In a survey of 294 nursing students and 57 faculty, students equally valued lectures, tutorials, and labs for learning biosciences. Faculty differed from students regarding the value of methods and time allocated to the biosciences. Adjustments in the allocation of curriculum topics and a tutorial system to augment lectures and labs were…

This literature review addresses the following questions: "What is spirituality?"; How is it defined in a nursing context?"; and "What should be taught in nursing and how?" It emphasizes spirituality as a broad concept, not equated with any religion. (SK)

The author of this article states that one of the more troubling aspects of contemporary American culture is the considerable number of persons who feel no obligation to support freedom of speech and/or freedom of the press. Those who disagree are perceived as dangerous. There are right answers and wrong answers, and to suggest that one might…

This article describes a course offered at Teachers College, Columbia University, which focuses on contemplative practices from various wisdom traditions in order to increase awareness of what they share and to encourage educators to view these practices as sources of peace and tolerance. The article also presents various ways in which the…

In this article David Wiley provides an overview of how the general expansion of open source software has affected the world of education in particular. In doing so, Wiley not only addresses the development of open source software applications for teachers and administrators, he also discusses how the fundamental philosophy of the open source…

Case studies typically do not promulgate a particular viewpoint about a subject. They may, however, take a particular stance on an issue--one the author does not necessarily personally support or believe in--to challenge students to examine a difficult subject from all vantage points. Ignoring controversial topics and striking a politically…

Examines a teaching strategy called "constructive controversy" where students are required to argue both the pro and con positions concerning a controversial current topic. Describes students' response to a class using this method to examine the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Student response was generally favorable. (MJP)

Many plant biologists claim that there is a tremendous bias towards the study of animals in science curricula, however, there is even less attention given to topics on fungi. On average, Biology laboratory manuals will have only one fungi exercise, and most of the time, it is mainly descriptive. As we developed this exercise we realized how much…

This paper argues that student motivation is nurtured more by intrinsic rather than extrinsic rewards. Rather than relying on grades alone to stimulate students, this paper explores how engendering a natural critical learning environment can give students a sense of ownership in their own learning and lead to their commitment to that learning. We…

In this article, Judith V. Boettcher provides ten core learning principles that can guide technology-enhanced teaching as well as more traditional forms of instruction. Drawn from both traditional pedagogical theory as well as current research about how people learn, the ten principles integrate these findings in a helpful set of guidelines that…

Over the last thirty years, the idea of sustainable development has come to be seen in policy circles across the globe as a necessary and urgent response to a range of social and environmental issues that threaten both the integrity of the biosphere, and human wellbeing. Increasingly, education, and particularly higher education, is seen to have a…

Variation in how faculty in disparate theory-based academic environments design and structure their undergraduate courses to promote student learning in 12 areas was examined. The findings suggest that faculty create distinctive academic environments that reinforce and reward their preferred patterns of student competencies in a manner consistent…

Teaching in socially just ways and in ways that produce social justice requires the recognition that learners need access to the knowledge deemed valuable by the content domains, even as the knowledge they bring to their learning must not only be recognized but valued. In this review, the author revisits that notion of teaching as the fusion of…

A symposium in the November 2006 issue of "College English" addresses the question, "What should college English be?" In this article, the author presents his answer to this question--it should be a functional approach to English studies. By English studies he means everything that is done in English departments. Most English departments teach…

The case study approach was used to analyze experiential learning through its three components: knowledge, action, and reflection. Two interior design courses were integrated through a university service-learning project. The restoration/adaptive reuse of a 95-year-old library building was to serve as a prototype for future off-campus…