Interactive writing is a powerful instructional strategy in which the teacher and children "share the pen" to construct a collaboratively composed text. Traditionally, articles have been written detailing how the procedure can be implemented in grades kindergarten through two. We contend that interactive writing can also be an effective…

Life skills are personal resources that can be trained and applied in a specific situation and transferred to other contexts. The growing body of research has shown that intervention programs produce positive results in learning and transferring life skills. Nonetheless, there is a need to clarify the efficacy of life skills training, namely the…

This article explores the potential of video-based strategies to enhance learning in K-12 online physical education (OLPE), namely: video instruction, analysis, and feedback. Video instructions can optimize attention and effectively promote independent practice of motor skills when they are short, focused, and contain expert demonstrations. Video…

The ubiquity and ease with which microbial cells disperse over space is a key concept in microbiology, especially in microbial ecology. The phenomenon prompted Baas Becking's famous "everything is everywhere" statement that now acts as the null hypothesis in studies that test the dispersal limitation of microbial taxa. Despite covering…

This teaching note describes the use of a pilot peer feedback assignment in an undergraduate BSW Interviewing Skills Course. Two cohorts of students over two years (n = 47) answered a brief questionnaire and/or participated in a small focus group inquiring about their experience of this assignment and its impact on their learning. Student…

When Trudy Knowles needed a change in her elementary curriculum class, she decided to teach her students to juggle. Her excuse was that juggling would impress their future students, but she soon realized that learning a skill like juggling can give teachers a better understanding of how students feel when they learn something new. Here, she shares…

As part of THE FUSED Health Education Series, this article takes a deep dive into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) 15 Characteristics of Effective Health Education Curriculum. The Characteristics emerged after a review of professional literature on effective health education programs and curricula and determined that these…

The emergence of online learning has sparked increased interest in predicting learners' academic performance to enhance teaching effectiveness and personalized learning. In this context, we propose a complex model APPMLT-CBT which aims to predict learners' performance in online learning settings. This systemic model integrates cognitive, social,…

The effective teaching of the concept of programming, where critical thinking is an important factor, is not so easy in secondary education. New teaching approaches, including, game-based learning, may provide a solution due to their inclusion of more fun and diverse activities but they still lack the active participation of the students in the…

Many scholars have noted the critical skills needed for leaders in the face of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). These skills include self-awareness, listening, communication, adaptability, critical thinking, and collaboration. Students who are able to develop these skills would be better equipped to lead in settings where…

This protocol guides the What Works Clearinghouse's (WWC) systematic reviews of evidence on interventions to improve the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge and skills of students in preschool (PK) to grade 12 (or ages 3-21). To conduct the systematic review, use this protocol in conjunction with version 4.1 of the…

Some have claimed that critical thinking is not a skill as much as an attitude. A "critical spirit"--whatever that might mean could be simultaneously both a skill and an attitude. Others have suggested that it comprises skills in argumentation, logic, and an awareness of cognitive biases in psychology. Whatever definition one favors, the…

This article discusses how following graduation, students often enter the job market unprepared to find, evaluate, and use information in the digital environment effectively. Essentially, there is a disparity between the skills students attain in college coursework, including information literacy (IL) skills, and those required in the workplace,…

As the popularity of project-based learning grows, so does the importance of understanding how this instructional approach can support students' learning and development. The authors describe a project-based approach to literacy and social studies instruction that research has shown to be effective. Key characteristics of the approach and…

Taiwan's university-level vocational education is faced with a growing need to strengthen students' soft skills as a means to increase job market eligibility. Students in Taiwan are usually not equipped with group learning skills in junior and senior high school education. These learning skills, however, are an essential component of a successful…