The subject of this dissertation is the examination of differential item functioning (DIF) through the use of loglinear Rasch models with latent classes. DIF refers to the probability that a correct response among equally able test takers is different for various racial, ethnic, and gender groups. Because usual methods of detecting DIF give little…

Advantages of the performance simulation setting are considered, along with what can be studied or developed within this setting. Experiences at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and views on future development and research opportunities in the performance simulation setting are also discussed. The benefits of simulating the clinical…

An examination of the different cultural traits, values, and business strategies of Americans and Japanese through simulation and role-playing is presented. A Japanese player and an American player, when presented with scripts, have a business conversation about a hypothetical business venture, and then discuss the interaction in interviews. The…

This board game encourages junior and senior high school student analysis of the German campaign against the USSR and gauges student decision-making skills. The World War II Russo-German Front is simulated in a standard board game format. A key element of the game is its analysis and results form. Using this form compels students to analyze and…

Clarifies definitions of simulation, game, drama, and exercise, and describes a study of 17- to 19-year-old students which was designed to determine their public speaking anxiety level after using seven classroom simulations to prepare them for the experience. Students' personal development and behavior throughout the experience are discussed.…

Discussion of problems encountered in educational software development in Japan is the second of a two-part series on evaluation of Japanese microcomputer-based software. Problems associated with content, learner attitude, and graphics presentation are described, and future challenges in simulation and integrating courseware with other teaching…

Reports on a study which was designed to determine if computer assisted instruction (CAI) can be used effectively in biochemical education. Results indicate that CAI in the drill and practice mode and computer simulations had no detrimental effect on the students' academic achievement and the students would like more CAI. (TW)

Ten papers focus on applications in specific curriculum areas, modelling and simulation, and computer managed learning. Projects described include voice support for the visually handicapped, distance education, and industrial training, as well as teaching applied mathematics, several facets of engineering, zoology, and, with videodisc, observation…

This study is part of a larger research agenda, which includes future doctoral study, aiming to investigate the psychological processes of thought experiments. How do thought-experimenters establish relations between their imaginary worlds and the physical one? How does a technique devoid of new sensory input result to new empirical knowledge? In…

This high school chemistry resource is an on-screen chemistry lab. In the program, students can experiment with a huge range of chemicals, choosing the form, quantity and concentrations. Dangerous or difficult experiments can be investigated safely and easily. A vast range of equipment can be set up, and complex simulations can be put together and…

The Real Game is a Canadian career education simulation for 12- and 13-year-olds that is currently being adapted for the United Kingdom. The game emphasizes the following five main messages: remember that change is constant; understand that learning is ongoing; focus on the journey; follow your heart; and access your allies. The game's…

This integrated unit, intended for use with sixth or seventh graders, introduces students to the trading networks and geographic factors that influenced the maritime spice trade from southeast Asia to the Roman Empire and Han China during the period 100 B.C. to 100 A.D. The unit is designed so that students work in cooperative groups in a series…

This lesson plan asks students to be staff members of a classroom newspaper that is developing a series of articles on the Holocaust. Students work in small groups to research, and eventually report on, a particular topic concerning the Holocaust. The series of articles will work as a whole to refute the arguments of those who deny the existence…

On June 28, 1914, while visiting Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, was assassinated. The Austrian government blamed Serbia for harboring terrorists and sent the Serbian government an ultimatum with which that country found it impossible to comply. This set in motion a series of…

This research explored the challenge of how students might successfully perform real laboratory experiments over the Internet without being in a laboratory. Numerous distance learning environments were surveyed, and the effectiveness and disadvantages of laboratory facilities currently available over the Internet were assessed. Full and part-time…