This study was conducted to examine peer tutoring models in collaborative learning of mathematical problem solving (MPS) in flipped classrooms and their effect on group achievement. Quantitative data collected include 32 videos of eight groups of students in four MPS periods that were designed based on a simplified version of Polya's four-stage…

Background: Being a successful peer-led team learning (PLTL) workshop leader involves developing content knowledge and workshop facilitation skills. These skills connected to being a peer leader, however, do not terminate at the end of one's undergraduate program. In fact, many former peer leaders denote having been a peer leader on their LinkedIn…

While a growing body of research supports active, student-centered approaches to teaching, the implementation of such methodologies in the undergraduate STEM classroom has not been widespread. In an effort to increase student success in an introductory course for biology majors, we developed Biology Boot Camp, a peer-led program based on active,…

Peer-led team learning (PLTL), specifically the model known as 'Workshops', has been shown to contribute positively and significantly to student success in STEM courses across subjects (Gosser et al., 2001). Our research adds to the SOTL literature describing the effectiveness of Workshops by reporting on the changes in student leaders. We examine…

The centrality of service learning in the development of students' professional practice has received worldwide attention. Exposure to appropriately designed service learning experience determines the acquisition of graduate attributes. This article addresses a study in which the key question was: What methods and strategies do students and their…

The ability to solve problems with people of diverse backgrounds is essential for engineering graduates. A course on engineering grand challenges was designed to promote collaborative problem-solving (CPS) skills. One unique component is that students need to work both within their own team and collaborate with the other team to tackle engineering…

The majority of the students who enroll at the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in South Africa are not equipped with the necessary academic/learning skills to cope with the university environment, especially in Mechanical Engineering. The Department of Higher Education and Training (2013, p. 17), further states that "students' support is…

There has been a national call to transition away from the traditional, passive, lecture-based model of STEM education towards one that facilitates learning through active engagement and problem solving. This mixed-methods research study examines the impact of a supplemental Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) program on knowledge and skill acquisition…

In this research we present how a group of Finnish adult preservice teachers (n=21) incorporated 21st CS through their methods of working instructional methods in the final practicum in autumn 2013. The research material consists of pre-service teacher's practicum plans, taped lessons and written practicum synthesis. The nature of teaching has…

Self-efficacy is the belief an individual has about his or her capabilities to successfully complete an activity. Self-efficacy stems from four sources: verbal persuasion, physiological states, past experiences, and vicarious experiences. Increases in self-efficacy in education are connected with an increase in academic achievement. The current…

There has been a steady decline of majors in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ("STEM majors"). In an effort to improve recruitment and retention in "STEM" majors, an active-learning methodology--"peer-led team learning" ("PLTL")--was implemented by the participating…

This paper describes the use of project-based learning to teach design skills to civil engineering students at University College Dublin (UCD). The paper first considers the development of problem-based leaning (PBL) as a tool in higher education. The general issues to be considered in the design of the curriculum for a PBL module are reviewed.…

Presents five plans to assist students in information seeking on the Internet and provides examples of activities. Highlights include practicing search skills, learning about a topic of inquiry and/or question answering, reviewing multiple perspectives on an issue, solving authentic problems, and publishing synthesized and/or critiqued information…

Individuals with significant disabilities who have been trained to enter independent employment often depend too much on their job coaches. This guide describes strategies to enhance the problem-solving skills of learners with mental retardation by teaching them to use self-instruction or self-directed verbal commands. It details procedures for…

A small residential center for boys with learning disabilities and/or emotional problems was the setting for an intensive six-week inservice program designed to provide the staff with a combination of tutorial and direct training. The training was subsequently integrated into a more formalized, comprehensive, and on-going program through a local…