The current paper describes the design and development of a qualitative analysis course and an interactive web-based teaching and assessment tool called VSE (virtual structural environment). The widespread reliance on structural analysis programs requires engineers to be able to verify computer output by carrying out qualitative analyses.…

Northern Ireland has invested heavily in the use of technology enhanced learning at all levels of education. Alongside this, radical changes to the school curriculum and the planned move away from academic selection towards a more inclusive system are challenging those involved in Initial Teacher Education to find ways to improve teaching and…

Many families of children with challenging behaviors have experienced multiple changes in child care because of their child's behavior. While this is disruptive for families, it has even more serious consequences for children. For these children, consistency and continuity is critical to their long term outcomes. In order to build the capacity of…

Children with autism generally face significant challenges in such areas as normal social interaction, communication, and independent daily functioning, which are considered as the basic skills essential for success in life. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the established research and best practices in enhancing the above skills for…

This book explores teaching techniques and adaptations that have proven effective in teaching mathematics concepts and skills to students with learning disabilities, with a focus on reasoning methods rather than algorithmic calculation. Emphasis is placed on topics that potentially can or commonly do cause the most difficulty for students with…

It is upon a positive literature-based foundation that educators must build excellent curriculum and teaching strategies. It is the job of educators to be trained to integrate the concepts of whole language and direct phonetic instruction so children have the advantage of both schools of thought, to be aware of how children learn most efficiently,…

The role of performance assessments in making cognitive activity apparent to teachers and students was studied through descriptions of the cognitive activity of 31 fifth-grade students. Differences while carrying out a science performance assessment reveal critical differences between those who think and reason well with their knowledge of…

Educational administration is currently debating the future of the profession and the most appropriate modes for the preparation of school leaders, including the role of higher education in developing preparation models. This paper reviews selected master's and doctoral programs in educational administration and argues that preparation programs…

Graphology is the systematic study of handwriting as a clue to personality. The same term has been applied to less valid studies of handwriting as pursued by those with little or no understanding of the scientific method. This paper examines this latter realm of graphology. In two studies, college students and samples of convenience were asked to…

The participant guide to implementation of the Collaborative Learning Process (CLP) is presented. The CLP is designed to increase the application of content through inservice teacher training. The first section reviews the basic components of CLP, summarizes how to prepare for the first session, and how to keep CLP going. The second section…

This paper presents a procedure for teaching Management Information Science (MIS) courses called the "Current Reality Tree" (a tool of the Theory of Constraints used to determine the major problem of a system) and proposes a methodology to use it to aid in instruction. The first part of the model (business problems) suggests initiating a session…

This paper describes the characteristics of microworlds and discusses the basis of their use as educational tools. The power of a microworld as a learning tool is based in the philosophy of constructivism, the Piagetian principle of equilibrium, mental models, and intrinsic motivation. Research results of educational microworld studies appear to…

The three learning modules in this package are designed to provide elementary school teachers with exploratory level learning activities that will encourage students to understand technology and become technologically literate. The package is organized around the following major content areas: (1) computer technology--in which students use…

This book presents a theory of how adults learn by making meaning of their experiences. Chapter 1 gives an overview of an emerging transformation theory of adult learning, compares it with other theories of adult learning, and describes the dynamics of the process through which one makes meaning of one's experience. Chapter 2 examines the way…

The writings by the novelist James A. Michener that have appeared in publications of the National Council for the Social Studies from 1938 to 1987 are presented as a collected work. The titles of the included articles are: "Music and the Social Studies"; "Participation in Community Surveys as Social Education"; "The…