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National Research Council of the National Academies. 2014. Learning Science Through Computer Games and Simulations. 87-92. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=13078&page=R1 Chapter 5 focuses on assessing science-based simulations for their potential to support student learning and to assess their understanding of the concepts addressed. In the end further research is required to assess the effectiveness of simulations and playing games since the technology is moving faster than we can keep up with. Effectively assessing them is still fairly new, so it needs to be explored more.

CITEd Research Center. (n.d.). Using Multimedia Tools to Help Students Learn Science. Retrieved from http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=148 CITEd - Center for Implementing Technology in Education believes that students need to learn to think like scientists, that we need to be "scientifically literate" to be able to function well in our current society. CITEd has been looking into how students learn best, by doing. They feel that we need to expose students to science inquiry through technology tools since this is what adult scientists use. This is with the understanding that teachers learn how to evaluate the technology and decide what best works for their students, classroom, curriculum, and style of teaching. They listed multimedia tools for science, with the understanding that research shows science and math simulation to be the most effective.

Gende, D. (2011, April 1). Science Simulations: A Virtual Learning Environment. [web log post]. Retrieved from http://plpnetwork.com/2011/04/01/science-simulations-a-real-way-to-learn/ This post is from an educator who published in The How of 21st Century Teaching.  Gende explains how time and money are always an issue in science education.  Technology simulations can be used as a helpful tool to supplement and enhance scientific learning within the classroom.  This is with the stipulation that it should not be a replacement for hands on lab work, but to be used as an engaging tool to support learning.  She explains how research has supported this idea, listing the advantages of using simulations.  Gende then proceeds to instruct on how to implement science simulations in the classroom with a multitude of website resources to assist anyone who would like to explore and use them.

Jong, D. T. (1998) Scientific discovery learning with computer simulations of conceptual domains. (Review of Educational Research). SAGE Publications., 68, pp 179-202. This literature review addresses simulations and the effectiveness of their use in discovery learning.  The author lists several short coming of simulations, as well as ways to balance out these negative issues.  In the end, it is discovered that with combined instruction and simulation use, you will have the best outcome for student learning, understanding and growth.

Smeaton, D. (n.d.). Minecraft as a Teaching Tool- A Statistical Study of Teachers' Experience Using Minecraft in the Classroom (Graduate Dissertation). Available from Academia.edu. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/2624927/Minecraft_As_A_Teaching_Tool_-_A_Statistical_Study_of_Teachers_Experience_Using_Minecraft_In_The_Classroom  Academia.edu is a site that you can join for free which gives you access to academic papers written by others.  You can place your own papers on this site for others to see as well.  I looked up the above title through this site (it gives you a download copy of the dissertation).  This study reported on 17 teachers who took a survey that delved into whether these teachers who used Minecraft simulations in the classroom felt about the outcome of its use.