Providing cost-effective, hands-on field-based experiences to large cohorts of undergraduate students provides a core challenge for effective teaching and learning. This grand challenge is tackled through the construction of an exemplar outdoor learning environment within the Environmental Change Outdoor Laboratory (ECOLAB): Birmingham Bog (BB).…

The introduction of problem-based learning (PBL) as an innovative strategy is often challenging to both teaching staff and students. This is particularly the case when it is only used on one module within a programme. This case study reports on an evaluation of the experiences of students and staff in the first cohort introduced to problem-based…

The emphasis on student cognitive knowledge and expertise in social work education has been shifting more toward reflective learning that features learning networks and dialogical interaction. In the context of innovative knowledge communities for promoting social work expertise, educators have become facilitators of learning that is expanding…

Teacher preparation programs (TPP) rely on school-based mentor teachers and university mentors to assist their teacher candidates with bridging the information presented in courses to the "real world" of teaching. Given the important role that the clinical components of teacher preparation provide in terms of candidate development, the…

This article focuses on one strand of community engagement: community-based learning for students. It considers in particular Interchange as a case study. Interchange is a registered charity based in, but independent of, a department in a Higher Education Institution. It brokers between undergraduate research/work projects and Voluntary Community…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a student-centered faculty development model on the conceptions of teaching of participating US Arts and Sciences faculty members. "Student-centered learning models are widely accepted as catalysts for improved learning and psychosocial outcomes, and their use is especially important…

In many cases advanced instructional products, such as computer-based training, e-learning programs, simulations, and simulators are not designed by experienced instructional designers, but by novices: subject matter experts, teachers, instructors, or inexperienced designers. The literature indicates that these novices do not always have the…

The mission of the National Academy for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL) is to ensure that all higher education students are exposed to cutting edge research in their classrooms, and that students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels are actively engaged in relevant and authentic research in their chosen discipline. To…

A summer course completed by 30 secondary students with high ability provided team-based, hands-on experience in the invention and design process. The group experiences are examined using three case studies. Implications of the course are analyzed with respect to group problem-solving by students with academic talents. (SW)

In order to attract trade and industrial teachers and to help them perform successfully in the classroom, states across the nation must make teaching an attractive choice for skilled professionals and offer them adequate and accessible training in order to smooth the transition from industry to education. The New Teacher Institute (NTI) is a…

A proposed 6-year Doctor of Pharmacy program would consist of: a year of basic science and general education; a year of science focusing on the human body; 3 years of pharmacy-related disciplines presented in problem-solving, case study format, divided into "pharmaceutical care modules" rather than traditional courses; and 11 experiential…

In this paper we describe the design of a managed learning environment called MTutor, which is used to teach an online Masters Module for teachers. In describing the design of MTutor pedagogic issues of problem-based learning, situated cognition and ill-structured problems are discussed. MTutor presents teachers with complex real-life teaching…