Students with high intrinsic motivation often out-perform students with low intrinsic motivation. However, little is known about the processes that lead to these differences. In education based on simulations or authentic electronic learning environments, this lack of insight is even more clear. The present study investigated what students…

The Virtual Patient, an interactive multimedia learning resource using a critical care clinical scenario for postgraduate nursing students, was developed to enhance flexible access to learning experiences and improve learning outcomes in the management of critically ill patients. Using real-time physiological animations, authentic content design…

Teaching and learning are highly social activities. Seminal psychologists such as Vygotsky, Piaget, and Bandura have theorized that social interaction is a key mechanism in the process of learning and development. In particular, the benefits of peer interaction for learning and motivation in classrooms have been broadly demonstrated through…

This snapshot introduces a computer-based representation and activity that enables students to simultaneously "see" the combinatorial space of a stochastic device (e.g., dice, spinner, coins) and its outcome distribution. The author argues that the "ambiguous" representation fosters student insight into probability. [Snapshots are subject to peer…

One of the simulation engines of an open-source program called the Molecular Workbench, which can simulate thermodynamics of chemical reactions, is described. This type of real-time, interactive simulation and visualization of chemical reactions at the atomic scale could help students understand the connections between chemical reaction equations…

New capabilities in "TinkerPlots 2.0" supported the conceptual development of fifth- and sixth-grade students as they pursued several weeks of instruction that emphasized data modeling. The instruction highlighted links between data analysis, chance, and modeling in the context of describing and explaining the distributions of measures that result…

The turbulent business environment requires business expertise from ever-larger personnel groups. The required business know-how is a combination of knowledge and several different skills, and it should provide the learners with an overall view of the functioning of a business organization as a whole. Moreover, while work is increasingly becoming…

As technology evolves, so does its impact on people's lives. These changes clearly affect people's daily activities, but how might they also impact education, teachers, and the lives of students with disabilities? This article focuses on technological innovations and their potential implications for students and teachers in schools. This article…

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of three types of computer instruction in engineering education: tutorial, design, and simulations. Includes comments on efficiency, student acceptance, and scheduling problems. (MLH)

Discusses the use of a simulation language designed to teach dynamic behavior to engineering students via a digital computer. Describes specific applications of the language and the costs of implementing digital dynamic simulation. (MLH)

Describes two types of computer-based experiments: simulation (which assumes no student knowledge of the workings of the computer program) is recommended for experiments aimed at inductive reasoning; and modeling (which assumes student understanding of the computer program) is recommended for deductive processes. (MLH)

Sim One is a computer-controlled patient, a sophisticated simulator developed by the University of Southern California School of Medicine. This article summarizes fifteen cost-effectiveness studies conducted over a 2-year period. Savings with the use of Sim One were found to justify the cost within a short period. (JT)

By using a computer to simulate experimental situations, engineering laboratory courses can provide more ambitious experiments as well as experiments demanding more calculations. (SD)

Using computer simulated games as a teaching tool has effected an attitude change among students and may be a possible solution to the problems of negative attitudes of students towards business careers in marketing. (Author/BP)

Main trends in media research in Western Europe are identified, with emphasis on three successive stages since 1960: tools technology, systems technology, and reflective technology. Previously, the third stage has not been well elaborated, a statement supported by an analysis of the content and context of European media. A critical appraisal of…