At Oklahoma City Community College, they have developed gel electrophoresis activities that support active learning of many scientific concepts, including: pH, electrolysis, oxidation reduction, electrical currents, potentials, conductivity, molarity, gel electrophoresis, DNA and protein separation, and DNA fingerprinting. This article presents…

Active learning enhances engineering education. This paper presents rationale, curriculum supplements, and an approach to active learning that may be seamlessly incorporated into a traditional lecture-based engineering class. A framework of educational theory that structures the active learning experiences and includes consideration of learning…

Peer-Assisted Tutorials (PATs), a form of Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL), were introduced to a conventional 4-year honours degree programme in Chemical Engineering. PATs were designed to support students in becoming more self-directed in their learning, to develop student confidence in tackling Chemical Engineering problems and to promote effective…

Using mobile games in education combines situated and active learning with fun in a potentially excellent manner. The effects of a mobile city game called Frequency 1550, which was developed by The Waag Society to help pupils in their first year of secondary education playfully acquire historical knowledge of medieval Amsterdam, were investigated…

This paper is concerned with the development of a coherent unified theory for a science of curriculum--specifically, the development of logical consistency and compatibility with related fields in the formation of theory. Learning as a common human activity is subject to principles germane to human activity in general, as well as to universal…

This paper notes the introduction of roleplaying into the interpersonal communication curriculum, identifies interpersonal communication as the key variable in the maintenance of successful relationships, touches on common problematic areas in interpersonal conflict, and discusses how roleplaying and action methods (any of a variety of methods…

As in many professions, elementary and secondary school teachers are expected to participate regularly in professional development activities. These activities may be intended to help teachers to learn new teaching methods, broaden their subject matter content knowledge, or stay informed of changing policies, among other purposes. Researchers have…

Discipline problems, limited resources, crowded classrooms. Teachers face many issues each day that can wear down their love of education. How can they stay focused and energized day in and day out? In this book, Joseph Ciaccio shares an approach that transformed him from a burned-out veteran teacher struggling joylessly through each day to a…

This report examines the problem of a lack of motivation in secondary mathematics students. A large percentage of our students view upper level math courses as only a means to an end. They lack self motivation and are driven by either parental concerns or the desire to score well on college entrance exams. They see very little transfer from the…

Discusses barriers and benefits to active learning teaching approaches. Gives some suggestions for implementing change. Contains 16 references. (DKM)

Heroes may be proxies for an individual's value system. An accounting course attempts to make ethics more salient by having students identify a personal hero who serves as a model for ethical behavior. Active learning and critical thinking are also engaged. (SK)

Presents a weather forecasting activity in which students experience the original view and style of weather forecasting. (YDS)

Provides a comprehensive view of active learning based on the premise that learning to do a task via instruction is a cumulative process. Five lesson elements are discussed, around which trainee activities may be designed: motivation, orientation, information, application, and evaluation. (Author/JKP)

In an introductory nursing course taught using a phenomenological approach, analysis of student narratives revealed their learning patterns moved from detachment to active participation. Stories shared by nurses in practice introduced students to the world of learning and facilitated their sense of belonging. (SK)

Describes how a nursing school employs active learning in a nursing skills lab and in a physiology lab, increasing student motivation. (SK)