In 2021, the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong, the funding body for higher education in Hong Kong, initiated a scheme and associated grant fund with the aim of enhancing the use of technology for teaching in higher education institutions in Hong Kong. In the Faculty of Social Sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University, the funding was used to…

Despite the growing number of books designed to radically reconsider the educational value of video games as powerful learning tools, there are very few practical guidelines conveniently available for prospective history and social studies teachers who actually want to use these teaching and learning tools in their classes. As the games and…

This book is provided as a guide, encouragement and handbook for faculty to introduce digital media in language they can understand and provide strategies and activities they can quickly assimilate into their teaching. The authors are excited that more people will be able to benefit from the powerful help and guidance contained in this book. This…

Students learn best when they interact with new information on a personal level. It is a challenge for teachers to tightly align student experiences with the standards assessed on high-stakes tests. To achieve this goal in social studies, the author has turned increasingly to simulations where students find such activities engaging, and their…

Games like "Civilization III," a strategy game that allows players to create civilizations that stand the test of time, are attracting increasing attention in the educational community for their potential to support learning. A recent article in BBC news observed that "using "Civilisation III" to teach students about history showed that it could…

Teachers have always dreamed of taking their students to visit faraway places, or traveling with them to bygone days. Now, through the power of technology, students can experience "virtually" other times and places through "distance learning." The Internet, satellite communications, television, and telephones can provide access to some exceptional…

Describes a variety of computer software programs and student activities utilizing the computer to help teach secondary social studies. Suggests using word processors, painting programs, and computer simulations for history and government courses. Concludes that successful use of computers in social studies instruction depends on the design of…

Provides and annotated bibliography of items from the ERIC database dealing with technological advances in history and social studies instruction. Includes items that address computer-assisted instruction, geography software, computer simulation, the science, technology, and society movement, and economics instruction. Explains how to obtain ERIC…

Reviews a HyperCard stack designed for use in schools and at home. Describes the program as primarily a database of information on Iraq, Kuwait, and the Gulf War. Contends that the program is pedagogically weak and of marginal use in the classroom. (CFR)

Examines current use of computers by historians and teachers of history. Attempts to predict extent of their use in next decade. Focuses on the use of four types of computer programs: word processors; spreadsheets and statistical packages; database management programs; and simulations. States that the computer is a tool historians can use to make…

Describes an interactive problem-solving videodisc program designed for the middle schools. Explains the interdisciplinary nature of the program that includes information from astronomy, geology, history, and meteorology. Contends that the product is an excellent example of well-designed educational software. (CFR)

This compilation of 17 courseware evaluations gives a general overview of available social studies microcomputer courseware for students in grades 1-12. Each evaluation lists title, date, producer, date of evaluation, evaluating institution, cost, ability level, topic, medium of transfer, required hardware, required software, instructional…

The School of Education at the University of Exeter (England) is developing a curriculum project in which secondary school students learn history by using prepared computer programs, by using the computer as an electronic blackboard, and by doing their own programing. The Exeter project is described. (RM)

Describes the Vietnam Decision-Making Computer Simulation, a computer activity designed to enhance student understanding of the Vietnam War by placing them in the decision-making role of President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Outlines variables in the simulation. Discusses the use of class journals in combination with the simulation. (RW)

Contends that an important goal in history instruction is helping students understand the complexity of events. Describes the use of "Escalation," a commercially available computer simulation, in a high school U.S. history class. Includes excerpts from student journals kept during the activity. (CFR)