A study of undergraduate medical students' abilities to identify salient information in reviewing patient charts was conducted at Southern Illinois University. Specific goals were to develop and test a method for assessing chart skills and to test several hypotheses that examine the effect of certain factors on chart review performance.…

Gaming, an approach to problem solving that engages a real life situation, is a technique particularly appealing for design students because it permits learning about the process of change in a dynamic environment requiring periodic decisions. Two games about consensus decisions are discussed: KEEPS and Senior Center Game. (MLW)

The University of Colorado School of Medicine's curriculum for primary care physician's assistants in pediatrics includes a unit on interviewing the adolescent patient. Teaching methods include lectures, videotapes and role-playing. Videotapes of the students with simulated patients are used as an evaluation technique. (JMD)

Describes an assignment for an undergraduate U. S. history class that combined role playing and research. The class was directed to use depression-era materials (newspapers, magazine articles, pamphlets, cookbooks) and plan a menu to feed a family of five on $2.50 a week (the amount provided by relief agencies). (MJP)

A Johns Hopkins University (Maryland) engineering professor has developed eight computer programs that simulate laboratory experiments, creating a "virtual laboratory" for his introductory engineering class. Experiments are fully interactive, giving students the opportunity to try eight different problem-solving strategies. Students can…

Virtual reality-based procedural and surgical simulations promise to revolutionize medical training. A wide range of simulations representing diverse content areas and varied implementation strategies are under development or in early use. The new systems will make broad-based training experiences available for students at all levels without risks…

Reports on a classroom-based, longitudinal study of the effect of learner strategy instruction on listening comprehension. The hypothesis that systematic instruction in the use of strategies will result in the improvement of listening comprehension was confirmed. (Author/JL)

Describes the design of several CD-ROMs with different strategies and foci for teaching general chemistry with large databases of visual information. Presents a sample search with a CD-ROM. Discusses teacher resources including animations, visual databases for presentations, demonstration manuals, laboratory manuals, and encyclopedias as well as…

In a Foundations of Education course, teachers incorporated experiential learning in an extended exercise culminating in a school board meeting simulation. The exercise was designed to expose students to the varied roles of stakeholders in a typical school district and to challenge them with complex educational issues such as school funding and…

A way to assess knowledge acquired through simulation-based learning (intuitive knowledge) is presented. A "WHAT-IF" test item format is developed, and two pilot studies involving 74 college students responding to WHAT-IF items are described. The tests did tap improvement in learning, although test validity was only partially supportive.…

Discusses the rapid growth of digital games, describes research at MIT that is exploring the potential of digital games for supporting learning, and offers hypotheses about the design of next-generation educational video and computer games. Highlights include simulations and games; and design principles, including context and using information to…

A study of 40 medical students who used an interactive child abuse computer simulation to learn clinical reasoning skills found that students thought the exercise was both interesting and educational. Performance on the simulation was not related to gender or experience but was related to academic performance. (CR)

Presents a lesson plan to teach students about the events leading to the U.S. entry into World War I. Explains that the students pretend to be U.S. senators and debate whether the United States should enter the war. Includes handouts for use with this lesson. (CMK)

Described is a simulation game designed to reinforce the biological concepts of poisoning, encourage critical thinking and deductive reasoning, and be enjoyed by the students. Discussed is the plot design, the setting, the characters, the analysis, and results of the simulation. Examples of the data and case histories generated by this game are…

Maintains that the use of computers in the classroom produces motivated students, empowered learners, and increased literacy. Gives an example of the computer program "The Oregon Trail" in which students participate actively in a wagon train journey from Missouri to Oregon. Urges teachers to encourage students in their mastery of computer skills.…