The two articles of this theme section consider problems of measurement in relation to games. "How Good was Bobby Fischer in 1992?" (John Michael Linacre) explores a Rasch analysis of the chess performance of Bobby Fischer, while "Objective Analysis of Golf" (Patrick Fisher) considers measurement problems presented by golf.…

Explains how a student put together a web site about games that has grown to more than 80 files that have been visited by more than 100,000 users. (TB)

Describes the uses of riddles with elementary school students to create interest, develop literacy skills, promote learning in the content areas, and have fun. Notes 16 books of riddles. (SR)

Presents six games (most for all ages) used in adventure and experiential settings. Includes target group, group size, time and space needs, activity level, overview, props, instructions, variations, and tips for processing the experience, where appropriate. The games are icebreakers, promote teamwork and social skills, or help groups to focus.…

Provides an example of a framework of generic knowledge, designed for teachers, that describes and explains the foundational tactical aspects of invasive team-game play. The framework consists of four modules: participants and their roles, objectives, action principles, and action options. Guidelines to help instructors design practical activities…

Explains a phronisterion as a thinking place named for an idea from Socrates and describes a conference based on that idea that discussed the development of computer games. Topics include the scientific-cultural divide; interactive storytelling; online reading; and the relationship of interactive fiction with computer games. (LRW)

Today's students watch the newest movie trailers on the Web, share music files, play video games with other players over the Internet, and swap digital pictures of the latest teen idols. Donald Tapscott points out in his book Growing Up Digital that as this rich multimedia experience becomes more a part of students' lives outside of school, they…

In this paper, the author compares the two games played most frequently in our classrooms, concluding that although both games may prepare the student for success in school only one of the games prepares the student for success in life.

Adding depth and breadth to the general aggression model, this paper presents three experiments that test the relationships among user and opponent gender representation, opponent type, presence, and aggressive thoughts from violent video game play. Studies 1 and 2 suggest that females experience greater presence and more aggressive thoughts from…

In this article, we offer an approach to conceiving of the relation between literacy practices and space-time. Literacy, embedded in other forms of activity, has a unique role in producing and organizing space-time relations, and such relations provide for different forms of cognition and learning. Closely examining how literacy practices produce…

The paper uses Ludwig Wittgenstein's theories about the relationship between thought, language, and objects of the world to explore the assumption that OO-thinking resembles natural thinking. The paper imports from research in linguistic philosophy to computer science education research. I show how UML class diagrams (i.e., an artificial…

Instructors may use the gambling game of craps to illustrate the use of a number of fundamental probability identities. For the "pass-line" bet we focus on the chance of winning and the expected game length. To compute these, probabilities of unions of disjoint events, probabilities of intersections of independent events, conditional probabilities…

An expert on the sociology of video games highlights the power of this medium to popularize violence among children. But few are aware that some of the most technologically potent products are violent war games now being produced at taxpayer expense. These are provided free as a recruiting tool by the United States military. The author contends…

Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are becoming increasingly popular in online education environments and have multiple pedagogical advantages over more traditional approaches to education. VLEs include 3D worlds where students can engage in simulated learning activities such as Second Life. According to Claudia L'Amoreaux at Linden Lab, "at…

Holiday and festival celebrations are a unique form of cultural expression. Physical activities associated with cultural traditions offer the perfect opportunity for physical educators to integrate interdisciplinary teaching in their programs. This article focuses on the application of a multicultural perspective by introducing 12 station tasks…