A new body of research shows that project-based learning (PBL) can be effective in improving students' academic performance and attempts to define some of the key practices that are essential to PBL. Kristin De Vivo summarizes key findings of four studies that covered multiple grade levels and subjects. The studies found that PBL is effective…

The greenhouse effect poses a significant environmental challenge to humanity today. Research shows that many students lack adequate knowledge about this phenomenon. To address this issue, we have developed educational materials that utilize various instructional approaches to improve primary school students' understanding and attitudes toward the…

This paper explores the course design and implementation of a first-year discovery seminar on "Living in the Metaverse" offered at a business university. Integrated with standardized college-readiness topics, the course combines hands-on activities with collaborative assignments and class discussions to present a multidisciplinary…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of applying sustainability to the engineering curriculum at a university in China. Design/methodology/approach: A new curriculum, "ethics, involvement and sustainability," was designed and presented to engineering students from an undergraduate major in quality…

Methods traditionally used to teach and train in STEM fields are being used to educate for careers in homeland security, Wall Street investments, and financial planning. An example of this trend is the increasing number of courses offered at institutions of higher education, such as financial engineering, computational finance, and risk analytics.…

This book provides a platform for international scholars to share evidence for effective practices in integrated STEM education and contributes to the theoretical and practical knowledge gained from the diversity of approaches. Many publications on STEM education focus on one or two of the separate STEM disciplines without considering the…

As the media industry moves to a post-industrial model, there is a need for journalists--current and future--to have a deeper understanding of the ways that technology impacts their work and how best to produce journalism for mobile and networked devices. This article examines a teaching initiative designed to introduce journalism students to…

An interdisciplinary curriculum unit that used Web GIS mapping to investigate malaria disease patterns and spread in relation to the environment for a high school Advanced Placement Environmental Science course was developed. A feasibility study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of the unit to promote geospatial thinking and reasoning…

Threshold concepts are those transformative concepts in a discipline that are often difficult to understand when first encountered, but when mastered they transform students, both epistemologically and ontologically in relation to the discipline. Using the characteristics of threshold concepts, existing curricula and summative content analysis of…

Numerous reports cite the need to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM education in order to attract and train a diverse pool of talented students prepared to meet the scientific and technological challenges of the 21st century. A growing body of research reveals that the nature and quality of science instruction in introductory college…

This case study of an adjunct-model English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing course linked to a policy-analysis course describes an effective approach for putting "specificity" into practice in EAP curriculum design. The rationale for interdisciplinary collaboration, the positive learning outcomes from the EAP writing course, the…

Background: It has been claimed that thematic or integrated approaches to curriculum delivery offer a range of advantages over subject-based modes of delivery including improved pupil motivation. Purpose: This study put claims regarding pupil motivation to the test, using the achievement goals framework. This contemporary approach to understanding…

This topical bibliography and commentary highlights the major points of the available literature on the value of using a "thematic organization" for the teaching of language arts classes in grades 6 through 8. It begins with a definition of the thematic organization approach, as culled from the literature. It then presents briefly a few examples…

Continuous Integration Techniques (CIT) encourage interdisciplinary study by focusing on strategies to synergistically combine information from two or more subject areas. These techniques may be more meaningful for students than schooling's normal unidimensional learning techniques because real life occurs within multiple contexts. Such techniques…

An interdisciplinary curriculum model facilitates the development of integrative thinking skills and enhances the quality of undergraduate teaching and learning in five ways. Benefits accrue to both faculty and students from the collaboration of faculty and the joining of disciplines to focus on specific themes or issues. (Author/MSE)