There is widespread agreement that collaboration, teamwork and intercultural competence, among others, are essential 21st century skills. Higher education teaching and learning initiatives tend to have a significant focus on developing these skills through assessments and other in-class activities, and yet often do not take advantage of…

Despite contrasting views on the overlap of early childhood education and teacher education, opportunities abound for expanding the role of early childhood educators in broader teacher education discourse. University-based early childhood education and kindergarten-through-grade-12 teacher education share purposes, philosophies, and resources that…

Critics of collaborative learning such as Greg Myers argue that educators might let their enthusiasm for collaborative learning lead them to accepting social construction of knowledge as a good thing in itself. It is important, however, to distinguish between the use of specific collaborative learning activities--such as peer response groups or…

Maintains that only people prepared through an arts education can truly receive and understand the benefits of civilization. Argues that we may counteract the undesirable effects of an easy, "instant response" society by focusing our collective and cooperative energies on education about the arts. (TRS)

This series is intended for music educators and features speeches and articles by leaders in music and arts education on a wide variety of current issues. This publication deals with music education's complexity in relation to the United States society's complexity and specialization. Specifically, the paper questions how the field of music…

Cooperative learning processes have been rediscovered and are being used throughout the country on every level. The basic elements of cooperative goal structure are positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction, and cooperative skills. The teacher's role in structuring cooperative learning situations involves…

This bulletin provides an overview of the ways in which school districts and schools are making learning a priority in schools despite scarce resources. it describes how districts and schools make use of resources, instructional strategies, and policies to overcome the barriers caused by tight budgets. Examples from Oregon schools are provided.…

Reports on a study conducted by a university geography department and its school of education. They divided a World Regional Geography class into two groups. One utilized the traditional lecture method; the other implemented a collaborative learning approach. No significant gain was realized at the conclusion of the study. (MJP)

When most teachers hear the phrase "professional development," skepticism clouds their faces. But research-based professional development can provide interesting experiences and valuable content knowledge. The Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program, funded by the National Science Foundation, helps "facilitate professional development of…

Instructional designers believe that it is important to expose pre-service and in-service teachers to Instructional Systems Design (ISD) procedures and products so teachers can utilize them. Educational literature, however, reveals few attempts to relate instructional design theory and methods to teaching practice. This paper proposes a new…

Provides evidence that benefits occur when friends, compared with nonfriends, are coworkers on cognitive tasks. Notes meta-analysis which found superior performance was demonstrated in the areas of seeking scarce resources, problem solving, creative activity, and reaching consensus. Argues teachers should consider giving students the opportunity…

20 years of Sino-German cooperation in vocational training and education (VET) have produced a great many mutual benefits. This article outlines the stages underwent during the development of Sino-German cooperation in VET, describing certain experiences, in particular highlighting practices such as labour market oriented curricula, action based…

Educators are finding new and interesting ways to use computers as tools to educate and learn. For students to compete in the global community, it is imperative that educators embrace and use the World Wide Web in their curriculum. Hillside Elementary School in Minnesota uses the Internet, in a project called Web66, as a medium for student…

This book, which is intended for adult educators and human resource developers, presents guidelines for using the principles of cohort programming and learning to improve adult learners' educational experiences. The following are among the topics covered in the book's eight chapters: (1) cohort programming and learning (cohort programs defined;…