Focuses on identifying the educational effects of "activity oriented" instructional techniques. Examines which instructional methods produce enhanced learning and comprehension. Discusses the problem of learning "sorting algorithms," a major topic in every Computer Science curriculum. Presents a low-tech, hands-on teaching method for sorting…

Research confirms that active learning techniques, like case studies, increase student participation and learning. This article provides an overview of case study methodology, discusses its appropriateness in library instruction, and presents two case studies used in a library instruction course at Murray State University (Murray, Kentucky).…

The main research question of this study was: How do selected high school chemistry students' understandings of the elements, structure, and periodicity of the Periodic Table change as they participate in a unit study consisting of inquiry-based activities emphasizing construction of innovative science graphics? The research question was answered…

A clinical study was designed and used to show the relationship of health and medicine, in a typical clinical scenario, where many chemical principles are involved and that an integrated knowledge of chemistry and biology is essential to the understanding, diagnosing and treating of illnesses. A case study would be a positive learning experience…

Education policymakers often go astray when they attempt to integrate multiple intelligences theory into schools, according to the originator of the theory, Howard Gardner, and his colleagues. The greatest potential of a multiple intelligences approach to education grows from the concept of a profile of intelligences. Each learner's intelligence…

Students in advanced psychopathology courses can learn key concepts by administering semistructured interviews designed to identify specific mental disorders. Such an active learning approach potentially can help students gain fundamental knowledge about psychopathology and begin to develop clinical and research skills. To explore the value of…

Active engagement in the classroom is one of the best tools available for overcoming conceptual difficulties. Science educators agree that students of all ages learn more by participating actively in the interpretation of scientific phenomena (NAS 2003; NSF 1998). In this article, the authors describe demonstrations in class using paper wads as an…

The topic of social structure and interaction presents social science professors with a notable teaching opportunity. The active learning technique described in this article requires students to briefly analyze the statuses and roles of individuals with whom they are familiar. They then role play assigned characters as they would interact at a…

Basic writing students and online learning are not necessarily an ideal match. In hopes of stimulating more conversation and research on how technology can best advance the basic writing curriculum, this article first classifies the problems students and faculty encounter when a basic writing class moves online and discusses the pedagogical…

Outlines how students develop a price index based on candy-purchasing decisions made by class members. Explains that students used the index to practice calculating inflation rates and to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the consumer price index (CPI). States that the exercise has been used in introductory and intermediate macroeconomics…

This project involved the use of two small, closely matched non-majors introductory biology classes to test the use of the Jigsaw method of teaching vs. a passive, instructor-oriented model of teaching. In this study, the Jigsaw method was used as a jumping off point for the teaching-learning of the material. Students were to learn the concepts of…

This article is about enhancing critical thinking as a crucial aspect of the competence citizens need to participate in society. First empirical research into the question which instructional strategies are "effective" in enhancing critical thinking is reviewed. Characteristics of instruction that are assumed to enhance critical thinking are:…

This paper addresses the issue of incorporating moral education in the English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) classroom in light of the increasing calls for having teachers take on a more pro-active role in the moral development of their students. The moral education model recommended in this study includes the development of…

The references in this document provide an overview of empirical and conceptual scholarship on the application of learning theories in community college classrooms. Specific theories discussed in the citations include: active learning, cooperative learning, multiple intelligences, problem-based learning, and self-regulated learning. In addition to…

Facilitation is often proposed as an alternative to the teacher-fronted classroom. However, whilst teacher talk has been linked to the use of the IRF pattern, interactional patterns for facilitator talk have proved to be more elusive. Through the use of naturally-occurring classroom data this paper attempts to define facilitator talk. But, since…