Computer-based instruction could have considerable impact on improving the quality of science education. Simulations and interactive problems provide a means for students to explore scientific concepts and experiment without the expense or hazard of using actual materials. This paper focuses on the instructional design process as it relates to the…

An examination of Dutch research on legal case solving revealed that few law students get systematic instruction or testing in the technique of legal problem solving. The research being conducted at the Department of Computer Science and Law at the University of Amsterdam focuses on identifying the different functions in legal reasoning tasks in…

The ability to successfully conduct specialized conversations in stressful situations is an essential part of professional competence in a number of subject areas; however, there are few opportunities for students to practice the required skills in a realistic environment. The McGill Negotiation Simulator project was established to investigate the…

In educational settings, computers provide specific possibilities of visualizing information for instructional purposes. Besides the use of static pictures, computers can present animated pictures which allow exploratory manipulation by the learner and display the dynamic behavior of a system. This paper develops a theoretical framework for…

The purpose of this study was to explore how adult users interact and learn during a computer-based simulation given visual and verbal forms of feedback coupled with embedded elaborations of the content. A total of 52 college students interacted with a computer-based simulation of Newton's laws of motion in which they had control over the motion…

Those interested in creating or utilizing computer assisted instruction (CAI) tools for education in electronics have a wide range of multimedia options. Programs are becoming available which offer circuit simulations, mathematical packages for formula processing, instrumentation synthesis and simulation, drafting tools, hypertext construction…

Designed as an avenue of communication for mathematics educators concerned with the views, ideas, and experiences of two-year college students and teachers, this journal contains articles on mathematics exposition and education, as well as regular features presenting book and software reviews and math problems. The first of two issues of volume 14…

Results of an initial attempt at measuring teamwork processes using computer simulation are presented, focusing on assessing team processes that emerge during the negotiation of a contract. The interaction between team members and how that interaction affects team performance were explored using a computer simulated negotiation. Participants…

Three separate curriculum projects were developed to help secondary school educators to teach about the People's Republic of China. "How does China feed its one billion people?" (Susan Ember) is a lesson plan that seeks to make students aware of the dilemma of food supply and shortages in poor, underdeveloped countries. "The…

The role of prior knowledge in skill acquisition is to enable the learner to detect and to correct errors. Computational mechanisms that carry out these two functions are implemented in a simulation model which represents prior knowledge in "constraints". The model learns symbolic skills in mathematics and science by noticing and…

This 8-week interdisciplinary unit for fourth- and fifth-grade students helps children address the U.S. westward expansion in the 1840's using the interactive software program, The Oregon Trail. The unit provides connections to literature, geography, computer/mathematics skills, language arts, and research skills. The work is done in cooperative…

Differences in learners' control decisions in computer-assisted learning were studied during part task versus whole task practice. The criterion task was chosen for its relevance to air crew training problems. Forty-one male and female undergraduates participated in a computer simulation task estimating the location and orientation of target…

This paper describes the advantages of using computer simulations in the classroom or managerial environment and the major premise and principal components of Export to Win!, a computer simulation used in international marketing seminars. A rationale for using computer simulations argues that they improve the quality of teaching by building…

A previous research report described a prototype measure of the skill of negotiation in interpersonal competency and the results of an initial validation study of that measure. This report describes the results of two further validation studies of the computer simulation negotiation skill measure. In study 1, 37 second- and third-year law students…

Designed as a avenue of communication for mathematics educators concerned with the views, ideas, and experiences of two-year college students and teachers, this journal contains articles on mathematics exposition and education, and regular features presenting book and software reviews and math problems. Volume 15 includes the following articles:…