In the 21st century it has become clear that more and more language-learning pedagogical materials have begun to shift to a digital mobile-access format and away from being a textbook and classroom based one. High quality language-learning podcasts can provide a cheap, beneficial and portable technology that allows learners the freedom to access…

A Mathematics course for elementary school teachers (MFET) is required in North America in most teacher education programs. Our study investigates the perceptions of prospective elementary school teachers with respect to the contributions of such a course to their teaching. The results show that acquiring an understanding of concepts from the…

Discusses the foreign language requirements at Hunter College. By the fourth semester, a student is expected to read and understand a fairly advanced literary text and to talk and write about it in the target language. Discusses possible changes in these requirements, such as oral proficiency testing, and problems that may be encountered. (SED)

Amidst the controversy surrounding the fate of the humanities in modern society, a program has evolved at Dawson College and four other English "colleges d'enseignment general et professionel" (CEGEP) that features a compulsory humanities core. The original purpose of the humanities program was to provide a broad general liberal arts…

This study was conducted to introduce preservice teachers to cooperative learning through direct experience with the strategy. Participants (N=85) consisted of freshmen and sophomores enrolled in a course required for teacher certification. During the first 6 weeks, instruction occurred through traditional lecture methods and at midterm, a jigsaw…

This paper summarizes three presentations on the diverse teaching and assessment strategies used in a course designed to prepare preservice teachers for involving families and the community in the education of children. The course is required for early childhood and elementary teacher education majors at the University of Memphis (Tennessee). The…

This study was conducted to find out how well mathematics majors at the University of Northern Iowa were prepared in the foundations of effective teaching practices and how well they performed during the student teaching experience. Data were gathered from mathematics student teachers (N=22) who were observed, interviewed, and asked to keep daily…

Mandatory introductory level college courses, or "service courses," tend to be taught in lecture format, in a linear order from the instructor's point of view, and to classes of anywhere from 50 to 600 or more students. Students have individual differences and diverse learning styles which are difficult to address in a large class.…

How distance education affects academic performance and student attitudes was studied for graduate students in an off-campus location taking a course required for their majors. The performance and attitudes of the distance (off-campus/remote) class of 16 students were compared with those of a control group of 12 students in a similar class and 25…

Foundations of Instructional Computing is a required one-semester, two credit course in the Education Department of Montana State University (Bozeman). The major objective of the course is to help preservice teachers develop use of computer technology that is confident, thoughtful, and integrated into their individual teaching philosophy and…

A required course for elementary education majors at Santa Clara University (California), "Introduction to Teaching in a Multicultural Society," evolved during a 6-year period. The course moved from one with an emphasis on promoting equity, tolerance, and improved human relations through curriculum and instructional strategies to one…