Undergraduate student enrollment in online courses has steadily increased over the years and is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. The need for instructors to utilize best practices in online instruction and course design is crucial. This article presents strategies for online instructors to promote student use of self-regulated…

What "is" mathematics? What does it mean to "do" mathematics? The answers to these two questions critically influence the ways in which learners respond to a mathematical problem. On the other hand, if they see questions as having only one correct answer and as needing to be solved in one particular way, they will be prone to…

Science notebooks are an individual portfolio of a child's development and comprehension over the course of each unit as well as the entire year. Using notebooks reflectively in inquiry learning enables students to review their own ideas about a topic while creating opportunities for teachers to make formative assessments. Teacher reviews of…

This article describes how first-grade students create meaningful communication with families and help build the student-teacher-parent relationship through journaling. Journals are a useful tool to bridge school and home. A journal can communicate learning goals, develop scientific vocabulary, and create dialogue through oral and written…

The term "inquiry" can be viewed from two perspectives. Inquiry refers to the abilities students develop when designing and conducting investigations and the understanding they gain through this process about the nature of science. Inquiry also refers to teaching and learning strategies that enable students to master content concepts. Library…

This paper reports on a research project that sought to gain a deeper understanding of the contribution that universities make to the professional learning of teachers. The particular case studied was a group of learners who were engaged in an in-service teacher education course for further education (FE) whilst also working as lecturers in FE…

Linguistic minority students in schools must acquire and operate in a second language while negotiating mainstream texts and content areas, along with negotiating an emerging new sense of social identity. This article presents journal data from an Australian ethnographic study that explored the relationship between second-language use, textual…

Discusses the need for students to take more responsibility for their learning when learning at a distance. Topics include metacognition, student journals to record their study habits, and the need to form some type of collaborative study groups for online learners by using collaborative software environments. (LRW)

Explains task definition which is the first stage in the Big 6, an approach to information and technology skills instruction. Highlights include defining the problem; identifying the information requirements of the problem; transferability from curriculum-based problems to everyday tasks; and task definition logs kept by students. (LRW)

Describes a project involving student journal writing designed to examine middle graders' mathematical thinking and disposition. Teachers gained insight into students' conceptual and procedural knowledge and attitudes toward mathematics. Students' responses suggested that they found journals to be a way of sharing their thoughts about mathematics,…

Describes a study of undergraduates that was conducted to identify the differences between individual and collaborative reflection using a qualitative approach. The results of journals and tape-recorded group reflection activities showed that collaborative reflection leads to a higher level of thinking such as metacognitive thinking. (Author/LRW)

Use of student learning logs is recommended as a means for both students and teacher to assess second-language learning. The approach encourages learners to analyze their learning difficulties and plan for overcoming them. Incorporated into portfolios, logs can be used to analyze progress. Sample log sheet and chart used as a framework for…

Describes a study in which students were required to write for five minutes after class on topics that interested them during the lecture. Reports a significant effect on achievement in a vertebrate biology class. Notes that no difference in attitude was found. (MVL)

Discusses metacognition and offers strategies for developing metacognitive behaviors that can be used in school library resource centers. Topics discussed include thinking processes; problem solving; student journals or learning logs; student planning and self-regulation; closure activities for evaluation; self-evaluation; and shared planning…

Describes the modeling of effective teaching and learning strategies (choosing a topic, finding and using information, timelines, journals, interventions, questions for peer editing, and conferencing questions) during an inquiry-based, student-centered "I-Search" unit taught by a high school library media specialist and an English teacher.…