This paper presents research findings that address the relationship of self-directed learning with culture, learning styles, and creativity. Three doctoral dissertations at Tufts University have explored issues related to self-directed learning. The first, by L. Chuprina, investigated the relationship between self-directed learning readiness and…

In 2001-2002, the partnership between the Austin Independent School District (AISD) and the Institute for Learning of the University of Pittsburgh continued with professional development for guiding leadership and implementing effective classroom practices throughout the school district. Under the initiative known as the Principles of Learning…

The primary purpose of this document is to provide accrediting organizations with guidance about how to engage evidence of student learning as they establish policies, standards, and approaches to review. As a result, it addresses three main topics: (1) accreditors must be clear about terminology when considering evidence of student learning…

This issues paper, the third in a series of eight, is intended to distill formative evaluation questions on topics that are central to the development of the higher and further education information environment in the United Kingdom. The sets of ideas about "good" learning in issues papers 1 and 2 are no longer the private preserve of…

This report describes a plan for using authentic assessment tools in the Fine Arts classroom. The targeted populations were classes of fourth and eighth grade students in two suburban school settings. Analysis of the data about the Fine Arts classes, based on surveys completed by teachers, parents, and students, showed that traditional assessment…

In 1995, the Council for Basic Education initiated the Standards for Excellence in Education (SEE) project, a multiyear effort to provide parents, educators, and the general public with better means to use standards to improve public education. This issue of "Perspective" tries to provide a coherent way to think about issues and…

Concern for the quality of undergraduate education and its graduates has been a recurring topic of conversation in the literature and the workplace. Student involvement has been identified as a major factor that contributes to improvement in student learning. Recent emphasis on the need for excellence in higher education has increased the use of…

Students often fail to store new information in memory in a way that is accessible or useful. The information they have acquired is inert. This paper examines the inert knowledge problem in the context of learning from informational expository text. Kintsch and van Dijk (1978) have suggested a framework for understanding learning from expository…

This book is a guide to surveying and understanding the key issues, best practices, and new developments in business and management studies. The chapters focus on teaching and learning in business and management education. The chapters are: (1) "Traditions and Tensions" (Bruce Macfarlane and Roger Ottewill); (2) "Understanding Learners" (Roger…

This book addresses questions of multiple representations in human reasoning and learning. Computational approaches to learning with multiple representations are introduced, and the role of multiple representations in teaching is discussed. The following chapters are included in Part I: Multiple Representations in Learning Concepts form Physics…

This book focuses on the professional development of teachers and discusses issues related to the planning and design of professional development programs. The content of the book is divided into three parts. Part 1, Standards-Based Reform and Professional Development includes: (1) "National Science Education Standards as a Catalyst for…

Based on extensive interviews with Latino and Latina students and faculty, this book introduces a theory of "multicontextuality" that proposes that many people learn better when teachers emphasize whole systems of knowledge and that education can create its greatest successes by offering and accepting many approaches to teaching and learning. The…

Using a short form of the Student Assessment of Teaching and Learning (C. Ellett, J. Ruggutt, and D. Davis, 1999) and the Personal Learning Efficacy Measure (C. Ellett, J. Ruggutt, and D. Davis) in addition to a course evaluation form, this study investigated relationships between the college classroom environment variables of involvement,…

This report is a brief introduction to the findings of a research project that examined the impact of abuse on women's literacy learning and explored approaches to literacy programming in the light of these impacts. Interviews were conducted with literacy workers, learners, and counselors to determine the impact of abuse they saw in their work and…

Although institutional characteristics are assumed to influence student learning and intellectual development, this link has not been empirically confirmed. This study examined whether institutional mission, represented by Carnegie classification, is related to student learning and development. Participants were a stratified random sample of 1,500…