The argumentative essay has endured as a popular form of university assessment, yet students still struggle to meet key intended learning outcomes, such as those associated with critical thinking. This paper presents the results of a study that examines the instruction provided by Australian essay writing guides to support students' development of…

The Internet is increasingly being used as a tool for communicating and learning in primary schools across many developed and developing countries. The place of social chat as part of online interactions has as yet not been fully recognised as an important component of learning. In this paper, the interactions of students in a Sydney primary…

One factor preventing the wider acceptance of school-based curriculum development and assessment is the problem of comparing performances of different students, in different schools. The SOLO taxonomy is used to describe the complexity of learning outcomes in a language that is generally applicable across the curriculum. (Author/MLW)

Discusses a study designed to evaluate the relationship between curriculum innovation and the classroom instructional methods of teachers and their students. Concludes that although significant changes in classroom practices accompany the introduction of a new curriculum package, the changes were antithetical to the intentions of the package…