Interactive analogies are pairs of simulations. In the attempt to answer specific problems, students interact with each simulation and map the analogous structures in each. Analogies are useful in this regard because they allow students to draw on prior knowledge from a related domain. On the other hand, analogies do not provide feedback that helps students progressively map the structures between two domains. For example, simply telling someone that a battery is like an elevated water tank will not help most students work out the relevant similarities.
Simulations provide useful feedback by allowing the student to test out possible relations.
In the beginning of the paper we provide a quick overview of the strengths and weaknesses of simulations and analogies, and how interactive analogies may provide an excellent combination of the two. Finally, we discuss work we are currently conducting and issues we hope to address in the future.