This paper is part of an investigation into 11-year-old students' interpretations of events in the environment. In particular, we analyse the use of a scale model constructed and manipulated by students when simulating a forest fire. We consider that their explanations involve the interrelation of three levels of organisation: the level at which…

In this study, learners worked with a simulation of harmonic oscillation. Two supportive measures were introduced: model progression and assignments. In model progression, the model underlying the simulation is not offered in its full complexity from the start, but variables are gradually introduced. Assignments are small exercises that help the…

This pamphlet presents brief reviews of 38 population education software and online systems currently available. It includes mathematical models, simulations, databases, problem-solving games, online systems, and associations. The review includes a description of the program, the level at which it is aimed, required computer hardware, the vendor's…

This report describes a simulation of adults' retrieval of arithmetic facts from a network-based memory representation. The goals of the simulation project are to: demonstrate in specific form the nature of a spreading activation model of mental arithmetic; account for three important reaction time effects observed in laboratory investigations;…

This report describes the first of three stages in a study in the domain of problem solving: the definition and explication of schema knowledge. One objective of this research is to understand how schema knowledge is acquired and used in the chosen domain. The focus is on ways in which instruction influences the development of specific knowledge…

The present research addresses the issues of whether there exist certain cognitive skills that facilitate transfer, and whether such skills are themselves transferable across domains. Of primary concern is the instructability of such skills. The Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation Project (STACI) is a two-year research project testing the…

This two-dimensional, action-oriented curriculum model for teaching geography at the secondary school level provides a rationale for implementing a student-structured, process-oriented curriculum. Two diagrammed models, which are general enough to represent any learning process, illustrate the ideas developed in the rationale and accompany each of…

Award winning projects in K-12 and college level economics are described in this publication. There are two major sections. Section I describes winning projects for 1979-80. A senior research seminar in economics offered undergraduate students a chance to build inexpensive, simplified forecasting models of the U.S. economy. Each student develops…

This paper presents the Discrepancy Evaluation Model (DEM) as an overall strategy or framework for both the improvement and assessment of effectiveness of simulation/games. While application of the evaluation model to simulation/games rather than educational programs requires modification of the model, its critical features remain. These include:…

The School of Education of Syracuse University implemented EXPER SIM, a computer simulation program, in a graduate program in instructional technology. During a one-semester course each student planned a program of research, developed a proposal for at least one experimental study, collected simulated data using EXPER SIM, analyzed and interpreted…

This paper describes a model of field-centered competency-based education utilizing multidisciplinary methodology and individualized instruction. Although the model was developed as part of an administrative preparation program for special education administrators, it is a general model with potential for wider application. The model uses a…

The Needs Assessment Project will construct a computerized simulation model to evaluate the educational needs of all the community in order to keep educational changes compatible with community needs. This paper presents the approach to be taken in developing the Needs Assessment Model: a description of the study with a review of related…

This study examined the financial human, material, and organizational feasibility of developing and operating the Syracuse Model Elementary Teacher Education Program. (Phase I report is ED 026 301 and ED 026 302.) The study was conducted by the Syracuse University Protocooperative, an organization composed of four public schools, two Title III…

Part of a multi-media package, this textbook focuses on educational media in relation to the activity of learning--upon the use of ready-made resources and of other materials produced by teachers and students who learn through the production process. The first two chapters offer essential information concerning media themselves and their role in…

CITY III is a computer-assisted simulation game in which participants make decisions affecting the economic, governmental, and social conditions of a simulated urban area. In CITY III, the computer stores all the relevant statistics for the area, updates data when changes are made, and prints out yearly reports. The computer also simulates…