This paper examines how Social Impact Games (SIGs) can provide important instructional support in secondary social studies classrooms. When used within the framework of the constructivist teaching philosophy and teaching methods, as recommended by the NCSS (2010), SIGs have the potential to hone critical thinking, collaboration, and problem…

An in-depth qualitative study with nine secondary pre-service teachers from an undergraduate "Language and Literacy" class was conducted to examine the potential of simulation using Second Life (SL) in teacher education. Games and simulations were operationally defined in the broadest sense to distinguish key characteristics between…

Presents the results of a survey of secondary school students in England that investigated access to computers at home, frequency and duration of use, the applications used including games and word processing, and students' reasons for using a computer at home. Also discusses gender differences in terms of access, frequency of use and applications…

Reports on a study comparing social characteristics of 13 British male secondary-school students with high levels of interest in and use of computers with those of 14 students who lacked interest in computers. Finds that computer-using students were not less sociable than their peers. (CFR)

Summarizes eight papers from the 1989 National Educational Computing Conference (NECC). The papers describe: (1) programs for teaching physical science, astronomy, and mathematics; (2) integrating telecommunications into school science; (3) use of models and simulations; and (4) the 1988 Association for the Education of Teachers in Science…

Studies patterns of computer use based on data from the National Science Foundation's Longitudinal Study of American Youth in which 7th- and 10th-grade students were surveyed for five consecutive years. Highlights include parental backgrounds; socioeconomic status; parental attitudes; student attitudes; gender differences; computer ownership; and…