We present the results of a study carried out with students in their second year of Industrial Engineering to find out students' levels of satisfaction concerning the use of simulation tools (in this case an applet was used) as a tool for helping students learn the topic of movement by charged particles within electrical and magnetic fields. The…

Scientific literacy is more than the simple reproduction of traditional school science knowledge and requires a set of skills, among them identifying scientific issues, explaining phenomena scientifically and using scientific evidence. Several studies have indicated that playing computer games in the classroom can support the development of…

Assessment is a delicate task in the overall teaching process because it may require significant time and may be prone to subjectivity. Subjectivity is especially true for disciplines in which perceptual factors play a key role in the evaluation. In previous decades, computer-based assessment techniques were developed to address the…

With teachers taking more interest in utilizing 3D virtual environments for educational purposes, research is needed to understand how learners perceive and process information within virtual environments (Eschenbrenner, Nah, & Siau, 2008). In this study, the authors sought to determine if learning style or digital literacy predict incidental…

Adaptive testing is advantageous in that it provides more efficient ability estimates with fewer items than linear testing does. Item-driven adaptive pretesting may also offer similar advantages, and verification of such a hypothesis about item calibration was the main objective of this study. A suitability index (SI) was introduced to adaptively…

Clinical simulation as a training and knowledge technique allows people to experience a likely scenario with the aim of acquiring knowledge, abilities, and increased aptitude. The filming of the staging represents a useful tool to review the decisions and actions taken, with the purpose of highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, and areas for…

This paper presents the customization of Easy Java Simulation models, used with actual laboratory instruments, to create active experiential learning for measurements. The laboratory instruments are the vernier caliper and the micrometer. Three computer model design ideas that complement real equipment are discussed. These ideas involve (1) a…

Industrially significant metal manufacturing processes such as melting, casting, rolling, forging, machining, and forming are multi-stage, complex processes that are labor, time, and capital intensive. Academic research develops mathematical modeling of these processes that provide a theoretical framework for understanding the process variables…

This paper describes the development and evaluation of a graduate level Business Process Management (BPM) course with process modeling and simulation as its integral component, being offered at an accredited business university in the Northeastern U.S. Our approach is similar to that found in other Information Systems (IS) education papers, and…

This paper considers the use of log data provided by learning management systems when studying whether students obey the problem-based learning (PBL) method. Log analysis turns out to be a valuable tool in measuring the use of the learning material of interest. It gives reliable figures concerning not only the number of use sessions but also the…

Developing fluency across symbolic-, macroscopic-, and particulate-level representations is central to learning chemistry. Within the chemistry education community, animations and simulations that support multi-representational fluency are considered critical. With advances in the accessibility and sophistication of technology,…

Visual representations play a critical role in teaching physics. However, since we do not have a satisfactory understanding of how visual perception impacts the construction of abstract knowledge, most visual representations used in instructions are either created based on existing conventions or designed according to the instructor's intuition,…

In 1879, in the midst of the debate between English and continental scientists about the nature of cathode rays, William Crookes conducted an experiment in which a small mill or "paddle wheel" was pushed along tracks inside a cathode ray tube (CRT) (similar to that shown in Fig. 1) when connected to a high-voltage induction coil. Crookes…

The subject of research methods is often unknown, foreboding, and unappealing to undergraduate communication majors. Thus, in the research methods course, two ways to overcome such issues and achieve learning are by: (1) making the unfamiliar more familiar and accessible; and (2) placing abstract knowledge in its useful real-world context. Making…

Autism Spectrum Disorder is the fastest growing developmental disability today. Autism is a syndrome with a diverse set of symptoms--rarely consistent across diagnosed individuals, and requiring a combination of therapies, educational approaches, and treatments. There is no known cure for autism. Instead treatment is left to educators and…