This study is aimed at presenting a critical overview of recent research studies on the use of educational online games as collaborative learning environments in Tertiary Education (TE), namely higher education and vocational training, with a view to identifying: a) the elements that online games should include in order to support fruitful and…

It is a widely held belief that an anchor test used in equating should be a miniature version (or "minitest") of the tests to be equated; that is, the anchor test should be proportionally representative of the two tests in content and statistical characteristics. This paper examines the scientific foundation of this belief, especially…

Bayesian network models offer a large degree of flexibility for modeling dependence among observables (item outcome variables) from the same task that may be dependent. This paper explores four design patterns for modeling locally dependent observations from the same task: (1) No context--Ignore dependence among observables; (2) Compensatory…

The commercial simulator Aspen Chromatography was used in the computer laboratory of a dual-level course. The lab assignments used a cookbook approach to teach basic simulator operation and open-ended exploration to understand adsorption. The students learned theory better than in previous years despite having less lecture time. Students agreed…

Because of perceived advantages, simulations are increasingly being used for performance-based training. This is a review of computer simulation as a learning tool, and its application within the context of disaster preparedness. Concepts from established learning theory are examined and research verifiable by empirical data is referenced. To…

This article describes a study into the role of heuristic support in facilitating discovery learning through simulation-based learning. The study compares the use of two such learning environments in the physics domain of collisions. In one learning environment (implicit heuristics) heuristics are only used to provide the learner with guidance…

In the behavioral and social sciences, quasi-experimental and observational studies are used due to the difficulty achieving a random assignment. However, the estimation of differences between groups in observational studies frequently suffers from bias due to differences in the distributions of covariates. To estimate average treatment effects…

This article describes how researchers work with military to create the next generation of training technology. This article also describes the features of Flatworld, a virtual military training technology. Flatworld is one of many projects under development at the Institute for Creative Technologies, a research group that is supported primarily…

Both structural equation models and hierarchical linear models (HLMs) have been commonly used in multilevel analysis. This study utilized simulated data to investigate the power difference among 3 multilevel models: HLM, deviation structural equation models, and a hybrid approach of HLM and structural equation models. Two factors were examined:…

In this article, the author describes how the study of past and present prisoner of war (POW) situations can provide an excellent academic opportunity for students to evaluate virtues and values in the short and long run. Using case studies of past and present POW situations, students can categorize and analyze the historical nature of the…

For two random variables, X and Y, let D = X - Y, and let theta[subscript x], theta[subscript y], and theta[subscript d] be the corresponding medians. It is known that the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test and its modern extensions do not test H[subscript o] : theta[subscript x] = theta[subscript y], but rather, they test H[subscript o] : theta[subscript…

This article generalizes linear path analysis (PA) and simultaneous equations models (SiEM) to deal with mixed responses of different types in a recursive or triangular system. An efficient instrumental variable (IV) method for estimating the structural coefficients of a 2-equation partially recursive generalized path analysis (GPA) model and…

This paper describes a neural model of speech acquisition and production that accounts for a wide range of acoustic, kinematic, and neuroimaging data concerning the control of speech movements. The model is a neural network whose components correspond to regions of the cerebral cortex and cerebellum, including premotor, motor, auditory, and…

A socially optimized learning approach, which integrates diverse theoretical perspectives, places men who have sex with men (MSM) in an interactive virtual environment designed to simulate the emotional, interpersonal, and contextual narrative of an actual sexual encounter while challenging and changing MSM's more automatic patterns of risky…

Skill and risk taking are argued to be independent and to require different remedial programs. However, it is possible to contend that skill-based training could be associated with an increase, a decrease, or no change in risk-taking behavior. In 3 experiments, the authors examined the influence of a skill-based training program (hazard…