Describes the advantages of simulations over real-life tasks in courses in instructional materials development. Explains how to develop a simulation, including setting objectives, considering learning and gaming principles, and evaluation; and discusses simulation as an experiential approach that is cost effective. (Contains 45 references.) (LRW)

Describes a model of instructional simulation design where designers create models in a system dynamics package and then transfer them into a general instructional authoring system for the addition of instructional support features. Topics include building versus using simulations; procedural versus conceptual simulations; and discovery versus…

Five teams of postgraduate business students in three countries participate din a business strategy simulation game using e-mail and videoconferencing. The pilot study showed the need for technical support and a game administrator and the importance of making simulated competition conditions as realistic as possible to enable transfer of learning.…

An enterprise model, a computational model of knowledge about an enterprise, is a useful tool for integrated decision-making by e-commerce suppliers and customers. Sharable knowledge, once represented in an enterprise model, can be integrated by the modeled enterprise's e-commerce partners. Presents background on enterprise modeling, followed by…

Discusses incorporating interactive multimedia into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Presents examples of interactive exhibits from other museums and suggests ideas for the Hall of Fame to pursue: simulations of batting, signal use, and umpiring; a quiz show; a visitor poll; CD-ROM software; and an interactive database.…

Discusses the educational implications of simulations in international relations. Highlights include the development of international relations simulations; the role of technology; the International Communication and Negotiation Simulations (ICONS) project at the University of Maryland; evolving information technology; and simulating real-world…

Discusses the use of dynamic systems modeling in the field of school finance policy. Provides detailed description of the use of computer-based systems-modeling simulations to New Jersey school finance equity problems. (Contains 37 references.) (PKP)

Describes an experience using students as assistants in a simulation-based instructional unit of a large introductory American government class. The assistants had participated in the simulation as students and came back to serve as part of an independent study project. The assistants facilitated the use of simulation in a large class where it…

Graduating nurse practitioners (n=26) completed simulated clinical encounters with standardized patients. Their performance did not reflect their results on other clinical evaluations and national certifying examinations, suggesting that simulated encounters lack validity and reliability. They may be useful for formative learning. (Contains 38…

Performed a simulation study to demonstrate the dramatic impact of capitalization on estimation errors on ability estimation in adaptive testing. Discusses four different strategies to minimize the likelihood of capitalization in computerized adaptive testing. (SLD)

Proposes a new multistage adaptive-testing procedure that factors the discrimination parameter (alpha) into the item-selection process. Simulation studies indicate that the new strategy results in tests that are well-balanced, with respect to item exposure, and efficient. (SLD)

Examined whether the item response theory (IRT) true-score equating method is more adversely affected by the presence of multidimensionality than two conventional equating methods, linear and equipercentile equating. Results of two simulation studies suggest that the IRT method performs as well as the conventional methods when the correlation…

Proposed an approximate chi square statistic based on the nonlinear factor representation of R. McDonald (1967) and investigated it with simulated data. The approximate chi square statistics had good control over Type I errors when unidimensional data were generated and displayed good power in identifying the two-dimensional data. (SLD)

Studied, through Monte Carlo simulation, the conditions for which analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) does not maintain adequate Type I error rates and power and evaluated some alternative tests. Discusses differences in ANCOVA robustness for balanced and unbalanced designs. (SLD)

Compared the Type I error rate and the power to detect differences in slopes and additive treatment effects of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and randomized block designs through a Monte Carlo simulation. Results show that the more powerful option in almost all simulations for tests of both slope and means was ANCOVA. (SLD)