This study was designed to investigate the impact of using computer-simulated (virtual ) manipulatives and hands-on (concrete) manipulatives on elementary students' learning skills and concepts in equivalent fractions. The researcher's primary interest was whether or not students who used virtual manipulatives would out-perform students who used…

This study evaluated baccalaureate nursing (n = 35) and allied health care (AHC) (n = 25) students' perceptions of a 5-week Therapeutic Communication (TC) module that was part of their foundations coursework. The module allowed students to practice communication skills using iView[c], an innovative computer-based simulation of clinical encounters.…

To enhance the learning outcomes achieved by students, learners undertook a computer-simulated activity based on an acid-base titration prior to a university-level chemistry laboratory activity. Students were categorized with respect to their attitudes toward learning. During the laboratory exercise, questions that students asked their assistant…

Case studies are an important vehicle for student learning in problem-based learning curricula and higher education. "WebCaseStudy.com" was designed to support student learning through case studies in a simulated community of practice. This paper reports on the process of capturing community of practice knowledge for case studies to…

Background: The current mode of stoichiometry instruction employs a passive pedagogy that consists of students reading, listening, watching, and memorizing disembodied facts, procedures, and principles in preparation for future application. But chemistry students are often subsequently unable to apply this stoichiometry knowledge in equilibrium…

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 article makes two contributions to the teaching of business ethics literature. First, it describes the steps involved in developing effective ethical dilemmas to incorporate into a computer-based business simulation. Second, it illustrates these steps by presenting two ethical dilemmas that an instructor can incorporate into any business…

A series of computer simulations was run to measure the relationship between testlet validity and the factors of item pool size and testlet length for both adaptive and linearly constructed testlets. Results confirmed the generality of earlier empirical findings of H. Wainer and others (1991) that making a testlet adaptive yields only marginal…

The objectives of this study were to: examine the potential interaction between students' epistemological beliefs and placement in a simulation condition (constructivist versus non-constructivist) on conceptual development; and to assess whether a constructivist computer simulation experience would result in a greater degree of conceptual change…

Type I error rates of the likelihood ratio test for the detection of differential item functioning (DIF) were investigated using Monte Carlo simulations. The graded response model with five ordered categories was used to generate data sets of a 30-item test for samples of 300 and 1,000 simulated examinees. All DIF comparisons were simulated by…

An attempt was made to determine which item response theory (IRT) equating method results in the least amount of equating error or "scale drift" when equating scores across one or more test forms. An internal anchor test design was employed with five different test forms, each consisting of 30 items, 10 in common with the base test and 5…

The feasibility of quick norms derived by the procedure described by B. D. Wright and M. H. Stone (1979) was investigated. Norming differences between traditionally calculated means and Rasch "quick" means were examined for simulated data sets of varying sample size, test length, and type of distribution. A 5 by 5 by 2 design with a…

The essence of the computer revolution is yet to come, for computers are essentially generators of realities. Virtual reality (VR) is the next step in the evolutionary path; the user is placed inside the image and becomes a participant within the computational space. A VR computer generates a direct experience of the computational environment. The…

Previous work on the effects of dimensionality on parameter estimation was extended from dichotomous models to the polytomous graded response (GR) model. A multidimensional GR model was developed to generate data in one-, two-, and three-dimensions, with two- and three-dimensional conditions varying in their interdimensional associations. Test…

The effectiveness of computer simulation versus laboratory procedures in teaching logic circuits was compared. Also investigated was the sequencing of these activities with a reading assignment. Subjects were 96 undergraduates who were tested using different pretests and posttests. An analysis of variance on the data gathered showed that sequence…