Relational thinking plays a central role in human cognition. However, it is not known how children and adults acquire relational concepts and come to represent them in a form that is useful for the purposes of relational thinking (i.e., as structures that can be dynamically bound to arguments). The authors present a theory of how a psychologically…

The continuous growth of computer and sensor technology allows many researchers to develop simple modifications and/or refinements to standard educational experiments, making them more attractive and comprehensible to students and thus increasing their educational impact. In the framework of this approach, the present study proposes an alternative…

Games have a long history of being used for instructional purposes. Games can be defined as playful activities, with or without a computer, that have some essential characteristics. Game characteristics can include competition and goals, game rules, challenging activities, choices, and fantasy elements. Games that take advantage of these…

This paper describes a computational exercise at undergraduate level that demonstrates the employment of Monte Carlo simulation to study the conformational statistics of flexible polymer chains, and to predict solution properties. Three simple chain models, including excluded volume interactions, have been implemented in a public-domain computer…

Soil texture is a fundamental soil property that impacts agricultural and engineering land-use. Comparing texture estimates-by-feel to laboratory-known values to calibrate fingers is a common practice. As educators, it is difficult to assess this field skill consistently and fairly. The instructor may give full credit for the correct texture class…

This author discusses the relationship between the use of presentation software and the maintenance of student interest in university lectures. The evidence of surveyed university students suggests that PowerPoint, used as a presentation tool in university lectures, is pedagogically effective only while it provides variety and stimulates interest…

Art and animation work is the most significant part of electronic game development, but is also found in television commercials, computer programs, the Internet, comic books, and in just about every visual media imaginable. It is the part of the project that makes an abstract design idea concrete and visible. Animators create the motion of life in…

Objective: A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT). Method: Hierarchical linear modeling software was used to synthesize the primary studies to calculate an overall effect size estimate and test for between-study variability. Results: Solution-focused brief therapy demonstrated small but…

A software program that searches for offensive content on college athletes' social-networking sites has drawn skeptical reactions from legal experts, who say it could threaten students' constitutional rights. Billed as a "social-network monitoring service" and marketed exclusively to college athletics departments, YouDiligence was on display at…

Discussing available computer software for prompting for the kinds of computers likely to be used in writing programs, this paper concentrates on categorizing software programs and exploring their "uniquely electronic" features. The paper deals with the following questions: (1) What kinds of planning software are available? (2) What happens when…

Reviews three computer software programs for classroom use: Muppet Word Book, for children three to six; Dragon Game Series, on parts of speech, for students in grades four through high school; and Chemistry Achievement I, for students who are 16 to 18 years old, or in grades 10 to 12. (BB)

Presents how the computer program "Strip-Charter" assists communication research by quantifying the pen-trace data of psychophysiological and other strip-chart records. Describes the program's basic components and capabilities, including how it (1) allows the user to employ the Macintosh "mouse" to trace strip-chart pen…

Reviews basic principles of effective instructional design, then evaluates instructional computer programs in relation to how well the characteristics critical for effective self-instruction are incorporated into educational software. Includes a checklist for use in evaluating the design of educational software. (MD)

Reviews multimedia world atlas programs geared to a wide range of audiences and age groups, some of which are tailored for specific interests. Reviews of nine programs highlight their strong points and weaknesses. Ancillary material, such as manuals or teacher guides, is also evaluated. (SLD)

BMDP/Diamond for Windows was developed as a stand-alone software package for initial data exploration and screening. The program uses advanced visualization techniques to allow one to examine the data from different perspectives, or to manipulate graphics to gain greater insight. Data can be checked quickly for a variety of characteristics. (SLD)