A computer-assisted learning/teaching model is conceived with implications of constructivist theory and an analogy between the traditional art form Shuanghuang and the teaching/learning environment. The virtual character of the model interacts with the learner, in the form of human behavior and speech supported by recognition biometrics,…

Discussion of the use of programming as a learning activity focuses on software-realized scaffolding. Emile, software that facilitates programming for modeling and simulation in physics, is described, and results of an evaluation of the use of Emile with high school students are reported. (Contains 95 references.) (LRW)

Discusses the implications of authentic activity as a model of learning, particularly in the design of computer-based simulations and project-based learning activities. Addresses the characteristics of problem-solving situations, educational simulations, and authentic learning activities; and identifies key guidelines in the design and development…

The HyperCard-based computer-assisted instructional environment described--called the Virtual Computer (VC)--uses simulation to help learners acquire basic concepts about the functioning of computers. Discussion of the instructional design of the program includes Elaboration Theory, four learning phases, use of metaphors and analogies, other…

An exemplar-based model of social judgment is presented in which specific past experiences and more abstract schematic knowledge influence judgments and perceptions of people and groups. Computer simulations illustrate the way the model accounts for social influences on exemplar access and use and on the content of social judgments. (SLD)

Statistical identification of employees with unusual sick leave patterns can result in false-positive identifications. A computer simulation model was used to evaluate alternate methods of unusual sick leave detection for the New York State Department of Health. Results were used to refine identification parameters and modify supervisory…

The analysis and simulation of spiral growth in plants integrates algebra and trigonometry in a botanical setting. When the ideas presented here are used in a mathematics classroom/computer lab, students can better understand how basic assumptions about plant growth lead to the golden ratio and how the use of circular functions leads to accurate…

This study explored visual control strategies for braking to avoid collision by manipulating information about speed of self-motion. Participants watched computer-generated displays and used a brake to stop at an object in the path of motion. Global optic flow rate and edge rate were manipulated by adjusting eyeheight and ground-texture size.…

This article identifies three uses of educational technology and evaluates their potential to change curricula and pedagogic strategies. The article is in four parts, with the first outlining a temporal model of change and discussing educators' expectations of continuities and discontinuities in practice. In order to distinguish minor…

Negotiation skills are essential in everyday life, whether in a professional or personal context. Negotiation enables two parties to address misunderstandings and avoid conflicts through an exchange that depends as much on the interpersonal skills of the negotiators as the tactics employed. Acquiring these skills requires not only sound conceptual…

Meaningful educational activities and cognitive tools might improve students' active involvements in the teaching-learning process and encourage their reflections on the concepts and relations to be investigated. It is claimed that usage of manipulatives not only increase students' conceptual understanding and problem solving skills but also…

Despite a century of research, the mechanisms underlying short-term or working memory for serial order remain uncertain. Recent theoretical models have converged on a particular account, based on transient associations between independent item and context representations. In the present article, the authors present an alternative model, according…

The application of scientific tools to analyse the use of Internet-based e-learning tools in academic settings is in general an ignored area. E-learning tools are actually an emergent topic as a result of the new ideas introduced by the European Higher Education Area. Lifelong learning, or the promotion of student initiative, is the new paradigm…

This paper describes a computer-simulation model of the way in which basic reasoning processes develop in children. The model, based on PRISM-II programming language, was designed to reflect the manner in which world knowledge can be used to construct strategies for reasoning. The model learns strategies for performing transitive inference by…

This report summarizes the roundtable on information technology which brought together leaders from business, government, the non-profit sector, and academia to explore the use of complex adaptive systems as a model for determining information technology's role in both the workplace and diverse societal settings. Topics covered in this document…