Many studies have shown how practical learning and the hands-on activities help students to conceptualize technological knowledge and develop their intellectual processes. Researchers have also pointed out that a variety of cognitive skills and higher-order thinking skills can be nurtured through their application to a practical context. Learning…

Adventurous activities are established as an integral aspect of The National Curriculum for 5-16-year-olds. Securing a place in the curriculum provides adventurous activities with an unparalleled opportunity to reach more pupils than any other form of delivery during these formative years. However, little consideration has been given to…

The Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) is an international, non-profit educational organization. The Association's purpose is to advance the knowledge, theory, and quality of teaching and learning at all levels with information technology. The "EdMedia + Innovate Learning" conference took place in Brussels,…

This paper intends to explore emotional literacy (EL) in relation to Personal and Social Development (PSD) as implemented in the Maltese Islands. Self-empowerment, emotional literacy, and self-expression contribute to a good quality of life of self and others. These are addressed in Maltese schools during timetabled statutory PSD sessions. The…

In this paper, we present a mobile technology-assisted seamless learning process design where students were facilitated to develop their personalized and diversified understanding in a primary school's science topic of the life cycles of various living things. A goal-based approach to experiential learning model was adopted as the pedagogical…

The recruitment of sufficient numbers of suitably qualified teachers into headship is an international issue and to address this in Scotland alternative headship preparation programmes were trialled to provide greater flexibility in order to better match the individual development needs and circumstances of the aspirant head teachers. Drawing from…

Approaches to classroom instruction have evolved considerably over the past 50 years. This progress has been spurred by the development of several learning principles and methods of instruction, including active learning, student-centered learning, collaborative learning, experiential learning, and problem-based learning. In the present paper, we…

Spatial and temporal variability of riparian areas, as well as potential impacts from climate change, are concepts that land and water managers and stakeholders need to understand to effectively manage and protect riparian areas. Rapid population growth in the southwestern United States, and multiple-use designation of most riparian areas, makes…

The learning study reports on part of a larger project being lead by the author. In this dissertation I explore one goal of this project--to understand effects on student learning outcomes as a function of using different methods for connecting out-of-school experiential learning with formal school-based instruction. There is a long history of…

Analogous thinking has been commonly discussed as being an inherent and distinguishing characteristic of human cognition (e.g., Gentner, 2010; Goldstone, Day, & Son, 2010; Holyoak, in press; Rittle-Johnson & Star, in press). Gentner (2003) has argued that as part of the human cognitive toolbox, comparison accompanied by the relational language to…

Although many researchers have examined knowledge building in traditional settings and distance learning, few have examined middle school students' building of mathematical knowledge using mobile phones. The present study uses two well-known models of knowledge building to carry out the examination: the interactive analysis model of knowledge…

Technical thinking is defined as an aptitude, ingenuity, and affliction for solving practical problems through experience. From the beginning of civilization such thinking has been a significant part of human existence. Learning associated with it is a natural instinct for most people, young and old, who work in a technical field, pursue a…

This article presents the results of a three-year study of "Gamestar Mechanic" (www.gamestarmechanic.com), a flash-based multiplayer online role-playing game developed for the MacArthur Foundation's digital media learning initiative by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Gamelab in New York. The game's objective is to help children…

This paper discusses the concept of "primal landscapes" as a way of conceptualising the interactions between children and the environments they grow up in. The paper discusses this concept drawing on empirical research conducted in the field of human geography on how people learn about their environments. The research employed a…

Our essential premise in this article is that immersive learning is not new and that, as a practical matter, it is useful to view the relatively new virtual world platforms through that lens. By doing so, the premise continues, developers of learning experiences for these spaces will have a large theoretical base upon which to draw, as well as…