Describes a simulation project used in social theory courses where students work in groups of four or five to plan and present a television program. Explains that students choose the format of the show, take the roles of theorists, and present responses to contemporary issues that they think the theorists would offer. (CMK)

Examines relations between the features of discovery simulations, the learning processes elicited, the knowledge that results, and the methods used to measure the acquired knowledge. Discusses intuitive knowledge and describes a study of post-secondary students that investigated the instructional effectiveness of discovery simulations in physics.…

Eight crows were taught to discriminate overlapping pairs of visual stimuli (A+ B-, B+ C-, C+ D-, and D+ E-). For 4 birds, the stimuli were colored cards with a circle of the same color on the reverse side whose diameter decreased from A to E (ordered feedback group). These circles were made available for comparison to potentially help the crows…

A critical issue related to the use of simulation environments in school-based learning is the relationship between the use of these environments and the structure of traditional curricula. Teachers are often caught in the bind of attempting to address significantly raised standards for what all students should know, yet receiving very little…

This article presents Virtual Radiopharmacy Laboratory (VR LAB), a virtual laboratory accessible through the Internet. VR LAB is designed and implemented in the framework of the VirRAD European project. This laboratory represents a 3D simulation of a radio-pharmacy laboratory, where learners, represented by 3D avatars, can experiment on…

The author presents a computer game that puts the player in the role of a central bank governor. The game is a stochastic simulation of a standard reduced form macro model, and the user interacts with this simulation by manipulating the interest rate. The problem the player faces is in many ways quite realistic--just as a real monetary authority,…

This paper presents a structured environment for Computer-Supported Collaborative Argumentation, which we call the Argumentative Learning Experience (ALEX). The system aims to improve understanding of argumentation and to widen and deepen the space of debate among 16-18-year-old students. To use ALEX users make arguments by selecting and…

The challenge for educators today is to overcome this barrage of media and technology and find innovative ways to help students learn. But, how can teachers compete for student attention when this is the challenge? How can they improve learning experiences and make them relevant to our students' lives? Integrating technology into the music…

This study investigated how individuals' construction of explanations--a way of ascertaining how well an individual understands a concept--develops from an interactive simulation. Specifically, the purpose was to investigate the effect of interactive computer simulations or science textbook assignments on the nature and quality of postgraduate…

Simulations can often be used to internationalize a course and even a curriculum. For faculty that teach international and comparative courses, simulations can often provide students with an opportunity to see beyond their own country. In developing a course on political revolutions, I created a simulation in which students role-played either a…

Statistical methodology for handling omitted variables is presented in a multilevel modeling framework. In many nonexperimental studies, the analyst may not have access to all requisite variables, and this omission may lead to biased estimates of model parameters. By exploiting the hierarchical nature of multilevel data, a battery of statistical…

Simulations were conducted to investigate factors that influence the Mantel, generalized Mantel-Haenszel (GMH), and logistic discriminant function analysis (LDFA) methods in assessing differential item functioning (DIF) for polytomous items. The results show that the magnitude of DIF contamination in the matching score, as measured by the average…

Adaptive tests offer the advantages of reduced test length and increased accuracy in ability estimation. However, adaptive tests require large pools of precalibrated items. This study looks at the development of an item pool for 1 type of adaptive administration: the computer-adaptive sequential test. An important issue is the sample size required…

This paper presents a web-based interactive teaching package that provides a comprehensive and conducive yet dynamic and interactive environment for a module on automated machine tools in the Manufacturing Division at the National University of Singapore. The use of Internet technologies in this teaching tool makes it possible to conjure…

While advances in technology have enhanced the quality and variety of visual presentations in teaching, most instructors find themselves teaching to a generation of students who are difficult to dazzle. Although the innovative use of technology in and outside of the classroom is a challenge, selecting practices that optimize technology as a tool…