Since Bruner's introduction of discovery learning in the 1960s, there has been an ongoing and intensive debate on the value of inductive teaching methods (e.g., problem-solving followed by instruction, such as in problem-based learning and productive failure) compared to deductive teaching methods (instruction followed by problem-solving, such as…

Historically, police educators delivering academy programs have overused traditional or teacher-centred methods as part of an authority driven command and control culture. In addition to being educationally unsound, this teaching approach has limited the development of the critical thinking skills needed for effective reform in the community…

Innovative teaching concepts such as problem-based learning (PBL) can make a difference in an academic setting, particularly when dealing with diversity, and support the successful completion of students' studies. Introducing new approaches to teaching requires the professionalization of the teaching staff and the development of new tools. As a…

One of the primary goals of education is to ensure that learners can apply their acquired knowledge in various ways and under different circumstances. However, this expected "transfer" does not always occur and, therefore, the acquired knowledge cannot be flexibly employed in different contexts. One way to minimize this problem is to…

Graphic facilitation is a growing practice in organizational contexts and is slowly emerging in educational contexts. However, as the review in this paper shall demonstrate, there is a shortage of research in the field. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the practical application of graphic facilitation with the aim of outlining a…

The article presents a theoretical elaboration of the potential relationship between the academic and artistic approaches within a problem-based educational setting. The investigation is based on Koestler's idea of the "bisociation" (blending) of dissimilar thinking and action matrices as the foundational mechanism of human creation in…

As the practice of e-learning continues to proliferate, online educators, especially in the computing disciplines, are facing special challenges, due to the lack of relevant literature, the technical nature of the courses, and the perceived need for direct student support mechanisms. This paper presents a constructivist instructional approach to…

Teamwork has become an integral part of most organisations today, and it is clearly important in Science and other disciplines. In Science, research teams increase in size while the number of single-authored papers and patents decline. Team-work in laboratory sciences permits projects that are too big or complex for one individual to be tackled.…

Many types of learning require the mapping of information across situations. The proposed organizational framework extends the cognitive study of mappings across problems to include mappings across representations, solutions, and sociocultural contexts. I apply one-to-one, one-to-many, and partial mappings to analyze representative cases that…

Use was made of adapted problem-based learning (PBL) practical exercises to address the disengagement of apprentices with the existing assembly-style electronic laboratory programme. Apprentices perceived the traditional routines as having little real-world relevance. This detracted from the value and benefit to them of the practical component of…

Our understanding of how people learn is continually changing. Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences revolutionized the field education, because it accounts for a broader range of human potential in children and adults and suggests that individuals learn in a multitude of ways. Gardner's theory suggests there are a variety of…

Recent education reforms informed by learning science support the effectiveness of collaborative learning strategies such as problem-based learning groups. However, the efficacy of these methods depends on the authenticity of the problem context and the quality of the dialog established. Communication within groups must be dialogic, and students…

Defines and describes virtual reality technology and differentiates between virtual learning environment, learning material, and learning tools. Links learning rationales to virtual reality technology to pave conceptual foundations for application of virtual reality technology education. Constructivism, case-based learning, problem-based learning,…

In the context of continued growth in the accessibility of information through the internet, recent advances in theories of self-regulated learning present an opportunity to reexamine how learners work with networked resources in constructivist approaches such as problem-based learning, project-­based learning, and collaborative problem solving.…

Uses the case study of a new private school to investigate the implementation of a curriculum designed to incorporate project-oriented, problem-based learning, and a constructivist approach to challenge gifted learners. Discusses the origins of the school, influencing factors, and implications for initiating similar efforts. (MJP)