The cross-validated classification accuracies of three predictor weighting strategies (least squares, ridge regression, and reduced rank) were compared under varying simulated data conditions for the two-group classification problem. Results were somewhat similar to previous findings with multiple regression when absolute rather than relative…

Examined how successfully an environmental simulation technique could provide older people with a working knowledge of an unknown building. Compared three groups of participants: site visit (n=20); simulation (n=20); and control (n=20). Found simulation comparable to site visits in instilling confidence in way-finding ability, providing a mental…

This study examined how six experienced teachers got information about students' knowledge and used that information to adjust their instruction while tutoring the students in addition. Each teacher tutored five simulated students and one live student. (RB)

Describes a role-playing activity designed to show how the United States began its involvement in Vietnam. Provides sample handouts assigning students to support either the French or Vietnamese side of a debate. The teacher assumes the role of President Truman who must decide which side will receive U.S. support. (GEA)

Two activities are described which simulate for educators, papraprofessionals, parents, and students, learning problems encountered by students with special educational needs. The activities, modifications of Simon Says and Around the World, emphasize auditory processing skills and mental mathematical computations. (CL)

Four groups of 18 adult listeners rated the tape-recorded cries of low- and high-risk infants on four Likert-type scale items. Results indicate that within-group methods of cry presentation accentuate the perceptual distance among cry types and may actually create many reliable differences that would not be found in between-group comparisons.…

The article examines computers in the learning processes, noting applications in drill and practice, remediation, tutorial programs, testing, and simulation. A summary of computer use with children having communicative disorders concludes the article. (CL)

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 effectiveness of syllable practice and word methods in teaching speech to severely hearing-impaired children was investigated with normal-hearing listeners. The effect of Cued Speech was evaluated for each teaching method. Results indicated that a syllable practice approach showed significantly higher average gains in acquisition of novel…

"Nuclear Winter" was recently coined to describe the climatic and biological effects of a nuclear war. These effects are discussed based on models, simulations, scenarios, and projections. Effects on human populations are also considered. (JN)

Three suggestions are made for improving on the present uncoordinated state of games and simulations: establish precise vocabulary, understand the relationships between simulation/gaming and other instructional alternatives, and instigate systematic research based on the descriptive--correlational--experimental loop model. (Author/LS)

Science is described as a social system of which interactive communication is the salient feature. Implications of this view of scientific communication are considered for the planning of innovations in the system. (Author)

In social science research there are a number of instruments that use a rating scale such as a Likert response scale. For a number of reasons, a respondent's response vector may not contain responses to each item. This study investigated the effect on a respondent's location estimate when a respondent is presented an item, has ample time to answer…

In this study, the robustness of item parameter estimates with respect to the underlying distribution of abilities was explored. Using simulated datasets, item parameters were derived from a large sample representing the population versus samples representing a subset of ability and subsequently compared for possible mismatch. Comparisons were…

This study compared the accuracy of predicting two-group membership obtained from K-means clustering with those derived from linear probability modeling, linear discriminant function, and logistic regression under various data properties. Multivariate normally distributed populations were simulated based on combinations of population proportions,…