Exploration of "prior art"--the state of a technology's development, as manifested in literature, documentation, and artifacts--has many benefits for engineering students. It expands their understanding of the design problem, reveals a range of possible solutions, and develops research skills important to professional practice. While…

Learning by teaching is a pedagogical technique that encourages mastery of a topic by having students teach each other. Student presentations, group discussions, and face-to-face teaching are frequently used to have students teach their peers. In this paper, we describe the use of a novel assignment to implement learning by teaching. In a course…

Pearson sought to explore whether attempting more unique assignments in MyLab IT, an online tutorial and assessment tool used in higher education to teach digital literacy concepts and Microsoft Office application skills, is related to higher exam scores. This Research Report presents findings from one research study: a correlational study Pearson…

At California State University, Northridge (CSUN), many students lack the skills needed to locate, analyze, and apply essential contexts associated with primary sources. Using these sources requires critical inquiry, which is a fundamental theme in pedagogy, the California State University system's Core Competencies, and the Association of College…

The recent emphasis in higher education on both student engagement and online learning encouraged the authors to develop an active e-learning environment for an introductory geohazards course, which enrolls 70+ undergraduate students per semester. Instructors focused on replicating the achievements and addressing the challenges within an already…