This Artistic and Creative Inquiry (ACI) uses personal narrative to share examples of how poetry has been successfully used in both classroom and academic support settings to enhance students' understanding of course concepts and to identity their own learning preferences. This pragmatic discussion of poetry as a teaching tool is then coupled with…

Face-to-face time with students in the early childhood college setting is at a premium and often flies by before we begin to scratch the surface of active learning. Building a community of learners is one of our main goals as instructors; therefore, we strive to set up active learning environments optimal for all students. This reflection on…

Films, like printed academic works, can capture and communicate compelling theoretical arguments pertaining to world politics and the way it operates. Moreover, the unique audiovisual features of the cinematographic medium can, from a pedagogic perspective, increase students' understanding and internalization of some of the most elusive concepts…

"Whole-child development" can mean different things to educators, researchers, other child- and youth-serving professionals, and policymakers. Multiple bodies of research and methods of analysis affirm that child development (and human development in general) is dynamic, bi-directional (i.e., the child and context influence each other),…

When millennial students take out cell phones in class and are typing, the first response many professors have is that the students are "not" completely engaged, when in fact students are taking notes at impressive speeds. Facing similar criticism in a workplace setting, seventeen-year-old Jonah Stillman protested, "I'm not Texting.…

A number of researchers and educators have proposed educational methods over the years designed to improve our focus on students, their quality of learning, and experiences through academic and personal development. With a concern for moving forward, some of the more classical methods have been abandoned for the sake of progress, technology, and…

This study aims to describe a novel teaching mode that allows for direct instructor-student and student-student discussions of material balance concepts by means of active learning. The instructor explains the concepts during class time while using a remotely controlled laboratory system that is projected on a screen with real-time access to the…

Engaging "digital natives" presents challenges and opportunities for both the classroom teacher and for trainers in the workplace, many of whom are "digital immigrants." The learning styles, interests, values, and the Millennial learner's unique alignment with technology present opportunities to engage this generation in new…

As a relatively innovative teaching/learning approach in the Arabian Gulf region, in general, and in Oman, in particular, project-based learning requires progressive amendments and adaptations to the national culture of the learner. This article offers analysis of the current state of the approach in the local educational environment. Furthermore,…

For almost 40 years, the Minute Paper has been a quick and easy means of learning assessment, both in the college classroom and in library instruction. More recently, the use of social media, particularly selfies, has gained popularity by connecting with students through the technology with which they are most familiar. This article makes the case…

Since the article "Beyond Instructional Design: Making Learning Design a Reality" (Sims, 2006) was published, much has changed in the opportunities we have for learning, and Professor Rod Sims's thinking has evolved. In this article, Professor Rod Sims reflects upon his original article, and he offers an evolved model of learning design,…

Medical school curricula are undergoing transformational change in response to calls for integrating content across courses and years to enable better retention and application and for individualizing learning to meet the diverse backgrounds and thus differing needs of students. To address the related teaching challenges, faculty can employ solid…

Why do some students go above and beyond what is asked of them while others do just enough to get by? This "Focus On" debunks common underachievement myths (such as "some students aren't capable of learning" or "underachievers are lazy") and looks at ways to create a motivating classroom by providing teachers with effective strategies for engaging…

In France, project activities figure predominantly in technology education. The general idea behind learning based on project activity is to allow the pupil to get involved in the activity in question, with the pupil tackling real situations rather than ones of an abstract nature. But too often, we notice that the pedagogical strategies used by…

This article describes three creative arts exercises designed to promote belonging, connectedness, and wellness among adolescents with and without disabilities. The scenarios are multifaceted and based on utilization of creative visual and performing arts. Creative outlets may help groups be more effective and meaningful for participants,…