For example in Phase I, a computer simulation allows students to participate in a life-like situation, make decisions, and see the impact of their decisions.
Simulations present abstract concepts in concrete terms.
Through participating in simulations, students enhance their understanding of concepts, begin to pose more meaningful questions, and express their ideas to classmates. The focused and spontaneous conversation that occurs during a simulation can support students who are highly verbal but who might have difficulties in other areas, such as writing. For example in Phase III, a database program is a tool that allows users to store information in an organized way and to retrieve information in response to queries. Using a database encourages higher-level thinking skills as students go beyond the facts to search for trends and relationships, make and test hypotheses, and explore the meaning of data. Database programs are helpful to students who need a tool to organize or categorize information.