Modeling offers a promising form of constructivist learning for students. By making and executing models of dynamic systems in a computer environment, students are stimulated to learn about the specific domain that is modeled as well as about the process of modeling in general. However, learning by modeling also leads to characteristic student…

The laboratory component of undergraduate engineering education poses challenges in resource constrained engineering faculties. The cost, time, space and physical presence requirements of the traditional (real) laboratory approach are the contributory factors. These resource constraints may mitigate the acquisition of meaningful laboratory…

Children with exceptional learning needs find it very difficult to retain content information from the regular curriculum. Many content teachers also find it difficult to adapt curriculum to the learning needs of these exception children within the confines of the classroom and without any assistance. Although many schools are equipped with…

This paper introduces a novel model of laboratory education, namely the TriLab. The model is based on recent advances in ICT and implements a three access modes to the laboratory experience (virtual, hands-on and remote) in one software package. A review of the three modes is provided with highlights of advantages and disadvantages of each mode.…

Students often have difficulty understanding the relationship of O[subscript 2] consumption, CO[subscript 2] production, cardiac output, and distribution of ventilation-perfusion ratios in the lung to the final arterial blood gas composition. To overcome this difficulty, I have developed an interactive computer simulation of pulmonary gas exchange…

Systems thinking is an essential cognitive skill that enables individuals to develop an integrative understanding of a given subject at the conceptual and systemic level. Yet, systems thinking is not usually an innate skill. Helping students develop systems-thinking skills warrants attention from educators. This paper describes a study examining…

Critical Chains project management focuses on holding buffers at the project level vs. task level, and managing buffers as a project resource. A number of studies have shown that Critical Chain project management can significantly improve organizational schedule fidelity (i.e., improve the proportion of projects delivered on time) and reduce…

The 2010 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (CSCTFL) focused on exploring various ways to lead students to become part of an internationally competent workforce. Foreign language educators shared their experiences in investigating various modes of assessment, the use of technology, and techniques to motivate students to…

Web 2.0 is not only for kids anymore, businesses are using it, too. Businesses are adopting Web 2.0 technology for a variety of purposes. In this article, the author discusses how he incorporates Web 2.0 into his business communications course. He describes a project that has both individual and collaborative elements and requires extensive…

Young and healthy undergraduates in health education were not predisposed to learn the complex sprawl of topics in a required course on U.S. Health Care. An online simulation of health care reform was used to encourage student learning about health care and participating in health care reform. Students applied their understanding of high costs,…

Transformative learning occurs when students engage in activities that challenge formative assumptions about the world and how it works. The "Family Collaboration Portfolio" was designed as an interactive simulation exercise in which preservice professionals critically examined their assumptions of parenting a child with a disability through…

This article discusses the functions and effectiveness of games and simulations in the learning processes, in particular as an experiential learning methodology. The application of the game Lemonade Tycoon in the development of lean manufacturing concepts is described. This article addresses the use of the game to teach the principles of lean…

When looking at virtual environments and language learning we can take our pick where to begin. Should it be technology or pedagogy? I will use the pedagogical concept of learner autonomy to approach virtual environments in different ways. First, there is a need to look at interaction and online interaction; second, reflection as an essential…

Current methods of teaching basic amplifier design at the undergraduate level need further development to match today's technological advances. The general class approach to amplifier design is analytical and heavily based on mathematical manipulations. However, the students mathematical abilities are generally modest, creating a void in which…

One of the most important challenges facing college instructors of economics is helping students engage. Engagement is particularly important in a large-enrollment Principles of Economics course, where it can help students achieve a long-lived understanding of how economists use basic economic ideas to look at the world. The author reports how…