Gamified interactive e-books can make the learning process more interactive, enjoyable, and personalized by incorporating game elements into the educational content, thus increasing student engagement and retention in the flipped classroom. However, scholars have pointed out that learning with game elements that may lead to poor learning outcomes.…

An introductory physics course may be run like a video game, where students have an almost unlimited number of attempts to demonstrate their competencies through a sequence of zero-penalty assessments until the end of a semester. Each checkpoint is conducted as a 10-minute, one-on-one oral interview with the instructor, and students are not…

This article presents a "child-centered" model of the teaching-learning process--the challenge kindergarten model. The model is an attempt to deal with the limitations of the "child-centered" approach without giving up its benefits. In this model, the teachers enable the children to direct their activities and improve their…

What should be the continuing role of founders in schools supporting self-directed learning? To answer this, the founders' views of two North American schools for self-directed learners will be compared. One school is exam-focused and private; the other is, test-free and public. The founders of both schools have comparable beliefs regarding the…

"Student voice" (SV) refers to listening to and valuing students' views regarding their learning experiences, as well as treating them as equal partners in the evaluation process. This is expected, in turn, to empower students to take a more active role in shaping their learning. This study explores the role played by digital…

Using constructivist principles and autonomous learning techniques the ELP has pioneered innovative and cutting edge approaches to learning languages that can be applied to learning across the spectrum. Although articles on the success of the ELP project have appeared in some academic journals, "Perspectives from the European Language…

Past research has indicated that different students learn differently. If we could identify into which group(s) students were more closely aligned, then we could help students learn more effectively. One such classification has been whether students were considered to be traditional or nontraditional, where traditional students were frequently…

This study investigated the role of self-directed learning (SDL) in problem-based learning (PBL) and examined how SDL relates to self-regulated learning (SRL). First, it is explained how SDL is implemented in PBL environments. Similarities between SDL and SRL are highlighted. However, both concepts differ on important aspects. SDL includes an…

Background: The predominant dissertation model used in teacher education courses in Flanders is the "literature study with practical processing". Despite the practical supplement, this traditional model does not fit sufficiently well with autonomous learning as the objective of modern teacher education dissertations. This study reports on the…

WebTOP is a three-dimensional, Web-based, interactive computer graphics system that helps instructors teach and students learn about waves and optics. Current subject areas include waves, geometrical optics, reflection and refraction, polarization, interference, diffraction, lasers, and scattering. Some of the topics covered are suited for…

How learners learn to take responsibility for their own learning remains a challenge for educators. One concept that has not been widely considered that we propose is an important requirement in successful independent learning is the concept of Gumption (Pirsig, 1974). Gumption is all about initiative and creativity, zeal and vigour--the practical…

Workshop Way is a classroom management system that keeps students of varying abilities busy, creating an ordered plan of work that helps students organize themselves and feel confident. Workshop Way fosters independent work by posting a series of headings across a bulletin board with specific, brief assignments under each heading. (SM)

This paper demonstrates how learners can work on problems involved in learning a foreign language on their own through reading strategies and the help of a well-stocked, language resources center. Using this self-access approach and the resources center, the learner can accomplish the goal of learning with only minimal assistance from other…

Defines the components of self-regulation ability--learners' ability to participate actively in their learning: as strategic knowledge, self-efficacy, ownership, mastery orientation, and self-reflection. Presents guidelines for promoting self-regulation ability through instructional design that incorporates these components. (AEF)

Learning activities in environmental education require the use of the physical environment or moving into nature and natural settings to explore issues of the environment. These approaches are sometimes labeled as "nonformal." This informational bulletin examines a taxonomy of four learning environments and explore the application of nonformal…