One way to help students learn to read science and teach the content simultaneously is by incorporating classroom strategies that actively engage students in thinking, talking, reading, and writing about science. To maximize the probability that strategies will be effective is to use a learning cycle as a guide when designing lessons. This article…

Undergraduates with little training on molecular biology may find the technical level of the typical introductory restriction laboratory too challenging and have problems with mastering the underlying concepts and processes. "Blackboard electrophoresis" is an active learning exercise, which focuses student attention on the sequences and principles…

With a shift of focus from teaching to learning in higher education, teachers often look for strategies to involve students actively in the learning process, especially since numerous studies have demonstrated that a student's active involvement in the learning process enhances learning. Active learning has resulted in positive learning outcomes.…

This book is developed to make the teaching and learning of history a powerful and enjoyable experience in the classroom through the study of historical mysteries. What better place to snoop around and dig through mysterious graves than in history class? This book takes ten mysterious events in history from ancient Egypt to the 21st century for…

Describes a few activities and strategies that may be used to actively engage students in their learning. (YDS)

Incorporates history and genetics to explain how genetic traits are passed on to the next generation by focusing on methemoglobinemia, a rare genetic disease, and discusses how oxygen is carried by hemoglobin. Includes individual pedigree analysis and class pedigree analysis. (YDS)

In groups, 49 accounting students completed a 5-week analysis of audit reporting issues using cooperative learning. Positive student reactions and achievement suggested that contemporary active learning approaches are compatible with the traditional accounting goal of preparing for the Certified Public Accountants examination. (SK)

Introduces the Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) model as an alternative to traditional cooperative learning. Discusses the difficulties of PLTL based curriculum which include finding the peer leaders, selecting the right materials for implementation, and training techniques for peer leaders. (YDS)

Reports on some of the special considerations that were necessary when ConcepTests, a student active-learning method (SAL), was used in a smaller-sized class (15 students). Finds that the use of ConcepTests was a great way to actively engage students despite the small class size. (MM)

When teachers ask upper middle school and high school students what they know about the Westward movement, the students usually draw on their experiences with simulation games. Rather than rely on simulation games or texts to help students understand that era, these authors advocate moving middle or high school students from a simplistic to a…

Formal learning usually takes place in a physical classroom. An extension of learning process may continue to occur in a conventional setting where learners get together physically after class hours. In other words, learning may take place within particular zones. Vygotsky's idea of zone of proximal development (ZPD) suggests that learning may not…

In this article, we present an overview of a suite of light and spectroscopy education materials developed as part of Project LITE (Light Inquiry Through Experiments). We also present an analysis of how introductory college astronomy students using these Project LITE materials performed on the Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI)…

Current reforms in science education call for the integration of digital technologies into science teaching, advocating that students learn science content and processes through technology. In this article, we provide practical examples, situated within the literature, of how digital technologies can be used to support the development and…

This paper aims to investigate students' likes and dislikes of the teaching that they have experienced and its effects on students' perceptions of the learning environment, student learning and academic performance. The study compares a lecture-based setting to a student-activating learning/teaching environment, considering both instructional and…

This is the third in a series of Early Years Good Practice conferences provided by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE). The purpose of these is to support early years practitioners from pre-school and the early years of primary school to share ideas and learn from one another about the practical aspects of managing the continuity of…