This article addresses the question of what app or website is appropriate for teachers to use for classroom instruction. While most school districts have safety policies related to the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) implemented by means of software and district firewalls, this…

John Lester is currently the chief learning officer at ReactionGrid, a software company developing 3-D simulations and multiuser virtual world platforms. Lester's background includes working with Linden Lab on Second Life's education activities and neuroscience research. His primary focus is on collaborative learning and instructional…

During the 17th century the idea of an orbiting and rotating Earth became increasingly popular, but opponents of this view continued to point out that the theory had observable consequences that had never, in fact, been observed. Why, for instance, had astronomers failed to detect the annual parallax of the stars that "must" occur if…

A web-enabled computer simulation program presents real-world opportunities, problems, and challenges for aspiring principals. The simulation challenges areas that are not always covered in lectures, textbooks, or workshops. For example, using the simulation requires dealing--on-screen and in real time--with demanding parents, observing…

WebQuests have been a popular alternative for collaborative group work that utilizes internet resources, but studies have questioned how effective they are in challenging students to use higher order thinking processes that involve creative problem solving. This article explains how different levels of inquiry relate to categories of learning…

If one asks educators about online resources that make their lives easier or make a difference with instruction, they will likely all respond passionately with some site, tool or app and a story about how it works. This year, the authors set out to include 13 tech resources they find valuable in their work or in work with others. They feel these…

Computer simulations (we use the word liberally here to include applets, animations, apps, etc.) have been making steady progress as teaching tools. Large collections of simulations, created by individuals and by groups, are freely available. More recently, research on the effectiveness of simulations as teaching tools, particularly focused on the…

We provide a 5E structured-inquiry lesson so that students can learn more of the mathematics behind the logistic model of population biology. By using models and mathematics, students understand how population dynamics can be influenced by relatively simple changes in the environment.

A simple method is presented for the consecutive determination of protonation constants of polyprotic acids based on their formation curves. The procedure is based on generally known equations that describe dissociation equilibria. It has been demonstrated through simulation that the values obtained through the proposed method are sufficiently…

The method of competences level automated management is developed for student's competences formation. An insufficient level of schools graduates in physics is identified as the modern problem of the education. Teacher does not specify which step in a solution a student can not cope with, and the student reiterates his mistake in other tasks…

The seventh issue of the "Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and Lifelong Learning" (IJELL--formerly "Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects"--IJELLO) special series includes a selection of best papers presented at the 10th Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning…

Using Mathematical Modelling has become a useful tool in teaching-learning mathematics at all levels. This is so because mathematical objects are seen from their very applications, giving them meaning from the beginning. In this paper we present some details on the development of a teacher's training course called Modelling in the Teaching of…

In recent years, researchers have turned their attention to the cognitive impact of bilingualism, and the benefits of using two languages have become increasingly apparent. Children raised in bilingual families exhibit stronger awareness of the style and tone of language, stronger cognitive development, and higher levels of reading skill than…

A drug discovery project has been successfully implemented in a first-year general, organic, and biochemistry (GOB) health science course and second-year organic undergraduate chemistry course. This project allows students to apply the fundamental principles of chemistry and biology to a problem of medical significance, practice basic laboratory…

A three-tiered experiment for undergraduate Instrumental Analysis students is presented in which students characterize the solid-state thermal behavior of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (acetaminophen) and excipient (a-lactose hydrate) using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and thermal microscopy. Students are…