Originally written for adult new readers involved in literacy programs, this book is also helpful to those individuals who want a basic book about computers. It uses the carefully controlled vocabulary with which adult new readers are familiar. Chapter 1 addresses the widespread use of computers. Chapter 2 discusses what a computer is and…

Games and digital-based games and simulations are slowly becoming an accepted learning strategy. Public school teachers, college professors, corporate trainers, and military trainers are embracing games as an effective means of motivating learners and teaching complex concepts. Popular games include action games, adventure games,arcade games,…

With regard to the acceptance of human-computer interfaces, immersion represents one of the most important methods for attracting young visitors into museum exhibitions. Exciting and diversely presented content as well as intuitive, natural and human-like interfaces are indispensable to bind users to an interactive system with real and digital…

Surveyed 147 11-year-olds about their reasons for playing computer games. Most played for fun, for a challenge, and because their friends did. For most adolescents, computer game playing is a fairly absorbing and harmless activity, but for a few it poses problems when game playing consumes too much time. (SLD)

Examines assumptions underlying claims regarding educational technology, and as an alternative presents a framework which integrates a bottom-up view of information technology usage and a top-down view of education. Delivery of educational materials, media, computational activities including simulations and computer games, interactivity,…

Describes a prototype computer interaction with primary school students in Hong Kong that uses Image Map Technology in English and Chinese. Discusses possible enhancements by comparisons with games on other Web sites and considers management issues including hardware, software, user training, and funding. (Author/LRW)

Describes the origination of the journal, "Simulation & Games" as an outgrowth of the Academic Games Project at Johns Hopkins University in the late 1960s. The Project developed simulation games, pretested them, performed teacher training, and compared the effects with traditional pedagogy. Discusses the planning and implementation…

Describes and evaluates seven computer simulation games that help students learn about United States history, geography, and other cultural groups living in the United States. These simulations help students learn by having them experience life as an explorer of an unknown land that is now part of the United States. Program evaluations are…

This study examined effects of simple switch-activated toy use and switch-activated computer program use with two children (ages 2 and 3) with severe and profound disabilities. Highest independent switch activation, orientation to the stimulus, and attention to the stimulus were found for both subjects when both the computer programs and the toys…

An experimental group of fourth and fifth graders received training in Logo computer programming. This group and a control group that did not receive training completed a posttest that involved drawing of designs. No differences were found in posttest design production between the groups. (LB)

The environment of commercial video game parlors and determinants of their use were studied through interviews with three parlor managers and informal observation. Environment varies considerably across parlors, and parlor traffic is found to be a function of temporal and ecological variables. (SLD)

Violent computer games, hate group Web sites, and related Internet activities deliver hostile materials to youth. The Internet is becoming a vehicle for conveying negative messages. Teacher educators can equip future teachers to handle these issues. This paper examines what some schools and communities are doing and proposes ways to integrate…

For the past eight years, the Speak Up National Research Project has endeavored to stimulate new discussions around these kinds of questions and to provide a context to help education, parent, policy and business leaders think beyond today and envision tomorrow. This report is the first in a two part series to document the key national findings…

This study sought to determine the effect of simulation-games environment on students' achievement in attitudes to mathematics in secondary school. Data was collected from a sample of 147 students in senior secondary school in Osun-State, Nigeria. t-test and analysis of variance was used to analyze the data collected for the study. The finding…

The artifacts (instructional games) created by a class of fourth-grade students engaged in designing educational games are analyzed. To facilitate the analysis, these artifacts were compared with products created by students in a similar design context who were creating instructional software. In both situations, inner-city fourth graders were…