simulation training
a technique in which trainees learn a complex or hazardous task by practicing with a replica of the task. This may involve the use of computer simulations, mechanical training aids, or plausible but fictitious scenarios (e.g., business games or case methods). For example, a medical student may practice inserting an intravenous line on a mannequin before doing so on a live patient, and factory workers may use virtual reality to practice operating a new piece of heavy machinery prior to using the actual equipment.