Reports results of studies with an unsupervised learning paradigm called competitive learning which is examined using computer simulation and formal analysis. When competitive learning is applied to parallel networks of neuron-like elements, many potentially useful learning tasks can be accomplished. (Author)

Describes: (1) an interactive computer simulation for a science fair display of chromatography inks; (2) analytical chemistry programs; (3) microcomputer-assisted drills in organic synthesis; (4) programs for conformation analysis of ethane and butane; (5) MOLPIX--a program for generating and displaying molecular structures; and (6) chemical…

Reviews author's opinions of the evaluation process as applied to microcomputer applications in elementary and secondary classrooms and discusses additional specific evaluation issues that need to be considered, i.e., motivational value, computer simulations, and social interaction among students and teachers and students and peers. (23…

Describes a video monitoring technique for detailed analysis of student use of computer-based learning programs which produces a synchronized record of computer output and student use; a study concerned with developing computer-based learning programs in chemistry which utilizes the technique; and advantages and disadvantages of the technique.…

Demonstrates how "School Planner," a menu-driven educational facility cost simulation program, is used for showing the changes in space and cost requirements, given varying assumptions about such factors as number of pupils, class size, number of classes per week, and proportion of space used for instruction. (MLF)

Alternatives to traditional, large-class lecturing are discussed. They include using canned lectures, demonstrations and lecture experiments, computer simulations, problem-solving strategies, breaks during lectures, and movies. Moving out of large classrooms to laboratories and resource rooms (or giving an examination) is also suggested. (JN)

Describes RESTSIM, an interactive computer simulation program for graduate and upper-level undergraduate management, marketing, and retailing courses, which introduces naive users to simulation as a decision support technique, and provides a vehicle for studying various statistical procedures for evaluating simulation output. (MBR)

Will video games change the way we learn? We argue here for a particular view of games--and of learning--as activities that are most powerful when they are personally meaningful, experiential, social, and epistemological all at the same time. From this perspective, we describe an approach to the design of learning environments that builds on the…

This document contains three papers on simulation from the SITE (Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education) 2001 conference. "Simulations in the Learning Cycle: A Case Study Involving 'Exploring the Nardoo'" (William M. Dwyer and Valesca E. Lopez) presents a study of middle school students using a CD-based simulation…

This paper discusses Virtual Enterprise (VE), a technology-driven business simulation program in which students conceive, create, and operate enterprises that utilize Web-based and other technologies to trade products and services around the world. The study examined the effects of VE on a learning community of at-risk students, defined as those…

This paper describes the use of Java to develop a variety of educational materials to supplement both traditional instruction and Internet-based instruction. Efforts have focused on three projects that vary in course level, content, and style of interaction. Unlike the simple Java applets on the Web, these are very sophisticated simulation…

The purpose of this study was to determine the procedural knowledge brought to, and created within, a pond ecology simulation by students. Environmental Decision Making (EDM) is an ecosystems modeling tool that allows users to pose their own problems and seek satisfying solutions. Of specific interest was the performance of biology majors who had…

In computer-based simulations meant to support learning, students must bring a wide range of relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities to bear jointly as they solve meaningful problems in a learning domain. To function efficiently as an assessment, a simulation system must also be able to evoke and interpret observable evidence about targeted…

When developing curriculum materials for new contexts, designers feed forward work from similar projects. This customization process must attend to various influences to determine how features from previous efforts will be emphasized and combined. This paper discusses resources and ideas that influenced the design of the RiverWeb Water Quality…

A usable instructional system is defined as a system that enables learners to accomplish learning goals or tasks in an effective and efficient way. This paper investigates the usability of the Virtual Hospital Round (VHR) prototype, and explores medical students' and professionals' attitudes toward the VHR system. Results of the evaluation of the…