In this study, the authors investigated three questions: whether students' outcomes were improved by grading participation more intensely; who benefits most from increased participation; and, whether students who would benefit from more intensive grading choose it when they are given the choice. An eight-month field experiment was used to elicit…

The present paper discusses ways of incorporating two digital tools, Desire2Learn (D2L) and Google Docs, in language teaching and learning. Data were collected from four French language modules offered at the University of Calgary. Through the analysis of the tutor's observations and module evaluations, this paper explores the effectiveness of…

Research suggests that online support can enhance formal learning experiences. Access to tools such as wikis and blogs is relatively easy, free, and intuitive, even for beginner users, making these tools appealing to heritage language (HL) teachers whose access to resources is often limited. Given that little research has investigated how these…

Despite changes, gender differences in math and science continue to exist in some countries. We examined whether the actiotopes of boys and girls at the high school level in math and science differed and the extent to which (a) their actiotope components, (b) the progressive development of their actiotopes (dynamic perspective), and (c) the…

To succeed, students need to do more than pay attention in class. They need to flourish. Although "engagement" has recently become an educational buzz-word, creating engagement is not enough. It is important to inspire a sense of ownership. If students do not feel they own their education--that they can open the horizons of their own…

Student response systems, commonly referred to as "clickers," have become an important learning tool in higher education. With a growing number of faculty using the technology to promote active learning, student engagement, and assessment, most campuses have seen increasing clicker use. And with faculty bombarded by multiple,…

Presents an action-oriented research account of higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS)-oriented teaching of organic chemistry to freshman and sophomore science majors in small and large classes at a relatively small and large university respectively. Finds that inquiry-oriented class discussions, students' active involvement in the learning process,…

The Manitoba School Improvement Program (MSIP) encourages Manitoba high schools to include students in their improvement projects. Through an array of action-oriented, student-centered initiatives, MSIP has come to a new understanding of "student voice" that encompasses various levels of students' engagement in both school improvement…

A fourth-grade Nova Scotia class produced a weekly 1-hour radio show. Students decided the program format, show themes, topics, and group members. Each show was co-hosted by four students. All students got a chance to host, and all were successful. The project addressed most of the language arts standards and gave students experience in technology…

Democracy in education has many facets: mass access to education, democratic governance of schools, education about citizenship, and education for citizenship. The skills and dispositions necessary for effective democracy can only be learned by practicing them, yet most secondary students have neither political rights nor a political role. Student…