This study reports the development of an instrument to assess classroom environment in universities. Using a sample of 665 students from 11 departments of the University of Seville (Spain), an instrument called the Evaluation of University Teaching Activities Questionnaire (E.U.T.A.Q.) was field-tested. The E.U.T.A.Q. consists of 25 items assigned…

Students from a predominantly White state at a predominantly White institution, working and living within predominantly White communities, have limited experience engaging with people of color. This lack of experience has at least two consequences. First, students tend to define "diversity" simply as non-White racial and ethnic identity, failing…

This article presents how Developmental Approaches in Science, Health and Technology (DASH) summer institute sparks the author to try and succeed in using inquiry with her young students. It is a program created by the Curriculum Research and Development Group, University of Hawaii, and funded in part by the National Science Foundation. DASH is an…

Survey data from 174 university students are presented, on a scale designed to measure preference for absolute knowledge and perspective in instruction, including online discussions. Results demonstrate a strong effect of class level such that students in lower grade levels reported a greater preference for instruction involving unambiguous…

We examine the effect of online Argumentation Vee Diagrams (AVDs) on the quality of students' argumentation during asynchronous, online discussions. With AVDs, students develop arguments on both sides of a controversial issue and then develop an integrated, overall final conclusion. In this study, students used AVDs individually before composing…

In this article we discuss findings from a case-study related to the distance education of teachers of Italian as a second/foreign language. This case-study has examined interactions among teachers during their discussions in a web-forum exploiting the model of content analysis proposed in the "Practical Inquiry Model" by Garrison, Anderson, and…

Distance Educational Practice is today supported by a range of information systems (IS) design theories. Still, there are surprisingly few strong pedagogical ideas and constructs that are communicated across distance educational institutions. Instead it is often the technology, the software and the medium that is at the centre of attention as we…

Science and social studies have much to offer to all learners--including those with disabilities. However, instruction in these subjects has often been overlooked in the quest to better understand and improve leaning in English/language arts and mathematics. As we demonstrate in this paper, science and social studies help students attain skills,…

This study examined how 20 Taiwanese college students of English as a Second Language (ESL) used small group discussion as a medium to construct meaning from a literary text. Students were divided into five discussion groups and instructed to discuss in English only. Each group's interaction was audiotaped and transcribed, then analyzed by topical…

A battery of learning preference and course evaluation methods was used in a class of 38 college undergraduates enrolled in an educational psychology course. This investigation was designed to test the hypothesis that students' evaluation of pedagogical methods is modified by their learning style. Results indicated that students who actively…

This analysis of a pilot study in inservice teacher education seminars provides insight into the potential of case-based methods in multicultural education and exposes some of the difficulties that accompany this approach, for both discussion leader and participants. Rather than passively listening to generalized knowledge on multiculturalism…

This report describes the evaluation process of Portland, Oregon's Student Mentoring Program (SMP), a program which brought college students from four private universities and at risk eighth grade students from four middle schools in mentoring relationships. The evaluation design is described, as are the various measurements used to assess program…

Written to meet the affective need of adolescent students to share their feelings and concerns with supportive listeners, this document contains 50 guided discussions on various topics relating to three focus areas: the self, the self and others, and stress. Under the focus of the self topics include: personal strengths and limitations; behind the…

This manual is designed to provide adolescents and young adults who have disabilities with a blueprint for setting and achieving goals, making decisions, acquiring needed supports, and achieving a self-determined and sustainable lifestyle. A planning process called Group Action Planning is used as a foundation for self-determination, with…

Guidelines and lesson plans are presented for teachers of Latin using historical films as instructional and support materials. A discussion of the use of historical films addresses these issues in classroom practice: the legality of using films in the classroom (copyrights); techniques for using historical films as sources of cultural information;…