General Games Links

http://4h.unl.edu/volun/arlen/simulati1.htm

This article outlines the use of simulation games in an educational environment into a definition, characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and a very useful checklist for facilitating a simulation game. [ST & BM]

http://www.stenhouse.com/pdfs/0328ch05.pdf

This easy to read article written from a teacher’s perspective gives some excellent ideas for incorporating games into the curriculum. Wormeli offers three questions that he feels are very important before implementing a game into the classroom: 1) Does the game involve enough substantive content to justify the use of classroom time? 2) Is the game set up to maximize participation? 3) Are the rules of the game simple enough to understand? [ST & BM]

http://www.stsintl.com/articles/ten_mistakes.html

This article is written by Gary Shirts, the creator of the cross-cultural simulation game “Bafa Bafa”. Shirts outlines ten mistakes often made by game creators, including himself, that are useful to know if you are going to use simulations in the classroom. [ST & BM]

http://www.stsintl.com/articles/tensecrets.pdf

This article, also by Gary Shirts, gives us a look at the other side of the coin in describing ten secrets to successful simulations. This is not only useful for those who are game creators, but also for those who become mediators of simulation games which would be us as teachers. [ST & BM]

http://www.stsintl.com/articles/inventory.html

This “Inventory of Hunches” are some guesses about the educational value of simulations. These may help you to decide how you will use the technique of simulation and what your outcomes may be. [ST & BM]

http://www.prospect.org/print-friendly/print/V8/31/turkle-s.html

In this article, “Seeing through computers: Education in a Culture of Simulation”, the author describes the journey of learning about computer to learning with computers: from the first teachings of the computer’s inner workings and binary numbers in the 1980’s up until now, simulation learning with the assistance of computers. There is also reference to the computer program LOGO and its uses in education. [ST & BM]

http://www.insead.fr/calt/Encyclopedia/Education/Advances/games.html

This super site titled “Simulation and Games for Education” provides a wealth of information on what is out there in the WWW for the topic at hand. The various headings such as journals, articles, and research and subject specific areas will guide you through your navigation of this site. [ST & BM]

http://sg.comp.nus.edu.sg/

SGX, Simulation Gaming eXchange is an internet clearinghouse for Simulation and Gaming Resources. Although the site as a whole is not specific to education, there is a lot of information that would be useful to educators who plan on using simulations in the classroom. [ST & BM]

http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue5/perrone/index.html

This is a webquest for educators on using WWW and interactive simulation games in the classroom. It questions the usefulness of the WWW to student learning, concluding that we must limit the expanse of the information that is out there through the use of such methods as WebQuests. [ST & BM]

http://genscope.concord.org/

Genscope is a learning environment that uses the computer to provide an alternative to text-based science education. It provides teachers and learners with a new tool that enables students to investigate scientific and mathematical concepts through direct manipulation and experimentation. [ST & BM]

http://www.fablusi.com/

Fablusi is a role-play simulation generator that allows you to create your own simulation template for use in teaching and learning. Participants act out their roles subject to the privileges and constraints designed into the simulation by its creator. [ST & BM]

http://ausweb.scu.edu.au/aw01/papers/refereed/ip/

This article describes and discusses the pedagogical foundations and the technical features that enable rapid generation of role-play simulations such as “Fablusi”. [ST & BM]