORDS: DiDIY activity, resource, tool, product, maker (These are the basic elements of the DiDIY simulation models.)

VIDEOs:

DiDIY Project Official Deliverables:

DiDIY KNOWLEDGE FRAMEWORK:

Simulation Models

Impact: