Two order theoretic techniques were presented and compared. Ordering theory of Krus and Bart (1974) and an extended Takeya's item relational structure analysis (IRS) by Tatsuoka and Tatsuoka (1981) were used to extract the hierarchical item structure from three datasets. Directed graphs were constructed and both methods were assessed as to how…

Fiscal and monetary policies taught in macroeconomic principles courses are concepts that might require both lecture and simulation methods. The simulation models, which apply the principles gleened from comparative statistics to a dynamic world, may give students an appreciation for the problems facing policy makers. This paper is a report of a…

Canonical correlation analysis is a powerful statistical method subsuming other parametric significance tests as special cases, and which can often best honor the complex reality to which most researchers wish to generalize. However, it has been suggested that the canonical correlation coefficient is positively biased. A Monte Carlo study…

Microcomputers can be used with simulation software to provide students both with experience in the "real world" of decision making and feedback on the decisions made. Such software allows individual students to choose the roles they wish to play from a menu of diverse roles and provides alternatives for them to consider for each decision to be…

Modern aircrew training devices (ATDs) are equipped with sophisticated hardware and software capabilities, known as advanced instructional features (AIFs), that permit a simulator instructor to prepare briefings, manage training, vary task difficulty/fidelity, monitor performance, and provide feedback for flight simulation training missions. The…

The relationship between cognitive psychologists and researchers in artificial intelligence carries substantial benefits for both. An ongoing investigation in causal reasoning in medical problem solving systems illustrates this interaction. This paper traces a dialectic of sorts in which three different types of causal resaoning for medical…

Monte Carlo studies explored the sampling characteristics of Cohen's d and three approximations to Cohen's d when used as average effect size measures in meta-analysis. Reviews of 10, 100, and 500 studies (M) were simulated, with degrees of freedom (df) varied in seven steps from 8 to 58. In a two independent groups design, samples were obtained…

A microcomputer simulation prepared for use within a masters' degree program in special education was examined with three research concerns in mind: (1) whether teachers would perceive the simulation as a viable simulation of classroom reality; (2) whether teachers using the simulation would interpret simulation descriptions similarly, or, if…

Three examples of genetics and evolution simulation concerning Mendelian inheritance, genetic mapping, and natural selection are used to illustrate the use of simulations in modeling scientific/natural processes. First described is the HERED series, which illustrates such phenomena as incomplete dominance, multiple alleles, lethal alleles,…

Presents an annotated list of 40 software programs. Each entry includes publisher, address, hardware, requirement(s), grade level(s), and program description. A list of readings about astronomical computer programs is given. (DH)

Addresses the potential of conversational simulations for computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and reasons why this potential is largely untapped. Topics discussed include artificial intelligence; microworlds; parsing; realism versus reality in computer software; intelligent tutoring systems; and criteria to clarify what kinds of CALL…

Described is a microcomputer-aided patient simulator (MAPS). The system was developed to increase medical students' opportunities to diagnose and manage patient problems. The system combines a microcomputer with an optional laserdisc player. The system has been used successfully for four years and could be used in other content fields. (RH)

Describes a world model computer simulation which is characteristic of the nineteenth-century world system, with five large, five medium, and 10 small nations. States that the simulation can only follow one of three distinct strategies to maximize growth. (Author/BSR)

Described is the use of a microcomputer and computer software to simulate the use of geological equipment. The technique uses pictures of the control panel (with switches and dials that can be activated) and a story board that can provide the simulation. A simple seismograph is used as an example of possible simulations. (RH)

The impact of misspecification on the estimation, testing, and improvement of structural equation models was assessed via a population study in which a prototypical latent variable model was misspecified. Results provide insights into the maximum likelihood estimator versus a limited two-stage least squares estimator in LISREL. (TJH)