The "Riga Conclusions" of the European Ministries of Education of 22 June 2015 for the orientation of vocational education and training in Europe are promoting work-based learning as one of five "medium-term deliverables" for the next five years. But: How should and can work-based teaching and learning be designed? Our approach…

The 2018 Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) quality framework is the latest step in ACTE's ongoing High-quality Career and Technical Education (CTE) Initiative--an initiative designed to answer the question "What is high-quality CTE?" The framework is designed to apply to individual, local CTE programs of study…

The intentions with which hands-on simulations are used in vocational education are not always clear. Also, pedagogical-didactic approaches in hands-on simulations are not well conceptualised from a learning theory perspective. This makes it difficult to pinpoint the added value that hands-on simulations can have in an innovative vocational…

An award-winning tech prep program at Miami Valley Joint Vocational High School and Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, redesigned the curriculum around the idea that students work in teams and engage in hands-on projects. (JOW)

Principles of Technology is an interdisciplinary course with a hands-on approach based on Unified Technical Concepts. Adaptable for all levels of students, it provides a means of integrating academic and vocational education. (SK)

A three week course designed to create an ecological awareness on the part of each student is described. (DE)

Provides an explanation of the rationale, developmental processes, and long term objectives associated with a cross-curriculum environmental program for secondary students. Presents a listing of the aims and assessment objectives of the syllabus and includes an outline of the course. (ML)

This document describes a program that will give Polish students the opportunity to learn about the political institutions of their country and the linkages among these institutions. Because knowledge of the structure and operating principles of central governing institutions is relatively poor among Polish youth, the Civis Polonus program was…

Active learning is not a new concept, and recent research suggests that students who have opportunities to participate in the learning process are much more successful students in terms of achievement test scores and individual happiness. This paper discusses some recent research on active learning, including a description of a microsociety school…

Outlines role and sources of simulations and discusses use of adults other than teachers (AOTs) in the classroom in Great Britain's School Curriculum Industry Project. Arguments for using AOTs, a model that delineates role of AOTs in simulation use, and case studies illustrating project practices in this area are presented. (Author/MBR)

The Integrated System for Workforce Education Curricula (ISWEC) project is designed to integrate academic and vocational education in a curriculum framework for grades 9-14. Pedagogical advantages to integration include the following: humans learn by connection-making, students can apply their knowledge and skills to new and unfamiliar situations,…

The purpose of this study was to document the iterative development of a design-based science curriculum called Learning Science by Designing Artifacts (LSDA). The study refers to the enactment of the Safer Cell Phones curriculum in a high school located in the Midwest. The curriculum was a 5- or 9-week unit in an 18-week science elective course.…

School curriculum should be made more meaningful for those students who are preparing for "an ordinary job" and for everyday life, as opposed to those in vocational or professional training. Such a curriculum was proposed by E. W. Butterfield in the 1930s. Elements of that curriculum are discussed. (PP)

Examines five major curriculum theories: (1) information-based; (2) behavioral approaches; (3) community problem solving/action research; (4) integrated; and (5) bonding with nature. These theories touch on the role of action in environmental education programs. Also discusses the Action Learning Triangle--learning through action, learning from…

Educators have long acknowledged that not all learning occurs in a classroom. This paper describes an innovative educational program in Minnesota, where the educational facility was built in a dedicated space at the Mall of America. The program is based on an outcomes-based, transdisciplinary curriculum for 16- to 19-year-old youth, featuring the…