Virtual Simulation Objects Virtual simulation objects enable students to explore probability and sampling without the associated difficulties of finding 10 sided dice or the time necessary to roll them 100 times. There are a variety of VSOs available on the web.
Dice are perhaps the most popular of VSOs.
These can be very useful tools in visualising abtract phenomena, however care must be taken that students can make the connections between the theory and the experimentation. In the more exploritory sites, it is important that clear objectives are formulated before students use these facilities otherwise the aims of the experiment may well fall by the wayside. A number of virtual sites have been set up which involve cards. Unfortunately the majority of these are designed for rather more mercenary purposes than is perhaps desirable. Coins is another area where some sites have been developed to aid students' understanding of probability.