Day 1 What is social simulation?
Monday April 16th, 2012

    11am: Arrivals, Coffee & Refreshments
    11.30am - 1pm: Introductory talk: What is social simulation? (Bruce)
    1pm: Lunch
    2 - 2.30pm: Hands-on session: "Under the Bonnet", a quick look at an illustrative, with several examples, NetLogo Simulations (Bruce)
    2.30 - 4pm: Talk and discussion: an introduction to three contrasting case-studies: each being an academic paper in which simulation has played an important role (Mark)
    4pm: Coffee & Refreshments
    4.30 - 6pm: Group Session: how simulation might be used in their research with individual discussions with the course leaders (Mark/Bruce/Alison)
    7pm: Course Dinner 
    
Day 2 Using Existing Simulations
Tuesday April 17th, 2012

    8.30: Coffee & Refreshments
    9 - 10.30am: Talk: Using Existing Simulations (Alison)
    - Presentation of Microsimulation Case Study 1 (Alison)
    10.30am: Coffee & Refreshments
    11am - 12.30pm: Hands-on session: looking at and using mounted simulations at NeISS (Mark)
    12.30pm: Lunch
    1.15 - 2.45pm: Discussion: how one might use simulations such as those in the NeISS portal
    - Hands-on session: looking at and altering an existing NetLogo simulation that is somewhat similar to their research needs (Bruce)
    2.45pm: Coffee & Refreshments
    3 - 3.30pm: Talk: How to plan and build a simulation (Bruce)
    3.30 - 4pm: Talk: What we want you to do now (Nick Shrayne)

Day 3 Checking and understanding simulation behaviour
Thursday May 3rd, 2012

    9.30am: Coffee & Refreshments
    10 - 10.45am: Talk: Checking and understanding Simulation Behaviour (Bruce)
    10.45 - 11.30am: Group Discussion on Abstract Simulation Case Study (Bruce)
    11.30am: Coffee & Refreshments
    11.45am - 12.30pm: Group Session on the difficulties of ABS and how one might overcome these (Bruce)
    12.30pm: Lunch
    1.30 - 3pm: Hands-on session: helping participants with using and developing simulations (Everybody)
    3pm: Coffee & Refreshments
    3.30 - 4pm: Talk: Using simulation in conjunction with other techniques (Alison)
    
Day 4 Validation
This part of the course will focus on the issues associated with checking models against the real world. How do we confirm the logic of our models matches with what we think of as the causality in the real world, how do we see how accurate our models are in predicting the real world, and how do we deal with errors in our models and in the data we put into them.

Thursday May 10th, 2012

    9.30am: Coffee & Refreshments
    10 - 10.45am: Talk: Validation (Andy Evans)
    10.45 - 11.30am: Group Discussion on ABSS simulation case study (Bruce)
    11.30am: Coffee & Refreshments
    11.45am - 12.30pm: Group Session on Advantages and Disadvantages of simulation as a technique (Mark)
    12.30pm: Lunch
    1.30 - 3pm: Hands-on session: helping participants with using and developing simulations (Everybody)
    3pm: Coffee & Refreshments
    3.30 - 4pm: Talk: Critically assessing and analysing simulation results (Bruce)
    
Day 5 Other kinds and approaches
Thursday May 17th, 2012

    9.30am: Coffee & Refreshments
    10 - 10.30am: Talk: Other kinds and approaches for Simulation, tools (Nick)
    10.30am - 12.30pm (includeds Coffee & Refreshments): Group Discussion on Case Study GIS (Nick)
    12.30pm: Lunch
    1.15 - 3pm: Hands-on session: helping participants with using and developing simulations, potential post-course follow-ons
    3pm: Coffee & Refreshments
    3.15 - 4pm: Talk: Future Directions for Simulation (Mark, Bruce)