Whereas some educational designers believe that students should learn new concepts through explorative problem solving within dedicated environments that constrain key parameters of their search and then support their progressive appropriation of empowering disciplinary forms, others are critical of the ultimate efficacy of this discovery-based…

Using experiential simulation games is a commonly used pedagogical method to enrich classroom discussions and to facilitate students' learning in supply chain management education at both undergraduate and graduate levels. However, existing games are inappropriate for undergraduate students that are first-time learners of the subject. In this…

This paper describes the role of simulation-based training in the military. Interviews and observations of military instructors in the damage control and shiphandling domains provide examples of how the instructors extend the student's training beyond the well-defined simulated world with qualitative reasoning about context, hypothetical variants,…

Defines discovery learning and explains five learning architectures, or models, including case-based learning, incidental learning, learning by exploring, learning by reflection, and simulation-based learning. Discusses obstacles in applying discovery learning to library instruction and outlines strategies for overcoming the obstacles. (LRW)

Describes a model of instructional simulation design where designers create models in a system dynamics package and then transfer them into a general instructional authoring system for the addition of instructional support features. Topics include building versus using simulations; procedural versus conceptual simulations; and discovery versus…

Described is a project in which third graders create their own corporation--a cupcake factory--and learn first-hand about economic principles and the decisions that businesses must make in the market economy. The cupcake factory is one example of how enterprising educators can make economics comprehensible and captivating. (RM)

Describes the Taffs Pit simulation game, which sets up a meeting between acting and production staff within an invented soap opera program with students role playing and critically observing, and then links to general themes of communication analysis. The simulation's design, role playing, and criticisms of the game are discussed. (MBR)

Describes a methodology for supporting exploratory learning that attempts to limit learning space, called exploration space, and adequately control the cognitive load learners would face in their exploration process. In Exploration Space Control (ESC) the extent of exploration space is controlled according to domain complexity, but also to…

This article describes and tests a theory of scientific discovery learning based on the Scientific Discovery as Dual Search (SDDS) model. A study of 22 university chemistry students determined that conditions for performing a search operation in hypothesis space include sufficient knowledge of the search operation and reasons for choosing a…

Computers in non-school settings, educational computer games, and education without schools are the primary topics covered in this three-section paper. The first section describes the use of personal computers in two different, non-school environments: the home and computer clubs. A "diary study" by Yaakov Kareev is summarized, in which…

Describes a computer curriculum for 7- to 12-year-old children which is designed to integrate the computer into multiple subject areas and stimulate the development and sharpening of critical-thinking skills. The course is divided into eight conceptual units, each containing educational computer games or simulations and some related off-line…

Maintains that understanding and implementing the National Geography Standards through simulation techniques can be a powerful tool for studying any cultural region. Provides a step-by-step instruction for creating a classroom field trip simulation. Includes tips for follow-up activities and assessment procedures. (MJP)

This paper examines the relationship between Paulo Friere's philosophy and methodology in "Pedagogy of the Opressed" and the use of simulation games for consciousness raising. Friere suggests that the supposed insurmountable barriers facing oppressed peoples are as much a product of their perceptions as they are of the oppressor. The…