Currently there is considerable enthusiasm for exploring how we can apply digital gaming paradigms to learning. But these approaches are often weak in linking the game-playing activity to transferable social or conceptual processes and skills that constitute, or are related to, learning. In contrast, this article describes a "dialogue…

Discusses general structure and specification guidelines for interactive simulation/games, which include development of a computer simulation model, embedding the model in an interactive simulation, and embedding the simulation in a game. An outline following these guidelines is presented for the development of DENTIST, a dental health care…

This paper describes an experimental teacher education program organized in terms of the "social process model," a theory of educational interaction that stresses: 1) the ecology of social environments; 2) the rules and roles involved in given social episodes; and 3) the status of social episodes as interpersonal games. Classrooms are…

Simulation, defined as a representational model of a particular theory, has been the subject of some research in the communication field, but there has been little material published on the uses of simulation as a research tool. Simulations are considered helpful in closing gaps between field studies and laboratory research, serving to increase…

Gaming, an approach to problem solving that engages a real life situation, is a technique particularly appealing for design students because it permits learning about the process of change in a dynamic environment requiring periodic decisions. Two games about consensus decisions are discussed: KEEPS and Senior Center Game. (MLW)

Describes design principles followed in developing an interactive microcomputer-based simulation to study financial and economic aspects of the Dutch social security system. The main goals are to improve participants' insights into the formal simulation model, and to improve policy development skills. Plans for future research are also discussed.…

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) attacks one of the greatest problems of education--how to get sufficient variety in educational materials to teach each individual without requiring a group of trained personnel to prepare all possible variations. CAI permits individualization electronically. CAI can be used to train problem solving, for drill…