As emerging technologies become increasingly inexpensive and robust, there is an exciting opportunity to move beyond general purpose computing platforms to realize a new generation of K-12 technology-based learning environments. Mixed-reality technologies integrate real world components with interactive digital media to offer new potential to…

This paper argues that the "pipeline", leading to the production and increase of undergraduate engineering and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) related degrees by underrepresented student populations (which include female and AALANA (African American, Latin American and Native American) students), has become more of a "funnel".…

Incorporating computer-simulation modelling into project-based learning may be effective but requires careful planning and implementation. Teachers, especially, need pedagogical content knowledge which refers to knowledge about how students learn from materials infused with technology. This study suggests that students learn best by actively…

Evolutionary processes can be studied in nature and in the laboratory, but time and financial constraints result in few opportunities for undergraduate and high school students to explore the agents of genetic change in populations. One alternative to time consuming and expensive teaching laboratories is the use of computer simulations. We…

The first year course in Sociology at Mount Allison University introduced students to social issues via dynamic class interactions and assignments that are designed to build conceptual and applied skills. Developments to the course organization have maximized the opportunities for discovery learning and have made the class an enjoyable teaching…

We present a new and innovative interface that allows the learner's body to move freely in a multimodal learning environment. The Situated Multimedia Arts Learning Laboratory ("SMALLab") uses 3D object tracking, real time graphics, and surround-sound to enhance embodied learning. Our hypothesis is that optimal learning and retention occur when…

The "Learning Lab: The Cell" exhibit was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Museum and the MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS). Specially designed for middle and high school students, the Learning Lab provides museum visitors of all ages with fascinating insights into how our living cells work. The…

The use of design patterns is now well established as an approach within the field of software systems as well as within the field of architecture. An initial effort was made to harness patterns as a tool for elaborating the design of the elements of personal learning environments as part of the University of Bolton's Personal Learning Environment…

The descriptions that are contained in this document were prepared by the New York State Learning Laboratory specialists and show the diverse patterns of operation. Thirteen centers are included. (CK)

The transportation field has for many years been dominated by engineers and other technical specialists. This article describes the Sustainable Mobility Learning Lab (SMLL), a Web-based tool designed to support classroom and university outreach activities to help initiate a more inclusive, nontechnical discussion about the role of transportation…

In this article, the author describes the experiences middle school students on a field trip to the new Constitution in Action Learning Lab in the Boeing Learning Center at the National Archives can expect. There, middle school students take on the roles of archivists and researchers collecting and analyzing primary sources from the holdings of…

The Magic Mathworks Travelling Circus is a touring maths lab--in and of itself, a good thing. When children enter it, they find particular pieces of apparatus captioned with particular challenges--which is perhaps not such a good thing. Students are faced with an apparatus that can do only one thing, and so are not encouraged to look again at…

Integral components of today's successful business models frequently include information technology, effective collaboration, and participative teamwork among employees. It is in the best interest of students for educators to provide classrooms that reflect a profitable practitioner's environment. Students studying for careers in business should…

Describes eleven ideas for classroom learning centers including: dinosaurs, pets, role playing, music, your own zoo, a bright circuit board, typing, a talking bull, weather, dictionary, and pen pals. (JMB)