Presented are abstracts of 14 research reports. Topics covered include: (1) the effects of games on mathematics skills and concepts; (2) the use of problem-solving heuristics in the playing of games involving mathematics; (3) sex differences in electing mathematics; (4) the origins of sex differences in high school mathematics achievement and…

Changes in the design and implementation of instructional simulations on the PLATO IV system have evolved in the direction of more explanation, evaluation, and streamlined simulation. Student pressure to use their own problem solving processes, the practical system limitations of producing environmentally complex simulations, and student confusion…

An examination of various Italian textbooks shows that the element of fun is absent from the process of learning. There is too much emphasis on dull exercises emphasizing morphology and syntax. Textbooks can be improved through the imaginative intervention of the teacher. Games that will recall and/or expand the vocabulary of a given lesson and…

The School Program Bonanza Game is an approach to conducting a needs assessment. It differs somewhat from other needs assessment packages in that it attempts to provide a needs assessment concerning the overall purposes or goals of the school. In essence, the game asks people to choose a mix of variables from a range of competing alternatives. The…

If a toy is classed as "educational," some demonstrable educational outcome ought to result from playing with it. Formerly, games and toys designated as "educational" were often strategies for painlessly imparting school subjects to children. Today, "developmental skills" or "readiness experiences" are typical objectives of many of the toys on the…

A no-cost, easy to use technique for increasing the reading vocabulary of beginning readers is described in this report. A large number of common words can be elicited from children in a word-association game, to which children respond with words that are highly meaningful to them, and often to their culture. The children then use these words to…

CITY III is a computer-assisted simulation game of an urban system involving player operation of and interaction with economic, social, and government components. The role of operator in the game is to take the handwritten inputs (decisions) from the CITY III participants, process them, and return output which initiates the next round of…

CLUG (Community Land Use Game) is designed to provide players with an understanding of several underlying factors affecting the growth of an urban region. It has been used with players from junior high to graduate school and also with non-students. It unites concepts from sociology, economics, and geography. Players invest in land, construct…

The research in this report was conducted to assess the cognitive impact of a simulation game designed to teach selected geographic data about wind and ocean currents to fifth graders. A two-group, post-test research design was used. A random procedure was used to assign 185 students to two treatment groups. The sample was divided by sex, ranked…

Games and self-checking devices created by teachers to meet the immediate needs of their students can become part of the continuing program of informal diagnosis, small-group remediation, and individual instruction. The reading games outlined in this document have been divided into three basic formats--card games, board games, and self-checking…

A brief discussion of language-teaching games is provided that includes suggestions for further research and a description of the game "Happy Face." (HP)

Describes a modified values auction simulation game, reports on three levels of analysis employing actual classroom data (group, subgroup, and individual), and offers suggestions for utilizing values data in social research. (CMV)

This paper describes a formal communication game which requires the students to process other players' utterances for implicit meaning before responding. The game can be adapted for content and difficulty level. Students choose between two alternatives on dimensions such as structure and style. Sample games are included. (SW)

Every class hour should include conversation as an integral feature or as a ten-minute break. Suggestions are offered, such as guessing games, calling for free association, and detective games with typical questions from police hearings. The teacher should give only minimal help and not constantly correct the students. (IFS/WGA)

Describes a teaching game for drilling on the imperative and the progressive tenses. Some variations of the game are described. (IFS/WGA)