Discusses four difficulties in teaching business communication: lack of shared organizational vision; lack of reality; class duration; and lack of direction in textbooks. Presents advantages and disadvantages of using a simulated organization to address these problems and to improve students' communication competence in various situations.…

Teachers at all levels are encouraged to use role-playing and simulation. Unfortunately, teachers usually overestimate role-playing's learning value and often ascribe too much power to simple simulation activities. Teachers use these methods mainly to change behavior (and values), not reinforce curriculum content. Sociodramas (scenes based on…

Although teachers at all levels are encouraged to use role-playing and simulation, they usually overestimate role-playing's learning value. Teachers use these methods mainly to change behavior (and values), not reinforce curriculum content. Sociodramas (scenes based on typical situations facing children) are more effective role-playing activities…

Reports on the use of PlayDoh clay in a college neuroanatomy class. Describes how students constructed a PlayDoh model of a sheep's brain subsequent to performing a standard dissection procedure. Maintains that students learned from the procedure and recommended the use of the technique in future classes. (CFR)

Discussion of the case study method focuses on its use to improve human performance. Critical and variable attributes of case studies are described, guidelines for creating a case are suggested, case study method types and formats are discussed, and criteria for evaluating the quality of a case study are presented. (18 references) (LRW)

Presents a classroom simulation in which one firm pollutes the water used by another. Includes a detailed outline and discussion of the preparations and materials required, and the procedure for running the simulation. Argues that students learn how property rights provide a market solution to pollution costs. (DSK)

This article addresses misconceptions related to what makes an unfair game fair and describes from a personal perspective the process of discovering for oneself when a particular mathematical method works. (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.)

For many students macroeconomics is very abstract; it is difficult for them to imagine that the theories are fundamentally about the coordination of human decisions. The author developed a simulation game called Steer the Economy that creates the possibility for students to make the decisions of the firms that are implicit in macroeconomic models.…

In this study, we explore an alternate mode for teaching and learning the dynamic, three-dimensional (3D) relationships that are central to understanding astronomical concepts. To this end, we implemented an innovative undergraduate course in which we used inexpensive computer modeling tools. As the second of a two-paper series, this report…

The authors describe instructional methods used to teach comprehensive and individualized case conceptualization and treatment planning in a graduate-level Advanced Counseling Procedures course. Students participate in a theory-driven, simulated multidisciplinary treatment team and meet with recruited client actors to bring "to life" the…

This article explores the uses of a simulation model (the two bucket story)--implemented by a stand-alone computer program, or an Excel workbook (both on the web)--that can be used for deriving bootstrap confidence intervals, and simulating various probability distributions. The strengths of the model are its generality, the fact that it provides…

In this article, the authors describe an e-mail-based simulation that helps students experience the fast-paced, complex world of the middle manager. In this electronic in-basket exercise, students assume the role of a district manager in a doughnut company as they respond to a rapid series of high- and low-priority e-mails ostensibly sent from…

Using task-based exercises that required web searches and online activities, this course introduced non-traditional students to the sights and sounds of the German culture and language and simultaneously to computer technology. Through partner work that required negotiation of the net as well as of the language, these adult beginning German…

This study investigates use of computer simulation for teaching ATM use to adults with intellectual disabilities. ATM-SIM is a computer-based trainer used for teaching individuals with intellectual disabilities how to use an automated teller machine (ATM) to access their personal bank accounts. In the pilot evaluation, a prototype system was…

A calculus-based introductory physics course, which is based on the Matter and Interactions curriculum of Chabay and Sherwood (2002), has been taught at Purdue University. Characteristic of this course is its emphasis on modeling. Therefore, I would like to investigate the effects of modeling-based instruction and interactive engagement on…