There is considerable agreement about the fact that the presence of researchers in the classroom mediates teaching and learning. Why "should" two very different forms of human activity, one designed to study the other, interact and mediate each other? In this article, we propose cultural-historical activity theory as a framework for understanding…

Maria Andree focuses on an immigrant student whose error in a laboratory activity leads to a novel, colorful outcome that she excitedly shares with peers. After engaging in class activities for a few weeks she returns to her earlier dislike of science, saying: "I hate science, particularly Chemistry." The classroom activity system…

This paper deploys notions of emergence, connections, and designs for learning to conceptualize high school students' interactions when using online social media as a learning environment. It makes links to chaos and complexity theories and to fractal patterns as it reports on a part of the first author's action research study, conducted while she…

Student-led chapter presentations provide an excellent opportunity for instructors to evaluate a student's comprehension of the assigned chapter, as well as the student's ability to present and convey information in a public forum. Although several instructors realize the benefits of requiring students to complete chapter presentations either as…

Reports research on game playing and the learning associated with it which had three purposes: to contribute knowledge to develop a theory of learning in games; to provide useful information about the effectiveness of games for game designers, teachers, and curriculum specialists; to develop a set of research instruments. (JM)

In second language instruction, it is important to examine the learner's effort in carrying out classroom activities in order to relate teaching activities to learning theories. Any impact of a teaching activity on the learner's language development must result from what the learner does, not what the teacher does or intends for learner to do. The…

The double-entry journal requires students to write affective response statements to literature readings and to compare such entries with those of classmates. Use of the double-entry journal is intended to activate students' prior learning and present feelings, foster collaborative learning, integrate major language skills, and encourage the…

This book is intended for practicing or aspiring faculty who are interested in a learner perspective. It can be used individually or collectively in orientations, graduate teaching seminars, and faculty development seminars. Recognizing that most college faculty learned to teach using the lecture method, and that while the lecture method is not…

Relates each of the eight conditions of learning in Brian Cambourne's theory of literacy to findings in brain research within a constructivist approach to early childhood education. Cites sample classroom dialogues demonstrating classroom elements that foster a brain-based, developmentally appropriate learning environment supporting Cambourne's…

Aimed at classroom teachers interested in teaching learning skills to their elementary and secondary students, this guide offers an alternative to teaching "facts" that may rapidly become outdated. The guide is based on Dr. Leslie Hart's Proster Theory, which proposes that the brain requires large amounts of input to function; that after…

Discusses the links between classroom teaching activities and the learning of different textual forms. Presents results from a three-year study of one teacher's classroom interactions and activities. Advocates a theory of genre acquisition of different kinds of text form by young learners which is anchored in contextually relevant data. (MM)

Details the characteristics of the seven multiple intelligences and promotes a systematic approach to teaching that strives to meet individual needs of children. Provides specific teaching tools and strategies, including active learning centers, to support the development of each intelligence area and expose children to varied ways of learning.…

The purpose of the guide is to address changes in American schools, focusing on holistic learning, multiple intelligences learning theory, and the importance of aesthetic experiences in children's education. It strives to empower professional teachers with knowledge about new learning theories with concrete activities to put that knowledge into…

Focuses on the implementation and development of a pioneering action research project in a Sino-British English program. The article describes the project's goal to introduce the notion of action research into China, to encourage reflective teaching and classroom research among trainee teachers, and to bridge the theories studied with classroom…

Descriptive and evaluative information is provided in this report on Project COMPAS (Consortium for Operating and Managing Programs for the Advancement of Skills), a cooperative effort between seven community colleges which developed cognitive skills programs for entry-level freshmen. Chapter I reviews the unique features of Project COMPAS,…