If you want to understand the meaning of the concept Virtual Gaming Simulation more deeply, first we have to understand what a simulation is  and its role when it comes to a learning environment. At first glance, we can say that a simulation is an intentional representation of a real life event or situation (Gordon & McGonigle, 2018) that is artificially created. The following definition can be found in Collins Dictionary:  “the duplicating or reproducing of certain characteristics or conditions, as of a system or physical process, by the use of a model or representation, for study, training, etc.” Here we can see that in addition to the characteristic of being a representation or a reproduction of a particular situation or system, it can have educational implications. That is because under the well known expression of “practice makes perfect” there are huge educational implications indicating that to learn something and to be able to apply it correctly, you need to practise it many times, with different scenarios and variables to ensure you are capable of getting the correct outcome.

However, it is not always possible to practise your knowledge and skills in real life, especially when you risk students’ safety or the safety of other people because of a lack of experience, expensive  equipment, or when the situation is difficult to find daily. These are examples of situations where simulations have found their place, providing facilitators with a safe educational context in which students can practise complex and even dangerous real life situation (Zary et al., 2006).

Once we have a clear understanding of what a simulation is and what are their advantages when it comes to the educational or training process, we can explore the first adjective (virtual) that we use in the term VGS in more depth. This reference is made to a simulation that is designed and experienced using Digital Technology (DT). As established in the study of Cabero-Almenara and Costas (2016), a virtual simulation, in a broad sense, is a computerised model that is used through software and hardware to recreate situations similar to reality. This virtual situation is configured as a closed system with which the student can interact by changing parameters or variables and obtain different outcomes (Escamilla, 2000). The key trait of this modality of simulation is that it is mediated by technology, which provides simulations with a huge degree of flexibility in terms of use, scenarios, skills to practise, location, etc. Thus,  virtual simulations have experienced an exponential growth as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties to attend face to face classrooms and practices (Fung et al., 2021).

The final adjective that we use in the VGS nomenclature is gaming, trying to relate the simulations previously described, with the field of games. This implies mixing characteristics of simulations, such as the representation of real life scenarios, equipment, professionals, and the educational purpose, with gaming elements that make the training period more interesting and keep the students attention for a longer time (Ruohomäki, 1995). Some gaming features that can be embedded into the virtual simulations are: immediate feedback, the scores and badges, competition, the use of avatars, etc.

The combination of these features makes VGS to be considered for some authors as serious games, “bridging the simulation and gaming worlds by harnessing the educational value of technology-enhanced simulation to teach specific technical or cognitive skills to learners (be they trainees or patients), alongside the motivational, interactive, and engaging aspects inherent in games” (de Ribaupierre et al., 2014, p. 11). Therefore, we can consider a game as a simulation game as long as its inner rules refer to an empirical model of the real life (VanSickle, 1978).