An ongoing discussion is a debate about the benefits of outdoor activities for health, where a narrowness regarding the benefits as a matter of curing or preventing disease has been questioned. Hence, there is an urgent need to theorize further the relationship between outdoor activities and health with robust theoretical frameworks that can guide…

This article describes the use of service-learning--with a focus on civic engagement, academic performance, and personal growth- using a mock organization. This format of service -learning is utilized in an undergraduate macro-level practice social work course. This article describes the application of the mock organization and provides insight…

Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning is a promising innovation that ameliorates tutoring through modern technologies. However, the way of recommending collaborative activities to learners, by taking into account their learning needs and preferences, is an important issue of increasing interest. In this context, this paper presents a framework…

Climate change is of great concern to all age groups but in particular to children. "Simple" climate models have been in place for a long time and can be used effectively with post-16 students. For younger children, modifications are required, and we describe in this paper the development and use of two such models. The first (the Granny…

Women, ethnic minority, and less affluent groups are widely underrepresented in chemistry, a problem that is observed at all levels but begins before college matriculation takes place. The importance of representation and humanization of scientists is crucial. Despite limited progress over recent decades, poor visibility of role models from…

In this paper we present a collaborative 3D modeling and printing experience within a Project Based Learning (PBL) activity, carried out with two different groups of participants: pre-service teachers at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), and school students of Primary and Secondary level taking part in an extra-curricular activity.…

This paper argues for conceptualizing the notion of personal learning environments in higher education from an explicit adult education perspective that emphasizes the realization, re-instrumentation, and integration of learning activity in the wider context of adult life. It discusses and re-interprets an existing proposal for modeling "the…

The development, quality and impact of environmental and sustainability education (ESE) in the Caribbean have received increased attention from a growing body of education researchers over the past few decades. This is not surprising given that the region has been grappling with various environmental, social, and economic sustainability issues,…

This paper draws on a series of studies of design teams working on the creation and evaluation of novel complex learning spaces: spaces in which students' activity is situated and supported by rich mixtures of material and digital tools and resources. In most of the cases observed, students also played a substantial role in co-configuring the…

As 2020 draws to a close, so does this first volume of Mathematics Teacher: "Learning and Teaching PK-12" ("MTLT"). Ascribing to a digital-first philosophy, the articles comprising this first volume included digital assets such as classroom videos, author introductions, and digital applications (e.g., Desmos apps) and addressed…

Personalized education systems recommend learning contents to students based on their capacity to accelerate their learning. This paper proposes a personalized exercise recommendation system for online self-directed learning. We first improve the performance of knowledge tracing models. Existing deep knowledge tracing models, such as Dynamic…

Object-Oriented paradigm is a common paradigm for introductory programming courses. However, many teachers find that transitioning to teaching this paradigm is a difficult task. To overcome this complexity, many experienced teachers use microworlds to give beginner students an intuitive and rapid understanding of fundamental abstract concepts of…

We present a new learning activity that enables students to apply eigenvalue theory to investigate a practical modeling problem. We demonstrate how to build a spring-coupled pair of pendula and describe how students can measure the movements of these pendula using open-source image processing software. We then illustrate how to analyze this…

In this article we present a reflection about the meaning attribution to the mathematical object "exponential function" that emerges from two mathematical modeling activities. The theoretical framework of the text contemplates considerations on Mathematical Modeling and elements of semiotics as theorized by Charles Sanders Peirce. The…

A literature review on approaches to a final course session reveals a dearth of attention to the issue. Options for last-day activities fall into three categories: professor-centered, activity-focused, and student-driven. Using the criterion that meaningful course closure calls for last-day activities that engage students in reflection not only…