Three examples of simulation exercises which require no special apparatus or materials are described. All are intended to be used with senior classes in secondary education but can be adapted for use with other groups. A list of requirements for setting up each simulation is appended. (Author/EB)

This paper is a review of literature about the use of computer simulations in science education. This review examines types and examples of computer simulations. The literature review indicated that although computer simulations cannot replace science classroom and laboratory activities completely, they offer various advantages both for classroom…

This issue of the Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) Technical Assistance Center's "ERCMExpress" promotes emergency exercises as an effective way to validate school safety plans. Simulations of emergency situations, or emergency exercises, are integral to a sound school safety plan. They offer opportunities for district and schools to…

In computer-based simulations, 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 effectively as an assessment, a simulation system must additionally be able to evoke and interpret observable evidence about targeted knowledge in a manner…

When archaeologists dig up the artifacts of ancient civilizations, they make discoveries and attempt to find out what life was like for ancient people. Students in the classroom explore the civilizations of the ancient world attempting to answer questions about how people lived thousands of years ago. In this activity for grade 6, students, in…

This study investigated specific conditions under which out-of-scale information improves measurement precision and the factors that influence the degree of reliability gains and the amount of bias induced in the reported scores when out-of-scale information is used. In-scale information is information that an item provides for a composite trait…

This report examines issues in the scale-up of assessment software from the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST). "Scale-up" is used in a metaphorical sense, meaning adding new assessment tools to CRESST's assessment software. During the past several years, CRESST has been developing and evaluating a…

StoryWeb is a teaching technique that combines elements of the short story and the Internet to provide an interactive simulation for students using differentiated content, product, and process. This paper describes one StoryWeb unit and indicates how one could implement the unit in a middle school U.S. History course. A StoryWeb unit uses the…

The California city of Rancho Cucamonga has been given the task of developing a 4-square-mile area into a productive venture. There is already freeway access and a cargo railroad line, but sewer lines and various other services must be added. This lesson plan stipulates that student teams, each representing a specific interest in the business…

Two experiments reproduced in a simulated computerized test-taking situation the effect of two of the main determinants in answering an item in a test: the difficulty of the item and the time available to answer it. A model is proposed for the time to respond or abandon an item and for the probability of abandoning it or answering it correctly. In…

This paper focuses on one method used to introduce model design and creation using StarLogo to a group of high school teachers. Teachers with model-building skills can easily customize modeling environments for their classes. More importantly, model building can enable teachers to approach their curricula from a more holistic perspective, as well…

Discusses the use of the METRO-APEX program to provide a simulated real world'' experience of managing air quality in urban regions. Concludes that the students involved are strengthened in business and natural, applied, and political sciences and given a proper insight into the professional behavior. (CC)

This paper describes a study that attempts to measure the influence of a commercially available game, Marketplace, on student achievement is economic understanding and student attitudes toward the instructional process and selected economic concepts. (Author)

Discusses the establishment of an environmental systems laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh with the support of the Sloan Foundation. Indicates that the "real world" can be brought into the laboratory by simulating on computers, software systems, and data bases. (CC)