Standardized testing has been part of the American educational system for decades. Controversy from the beginning has plagued standardized testing, is plaguing testing today, and will continue to be controversial. Given the current federal educational policies supporting increased standardized testing, psychometricians, educators and policy makers…

In K-12 classrooms, as well as on the college and university level, the incorporation of digital games has played a vital role in the educational system. While introducing teachers to new fields, these digital games have been designed and implemented for the classroom and have shown positive results at a variety of educational levels. Cases on…

Adventure/fantasy games, a form of simulation software, are described and recommended for bright but unmotivated learning disabled students. Several commercial games are reviewed and suggestions are given for writing the program for an adventure game. The games are thought to contribute to reading comprehenson, spelling, critical thinking, and…

The report describes activities and results of the second year of the Special Education Planning Model (SEPM), designed to help planners and policymakers estimate special education program needs and costs. SEPM uses a computer simulation based on users' assumptions and priorities in such areas as incidence rates, handicapping conditions to be…

Suggests educators who are not yet computer literate choose an alternative focus by learning to evaluate software and determine its potential for use in specific educational settings. Questions which should be asked when reviewing software on appropriate use, content, and characteristics are presented, along with a software evaluation checklist…

Reviews "Decisions Decisions", a computer-based simulation for grades 5 through 12 which involves the whole class in making policy decisions on historical and current events with the use of only one computer. Topics of the seven separate simulations are: immigration, colonization, revolutionary wars, urbanization, foreign policy, the…

Car Builder is a scientific CD-ROM-based simulation program that lets students design, construct, modify, test, and compare their own cars. Students can design sedans, four-wheel-drive vehicles, vans, sport cars, and hot rods. They may select for aerodynamics, power, and racing ability, or economic and fuel efficiency. It is a program that teaches…

Computers in non-school settings, educational computer games, and education without schools are the primary topics covered in this three-section paper. The first section describes the use of personal computers in two different, non-school environments: the home and computer clubs. A "diary study" by Yaakov Kareev is summarized, in which…

Students pursuing Australian studies should be given every possible opportunity to work with materials produced in Australia. There is a substantial and growing list of good curriculum software written within Australia and from an Australian perspective which can add interest and excitement to Australian geography classrooms. Computers can be used…

This introduction to computer simulations as an integrated learning experience reports on their use with students in grades 5 through 10 using commercial software packages such as SimCity, SimAnt, SimEarth, and Civilization. Students spent an average of 60 hours with the simulation games and reported their experiences each week in a personal log.…

Offers suggestions on ways to use computers to individualize instruction for gifted students including drill and practice, simulation programs, independent research, creative projects, organization of data, and development of presentations. (DB)

The article explains the role of feedback and biofeedback in speech therapy; identifies speech parameters that can be modeled by current systems (e.g., pitch, intensity, voice quality, and articulatory accuracy); and describes selected microcomputer-based speech production biofeedback systems that are available. An appendix provides sources. (DB)

This document introduces simulation as a field of endeavor that has great potential for education research, development, and training. Simulation allows education developers to explore, develop, and test new educational programs and practices before communities, educators, and students are asked to participate in them. Simulation technologies…

Reviewed are 41 software packages. Many topic areas are covered. A brief synopsis, grade levels, hardware requirements, and approximate cost are included. A list of 23 software producers is included. (CW)

A 2-day teacher training workshop in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) designed for teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) is described. Program objectives included the following: awareness of computer uses consistent with current principles of second language learning; direct experience with computers, emphasizing what can go…