The context of this study is an interdisciplinary project-based course at a large public university in Scandinavia. The course is taught annually to 3,300 graduate students from all fields of study, and learning to collaborate is a specified learning objective. Similar courses are widespread in higher education institutions worldwide, and…

A growing body of research suggests that "high-impact practices" such as project-based and experiential learning make important contributions to undergraduate student development and outcomes. However, most attempts to evaluate such programs are based on qualitative or self-reported data generated from small samples. This study examines…

Engaging students in an international online setting that is interdisciplinary and culturally diverse is a challenge. A joint classroom between German and Ugandan universities used a formative assessment approach paired with active learning elements to foster individual and peer learning in an international virtual setting. A survey at three…

Students majoring in non-STEM fields often identify introductory biology courses as irrelevant and overly rigorous. Resistance to enroll in a required general education science course, coupled with negative attitudes toward the subject, can adversely affect the academic performance of students; this can especially be present in students from…

Contemporary research suggests an urgent need for educators to improve the quality of STEM teaching and learning. We developed a semester-long model curriculum for STEM teaching and learning. The overarching goal of this study was to establish an authentic inquiry approach to advanced laboratory courses that is interdisciplinary, collaborative,…

Despite a 100-year-old history and the existence of schools in nearly every country in the world, Waldorf education is a little known and poorly understood educational model that was developed in Europe by Austrian philosopher Rudolph Steiner. For many years it existed in the United States in the form of private schools. Few of their teachers or…

This paper presents an analysis of introducing active methodologies in the Computer Architecture course taught in the second year of the Computer Engineering Bachelor's degree program at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain. The paper reports the experience from three academic years, 2011-2012, 2012-2013, and 2013-2014, in which…

Each edition of the IDRA Newsletter strives to provide many different perspectives on the issues in education topics discussed and to define its significance in the state and national dialogue. This issue focuses on Student Leadership and Engagement and includes: (1) Project Based Learning for Student Success--Teaching Across Content Areas for…

Do learning communities with pedagogies of active learning, collaborative learning, and integration of course material affect the learning, achievement, and persistence of first-year Latino university students? The data for this project was obtained from a survey of 1,330 first-year students in the First-Year Learning Community Program at Texas…

Background: Expeditionary Learning Schools opens and transforms K-12 schools. Through engaging, long-term interdisciplinary projects designed to achieve academic standards and an emphasis on a healthy school culture, Expeditionary Learning aims to develop students who are not only high-achieving but also highly motivated to do challenging…

Chartered in 1994 and opened in 1996, the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School (CCLCS) was among the first charter schools in Massachusetts. CCLCS strives to foster "intellectual development, academic achievement, project based learning, interdisciplinary studies, community partnerships, environmental studies, global awareness, and an ethical…

This paper describes an interdisciplinary project-based mathematics course linked to a computer technology course. The linkage encourages an appreciation of mathematics and technology as students see an immediate use for these skills in completing actual real-world projects. Linking mathematics and technology integrates subjects taught in…

The role of motivation and collaboration in STEM learning and performance is paramount. A learning community represents an educational approach that can engage students in learning in a motivated, thoughtful, active, and collaborative way. The focus of this article is on the nature of students' interest, attitudes, learning experiences and…

Learning communities continue to be at the heart of teaching and learning today. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent of the impact of the Freshman Academy/Learning Community program on student progress at a historically Black university. The authors also looked at the extent to which students engaged in their learning as a result of…

Students that have high mathematics anxiety also have negative attitudes toward their potential success in mathematics. The focus of this paper is on changing attitudes towards mathematics, particularly those of arts majors. Suggestions for changing attitudes come out of an understanding of differing learning styles among students. Individuals…