Innovative time allocation and timetable organisation can support the aim of providing students with individualised learning opportunities and deeper engagement with learning. Traditionally, time within schools is maintained and distributed through Western approaches to administration and organisation, which are socially and culturally produced…

This paper examines the adoption and outcomes of shortened parts of term--referred to as SPOT--across nine diverse higher education institutions, drawing on insights from a roundtable discussion with key stakeholders involved in SPOT implementation. The white paper explores the motivations behind the adoption of SPOTs, along with the strategies…

Irish public policy strongly promotes greater flexibility in higher education. This review paper examines Irish policy conceptualisations of flexible learning. The review finds that the promotion of flexible learning is positioned within strongly economistic discourses of lifelong learning, and primarily in human capital terms of meeting the…

Research reveals important generalizations about block scheduling. A/B schedules are easier to implement than 4/4 schedules, which must be adapted to allow some year-long courses. Merely changing the school bell schedule will not guarantee better student performance. However, block scheduling typically improves climate, attendance, and…

This paper discusses why scheduling is a valuable but untapped resource for school improvement. It reviews some of the problems that are alleviated through scheduling, focusing on the benefits of block scheduling. The text discusses the fragmentation of instructional time and how this is an issue at all levels of precollegiate education. It offers…

To offer insights into scheduling strategies, this paper presents the effects of block scheduling in one rural public secondary school. This case study revolves around three questions: (1) "What prompted the school's move to block scheduling?"; (2) "How was block scheduling implemented?"; and (3) "How has block scheduling affected perceptions of…

This paper reports on a Missouri study that compared block scheduling to traditional schedules in small high schools (schools with fewer than 500 students in grades 9 to 12). The study focused on small-school administrator and teacher perceptions of the effects of block scheduling on student achievement, school climate, and teacher methodology.…

This paper examines the implementation of an alternate block (A/B) schedule in three high schools in Irving, Texas. The purpose is to review how time was used in 48 randomly selected high school Algebra 1, Biology 1, English 2, and U.S. History classes. Of the 48 classes, 12 observations were conducted for each course. The findings revealed a…

There are only a handful of formal studies that examined the impact of changes in school starting time on student learning and behavior. The Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) at the University of Minnesota is a leader in this research and identified the impact of changes in school starting times across the school,…

Recalls the problems encountered and the solutions offered when a school district put 1100 middle school students on a year-round schedule. Discovered an enormous benefit in class size reduction accompanied by daunting challenges involving scheduling and logistics. Includes a chart illustrating the rotational schedule of the orchestra. (MJP)

Research has shown that there are essential scheduling practices for high-performing schools that have been able to implement innovative "nontraditional" schedules. What these have in common is the focus on personalized learning environments for students. Personalized learning can mean career academies/smaller learning communities (SLCs), in which…

Reports some results of a study of the moral atmosphere and the development of students' moral reasoning in a private high school whose freedom from traditional class schedules allowed for intensive peer and student-teacher interaction. Students' moral reasoning levels correlated positively to their years in this school environment. (Author/SJL)

Presents comments on training courses that were administered through a multi-media instruction process. (RK)

Tandem teaching employs the best qualities of seven innovative classroom approaches (team teaching, core curriculum, flexible scheduling, elective classes, individualized instruction, peer tutoring, and computer-assisted instruction) to restructure the curriculum, relieve boredom, and maximize class time. Success depends on careful planning and…