Communication skills are critical when the physician must convey distressful information. A study to determine whether training second-year medical students to convey such information would be effective in improving their skills is reported. (MLW)

Graduate students simulated school board members making decisions about educational programs. Situation contexts within the program evaluation reports were varied by conflict, quality, and time. The quality of decisions affected support for program continuation. Interactions of conflict and quality affected need for more information and more time…

"Springfield," a simulation-based development program for those who have completed the NASSP assessment center, works well for 10 reasons: motivation, talent, self-assessment, feedback, specific goals, realistic simulation, behavior modeling, developmental mentors, on-the-job development, and a follow-up seminar. (TE)

Oregon was selected as one of four pilot states to field test the Springfield Simulation. Logistical problems are described, followed by a procedural account of the process: personnel, initial briefing, research packets, the three-day simulation, feedback from mentors, and a follow-up at the end of three months. (TE)

Some of the benefits available from using computers to administer the kinds of tests that are familiar in educational settings are reviewed. Four applications that represent current or near-term enhancements of assessment are discussed: computerized adaptive testing, diagnostic testing, test preparation, and administration of simulations of…

This lesson asks 12th grade students to imagine that they are special assistants to the Undersecretary of Commerce for a foreign country who must answer a letter from a U.S. company planning to move its manufacturing operations overseas. The lesson also asks them to design a business brochure that will convince the company to come to their…

This lesson plan uses students' interest in sports to teach good citizenship. With its focus on rules, responsibility, conflict resolution, and teamwork, the unit emphasizes the development of critical thinking, decision-making, and citizenship skills in young people. This lesson plan is part of a series of fully prepared, interactive classroom…

The Information Environment for School Leadership Preparation (IESLP) is a Web-based instructional system for educational administration preparation programs. The Web site presents a virtual rural school environment: a database of an actual rural school (using pseudonyms) containing information about students, teachers, school board members, test…

Large socioeconomic and ethnic disparities exist in college admissions. This paper demonstrates that by systematically accounting for the effect of socioeconomic circumstance on pre-college achievement, colleges can substantially reduce these disparities. A conceptual model distinguishes students' realized achievement from their underlying ability…

This interdisciplinary two-week unit simulates a trip to South Africa as part of a U.S. delegation sent to observe what is happening politically, economically, and culturally in the post-apartheid transition. Students explore and experience a number of real-life events and situations which might be encountered on an actual trip. The tasks…

This simulation allows students to participate in the "ways" of ancient Chinese history and culture. The unit is organized into five major phases or "li's." Students may spend about one week on activities in each "li" which focuses on a major aspect of Chinese history, culture, or geography. In each "li"…

This simulation allows students to explore the lives of the great rulers of the Mayan culture. Students learn the mysterious history of the Maya by decoding glyphs, investigating the unusual religion of the Maya, unraveling the complex Mayan calendar, and discovering the Mayan number system's secret meanings. Specific cooperation skills are taught…

This simulation allows students to travel north through the six divisions of the Nile River, with each major phase of the simulation called a "cataract". Students earn travel points as they sail the Nile from its source in Central Africa through the Sixth Cataract, all the way to the First Cataract, and then on to the delta where it…

There is much research suggesting that cultural biases or attitudes are difficult to change. This study assumes that the reason for the difficulty is that such biases are deeply rooted in a variety of situational and individual sources that must work simultaneously for change to occur. In searching for a way to conform to this requirement, a…

A project was conducted in a military training setting to test the acceleration of the development of complex, technical problem-solving skills through intentional transfer of existing knowledge and skill to novel tasks. Sherlock 2, the model devised, consisted of high quality device models using illustrative equipment diagrams from actual…