Describes a study of the effectiveness of using role-play in teaching the functions of the kidney to secondary science students. Results suggest that the teaching technique is effective. (Author/WRM)

Describes an exploratory study. Suggests that planning role play for specific purposes, introducing adults as equal players with strong modelling roles, and introducing an additional teaching intervention greatly enhances children's oral and written achievements. Finds this kind of role play can be seen as a legitimate way of implementing some…

Compares the impact of a role-play versus a conventional discussion on students' argumentation on an issue involving animal transgenesis. Applies two different debate situations and asks students to decide whether or not to approve a giant transgenic salmon farm being set up in a seaside village. (Contains 30 references.) (Author/YDS)

Legends and tall tales have been part of the American culture for ages. Students are probably already familiar with the tales of how Pecos Bill fearlessly tamed a ferocious tornado, or Paul Bunyan effortlessly restrained a great river. Such tales have been passed down from generation to generation to explain humanity, the natural world, and…

This article describes the author's experiences as a student participating in a general education program called "Reacting to the Past," in which college students play elaborate games set at pivotal moments in the past, their roles informed by great texts. She found that the experience of reenacting pivotal historical moments produced an intensely…

In this article, the author presents twenty tips to ensure the successful inclusion of a child with Asperger Syndrome into a general classroom. Some of the tips described include: (1) establishing a consistent schedule; (2) providing both verbal and written instructions to the child; and (3) providing social skills practice and role-playing.

In this article, the authors discuss the important role of dramatic ("pretend") play in early childhood with increasing emphasis at school on developing academic skills in children at younger and younger ages. Play is especially beneficial to children's learning when it reaches a certain degree of sophistication. In other words, "unproductive"…

Social studies teachers face significant challenges. Because the challenges are substantial, teachers need to help students develop habits of heart and mind that use and transcend the academic content of formal classroom lessons. Yet, students feel pressure to perform well on standardized measures of achievement, so their teachers focus on…

This paper provides the results of a literature review on the use of practical, hands-on training experiences in evaluation course work and training programs. The review spans the years 1965-2003. I identified 18 articles that encompass four basic approaches for practical evaluation training: simulation, role-play, single course projects, and…

In this article, the authors offer social studies educators two student-centered, inquiry-based techniques to help students learn about the contributions of historical figures. Both strategies were classroom tested and proved effective at helping students learn about historical figures in a challenging and enjoyable way. Although techniques in…

Videotape and computer simulation are sophisticated technological applications that have great potential to enhance group work practice. Computer simulation has been harnessed for entertainment and business purposes but has not been adequately utilized for teaching social skills. This article describes strategies for integrating video and computer…

As far as the language learning situation is concerned, different methods and techniques have so far been proposed for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). The most recent trend in language learning seems to be the Communicative Approach, as a result of which the students experience feelings of both security and assurance. From…

Children behave differently when they spend the day in child care and knowing their ideas about care is vital to understanding their happiness, continued development and learning. In this article, the authors share their methods and acquired wisdom about surveying young children, as well as the results of their study--what children think about…

This article presents the results of a three-year study of "Gamestar Mechanic" (www.gamestarmechanic.com), a flash-based multiplayer online role-playing game developed for the MacArthur Foundation's digital media learning initiative by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Gamelab in New York. The game's objective is to help children…

Background: Most policy doctrines promote the use of scientific inquiry in the K-12 classroom, but good inquiry is hard to implement, particularly for schools with fiscal and safety constraints and for teachers struggling with understanding how to do so. Purpose: In this paper, we present the design of a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE)…