Adaptive 5D Simulation Frameworks Transforming Higher-Order Thinking in Engineering Education

Abstract

Relevance: Higher-order thinking (HOT) skills - analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and creation - remain
systematically underdeveloped in conventional instructional models.
Objective: This paper presents a theoretical and empirical account of simulation-based learning (SBL) embedded within the five-stage 5D instructional framework (Define → Discover → Discuss → Demonstrate → Do), and
proposes a HOT Index (HOTI) and a Learning Gain Model (LGM) to quantify and predict higher-order learning
outcomes.
Methods: A mixed-methods quasi-experimental study was conducted with 124 undergraduate STEM learners,
drawing on cognitive load theory, constructivism, and adaptive instructional systems research.
Results: Significant gains were demonstrated across all five HOT dimensions (Cohen’s d = 0,68–0,94, p < 0,001).
Adaptive branching in the simulation engine reduced cognitive overload by 31% while increasing transfer accuracy
by 24,3 percentage points.