In this study, the research problem was: "Is the computer based physics instruction as effective as laboratory intensive physics instruction with regards to academic success on electric circuits 9th grade students?" For this research of experimental quality the design of pre-test and post-test are applied with an experiment and a control…

Designed to analyze systematically the relative effects of different types of oral reading errors on comprehension, this instrument consists of a basic set (each with an easy and a hard version) of six stories. Every story is transformed so that it contains simulated errors of a particular type: (1) correct, (2) semantically related visually…

This report summarizes an investigation of the attitudes of elementary students, teachers, and parents toward the use of educational computer games and simulations in a teaching/learning situation. Following a statement of the project purpose and a literature review, the courseware selection process is described. (This process resulted in use of…

Experiential learning has seen limited application in the preparation of higher education administrators. During recent years, however, simulation games which link cognitive social science knowledge with management skills have been applied to classroom training in this field. A National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS)…

Seven simulation games were played and evaluated by twenty-six graduate students as part of a course in simulation/gaming. Each student also completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a personality type inventory which assigns each person to one of 16 types based on their placement on each of four dichotomous dimensions. The students' evaluation…

Proceedings of a 1971 conference held to evaluate the use of the Simulation Option Model (SOM) in educational planning are presented. Following a general discussion of simulation models and educational planning processes, specific attributes and applications of SOM are considered. A case study of SOM's use in France--including examples of the…

This document reports on the first year of the STACI (Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation) project, a two-year project which is examining the cognitive demands and consequences of using the STELLA (Structural Thinking Experimental Learning Laboratory with Animation) software to teach systems thinking, content knowledge, and problem solving.…

Describes a field test of Future School, an educational game which attempts to effect behavior change by first changing attitudes during a simulated experience. Discussion of simulations and games to achieve attitude change is included. (JJD)

According to a recent survey, the quality of educational software is the single most stated concern of computer educators in Canada. Only a small fraction of the educational software is evaluated. The evaluation approaches that have emerged to deal with this problem are subjective and unreliable, and they do not provide an overall impression of a…

A simulated search and screen committee activity for selecting three candidates for final interviews for the position of assistant professor of higher education in a College of Education is presented. The institution, "Metropolitan State University," and the position are briefly described, and the process of the appointment of the…

A fictitious community of 583 households was set up to simulate a survey population, and was used in two laboratory assignments where students "interviewed" householders by a quota sampling procedure and tested the performance of several probability sampling designs. (Author/JEG)

The use of simulation of pharmacy student interviews with patients to teach and evaluate interviewing skills was found to be effective for both purposes and was felt by the students to be more objective than other methods for evaluating their own skills. The content checklists and interview rating instrument are appended. (MSE)

The effects of student coaching in preparation for the College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) on the predictive validity of this test for freshman year performance were studied using data on 1985 freshman year students from four colleges. After the validity of the SAT was estimated for each school, a given proportion of students was picked,…

Examines factors affecting selection and development of computer simulations, including type of learner, simulation formats, instructional purposes, learning outcomes, fidelity, learning stages, and logistical issues. A flowchart model and set of prescriptions to help designers arrive at specifications for an instructional simulation are…

The experience of the RAND Corporation as it develops the performance test component of a licensing examination for secondary school teachers is explored. The performance test, composed of written tasks that simulate important teacher activities, corresponds to portions of other professional examinations. (SLD)