This paper describes the context, processes and issues experienced over 5 years in which a RCT was carried out to evaluate a programme for children aged 7-8 who were struggling with their reading. Its specific aim is to illuminate questions about the design of complex teaching approaches and their evaluation using an RCT. This covers the early…

The short history of massive open online courses (MOOCs) has been turbulent. Initial hype has quickly disappeared. MOOCs appear to be experiencing their first stage of maturation offering an opportunity to consider the design of established MOOCs that have been offered on a continual basis. This paper describes a MOOC designed to provide an…

In 2006, Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) launched a major initiative, the Top 25 Project, to embed inquiry-guided learning (IGL) into its largest-enrollment courses across the university. These are generally entry-level classes and thus affect many students: 75 percent of incoming students on its main campus in 2010 were in at least one Top 25…

In order to assess how completely a Small Learning Community (SLC) and/or Career Academy is implemented in any given site, and to connect the degree of implementation with the amount of improvement in student performance, two kinds of information are needed. The first is information on the quality of implementation, which can be collected by…

This paper is about one lecturer's experience with a particular undergraduate course for management students. The distinguishing feature of the course is that major elements of its design are delegated to the students. The author discusses program design, context, objectives, content, session preparation and management, evaluation, and outcomes.…

An inquiry-based early childhood education (ECE) program focusing on the development of representational competence, guided by principles from Piagetian theory, and based on Sigel's (1970) distancing hypothesis is described, and issues of program evaluation are discussed. Principles and aims of the ECE program are stated, including, among others,…

Describes the introduction of a closed-circuit interactive television system into medical school teaching in London. Plans to incorporate large group lectures and small group bedside teaching are discussed, communications technology is explained, teacher training programs are discussed, and technical and educational evaluations are described,…

An evaluation of a leadership training program for teaching assistants was made by examining the teaching effectiveness of a group of trained assistants in contrast to an untrained group. Assessments of the teaching assistant's classroom behavior were made by student volunteers, in their respective classes, at four time intervals during the term.…

Project Independence was established as a Title I program to improve the academic status of elementary school students with special emphasis on reading and mathematics skills. The project classrooms were organized as resource rooms with students entering from a regular classroom with a set schedule and time for the week. For each child in the…

Evaluates an approach that supplemented existing Reading Recovery programs with small-group, early literacy instruction in 28 Arkansas public schools. The program enabled many children to receive timely support. When space became available in Reading Recovery, these children made accelerated progress and were discontinued earlier than children who…

A videotape of a class is discussed by the instructor and her students. Communication patterns, previously unexpressed feelings, and planned improvements are noted. The results showed that the students became more productive and began to develop seminar participation skills that could be transferred to other classes. (Author/MLW)

Experiences of small group tutorials in biology courses with the leader acting as participant rather than leader are summarized showing that the material used must stimulate discussion and be at the correct level for the group. Other significant factors include skills of the tutor, physical surroundings, and student preparation. (JMF)

This report summarizes the results of a pre-student teaching field experience for elementary education majors at Pennsylvania State University. A program was organized in which public school teachers agreed to work with students to provide on-the-spot tutorial instruction regarding the teaching technique they employed, to provide the opportunity…

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) began offering courses by Desktop Videoconferencing (DVC) in fall 1995 and continues to experiment with ways to use this new and flexible teaching tool. This paper describes the MTSU DVC system in an attempt to expose educators to this new technology and its many possibilities, and to stimulate discussion…

Explains how an environmental education course using a small group format was successfully modified for a large class setting through the use of whole class lectures and small group sessions (N=20-25) led by graduate teaching assistants. Includes course format and evaluation results. (DC)