We developed an advanced, year-long course sequence in eukaryotic cell and molecular biology in order to increase conceptual understanding. Three years of historical data from a one semester, traditional-lecture, senior cell and molecular biology course (n = 237) were compared with 3 years of data collected from the year-long course sequence (n =…

Higher education (HE) faculty are increasingly teaching online. For many faculty, this represents a new instructional mode that comes with its own set of challenges but also with new instructional possibilities. One challenge is identifying innovative and effective active learning methods that academically engage online students. Along with other…

Gen Z stands out as a new age learner group in the context of open and distance learning. Research shows that Gen Z has different needs and expectations form their predecessors; therefore, new educational interventions are required. The purpose of this study is to examine the suggestions of the scientific articles on Gen Z to draw educational…

"Engaging Learners through Zoom" delivers numerous practical strategies and helpful advice on how to engage students virtually. Many of the tools are also applicable in face-to-face and hybrid environments. Backed by cognitive neuroscience research, this book is a collection of dozens of active, synchronous online learning structures…

Active learning involves students engaging with course content beyond lecture: through writing, applets, simulations, games, and more (Prince, 2004). As mathematics is often viewed as a subject area that is taught using more traditional methods (Goldsmith & Mark, 1999), there are actually many simple ways to make undergraduate mathematics…

Launched in June 2016, the Smithsonian Learning Lab (SLL) provides access to the digital resources from across the Smithsonian's 19 museums, 9 major research centers, and the National Zoo, to be used as real-world learning experiences. It is designed to aid students in building lasting knowledge and critical skills that take learners from simply…

The seminal report "Vision and Change" outlined improvements necessary for undergraduate biology courses to accomplish widely recognized learning objectives. Over the past 8 years, we have developed a two-semester introductory biology course that incorporates the core concepts and competencies recommended in "Vision and…

Teacher professional learning is of increasing interest as one way to support the increasingly complex skills students need to succeed in the 21st century. However, many teacher professional development initiatives appear ineffective in supporting changes in teacher practices and student learning. To identify the features of effective professional…

Teacher professional learning is of increasing interest as one way to support the increasingly complex skills students need to learn in preparation for further education and work in the 21st century. Sophisticated forms of teaching are needed to develop student competencies such as deep mastery of challenging content, critical thinking, complex…

The image of students passively absorbing information from an educator who is lecturing from behind a podium does not reflect the current scope and dimension of higher education. There are now tools of technology that can be used to create learning experiences to actively and meaningfully "pull" students into course content. The author…

With the advancements in the WWW and ICT, the e-learning domain has developed very fast. Even many educational institutions these days have shifted their focus towards the e-learning and mobile learning environments. However, from the quality of learning point of view, which is measured in terms of "active learning" taking place, the…

The Department of Physics at EKU [Eastern Kentucky University] with support from the National Science Foundations Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Program has successfully converted our entire introductory physics sequence, both algebra-based and calculus-based courses, to an activity-based format where laboratory activities,…

For the forty-first time, the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two volumes. Volume 1 contains twenty-seven…

The use of educational technologies in teaching and learning presents pedagogical concerns and challenges to educators. Combining multimedia technologies with the Web has created new possibilities for the development of instructional materials to deliver course content. However, this use of technology continues to represent traditional conceptions…