Viral Replication Simulation Concepts

Paul Anderson shares a viral replication simulation designed for educational purposes. Using Moodle, Google Docs, and dice, students simulate virus spread and mutation. The simulation starts with a few infections and evolves over time, demonstrating viral mutation and spread. Paul discusses the results, educational insights, and potential improvements, inviting feedback and ideas.

What was the primary motivation for creating the viral replication simulation?

• To find a suitable online simulation

• To teach students about dice games

• To create a fun classroom activity

• To demonstrate viral mutation and spread

Which tool was used to track the virus mutations in the simulation?

• PowerPoint

• Excel

• Google Docs

• Moodle

How many initial infections were there in the simulation?

• Four

• Three

• Two

• One

What happens if a student rolls a four or five on the eight-sided die?

• They infect one close contact

• They infect two close contacts

• The virus fails to spread

• The virus mutates

What is the purpose of the 20-sided die in the simulation?

• To select the infected students

• To decide the mutation location

• To track the virus spread

• To determine the number of infections

What was a key observation about the virus strains after 6 hours?

• Only one strain remained

• There were 40 different strains

• The original strain was extinct

• There were no new strains

What educational concept does the simulation help illustrate?

• Photosynthesis

• Viral mutation and spread

• Chemical reactions

• Mathematical probability

What was one suggested improvement for the simulation?

• Add more students

• Use a different messaging system

• Increase the number of dice

• Reduce the likelihood of mutations

How could natural selection be modeled in the simulation?

• By reducing the number of students

• By giving an advantage to certain sequences

• By using more dice

• By changing the messaging platform

What was a notable student suggestion for the simulation?

• To use more dice

• To make A's advantageous

• To use a different virus sequence

• To reduce the number of classes