The constructive alignment (CA) of university teaching has received considerable attention from a policy-making perspective, but much less so from a student perspective. Against this background, we explored the relationships between CA and student motivation, and between CA and perceived learning demands. Fifty-six students from two second-year…

The purpose of this research synthesis is to examine the current research on teaching and learning research methods. The aims are to understand the themes present in the current literature and identify gaps in our understanding of how we teach, and how students learn, research methods. A synthesis of 89 studies generated three themes: (1)…

To learn more about how learning takes place online, this study outlines and analyzes the micro-level features of the online class discussions of students in a college course. A positive relationship between online participation and student performance was found, in which higher-graded students submitted more messages and engaged in more…

Problem Statement: Teaching a language with the help of computers and the Internet has attracted the attention of many practitioners and researchers in the last 20 years, so the number of studies that investigate whether computers and the Internet promote language learning continues to increase. These studies have focused on exploring the beliefs…

Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) faculty are challenged by the monumental responsibility of preparing students to function as safe, professional nurses in a two year course of study. Advances in computer technology and emphasis on integrating technology and active learning strategies into existing course structures have prompted many nurse educators…

In the face of shame, students may need to turn the global focus of their failures into more discrete behaviors that they can control. Instructors can facilitate this process by informing students of specific behaviors they can enact to support successful achievement, including study and volitional strategies. Students' use of multiple study and…

This study investigated whether stating the instructional objectives at the beginning of instruction would help students structure their own learning. Data came from 24 lessons taught by 13 secondary school teachers to 684 urban and rural adolescent students. Teachers taught different subject lessons in different classes. Students were exposed to…

Focuses on problems encountered in an English language teaching program by examining the use of journals. Although the usefulness of the journal as a learning tool and a vehicle for self-reflection may be overestimated, the problems associated with journal writing are not insurmountable. Research on administrative tasks and the journal genre…

Examines a content-based English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) research class focusing on Anne Frank because of the dramatic story of her life and the literary quality of her diary's contents. The students were required to write about the character of Anne Frank and to use the same sources for their research journals. The course was a vehicle for…

Explores how cross-curricular themes can be integrated into the modern languages lesson. Key requirements include the need to clarify objectives, identify what can be usefully explored, introduce cultural comparisons at the appropriate time, focus on authentic reading materials, and use a basic core language and previously developed activities.…

Compares the role of course objectives in relation to students' study strategies in problem-based learning (PBL). Results comprise data from three PBL programs at Linkopings University (Sweden), in physiotherapy, psychology, and computer engineering. Faculty provided course objectives to function as supportive structures and guides for students'…

This paper draws on a study of curriculum consonance (correspondence between teachers' goals, what ensues in the classroom, and what students learn) in three tenth-grade social studies classrooms. The three teachers had about the same number of years of teaching experience and educational attainment, and they were about the same age. The…

Investigates the administration of courses in English as a foreign language and reaction of students and teachers to the presentation of these courses. Students described activities in terms of linguistic elements and stated the purpose as accurate production, whereas the teachers' main concern centered on the conveyance of meaningful information.…

Examines the problems associated with interlanguage in French immersion and how teachers can use the writing process to help students develop the target language. It is suggested that language can be mediated through conferencing sessions, and in so doing, propel students into their zone of proximal development. (15 references) (Author/CK)

This document explores problems described by learners of second languages at the university level. It reports on three case studies drawn from a language advisory service at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. An understanding of the range of experiences learners report in a given learning context is likely to shed light on ways in…